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The thought of having Jewish settler homes demolished on his watch has propelled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to promise a radical _ some say ludicrous _ way to sidestep a Supreme Court order to raze 30 apartments built illegally in the West Bank.
Jewish settlers have a last photo taken in their empty house after it was evacuated by movers employed by the Israeli Defense Ministry, in the Ulpana neighborhood in the West bank Jewish settlement of... (Associated Press)
Jewish settlers and movers employed by the Israeli Defense Ministry carry out belongings from settler's apartment in the Ulpana neighborhood in the West bank Jewish settlement of Beit El, near Ramallah,... (Associated Press)
Jewish settlers pray in front of their houses in the Ulpana neighborhood in the West bank Jewish settlement of Beit El, near Ramallah, Tuesday, June. 26, 2012. Israel has started on Tuesday to evacuate... (Associated Press)
Two Jewish settlers watch as movers, not seen, employed by the Israeli Defense Ministry carry out furniture from an apartment in the Ulpana neighborhood in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Bet El, near... (Associated Press)
Jewish settlers watch as movers employed by the Israeli Defense Ministry carry out belongings from settler's apartment in the Ulpana neighborhood in the West bank Jewish settlement of Beit El, near Ramallah,... (Associated Press)
After it evacuates settlers from five apartment buildings in the Ulpana outpost this week, the government has promised to slice the structures from their foundations and move them to a West Bank site nearby, where they will be reassembled.
Construction specialists say transplanting the buildings _ three-story concrete structures faced with stone and topped with red tile roofs _ would squander huge sums of money and be infinitely more complicated than destroying and rebuilding them.
Netanyahu came up with the plan after the government was ordered to dismantle the outpost. People close to the prime minister say he believes that preserving the homes will ease the pain for the families.
The Israeli Supreme Court ordered the government earlier this year to destroy Ulpana after determining it was built on privately owned Palestinian land.
"By the first of July, the plan is to have the buildings vacated and sealed," a government official said this week, speaking on condition of anonymity about a project whose details have not been finalized. "The prime minister said he wanted these buildings relocated, not destroyed."
The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war, as part of a future state. The Palestinians, along with virtually all of the international community, consider all Israeli settlements to be illegal or illegitimate.
In Israel, any talk of uprooting settlements, now home to more than 500,000 Israelis, is contentious. The government divides the settlements into two categories _ those it authorized and those it did not. There are more than 100 authorized settlements and another 100 or so unauthorized outposts, some little more than a few trailers on a hilltop and others, like Ulpana, made up of concrete apartment houses.
Most settlers do not make that distinction, opposing demolition of any Israeli structure in the West Bank.
The unusual Ulpana arrangement is an attempt by the pro-settler Netanyahu to avert the prospect of destroying a settlement and battling its residents, who started packing their belongings and moving out of the buildings on Tuesday.
Transplanting the buildings would solve that problem, but at a staggering cost, experts say.
Specialists familiar with this type of operation say it would require slicing the buildings with huge circular blades, chopping them into smaller pieces, transferring them by crane to massive flatbed trucks and hauling them to their new location, where they would be reassembled like a puzzle. The sawing alone would take a week for each building and cost $125,000 for apiece for the five structures, said one of the specialists, speaking on condition of anonymity because final plans for the project have not yet been set.
That expense would just be the starter.
"Sawing is not the problem. The problem is how to put them together again," because the slicing would cut through electrical wires, plumbing, structural rods and other parts of the apartment, forcing a large-scale reconstruction, said Israel David, vice chairman of the Israeli Association of Construction and Infrastructure Engineers.
"It's absurd," he said, estimating that total costs could go as high as $25 million to relocate 30 apartments that could be rebuilt for $150,000 apiece.
The technique has been used in Israel before. In 2005, Israel moved five historic homes in the center of Tel Aviv to widen a road.
Shay Tzadik, a 20-year veteran of the sawing business, said he appreciates the sentiment behind what Netanyahu is trying to do, but thinks it's beside the point.
"If it was an archaeological site, it would be worth the investment," Tzadik said. "But why do it?"
___
Blake Sobczak contributed reporting from Ulpana. ||||| “This is a black day for us,” said Amir Dana, a father of five, as cranes lifted furniture out of the homes. “This is a moral and legal injustice, but we’re peaceful people. None of us wanted a fight among brothers and a confrontation with police and soldiers.”
Like the other evacuees, he wore a black T-shirt that said, “Expelled from my home. We’ll be back.”
The scenes contrasted sharply with previous evictions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in which settlers put up passive or active resistance. The Ulpana settlers, who are religiously observant, said they complied with the directive of a prominent rabbi at Beit El, Zalman Melamed, who counseled them to avoid a violent confrontation.
Militant settlers who have violently resisted other evictions were not in evidence at Beit El on Tuesday, although vandals torched a mosque in a Palestinian village this month, leaving behind graffiti promising “war” over the Ulpana evictions. Some families said they would have to be carried out when their turn for evacuation comes later this week.
Netanyahu, who reluctantly complied with the court order and blocked a bill sponsored by right-wing legislators to retroactively legalize building on private Palestinian land, has promised to construct 300 more homes in Beit El to compensate for the evacuation. He has also pledged to dismantle and relocate the five emptied apartment buildings, rather than raze them.
That process cannot be completed by July 1, the deadline set by the court for demolishing the buildings, and the government on Tuesday requested an extension until mid-November.
Michael Sfard, an attorney for the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din who represented the Palestinian landowners, said that despite the evacuation, the government was defying the court ruling, because the buildings would not be removed in time.
“The government doesn’t think it’s subject to the law,” Sfard said. “They are creating a fait accompli and spitting in the face of the Supreme Court.”
The Palestinian landowners, from the village of Dura al-Qara, next to Beit El, are unlikely to gain access to their property anytime soon, because the area remains fenced off as part of the settlement. Other homes in the Ulpana neighborhood are built on land not covered by the court decision and will remain in place.
Banners and graffiti near the evacuated buildings denounced Netanyahu and echoed the slogan of settlers evacuated from the Gaza Strip when Israel withdrew from the territory in 2005: “A Jew does not expel a Jew.” A handmade sign left on the door of an empty apartment said: “The Shimshi family lived here, until it was expelled.”
Carrying her child as she walked by the buildings, Yiska Fattal said she and other evacuees were worried that their removal might set a precedent for evictions at other settlements.
“There’s a danger that other homes will be destroyed in the same way; that’s our biggest fear,” she said.
Two other settler outposts built on private Palestinian land also are slated for removal in the coming weeks under similar court orders.
Unpacking as workers moved boxes and furniture into her new prefab home, Tehiya Ahituv said the state-funded accommodations were cold comfort. “It’s like someone takes your child and says, ‘You have another one,’ ” she said. “What’s hard is that they’re evacuating part of the Land of Israel.” | – In stark contrast to earlier evictions, dozens of Jewish settlers ordered to leave their homes in the West Bank yesterday did so peacefully. Israel is in the process of evacuating the Ulpana outpost on the orders of its Supreme Court, which determined that five apartment blocks had been illegally built on private Palestinian land, reports the Washington Post. The Ulpana settlers, who were moved to prefabricated homes on a nearby military outpost, said a prominent rabbi had advised them to avoid confrontation with the military. "This is not a happy day for Israel," one departing resident said. "To leave a house is very simple, but to leave a home is very difficult." Several other evictions based on similar court orders are expected to take place over the next few weeks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the court order by vowing to build 850 new apartments in the West Bank to replace the 30 emptied units. He has also promised to uproot the five apartment blocks from their foundations and move them to another location, although engineers say doing so would be expensive and impractical, AP notes. |
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You must log in to continue. ||||| WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. -- A large-scale search for a Scarsdale woman missing in Panama ended Sunday when officials found her body on Bastimento Island, according to multiple sources.
The body of Catherine Johannet, who was last seen around 10 a.m.Thursday on Isla Colon was discovered on an island trail Sunday afternoon, officials said.
A cause of death has yet to be released.
Johannet, 23, who had been staying at Bocas del Toro, was reported missing by her friends, who also hung posters across the area in hopes of finding her, said Newsroom Panama.
The widespread search involved volunteers and agents of the National Police, the National Civil Protection Agency, and the Bocas del Toro Fire Department.
Johannet was reportedly heading to Red Frog Beach and had planned to return in the afternoon, said Newsroom Panama.
She had been staying in a hostel on Bocas del Toro, where her belongings were found.
Her family is reportedly on the way to Panama.
Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
Click here to read the Newsroom Panama story | – "I found paradise and it's called Isla Ina," wrote Catherine Johannet on Jan. 28 on Instagram of an island off Panama's coast. It would be the 23-year-old's final post. The 2015 Columbia University grad was found dead Sunday afternoon on the country's Bastimentos Island. Now the New York Daily News cites Panama's La Prensa in reporting an initial autopsy suggests she was strangled. The Edgemont, New York, native was last seen Thursday morning. The Briarcliff Daily Voice reports she had planned to leave Colon Island, where she was staying, to go to Red Frog Beach on Bastimentos for the day; authorities were alerted when she didn't return to her hostel, and her body was found by a police officer days later in a wooded area near Bastimentos' shore. The Daily News calls Johannet a "globetrotting Scarsdale woman," and her brother Paul elaborates on that in a Facebook post. "She was a world traveler—by the age of 23, she had already visited 6 continents and innumerable countries, including a recent 18-month trip to Vietnam where she taught English Literature to local students." Panamanian investigators, in concert with the FBI, on Tuesday conducted raids on the area as part of their investigation, though no details have been given regarding them or whether there are any suspects. Adds brother Paul, "She was cheerful, adventurous, thoughtful and warm—all qualities I strive towards. I'll always look up to my youngest sister." (A teen confessed on Monday to killing an American tourist in London.) |
Thousands of lottery players in South Carolina thought Christmas was their lucky day.
Starting at 5:51 p.m. last Dec. 25, gas stations and convenience stores across the state dispensed a steady stream of what appeared to be winning tickets.
Some customers caught on to the anomaly and bought as many as they could. Nicole Coggins, 36, of Liberty, S.C., was one of them.
“We figured we’d buy a reliable vehicle and take the kids to Disneyland,” she said, adding that she and a few other family members kept playing the game until they amassed what they thought were thousands of dollars in winnings.
But Ms. Coggins was not able to cash in. The state suspended the game after two hours, at 7:53 p.m., and in a statement two days later, the South Carolina Education Lottery said its computer system vendor, Intralot, had experienced a programming error. ||||| COLUMBIA, SC (May 30, 2018) – Any lottery player who holds a Holiday Cash Add A Play ticket depicting nine (9) Tree symbols which was purchased on December 25, 2017 between 5:51 pm until the close of the game at 7:53 pm will be reimbursed the purchase price of this ticket. The South Carolina Education Lottery (SCEL) Board of Commissioners voted to reimburse the purchase price paid by each Holiday Cash Add-A-Play ticketholder bought on December 25, 2017 on or after 5:51 p.m. because these tickets were produced or issued in error. This decision is required by South Carolina Code Section 59-150-230(C)(3)(a) which provides that prizes arising from a ticket produced or issued in error must not be paid.
Before making the decision the tickets were produced or issued in error, SCEL retained Gaming Laboratories International, LLC (GLI) to conduct an independent, impartial analysis. We appreciate players’ patience during this independent investigation. The results of this analysis revealed coding errors by SCEL’s former computer gaming vendor, and the vendor’s inadequate quality assurance testing that would have discovered these errors prior to deployment of this game. These actions caused approximately 71,000 plays (wagers) to be erroneously produced, issued and printed with nine (9) Tree symbols, which were incorrectly recognized as a $500 winning play. Regrettably, these errors by the former vendor led loyal players to mistakenly believe that they held winning tickets. While SCEL is mindful of the magnitude of this decision on its players, any other decision would not comply with the law.
To seek the refund of the purchase price of the tickets, a player should mail the original Holiday Cash Add-A-Play tickets (no copies or other reproductions will be processed for reimbursement) purchased on or after 5:51(17:51) P.M. on December 25, 2017 to this address:
S.C. Education Lottery
P.O. Box 11039
Columbia, SC 29211-1039
Include your name and return address. SCEL will refund the purchase price for each returned ticket and reimburse the player for postage up to the amount of first class USPS postage for the ticket(s) submitted to SCEL. Since these reimbursements will require manual processing, we ask that players mail in all tickets to avoid wait time at the Claim Center.
Requests for Holiday Cash Add-A-Play refunds must be received by SCEL no later than January 7, 2019.
# # #
||||| South Carolina Lottery Christmas Winners Won't Get Prizes
Enlarge this image toggle caption Fitria Ramli / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm Fitria Ramli / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm
For two glorious hours it was the gift that kept on giving. And on Christmas Day no less.
Between 5:51 p.m. and 7:53 p.m. last December, South Carolinians playing the state lottery were treated to tens of thousands of winning Holiday Cash Add-A-Play tickets, each worth up to $500 regardless of the holder's good or bad behavior.
It was an improbable lucky streak that was, in fact, too good to be true. And on Wednesday, the South Carolina Education Lottery announced it will not be delivering more than $30 million in prizes to players who bought tickets during the brief window "because they had been produced in error."
A computer glitch was behind the fortuitous — or unfortunate — anomaly, depending on what side you're on, that caused gas stations and convenience stores to issue about 71,000 winning plays.
The objective of the tic-tac-toe-like game was to line up three Christmas trees in any direction — horizontal, vertical or diagonal — for a cash prize ranging from $2 to $500. But lottery officials said a five-month analysis of the incident "revealed coding errors" leading machines to repeatedly print tickets depicting nine tree symbols resulting in the biggest prize.
The South Carolina Education Lottery blamed its former computer gaming vendor, Intralot. The state lottery said the Greece-based company failed to run adequate quality assurance testing prior to deploying the game.
"Regrettably, these errors by the former vendor led loyal players to mistakenly believe that they held winning tickets," the South Carolina Education Lottery said in a statement.
"This is a very unusual and specific situation because it has to do with the nature of the game," an Intralot representative told NPR, adding that he could not go into further detail.
The official noted the company's quick response time to the mistake. "We all became aware of the problem within hours," he said. "We were able to identify that there was unusual behavior very quickly and we followed the correct procedure to shut it down."
"We think it was a pretty good response," he said.
Winners-in-waiting have been holding out hope that the lottery board of commissioners would decide to honor the prize value of the tickets. But after an hours-long meeting Wednesday the commissioners ruled players would be reimbursed only for the cost of each lottery ticket: $1 for each claim that is mailed in.
"This was not a lottery discretionary matter," Tim Madden, one of the lottery's attorneys told FOX Carolina. "Once this board decided that these tickets were issued, produced or printed in error, then state law mandates that no prize shall be paid."
Holli Armstrong, a spokeswoman for the South Carolina Education Lottery, told NPR the cost of the error-filled tickets would have totaled approximately $35 million. But in light of the board's decision, the lottery is out about $1.7 million — the sum players were able to cash-in before the mistake was discovered on Christmas Day.
That leaves scores of unhappy people who feel they're entitled to the full cash prize.
"It's not fair," Nicole Coggins complained to The New York Times. "It's not right." Coggins was planning on making large purchases with her winnings, including a car and a trip to Disneyland.
Coggins is part of one of two lawsuits that have so far been filed against the state lottery and Intralot on behalf of people who have been denied prize money, according to the Times.
The South Carolina Education Lottery reported record ticket sales in the most recent fiscal year (2016 - 2017) totalling $1.64 billion and issued more than $1 billion in prizes. Nearly $5 billion has been allocated to education programs throughout the state since the start of the lottery in 2002. | – The Christmas miracle that wasn’t. Last year on Christmas Day, lottery dispensers at convenience stores and gas stations across South Carolina started doing something remarkable. For two hours they spewed out winning tickets of up to $500 like candy. Lottery officials quickly figured out the problem, and cashiers began seeing the message, “transaction not allowed,” when customers went to collect their prizes, reports the Washington Post. But before the bonanza was over, 71,000 of the $1 Holiday Cash Add-A-Play tickets had been dispensed, with the errant prize money totaling about $35 million. So, what happens to all the winning tickets that were rejected? They are worth exactly $1, the state lottery board announced on Wednesday. The winners will not get their prize money, but they can get a refund. After a five-month investigation, lottery officials found the problem was caused by coding errors, reports NPR. The officials say Intralot, a Greece-based ticket vendor, did not run proper testing procedures before releasing the game. "While [the state lottery] is mindful of the magnitude of this decision on its players, any other decision would not comply with the law,” officials said, per the New York Times. Players holding winning tickets are not happy. Nicole Coggins, who thought she had won $18,000, has filed a class-action lawsuit against the lottery commission and the vendor, one of two lawsuits that have been filed, according to the Post. “We think it’s a breach of contract if the commission decided to deny them their rightful winnings,” her lawyer says. "It's not fair," Coggins tells the Times. "It's not right." |
Woman loses assisted suicide case
MARY CAROLAN
A severely disabled woman in the final stages of multiple sclerosis has lost her landmark High Court challenge to the absolute ban on assisted suicide.
The three-judge High Court ruled today the absolute ban is justified to protect vulnerable others from involuntary death and does not breach Marie Fleming's personal autonomy and equality rights under the Constitution and European Convention on Human Rights.
A "real risk" of removing the ban was that, even with rigorous safeguards, it "would be impossible to ensure that the aged, the disabled, the poor, the unwanted, the rejected, the lonely, the impulsive, the financially compromised and emotionally vulnerable would not avail of option in order to avoid a sense of being a burden on their family and society", it said.
The court also found the Director of Public Prosecutions could not issue guidelines setting out what facts she would consider in deciding whether to prosecute cases of assisted suicide.
Only the Oireachtas can change the law and it would be unconstitutional for the DPP to effect a change in the law by issuing guidelines which would have the effect of the law not being enforced, it said.
However, it added, if there was "reliable" evidence after an assisted suicide of compliance with guidelines such as those set out by the UK DPP in relation to assisted suicide prosecutions, the court said it believed the DPP here would excerise her discretion "in this of all cases" in a "a humane and sensitive fashion".
Giving the court's judgment, the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, said the court regarded Ms Fleming as "in many ways the most remarkable witness" all three judges had ever been privileged to encounter.
"Her courage in adversity is both humbling and inspiring" he said.
If the court could tailor-make a solution which would suit the needs of Ms Fleming alone without any possible implications for third parties or society at large, there might be a good deal to be said for her Artice 40.3.2 case [relating to personal autonomy]," he said. "But this court cannot be so satisfied."
Given the public importance of the issues raised in the case, the court said it would award costs to Ms Fleming against the State and DPP.
Outside court, Ms Fleming, in a statement read on her behalf by her solicitor, said she was "very disappointed and saddened" at the outcome.
Ms Fleming’s solicitor Bernadette Peart thanked the court and other legal teams involved for giving the case a full and speedy hearing, given her client’s circumstances.
She said: "Obviously Marie is very disappointed and saddened at today’s outcome and feels it would be inappropriate at the present time to discuss any specific legal or factual aspects of the case having regard to the likelihood of an appeal."
Ms Fleming, a 59-year-old former lecturer living in Co Wicklow, had asked the court for orders allowing her be lawfully helped take her own life at a time of her choosing so as to avoid what she fears will be a distressing and undignified death.
She argued, in her very particular circumstances, the blanket ban on assisted suicide in Section 2.2 of the Criminal Law Suicide Act 1993 breached her personal rights under the Constitution and ECHR.
The State contended, while the ban may be unfair to Ms Fleming, it was a justified and proportionate measure necessary to protect vulnerable people from involuntary death.
Ms Fleming, who is confined to a wheelchair, was in court today with her partner Tom Curran and other members of her family to hear the decision. It is expected she will appeal the 120-page judgment of the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Paul Carney and Mr Justice Gerard Hogan to the Supreme Court.
Among the issues raised in the case was whether the rights to bodily autonomy, self-determination require provision for assisted suicide in circumstances such as those of Ms Fleming despite the public policy of preserving the right to life.
Another central issue was of equality before the law. Ms Fleming argued the blanket ban was discriminatory as it meant she, as a disabled person, could not be lawfully assisted take her own life when an able-bodied person could lawfully take their own life.
She had told the court Mr Curran is willing to help her end her life but she did not want him to be at risk of prosecution.
The court was told doctors believe Ms Fleming may die within months and is unlikely to live beyond two years.
Diagnosed with MS in 1986, her condition has deteriorated to a point where she is confined to a wheelchair with limbs paralysed, suffers acute pain and has difficulty swallowing. She fears she will ultimately be unable to communicate and will die a “horrible” death. ||||| * Court says impossible to tailor law on individual basis
* Judge calls woman "most remarkable witness" court had seen
* Follows high profile right-to-die cases in Britain
By Sarah O'Connor
DUBLIN, Jan 10 (Reuters) - An Irish woman terminally ill with multiple sclerosis lost her battle for the lawful right to die in the first case of its kind to be brought in Ireland, Dublin's High Court said on Thursday.
Marie Fleming, a 59-year-old former university lecturer who is completely paralysed, made an impassioned plea last month to establish the right of her partner of 18 years to help her die, an act that could currently see him jailed in mainly Roman Catholic Ireland.
A 'right to die' debate has played out through recent high-profile court cases in neighbouring Britain, where three people all failed in bids to win legal assistance to die. Assisted suicide is only permitted in four European countries: Belgium; Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Judge Nicholas Kearns said Fleming was the most remarkable witness any member of the court had encountered and acknowledged that her life has been "rendered miserable" after being "ravaged by an insidious disease".
However he said it would be impossible to tailor legislation governing assisted suicide on an individual basis and doing so would be harmful to the public interest in protecting the most vulnerable members of society.
"There are no words to express the difficulty we had in arriving at this decision," Kearns said, reading a summary of the 121-page judgement.
"Yet the fact remains that if this court were to unravel a thread of this law by even the most limited constitutional adjudication in her favour, it would - or at least might - open a Pandora's box which would be impossible to close."
"VERY SADDENED"
Suicide was decriminalised in Ireland in 1993, but the ban on helping someone to commit suicide remains, with a jail sentence of up to 14 years.
Kearns said he felt sure the state, which agreed to pay all legal costs, would exercise its discretion in a humane and sensitive fashion in deciding whether to prosecute if Fleming were to be assisted in taking her own life.
The mother of two adult children had told the court in a composed manner last month how her life had become totally undignified and too painful to bear, and said she had planned every detail, including funeral arrangements.
Her partner hugged and kissed her after the judgement was handed out and, reading a statement on her behalf outside the court, her solicitor said Fleming greatly appreciated the enormous support she had received from members of the public.
"Obviously Marie is very disappointed and saddened at today's outcome, and feels it would be inappropriate at the present time to discuss any specific legal aspects of the case having regard to the likelihood of an appeal," solicitor Bernadette Parte said.
A recent poll found that large majorities of west Europeans favour the legalisation of assisted suicide.
As well as in the four European countries, assisted suicide is also legal in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington.
The issue of amending the Irish constitution has also been highlighted recently following the death of a woman who was refused an abortion of her dying foetus, re-igniting a debate that has divided the country for decades. | – A 59-year-old woman in Ireland paralyzed with severe multiple sclerosis has lost her court fight against the nation's ban on assisted suicide, reports the Irish Times. Marie Fleming sought permission to end her life with the help of her partner of 18 years, but Dublin's High Court rejected the request, reports Reuters: "There are no words to express the difficulty we had in arriving at this decision," wrote one judge. "Yet the fact remains that if this court were to unravel a thread of this law by even the most limited constitutional adjudication in her favour, it would—or at least might—open a Pandora's box which would be impossible to close." The judge called Fleming "in many ways the most remarkable witness" he and his fellow judges had ever encountered, and the court ordered the state to pay her legal costs. Fleming's lawyer read a statement on her behalf, saying she was "very disappointed and saddened" at the ruling. She can still appeal. |
Video
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MASHHAD, Iran
My 1,700-mile road trip across Iran began with a giddy paean to America, reinforcing my view that at the grass-roots level, this may be the most pro-American nation in the Middle East.
“We love America!” gushed a former military commando, now a clothing seller, my first evening in the spiritual center of Mashhad. He was so carried away that I thought he might hug me, and although he acknowledged that his business was suffering greatly from Western sanctions, he said he blamed his own leaders.
“I can’t blame America,” he said. “I love America too much.”
That was far from a universal view. I encountered many Iranians — especially in the countryside — who strongly support the Iranian authorities and resent what they see as American government bullying. But while Iranians are far from monolithic, one feature was ubiquitous: the warmth of Iranians when they discovered I was American.
We passed occasional “Death to America” signs, but our trip was slowed by hospitality, for Iranians kept giving us presents or inviting us into their homes. And in the security line to board a flight from Tehran to Mashhad, a Revolutionary Guard said genially, “We’re not supposed to let batteries through, but we’ll make an exception for you since you’re a foreigner.”
The Iranian government gave me a very rare journalist visa, along with permission to drive unescorted across the country on a government-approved route from Mashhad in the east to Tabriz in the west, and back to Tehran. I interviewed people at random along the way, and as far as I could tell I was not tailed.
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Compared with my last visit, in 2004, people seem more discontented — mainly because of economic difficulties caused in part by Western sanctions. Those sanctions are causing bitter pain, yet a surprising number of Iranians seem to largely blame their own leaders for the woes.
Another difference from my last visit: People are more scared now. Iranians feel fairly free to gripe about their leaders, even within earshot of others, yet since the 2009 crackdown there has been a red line: anything approaching activism, including public criticism. One blogger is serving a 15-year prison sentence, and Iranians have been jailed just for giving interviews to foreign journalists. As a result, Iranians are more wary now of being quoted or shown in videos.
Photo
“Please don’t use the video,” implored a young man living near the Caspian Sea, after I interviewed him. “I want to have a future.”
One businessman was scathing about the government when we were speaking casually. “We have a terrible economy, all because of our president,” he said. Once we pulled out notebook and video camera, however, he began to praise the government. With the camera turned away again, I asked him why he had switched 180 degrees.
“It is not possible to tell the truth in Iran,” he said, shrugging.
It is very difficult to gauge public opinion in an authoritarian country, but it’s clear that there are many government supporters, especially among farmers and less educated workers.
“Iranian people are happy with their leaders,” Monad Omidvar, a 38-year-old farm laborer, told me as he played marbles with his friends beside the road near Mashhad. He has a ninth-grade education, and his only source of news is the government media.
When I asked about human rights activists and members of the Bahai faith who are in prison, he shook his head skeptically. “I don’t think that in our country innocent people go to jail,” he said. “They must have done something.”
At the other end of the country, a shopkeeper — also with limited education, also reliant on government television for news — told me that “all the nation backs the leader.”
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Yet more common were those like the businessman in Adidas sandals and Ray-Ban sunglasses who scoffed, “The Iranian revolution was a mistake.” Or the separatist in Tabriz who has given up on Iran and wants the northwest of the country to join Azerbaijan. Or the man at a roadside rest stop who sharply criticized America for bullying Iran, but added, “our leaders have lost their marbles.” Or the woman who has abandoned prayer and religious fasting, explaining, “The biggest factor that has turned people against Islam is this government.”
Indeed, I think that the expressions of love for America reflect, in part, the intuitive embrace by many Iranians of whatever the state media condemn.
To me, Iran feels like other authoritarian countries I covered before they toppled. My guess is that the demise of the system is a matter of time — unless there’s a war between Iran and the West, perhaps ignited by Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. That, I sense, would provoke a nationalist backlash and rescue the ayatollahs. More on what I found on my journey in forthcoming columns. ||||| Preview of a Journey Across Iran: Op-Ed Columnist Nicholas D. Kristof gives a first look at his road trip through Iran, as he talks to ordinary Iranians about their lives, their government and the United States.
To watch the video, press the play button in the bottom-left corner of the image.
MASHHAD, Iran
My 1,700-mile road trip across Iran began with a giddy paean to America, reinforcing my view that at the grass-roots level, this may be the most pro-American nation in the Middle East.
“We love America!” gushed a former military commando, now a clothing seller, my first evening in the spiritual center of Mashhad. He was so carried away that I thought he might hug me, and although he acknowledged that his business was suffering greatly from Western sanctions, he said he blamed his own leaders.
“I can’t blame America,” he said. “I love America too much.”
That was far from a universal view. I encountered many Iranians — especially in the countryside — who strongly support the Iranian authorities and resent what they see as American government bullying. But while Iranians are far from monolithic, one feature was ubiquitous: the warmth of Iranians when they discovered I was American.
We passed occasional “Death to America” signs, but our trip was slowed by hospitality, for Iranians kept giving us presents or inviting us into their homes. And in the security line to board a flight from Tehran to Mashhad, a Revolutionary Guard said genially, “We’re not supposed to let batteries through, but we’ll make an exception for you since you’re a foreigner.”
The Iranian government gave me a very rare journalist visa, along with permission to drive unescorted across the country on a government-approved route from Mashhad in the east to Tabriz in the west, and back to Tehran. I interviewed people at random along the way, and as far as I could tell I was not tailed.
Compared with my last visit, in 2004, people seem more discontented — mainly because of economic difficulties caused in part by Western sanctions. Those sanctions are causing bitter pain, yet a surprising number of Iranians seem to largely blame their own leaders for the woes.
Another difference from my last visit: People are more scared now. Iranians feel fairly free to gripe about their leaders, even within earshot of others, yet since the 2009 crackdown there has been a red line: anything approaching activism, including public criticism. One blogger is serving a 15-year prison sentence, and Iranians have been jailed just for giving interviews to foreign journalists. As a result, Iranians are more wary now of being quoted or shown in videos.
“Please don’t use the video,” implored a young man living near the Caspian Sea, after I interviewed him. “I want to have a future.”
One businessman was scathing about the government when we were speaking casually. “We have a terrible economy, all because of our president,” he said. Once we pulled out notebook and video camera, however, he began to praise the government. With the camera turned away again, I asked him why he had switched 180 degrees.
“It is not possible to tell the truth in Iran,” he said, shrugging.
It is very difficult to gauge public opinion in an authoritarian country, but it’s clear that there are many government supporters, especially among farmers and less educated workers.
“Iranian people are happy with their leaders,” Monad Omidvar, a 38-year-old farm laborer, told me as he played marbles with his friends beside the road near Mashhad. He has a ninth-grade education, and his only source of news is the government media.
When I asked about human rights activists and members of the Bahai faith who are in prison, he shook his head skeptically. “I don’t think that in our country innocent people go to jail,” he said. “They must have done something.”
At the other end of the country, a shopkeeper — also with limited education, also reliant on government television for news — told me that “all the nation backs the leader.”
Yet more common were those like the businessman in Adidas sandals and Ray-Ban sunglasses who scoffed, “The Iranian revolution was a mistake.” Or the separatist in Tabriz who has given up on Iran and wants the northwest of the country to join Azerbaijan. Or the man at a roadside rest stop who sharply criticized America for bullying Iran, but added, “our leaders have lost their marbles.” Or the woman who has abandoned prayer and religious fasting, explaining, “The biggest factor that has turned people against Islam is this government.”
Indeed, I think that the expressions of love for America reflect, in part, the intuitive embrace by many Iranians of whatever the state media condemn.
To me, Iran feels like other authoritarian countries I covered before they toppled. My guess is that the demise of the system is a matter of time — unless there’s a war between Iran and the West, perhaps ignited by Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. That, I sense, would provoke a nationalist backlash and rescue the ayatollahs. More on what I found on my journey in forthcoming columns. | – It's been eight years since Nicholas Kristof last visited Iran, and this time around, people "seem more discontented," he writes in the New York Times. Kristof blames that on economic troubles—and while Western sanctions are partially to blame, a "surprising number of Iranians" hold their own government accountable. Indeed, many are comfortable complaining privately about their leaders. "The biggest factor that has turned people against Islam is this government," said one woman. Despite the anti-government sentiment, Iranians in general now seem "more scared" of activism and don't want to be quoted on their views. "It is not possible to tell the truth in Iran," said one interviewee. And while there are "Death to America" signs to be seen, Kristof argues that "at the grass-roots level, this may be the most pro-American nation in the Middle East." Click here for Kristof's full article, in which he writes of the "warmth" people showed him when they learned he was American. |
Another day, another charitable donation by Taylor Swift.
The country music pop princess has vowed to help the victims of the devastating Louisiana floods by donating $1 million to the state’s disaster relief fund.
Big-hearted Swift, 26, released a statement to the Associated Press on Tuesday, August 16, revealing how warmly she was greeted by Louisiana residents when she performed there last year.
“We began the 1989 world tour in Louisiana, and the wonderful fans there made us feel completely at home," she said. "The fact that so many people in Louisiana have been forced out of their own homes this week is heartbreaking.”
So far 11 people have been killed by the historic flooding, which has damaged at least 40,000 homes.
“I encourage those who can to help out and send your love and prayers their way during this devastating time,” Swift added.
This is far from the first time the singer — who has an estimated worth of $250 million — has dug deep for a good cause.
Last year she donated $50,000 to a young fan battling cancer, as well as giving the same amount to the nephew of her backup dancer, who was also suffering from the disease.
In 2014 she donated $50,000 to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and back in 2008 she gave $100,000 to the Red Cross in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to help the victims of that flood too.
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||||| FILE - In this April 3, 2016 file photo, Taylor Swift arrives at the iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Swift is donating $1 million to Louisiana after torrential rains caused... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this April 3, 2016 file photo, Taylor Swift arrives at the iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Swift is donating $1 million to Louisiana after torrential rains caused... (Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift is donating $1 million to Louisiana flood relief after torrential rains caused massive flooding in the state and killed at least 11 people.
Swift told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Louisiana residents graciously welcomed her when she kicked off the U.S. dates of her "1989 World Tour" in the state last year.
"We began The 1989 World Tour in Louisiana, and the wonderful fans there made us feel completely at home. The fact that so many people in Louisiana have been forced out of their own homes this week is heartbreaking," the 26-year-old said in a statement.
The flooding is some of the worst in Louisiana history, damaging at least 40,000 homes. More than 60,000 people have registered for disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after widespread flooding hit the state, according to Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards' office.
"I encourage those who can to help out and send your love and prayers their way during this devastating time," Swift said.
Over 30,000 people have been rescued since Friday, with more being brought to safety by the hour. | – Louisiana was good to Taylor Swift and now the singer is giving back in the form of a $1 million donation to help victims of the devastating floods that have killed at least 11 people, reports the AP. The 26-year-old says the donation is a big thank you to her “wonderful fans” in Louisiana “who made us feel completely at home” when Swift kicked off her last world tour there. “The fact that so many people in Louisiana have been forced out of their own homes this week is heartbreaking," she says in a statement, urging "those who can to help out and send your love and prayers their way during this devastating time." The contribution isn’t Swift’s first. Last year the pop idol gave $50,000 each to a young fan battling cancer and an ailing nephew of one of her backup dancers, notes US Weekly. Among others: $50,000 to Philadelphia Children’s Hospital in 2014, and $100,000 to flood relief in Iowa in 2008. (For much more on the scope of the devastating flooding, click here.) |
LONDON (AP) — A Swedish doctor says four women who received transplanted wombs have had embryos transferred into them in an attempt to get pregnant.
FILE - In this April 4, 2012 photo made available by the University of Goteborg in Sweden, the Swedish research team practices before the operations to transplant wombs at the Sahlgrenska Hospital in... (Associated Press)
He would not say on Monday whether any of the women had succeeded. In all, nine women in Sweden have received new wombs since 2012, but two had to have them removed because of complications.
The women received wombs donated by their mothers or other close relatives in an experimental procedure designed to test whether it's possible to transfer a uterus so a woman can give birth to her own biological child. The women had in vitro fertilization before the transplants, using their own eggs to make embryos.
"We have already begun transferring embryos into four of the women and plan to make attempts with the others when they are ready," said Dr. Mats Brannstrom, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Goteburg, who is leading the research.
Brannstrom predicted that three or four of the seven women might successfully give birth.
"One or two more will perhaps get pregnant and miscarry, and one or two won't be able to get pregnant," he said.
There have been two previous attempts to transplant a womb — in Turkey and Saudi Arabia — but both failed to produce babies. Doctors in Britain and Hungary also are planning similar operations, but using wombs from women who had just died.
Brannstrom said any woman in the study who does get pregnant will be on a low dose of drugs to keep from rejecting the transplanted womb and will be monitored as a high-risk pregnancy.
The transplants are intended to benefit women unable to have children because they lost a uterus to cancer or were born without one.
Some doctors said women who got pregnant with a new uterus would have to be watched carefully for how the womb progresses throughout pregnancy.
"There are questions about how the physiological changes in the uterus will affect the mother and whether the transplanted uterus will be conducive to a growing baby," said Dr. Charles Kingsland, a spokesman for Britain's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and a gynecologist at Liverpool Women's Hospital.
In a study published last week, Brannstrom and colleagues described the procedures used to transplant the nine wombs and said there were "mild rejection episodes" in four patients.
He said the transplanted wombs would be removed after a maximum of two pregnancies.
Other experts called it a promising step but said it would be crucial that babies get enough nutrients from the mother's blood supply.
"We really don't know if the blood flow to the uterus will increase and adapt in the same way," as in a regular pregnancy, said Dr. Yacoub Khalaf, director of the Assisted Conception unit at Guy's and St. Thomas' hospital in London.
"It is a good sign they have done the (embryo) transfers," Khalaf said. "But a live birth will be the best validation that this works." ||||| Swedish medical team hoping for world first as women born without uterus or who lost it to cancer get embryo transfers
Four of nine women given pioneering womb transplants in Sweden have now also had embryos transferred, the pioneering Swedish doctor treating them has said.
Dr Mats Brannstrom, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Gothenburg University, said his team had embarked on a programme of embryo transfer for the women, who were either born without a womb or lost it as a result of cancer. All have ovaries so were able to produce eggs that were fertilised using IVF.
Brannstrom predicted that three or four of the nine women might succeed in giving birth, which would be a world first. Other womb transplants have taken place in Saudi Arabia and Turkey but no recipients have yet managed to have a child. A pregnancy was achieved in Turkey, but it failed after two months.
"We have already begun transferring embryos into four of the women and plan to make attempts with the others when they are ready," said Brannstrom. He would not say whether any of the women were pregnant at the moment. In a study published last week, the team said that there were "mild rejection episodes" in four women who received donated wombs. Two patients had to have the uterus removed because of complications.
Brannstrom's technique is controversial because he is accepting wombs donated by living women, who are relatives or friends of his patients. Elsewhere, wombs from dead donors have been used.
Dr Richard Smith, head of the UK charity Womb Transplant UK, which is trying to raise money to carry out transplants here, has said that large chunks of blood vessels had to be removed from the donor as well as the uterus itself, raising the risks of the operation for the donor. In the UK, there would be ethical questions because the operation is not a life-saving procedure, he said.
The women will have to take drugs throughout their pregnancy to ensure their body does not reject the organ. They will also have to be watched carefully for how the womb progresses throughout pregnancy.
Dr Charles Kingsland, a spokesman for Britain's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: "There are questions about how the physiological changes in the uterus will affect the mother and whether the transplanted uterus will be conducive to a growing baby."
Brannstrom said the transplanted wombs would be removed after a maximum of two pregnancies. | – Swedish doctors are advancing in their quest to implant embryos in women who have received pioneering womb implants, the Guardian reports. A medical team in Gothenburg has successfully transferred embryos to four of nine women with implants, a major advance after transferring just one embryo in January. Mats Brannstrom, who leads the team, wouldn't say if any of the women are pregnant, and a study by the group said four women experienced "mild rejection episodes"; in fact, two had their uterus removed due to complications. "One or two more will perhaps get pregnant and miscarry, and one or two won't be able to get pregnant," said Brannstrom, the AP reports. Other doctors say the women must be carefully watched to see how well a transplanted uterus functions. "It is a good sign they have done the transfers," said a doctor. "But a live birth will be the best validation that this works." Controversy has surrounded the Swedish project because it accepted wombs from live women who are friends or family of the patients, creating possible health risks for the donors. Two other womb transplant attempts, in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, failed to produce a child; only the Turkish donation was from a dead donor. |
Michelle Obama’s goodbye fete Wednesday on “The Tonight Show” was way more upbeat than President Obama’s emotional farewell address to the nation. She was Jimmy Fallon’s sole guest and the late night host dedicated his entire show to her.
When she walked out onto the “Tonight Show” set, Fallon — who began hosting the show soon after the Obamas took office — said he felt emotional while watching the president’s final speech. “I lost it at home,” he said. “Malia was crying. Sasha she wasn’t there.”
Michelle Obama explained that her youngest daughter stayed home. “You know the Obamas, �?Girl sorry. You better take your test. ... You can say goodbye later,’” she said, laughing.
The first lady said the end of her husband’s administration has “been surprisingly emotional for all of us in ways that we didn’t expect.” She cried at her final event in the White House last week and Fallon asked her why.
“Talking about kids. Kids are my heart,” she said. “When I think about the fact that some of them are afraid of the future, of what is to come. I don’t want them to be afraid. I want them to embrace the future and know that the world is getting better. We have bumps in the road. We have ups and downs but I want our kids to move forward — I don’t care where they come from — with strength and with hope.”
First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a potato sack race with Jimmy Fallon in the East Room of the White House in 2012. (Chuck Kennedy/The White House)
She also pledged to continue working on her initiatives to encourage young people to pursue higher education and eat healthy. “I’m not done. I’m too young. I’m too young to stop,” she said. “We’ve made plans for the continuation of all that we’re doing. I will continue to stay involved with these issues as long as I live. The fact that we have made huge strides especially in the school lunch program, which I hope does not get touched because it makes sense.”
The closest Fallon got to asking the first lady about politics was a question about her meeting with her successor. Michelle Obama said she had given Melania Trump advice on how to create a safe space for her family while living in the White House. She added that she’d be there in the future to help Melania or Ivanka — if they want her assistance.
Fallon also showed a pre-taped video of passerbys that he invited to record thank you messages for the first lady. After each one, the first lady popped from behind the curtain and surprised the overwhelmed fans with big hugs.
Fallon has created some viral video moments with both Obamas through the years. The president slow jammed the news with Fallon twice. Michelle Obama has performed skits with him, including “The Evolution of Mom Dancing” where the two had a dance off. Fallon dressed in drag. Michelle Obama did the dougie.
The first lady and Fallon did not reprise their skits Wednesday, though she was animated during a game of “Catchphrase” in which she and Fallon teamed up against Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld, who wore a tux for the occasion. Obama, who is competitive and grew up playing games, did the robot dance to convey a clue and the happy dance when she and Fallon won.
In another segment, she and Fallon wrote thank you notes. The comedian penned one to Michelle Obama. “Thank you, Mrs. Obama, for being a strong, smart, independent woman — an activist, a style icon and a great dancer, and showing us all what it would look like if Beyoncé married a much nerdier Jay Z,” he said.
She wrote one to her husband: “Thank you, Barack, for proving you’re not a lame duck but my very own silver fox.”
First lady Michelle Obama. (Molly Riley/AP)
The show closed with a performance by Stevie Wonder, who is the first lady’s favorite singer. He remixed one of his most famous songs for her. “My Michelle amour, lovely as a summer day. My Michelle amour, you’re the only one that we adore. … You’ll always be first lady in our lives.” ||||| This time, Michelle Obama got to say her goodbyes.
With barely a week left in office, the First Lady joined Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” Wednesday night to talk about leaving the White House.
“I didn’t think it was going to be that emotional,” she told the TV host. “It’s been surprisingly emotional for all of us in ways that we didn’t expect.”
Speaking about what comes next, the First Lady said she was worried about children's futures.
Michelle Obama will be remembered by her class, style and smarts
Michelle Obama joined Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” Wednesday in her final late show appearance as sitting First Lady. (NBC/Andrew Lipovsky/NBC)
“When I think about the fact that some of them are afraid about what’s to come. I don’t want them to be afraid. I want them to embrace the future and know that the world is getting better," she said. "We have bumps in the road, we have ups and downs. But I want our kids to move forward, I don’t care where they come from, with strength and with hope.”
Obama offered her support to the incoming Trump family, including Melania and Ivanka, with the transition.
“This democracy is not about party. We’re all trying to get things done,” she told Fallon. “We’re going to be supportive to the Trump administration for as much as we can be.”
Michelle Obama: First Lady with Style
As for the initiatives she’d put in place over the last four years, the First Lady said she intends to stay involved “as long as I live.”
First Lady Michelle Obama calls the job her ‘greatest honor’
She specifically picked out her school lunch program as an approach that she wants to outlive the Obama presidency.
“I hope it does not get touched because that makes sense,” she said pointedly.
Fallon also had “regular people” bid farewell to a portrait of the First Lady before revealing that she was standing behind a curtain listening.
Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld joined the show for a game of Catchphrase and Stevie Wonder came in for a performance of “Isn’t She Lovely” and "My Cherie Amour" dedicated to Obama.
Obama tearfully thanks Michelle Obama for her 'grace and grit'
Obama’s final late show appearance as sitting first lady came just a day after her husband’s final speech, a message of hope in Chicago.
Obama also played Catchphrase with Fallon, Jerry Seinfeld and Dave Chapelle. (NBC/Andrew Lipovsky/NBC)
In the farewell address, the President thanked his wife for taking on “a role you didn’t ask for and made it your own with grace and with grit and with style and with good humor.”
“You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody,” he said. “And a new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model. You have made me proud and you have made the country prouder.”
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Jimmy and First Lady Michelle Obama write out Thank You Notes to President Obama, Inauguration Day and other things.
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The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon features hilarious highlights from the show including: comedy sketches, music parodies, celebrity interviews, ridiculous games, and, of course, Jimmy's Thank You Notes and hashtags! You'll also find behind the scenes videos and other great web exclusives.
Thank You Notes with First Lady Michelle Obama
http://www.youtube.com/fallontonight ||||| Published on Jan 11, 2017
We asked regular Americans to record a video message saying goodbye to First Lady Michelle Obama - what they didn't know was that FLOTUS was right behind the curtain, waiting to surprise them.
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http://www.youtube.com/fallontonight ||||| Published on Jan 12, 2017
Music guest Stevie Wonder performs a special medley of "Isn't She Lovely" and "My Cherie Amour" for First Lady Michelle Obama and the Tonight Show audience.
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The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon features hilarious highlights from the show including: comedy sketches, music parodies, celebrity interviews, ridiculous games, and, of course, Jimmy's Thank You Notes and hashtags! You'll also find behind the scenes videos and other great web exclusives.
Stevie Wonder Sings "Isn't She Lovely"/"My Cherie Amour" to Michelle Obama
http://www.youtube.com/fallontonight | – Jimmy Fallon devoted an entire episode of The Tonight Show on Wednesday to bidding farewell to First Lady Michelle Obama, whom he called "a strong, smart, independent woman, an activist, a style icon, and a great dancer." Obama was Fallon's sole guest, though Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld appeared for a game of Catchphrase. Obama even helped Fallon write his usual "thank you" notes, penning "Thank you, Barack, for proving you're not a lame duck but my very own silver fox," per the Washington Post. She was then serenaded by her favorite singer Stevie Wonder, who altered the lyrics of "My Cherie Amour," singing "My Michelle amour, you're the only one that we adore … You'll always be first lady in our lives." There were more serious moments, too. As guests delivered emotional farewell messages to a photo of Obama during one segment, the first lady jumped out from behind a curtain, leaving a few in tears. Obama also told Fallon that the end of her husband's term has "been surprisingly emotional for all of us." She said she felt like crying when thinking "about the fact that some [kids] are afraid of the future, of what is to come. I don't want them to be afraid," but rather "embrace the future … with strength and with hope," per the New York Daily News. Obama added she would return to the White House if invited by the Trump administration, but she plans to stay involved in the initiatives she set up as first lady "as long as I live." |
Recently leaked communication surveillance programs have helped thwart more than 50 “potential terrorist events” around the world since the Sept. 11 attacks, National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander said Tuesday.
Alexander said at least 10 of the attacks were set to take place in the United States, suggesting that most of the terrorism disrupted by the program had been set to occur abroad.
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reset Obama defends NSA surveillance
The NSA also disclosed that counterterrorism officials targeted fewer than 300 phone numbers or other “identifiers” last year in the massive call-tracking database secretly assembled by the U.S. government.
(PHOTOS: Pols, pundits weigh in on NSA report)
Alexander said the programs were subject to “extraordinary oversight.”
”This isn’t some rogue operation that a group of guys up at NSA are running,” the spy agency’s chief added.
The data on use of the call-tracking data came in a fact sheet released to reporters in connection with a public House Intelligence Committee hearing exploring the recently leaked telephone data mining program and another surveillance effort focused on Web traffic generated by foreigners.
(POLITICO Junkies: NSA leaks cause flood of political problems)
Alexander said 90 percent of the potential terrorist incidents were disrupted by the Web traffic program known as PRISM. He was less clear about how many incidents the call-tracking effort had helped to avert.
Deputy FBI Director Sean Joyce said the Web traffic program had contributed to arrests averting a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange that resulted in criminal charges in 2008.
Joyce also indicated that the PRISM program was essential to disrupting a plot to bomb the New York City subways in 2009. “Without the [Section] 702 tool, we would not have identified Najibullah Zazi,” Joyce said.
However, President Barack Obama acknowledged in an interview aired Monday that it is impossible to know whether the subway plot might have been foiled by other methods.
”We might have caught him some other way. We might have disrupted it because a New York cop saw he was suspicious. Maybe he turned out to be incompetent and the bomb didn’t go off. But at the margins we are increasing our chances of preventing a catastrophe like that through these programs,” Obama told Charlie Rose on PBS.
At the hearing, Alexander detailed the scope and safeguards of the programs, while Deputy Attorney General James Cole laid out the legal basis for the surveillance.
“This is not a program that’s off the books, that’s been hidden away,” Cole said of the call-tracking program, which was classified “top secret” prior to recent leaks. He noted that the Patriot Act provision found to authorize it has been twice reauthorized by Congress.
“All of us in the national security [community] are constantly trying to balance protecting public safety with protecting people’s civil liberties,” Cole said.
NSA Deputy Director Chris Inglis said a very limited number of individuals are authorized to access the call-tracking database. ||||| 3 years ago
(CNN) - In a hearing Tuesday with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the director of the National Security Agency, Keith Alexander, said that since 9/11, there have been more than 50 terror plots thwarted with the help of NSA surveillance programs.
Four of those incidents were detailed at the hearing, including thwarted plots to bomb the New York subway system and the New York Stock Exchange by linking known suspects in Pakistan and Yemen to contacts in the United States.
NSA officials are set to disclose information about the other cases in a private session with lawmakers on Wednesday.
Still, there is a debate within the intelligence community about what can be revealed to prove these programs work versus what should stay classified for fear of burning sources and methods.
Check back here for updates from the hearing.
1:06 p.m. ET –– House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, wrapped up the hearing.
"I know this has been difficult to come and talk about very sensitive things in a public way. In order to preserve your good work and the work on behalf of all the patriots working to defend America, I still believe it was important to have a meeting where at least in some way discuss and reassure the level and oversight and redundancy of oversight on a program that we all recognize needed extra care and attention and lots of sets of eyes. I hope today in this hearing we were able to do that."
12: 40 p.m ET -
Rep. Rooney: "What's next for Mr. Snowden?" FBI deputy director: "Justice." #NSAhearing — Ashley Killough (@KilloughCNN) June 18, 2013
12:35 p.m. ET - Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, asks how damaging the leaks are.
"I think it was irreversible and significant damage to this nation," Alexander said.
"Has this helped America’s enemies?" Bachmann asked.
"I believe it has and I believe it will hurt us and our allies," he said.
12:27 p.m. ET - Rep. Jim Himes, D-Connecticut, asked how many of those 50 episodes would have been thwarted without the use of phone records. "How essential–not just contributing to–but how essential are these authorities to stop terrorist attacks?"
Glenn Greenwald, the Guardian journalist who first reported the leaks, asked a similar question on Twitter Tuesday morning.
When officials claim that "Bulk Surveillance Program X" stopped Terror plots, must ask: could you have stopped it with narrower program? — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 18, 2013
Responding to Himes, Alexander said the surveillance programs are vital to preventing terrorism.
"Going back to 9/11, we didn't have the ability to connect the dots. This adds one more capability to help us do that," Alexander said in response. "What we're doing here, with the civil liberties and privacy oversight, does help connect the dots."
Alexander said 90% of the more than 50 plots were prevented in part because of the online surveillance–not phone records collection–of suspects overseas. "In 50%, I believe they were critical," he said. A little more than 10 of the 50 had a domestic nexus and were thus targeted using phone records.
Sean Joyce, deputy director of Federal Bureau of Investigation, also jumped in with a response to Himes.
"I think you ask an almost impossible question to say how important each dot was. What I can tell you is post 9/11, I don't recognize the FBI I came into 26 years ago. Our mission is to stop terrorism, to prevent it, not after the fact, to prevent it before it happens in the United States. I can tell you every tool is essential and vital," Joyce said. "You ask: How can you put the value on an American life? And I can tell you it's priceless."
12:20 p.m. ET - Robert S. Litt, general counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said NSA leaker Edward Snowden "wasn't nearly as familiar with these programs as he's portrayed himself to be."
"This is what happens when somebody who sees a tiny corner of things thinks it gives him inside (understanding) into the whole program," he said.
12:01 p.m. ET - Rep. Devin Nunes, R-California, brought up other controversies plaguing the Obama administration–the IRS scandal, "Fast and Furious," Justice Department leak investigations, and the U.S. consulate attack in Benghazi–and asked NSA officials to offer assurance that the agency is not leaking information itself.
Responding, Alexander said all the information the NSA disseminates is "100% auditable" and they have "not seen one of our analysts willfully do something wrong." The only mistakes he has seen are "honest mistakes," listing a typo as an example.
Nunes further pressed officials, asking them to explain the seriousness of the leaks.
Sean Joyce, deputy director of Federal Bureau of Investigation, said they're conducting a "criminal investigation" and repeatedly described the leaks as "egregious."
"We are revealing in front of you today methods and techniques. I have told you, the examples I gave you how important they have been. The first core al Qaeda plot to attack the United States post 9-11 we used one of these programs. Another plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange we used these programs. And now here we are talking about this in front of the world. So I think those leaks affect us," he said.
New CNN/ORC Poll: A slight majority of those questioned in the poll disapprove of the actions of the man who leaked sensitive information about the NSA program. And a similar amount say Edward Snowden, who fled to Hong Kong, should be brought back to the U.S. and prosecuted
Snowden: Obama expanded program
11:36 a.m. ET - Reached by CNNMoney, the New York Stock Exchange declined to comment on the thwarted bomb plot.
Yahoo: What gov. wanted from us
11:35 a.m. ET - Asked if they plan to release the court opinions on NSA requests for phone and Internet intelligence gathering, Robert S. Litt, general counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said they are looking into that.
11:17 a.m ET - Elaborating further on the disrupted terrorist attacks, Sean Joyce, deputy director of Federal Bureau of Investigation, said federal agencies used Internet surveillance–known as PRISM or Section 702 of the Patriot Act–to identify an extremist who was communicating with an individual in Kansas City. They were in the "very early stages" of plotting to bomb the New York Stock Exchange, he said.
Asked if their intention to bomb the NYSE was "serious," Joyce said, "The jury considered it serious since (the suspects) were all convicted."
In another instance, Joyce said they used phone records–Section 215–to identify an individual in San Diego who had "indirect contact" and who was providing financial support to an extremist outside of the United States.
11:13 a.m ET - Democratic Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, ranking member on House Intelligence Committee, asked Alexander if he feels like the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court is a rubber stamp in the sense that it approves all requests from the NSA to pursue investigations.
Alexander said he does not think the court acts in such a manner and praised the the federal judges on the court as "superb," adding that they "go back and forth to make sure we do this exactly right."
11:12 a.m. ET - New CNN/ORC Poll: Just over six in ten Americans say they believe that government is so large and powerful that it threatens the rights and freedoms of ordinary Americans.
Obama: I'm no Dick Cheney
11:10 a.m. ET - House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers asks if the NSA has the ability to "flip a switch" and listen to Americans' phone calls or read emails
Alexander said they do not have the authority or technology to do that.
11:04 a.m. ET - Deputy Attorney General James Cole said that because of the leaks, the government runs the risk of losing its capability to operate the collection programs. He did not say why but said they won't know for several months how the leaks affected the agency's surveillance abilities.
10:57 a.m. ET - Alexander said the NSA does not unilaterally collect information from Internet companies under Section 702. The companies are compelled to provide that information by law, he said.
Facebook, Microsoft disclose information on user data requests
10:55 a.m. ET - NSA official says phone record data collected under Section 215 must be destroyed five years after acquired.
10:45 a.m. ET - Sean Joyce, deputy director of Federal Bureau of Investigation, said the surveillance programs–specifically the program that gathers intelligence from Internet companies–helped stop a plot to bomb the office of the Danish newspaper that came under heat for publishing a cartoon of Mohammed in 2006.
In the United States, the program also helped them thwart a plan to bomb the New York City subway system and a plan to bomb the New York Stock Exchange, he said.
Read the full accounts from Joyce below.
New York City subway: "In the fall of 2009, NSA using 702 authority intercepted an email from a terrorist located in Pakistan. That individual was talking with an individual located inside the United States talking about perfecting a recipe for explosives. Through legal process that individual was identified as Najibullah Zazi. He was located in Denver, Colorado. The FBI followed him to NYC. Later we executed search warrants with the NY joint terrorism task force and NYPD and found bomb making components in backpacks. Zazi later confessed to a plot to bomb the NY subway system with backpacks. Also working with FISA business records the NSA was able to provide a previously unknown number of one of the co-conspirators Adis Medunjanin. This was the first core al Qaeda plot since 9-11 directed from Pakistan."
New York Stock Exchange: "NSA utilizing 702 authority was monitoring a known extremist in Yemen. This individual was in contact with an individual in the United States named Khalid Ouazzani. Ouazzani and other individuals that we identified through a FISA that the FBI applied for through the FISC, were able to detect a nascent plotting to bomb the NYSE. Ouazzani had been providing information and support to this plot. The FBI disrupted and arrested these individuals."
Danish newspaper: "David Headley, a U.S citizen living in Chicago. The FBI received intelligence regarding his possible involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks responsible for the killing of over 160 people. Also, NSA through 702 coverage of an al Qaeda affiliated terrorist, found that Headley was working on a plot to bomb a Danish newspaper office that had published the cartoon depictions prophet Muhammad. In fact, Headley later confessed to personally conducting surveillance of the Danish newspaper office. He and his co-conspirators were convicted of this plot."
FBI probe: "Lastly, the FBI had opened an investigation shortly after 9-11. We did not have enough information nor did we find links to terrorism so we shortly thereafter closed the investigation. However, the NSA using the business record FISA, tipped us off that this individual had indirect contacts with a known terrorist overseas. We were able to reopen this investigation, identify additional individuals through the legal process and were able to disrupt this terrorist activity."
10:40 a.m. ET - For Section 702 of the Patriot Act, which permits the collection and surveillance of information from Internet companies, Cole said only those living outside of the United States can be targeted.
10:30 a.m .ET - Cole said that the Fourth Amendment does not apply to Section 215, the part of the Patriot Act that permits the collection of phone records.
He said people should not expect privacy on such metadata, which includes the phone numbers, the time at which phone conversations took place and the duration of those calls.
10:25 a.m. ET - Deputy Attorney General James Cole listed some of the criteria for an NSA analyst to access phone conversations. As part of the oversight process, the NSA must get permission from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
While requesting permission, they must prove that person they want to investigate is involved with some sort of terrorist organization. To prove affiliation, the NSA must have independent evidence aside from personal writings, statements, etc, from the person they want to investigate that the individual is linked to an organization.
"You have to have additional evidence beyond that that indicates there is reasonable suspicion," he said.
Read more: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said Sunday that the NSA was "not listening to" Americans' phone calls.
10:22 a.m. ET - Alexander said they will bring classified documents to Capitol Hill Wednesday that detail all 50 cases in which the NSA programs helped prevent a terror plot. As reported already on CNN, he will present two of those publicly Tuesday.
However, they will not publicly release all of the cases, saying that would give away the NSA's secrets in how it tracks suspected terrorists.
"Too much is at risk for us and our allies," he said.
Alexander described the programs as "critical" for the government's counterterrorism efforts. If they had the phone surveillance program–known as Section 215 under the Patriot Act–before the September 11, 2001 attacks, he argued, they may have been able to track phone conversations between one of the hijackers living in San Francisco and a co-conspirator in Yemen.
10:20 a.m. ET - "In recent years these programs, together with other intelligence, have protected the U.S. and our allies from terrorist threats across the globe to include helping prevent the potential terrorist events over 50 times since 9-11," Alexander said.
10:19 a.m. ET - In his opening statements, Alexander said the leaked information about the phone records and Internet data sparked "considerable debate" in recent days, but the debate has been fueld by "incomplete and inaccurate information."
"Today we will provide additional detail and context on these programs to help inform that debate," he said.
10:16 a.m. ET - New CNN/ORC Poll: Americans are split on the controversial National Security Agency anti-terrorism program to record metadata on U.S. phone calls, but they support the NSA program that targets records of internet usage by people in other countries.
10:08 a.m. ET - House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, made his opening remarks.
"I look forward to hearing from all of the witnesses about the extensive protections and oversight in place for these programs. General Alexander, we look forward to hearing what you’re able to discuss in an open forum about how the data that you obtain from providers under the Business Records provision is used; and Deputy Attorney General Cole, we look forward to hearing more about the legal authorities themselves, and the state of the law on what privacy protections Americans’ have in business records," he said, according to his prepared remarks.
"General Alexander, you and I have talked over the past week about the need to be able to publicly elaborate on the success stories these authorities have contributed to without jeopardizing ongoing operations," he added. "I place the utmost value in protecting sources and methods, but I also recognize that when we are forced into the position of having to publicly discuss intelligence programs due to irresponsible, criminal behavior that we also have to carefully balance the need for secrecy with educating the public." | – The NSA's controversial spying activities have prevented more than 50 terror attacks since 9/11, the agency's director told the House Intelligence Committee today, including attempted bombings of the New York Stock Exchange and, as previously disclosed, the New York City Subway. Gen. Keith Alexander said he'd go over all 50 cases with Congress, but wouldn't release the information to the public because it would give away NSA secrets. More from the hearing, courtesy of Politico and CNN's liveblog. Alexander said 90% of those cases were disrupted by the PRISM web spying program. The NSA said that while it has assembled a massive database of call tracking information, it has targeted fewer than 300 numbers or other "identifiers" within it. Deputy Attorney General James Cole stressed that the NSA must get permission from the secret FISA court to access phone data, and must have evidence linking their target to a terrorist organization. "This is not a program that's off the books that's been hidden away," Cole said. But Cole also said that the Fourth Amendment didn't apply to phone records, and that people shouldn't expect privacy for them. NSA Deputy Director Chris Inglis said that just 22 people at the NSA are authorized to query the phone database. Alexander said the NSA has neither the legal authority nor technical ability to "flip a switch" and listen to a phone conversation. The NSA brass wasn't exactly facing an inquisition. Committee Chairman Mike Rogers painted the NSA as a victim of "a constant public drumbeat" accusing it of a "laundry list of nefarious things … all of them wrong." He said public trust was waning thanks to "inaccuracies, half-truths, and outright lies." |
Trump announced that the US would halt the “very expensive” annual military exercises with South Korea after his June 12 meeting with Kim Jong Un. He even adopted North Korea’s description of the exercises as “very provocative.”
The next military exercise with South Korea had been set for next spring, though the status of that operation, codenamed Foal Eagle, is uncertain, since the US had announced shortly after the June 12 summit that all exercises had been canceled indefinitely. On Tuesday, Mattis declined to say whether Foal Eagle or any of the other previously set exercises were being rescheduled, and referred questions to the State Department, which is handling negotiations with North Korea. The State Department did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
“As you know, we took the step to suspend several of the largest exercises as a good-faith measure coming out of the Singapore summit,” he told reporters at the Pentagon. “We have no plans at this time to suspend any more exercises.”
In another sign that the Trump administration’s negotiations with North Korea are faltering, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday said large-scale military exercises with South Korea are back on the table — less than three months after the summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.
“It will be a total denuclearization, which is already starting taking place.” —President Trump on June 21
“Under the circumstances that we’re negotiating ... I think it’s inappropriate to be having war games,” Trump said, in a concession that reportedly blindsided many US allies as well as some in his own military.
The Pentagon formally announced that the US had “indefinitely suspended” the long-planned military exercises in South Korea on June 22, including Ulchi Freedom Guardian and two others that were scheduled to take place over the summer. The annual exercises are seen as the focal point of the “ironclad” US–South Korea alliance to defend against North Korean aggression.
Further decisions would depend on North Korea “continuing to have productive negotiations in good faith,” the Pentagon said at the time.
Asked on Tuesday whether the decision to resume war game operations suggested that North Korea was “acting in bad faith,” Mattis hedged, countering “not at all, but we did what we did at the time for that purpose.”
He refused to answer whether turning the military exercises “back on” would be seen as a provocation given the president’s characterization.
“We're not turning them back (…) on. They've never been turned off,” Mattis said, explaining that only specific exercises had been suspended. “We are going to see how the negotiations go, and then we'll calculate the future, how we go forward.”
It was not immediately clear what this would mean in practice, and the Pentagon did not respond to BuzzFeed News’ request for further details.
The US military opening the door to resuming the massive military exercises is the latest in a series of decisions by the Trump administration in recent weeks indicating that little progress has been made since the summit, which the president prematurely touted as a “tremendous success.”
“It will be a total denuclearization, which is already starting taking place,” Trump said at a cabinet meeting on June 21, adding that it was beginning “immediately” — contradicting Mattis, who was sitting next to him at the same table.
Last week, just a day after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a new special representative to take charge of negotiations with Kim’s regime and said they would both be traveling to North Korea, Trump canceled the visit in a tweet.
“I have asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to go to North Korea, at this time, because I feel we are not making sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” the president said in a series of tweets.
It seemed to be a reversal of Trump’s high-spirited declaration after the summit in June that “there is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea.”
Asked whether he agreed with the president’s assessment on Tuesday, Mattis did not answer directly.
“You're asking for a straightforward answer on a complex subject,” he said. “The bottom line is, there was progress made. The whole world saw that progress when the two leaders sat down. We also knew very clearly this was going to be a long and challenging effort to negotiate this away.”
He deferred all questions on the status of North Korea’s denuclearization to Pompeo, saying the Pentagon was only playing a “supporting role.” ||||| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military has no plans yet to suspend any more major military exercises with South Korea, the defense secretary said on Tuesday, in the middle of a breakdown in diplomacy with North Korea over its nuclear weapons.
Defense Secretary James Mattis told a Pentagon news conference that no decisions had been made about major exercises for next year but noted that the suspension of drills this summer as a good-faith gesture to North Korea was not open-ended.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s June decision to unilaterally suspend the drills caught many American military planners off guard and was broadly criticized as a premature concession to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who Trump wants to give up his nuclear weapons.
“We took the step to suspend several of the largest exercises as a good-faith measure coming out of the Singapore summit,” Mattis told reporters, referring to the June 12 meeting between Trump and Kim.
“We have no plans at this time to suspend any more exercises,” he said, adding that no decisions had yet been made on major exercises for next year.
Mattis also said smaller exercises deemed to be exempt from the suspension were ongoing.
Mattis’ comments on the drills come at a delicate time for negotiations between the United States and North Korea after Trump scrapped plans for a meeting between top officials from both countries.
At the June summit, the first meeting between a serving U.S. president and a North Korean leader, Kim agreed in broad terms to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. But North Korea has given no indication it is willing to give up its weapons unilaterally as the Trump administration has demanded.
Since then, diplomats have failed to advance the process.
North Korean officials even warned in a letter to U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week that denuclearization talks risked falling apart, U.S. officials told Reuters.
In particular, the North wants steps toward a peace treaty. The 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving U.S.-led U.N. forces technically still at war with North Korea.
U.S. officials fear North Korea might turn its attention to cutting a separate deal with South Korea and driving a wedge between the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
STALEMATE
A South Korea presidential spokesman acknowledged that talks between Washington and Pyongyang were at a stalemate.
“With North Korea and the U.S. remaining stalemated, there is an even bigger need for an inter-Korea summit,” Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman for the presidential Blue House, told a briefing.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said this month his planned third summit with North Korea’s Kim next month would be another step toward the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and an end to the Korean War.
FILE PHOTO: Amphibious assault vehicles of the South Korean Marine Corps travel during a military exercise as a part of the annual joint military training called Foal Eagle between South Korea and the United States in Pohang, South Korea, April 5, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo
“Secretary Mattis’ comment appears to be an extension of the previous U.S.-South Korea agreement concerning the postponement of joint drills, and there has been no other agreement,” South Korea’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Trump abruptly canceled his top diplomat’s planned trip to North Korea on Friday, publicly acknowledging for the first time that his effort to get Pyongyang to denuclearize had stalled since his summit with the North’s leader.
Trump partly blamed China for the lack of progress with North Korea and suggested that talks with Pyongyang, led so far by Pompeo, could be on hold until after Washington resolved its bitter trade dispute with Beijing.
North Korea’s state media accused the United States of “double-dealing” and “hatching a criminal plot” on Sunday but did not mention Pompeo’s canceled visit.
U.S. intelligence and defense officials have repeatedly expressed doubts about North Korea’s willingness to give up its nuclear weapons and they had not expected Pompeo’s trip to yield positive results.
Mattis declined to comment on the broader diplomatic efforts, deferring to Pompeo’s State Department.
“We will work very closely, as I said, with the secretary of state and what he needs done we will certainly do to reinforce his effort. But at this time, there is no discussion about further suspensions,” Mattis said.
The traditional U.S. calendar for other major drills does not pick up again until next spring, officials say, which could give diplomats and military planners time.
The U.S.-South Korean exercise calendar hits a high point every spring with the Foal Eagle and Max Thunder drills, which take months to plan.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis attends the swearing in ceremony for new Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
One U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said preliminary planning for next year’s drills was already taking place. Still, the official acknowledged that would not be indicative of whether the drills will go forward.
Max Thunder’s air combat exercises so unnerved North Korea this year that it issued threatening statements that nearly scuttled the June summit between Trump and Kim.
Foal Eagle is designed to simulate war scenarios and involves ground, air, naval and special operations forces. ||||| There are no future plans to halt joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises in the Korean Peninsula, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Tuesday. This is a departure from the announcement in June that he had "indefinitely suspended" military exercises with South Korea after President Trump said at his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that the U.S. would stop its "war games" with South Korea.
Facing a standstill in diplomatic efforts with the North Koreans, this is the latest indication that the Trump administration is not willing to give concessions to Kim without tangible steps on denuclearization.
"We have no plans at this time to suspend any more exercises," Mattis told reporters Tuesday.
As a result of the president's decision, the U.S.-South Korea August exercise, Freedom Guardian, did not take place. On Wednesday Mattis put out a statement clarifying that the US military posture had not changed since the Singapore summit. But what appears to have changed is the appetite from the US to massage relations with North Korea – sometimes using military tools – to draw them into negotiations. Mr. Trump himself indicated in June that the stoppage was an overture from the U.S. to keep the North Koreans at the negotiating table as the two sides worked together productively.
"We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money, unless and until we see the future negotiation is not going along like it should," Trump said in June, at the Singapore summit. "But we'll be saving a tremendous amount of money. Plus, I think it's very provocative."
Mattis explained that the exercise had been halted in good faith, to grease the wheels for U.S.-North Korea negotiations. He reiterated that sentiment on Tuesday and left open the possibility that future exercises could be halted if it would enable negotiations.
"I do not have a crystal ball right, now. Let's see how the negotiations go," Mattis said. "Let's let the diplomats go forward. We all know the gravity of the issue they are dealing with, and we will deal with supporting the diplomats as I have said repeatedly."
The United States has about 28,500 troops in South Korea. Mattis avoided characterizing future U.S.-South Korean exercises as provocative or not.
The resumption of regular U.S.-South Korea military exercises may be one of a few signs that the Trump administration is growing impatient about having made the concession while North Korea wins itself time and space.
On the same day as Mattis' announcement, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said that "it's possible" that North Korea is rethinking its promise to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.
"Are [the North Koreans] wishing or maybe changing their minds on denuclearization? It's possible," Haley said at an event at the Foundation for Defending Democracy, adding, "but we're not changing our minds on the sanctions. We're not changing our mind on the denuclearization."
She also said, however, that the good news is that there has been no missile testing in months and there is a dialogue between the world and North Korea.
Last week, Mr. Trump declared that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would be cancelling his trip to North Korea. The visit, which would have been Pompeo's fourth time travelling to North Korea this year, had only just been announced a day before it was cancelled. The State Department said that there had been progress in the U.S.-North Korea talks broadly because there were ongoing discussions. But Mr. Trump insisted in a tweet that there had not been "sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
Earlier in June, after meeting with top North Korean negotiator Kim Yong Chol, Mr. Trump said that the U.S. was holding off on "hundreds" of sanctions while talks were going "nicely."
"We have very significant sanctions on right now but we have hundreds that are ready to go. But i said I'm not going to put -- why would I do that when we're talking so nicely?" Trump said.
In August the U.S. rolled out three rounds of sanctions targeting North Korea. The administration says that additional sanctions are likely, as the administration shifts back towards a harsher North Korea stance.
Plans to continue U.S.-South Korean games, implement additional sanctions, and interrupt talks all come as the U.S. has yet to cite any progress from North Korea on efforts to denuclearize.
Even progress in other realms, like efforts to build trust between the two parties, has been slow. North Korea did return remains said to be of American prisoners of the Korean War. Department of Defense officials, however, said it could take years to verify that the bodies are actually Americans. They also described the remains as being in moderate-to-poor condition.
Eleanor Watson contributed to this report. | – The war games may be back on. Just two months after President Trump announced he had "indefinitely suspended" the "very provocative" military drills by the US and South Korea in a move meant to soothe North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday there are "no plans at this time to suspend any more exercises," per BuzzFeed. Reuters reports the comments come in the midst of a "breakdown in diplomacy" with North Korea over denuclearization, though Mattis denied any act of bad faith on North Korea's part. Referring to the decision "to suspend several of the largest exercises as a good-faith measure coming out of the Singapore summit," Mattis said "we did what we did at the time for that purpose." He added there's been no decision on the next large-scale military exercise, previously set for next spring. UN Ambassador Nikki Haley was more pointed in her remarks on North Korea Tuesday. "Are [the North Koreans] wishing or maybe changing their minds on denuclearization? It's possible … but we're not changing our minds," she said, per CBS News. |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mandatory 21-day quarantines on health care workers returning from Ebola-ravaged West Africa, like those put in place by three states, can have the unintended consequence of discouraging them from volunteering, a top federal health official said Sunday.
Patient Nina Pham is hugged by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, outside of National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md., Friday, Oct. 24,... (Associated Press)
File-This Feb. 28, 2014, file photo shows Samantha Power, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., speaking during a news conference after a private U.N. Security Council meeting. Power is going to visit all three... (Associated Press)
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that as a physician and scientist, he would have recommended against a quarantine.
"The best way to protect us is to stop the epidemic in Africa, and we need those health care workers so we do not want to put them in a position where it makes it very, very uncomfortable for them to even volunteer to go." he said.
He said active and direct monitoring can accomplish the same thing as a quarantine because people infected with Ebola do not become contagious until they start showing symptoms. Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.
New York, New Jersey and Illinois imposed mandatory quarantines after Dr. Craig Spencer, a Doctors Without Borders physician who treated patients in Guinea, was diagnosed with Ebola last Thursday. The doctor, who is now in isolation at New York's Bellevue Hospital, had been on the subway, went bowling and to a park and restaurant before showing symptoms
Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., said he concluded the quarantine was necessary to protect public health in his state and that he thinks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "eventually will come around to our point of view on this."
Christie said Fauci was counting on "a voluntary system with folks who may or may not comply."
The governor pointed to an NBC News crew that had returned from West Africa was supposed to self-quarantine because its cameraman was hospitalized with Ebola. "Two days later they were out picking up takeout food in Princeton and walking around the streets of Princeton," he said. The cameraman has recovered and has been released from the hospital.
Fauci said Spencer did exactly what he should have done by putting himself in isolation as soon as he developed a fever. "No one came into contact with his body fluids," Fauci said. "The risk is essentially zero, vanishingly small."
Fauci said the health care workers returning from treating Ebola patients are responsible and know that if they have symptoms there's the possibility of transmitting the disease. "They don't want to get anyone else infected," he said.
As for the unintended consequences, he said, "If we don't have our people volunteering to go over there, then you're going to have other countries that are not going to do it and then the epidemic will continue to roar," he said.
Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who is on a trip to West Africa to highlight the need for increased international support to combat Ebola, spoke of a need to ensure that returning U.S. health care workers "are treated like conquering heroes and not stigmatized for the tremendous work that they have done."
Fauci appeared on "Fox News Sunday," ABC's "This Week" and NBC's "Meet the Press." Christie was interviewed on Fox and Power spoke to NBC. ||||| New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he has no second thoughts about enacting a 21-day medical quarantine on medical workers returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa.
"I think this is a policy that will become a national policy sooner rather than later," the Republican governor said on "Fox News Sunday," emphasizing the population density of his state and the New York metropolitan area.
"The fact of the matter is that the CDC protocol, as Dr. [Anthony] Fauci admitted himself, had been a moving target," Christie added, referring to an earlier interview on the same show with the director of the Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
(Also on POLITICO: Fauci talks quarantine's 'unintended consequences')
"It was my conclusion that we needed to do this to protect the public health of the people of New Jersey," Christie said. "[New York] Gov. [Andrew] Cuomo agreed, and now [Chicago] Mayor [Rahm] Emanuel agrees, and I think the CDC eventually will come around to our point of view on this."
"This is government's job," Christie said. "We have taken this action, and I have no second thoughts about it."
(WATCH: Sunday shows in 90 seconds)
Asked to comment on the idea of a quarantine, Fauci reiterated the notion that it was unnecessary, calling it "draconian" during his appearance on "Meet the Press" on NBC."
We need to treat them, returning people, with respect, and make sure that they're really heroes," he said. "So the idea that we're being a little bit draconian, there are other ways to protect. There's monitoring, there's direct monitoring, there's active monitoring. We don't necessarily need to do that."
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Read more about: Quarantine, Chris Christie, Ebola, Anthony Fauci ||||| Quarantines of health care workers returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa might not be the best scientific approach, the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases said Sunday.
Three states — New York, New Jersey and Illinois — enacted medical quarantines of workers coming home from working in West Africa. And Anthony Fauci said on "Fox News Sunday" there's concern about the quarantine keeping others from volunteering.
"First principle: Protect American people. Second principle: Make your decision based on the science," he said.
(Also on POLITICO: Rick Scott implements Ebola monitoring)
"Guidelines regarding how you handle people from coming back should always be based on the science, and the science tells us that people who are asymptomatic do not transmit," Fauci added. "That doesn't mean we're cavalier about it, but that means there are other steps that you can protect American people based on the scientific evidence that does not necessarily go so far as to possibly have unintended consequences of disincentivizing health care workers. The best way to protect us is to stop the epidemic in Africa, and we need those health care workers."
(WATCH: Sunday shows in 90 seconds)
Active and direct monitoring would accomplish the same thing as a quarantine, Fauci said. He made similar remarks on NBC's "Meet the Press," CNN's "State of the Union" and ABC's "This Week."
"We need to treat them, returning people, with respect, and make sure that they're really heroes," he said on "Meet the Press" when talking about a quarantine of the returning health-care workers. "So the idea that we're being a little bit draconian, there are other ways to protect. There's monitoring, there's direct monitoring, there's active monitoring. We don't necessarily need to do that."
Read more about: Quarantine, Ebola, Anthony Fauci ||||| Rep. Darrell Issa said on Sunday the public lacks confidence in the Obama administration's ability to handle the Ebola crisis.
The California Republican, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said governors of both parties are reacting to an absence of presidential leadership. Illinois, New Jersey and New York recently imposed mandatory 21-day quarantines for health care professionals returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa.
But Issa said on CNN's "State of the Union" that mandatory quarantines might not be the best way for states to contain the disease.
(WATCH: Sunday shows in 90 seconds)
"Science has told us, if we are to take them at their word, that if someone doesn’t have an elevated temperature or the other later symptoms, that we can rely on them not being contagious," he said. "If that’s true, then immediate isolation of people for 21 days is not the answer. Again, trust matters."
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said earlier Sunday that imposing mandatory quarantines might discourage health care professionals from going to West Africa in the first place, where they're most needed to stop the spread of the disease at its source.
The administration needs to step up and lead, Issa said. But, he said, President Barack Obama's appointment of Ron Klain, a lawyer, to coordinate government response efforts doesn't inspire much confidence.
"The fact is, I’d much rather he find a four-star general or admiral to coordinate these people who have said things that didn’t turn out to be accurate, who have made mistakes and don’t want to admit them," Issa said.
Read more about: President Barack Obama, Obama Administration, Darrell Issa, Ron Klain, Ebola, Anthony Fauci | – Chris Christie may have a pretty irate nurse taking the Garden State to task over the execution of his mandatory-quarantine policy toward Ebola, but he's standing by it. "I think this is a policy that will become a national policy sooner rather than later," he told Fox News Sunday today, as per Politico. "It was my conclusion that we needed to do this to protect the public health of the people of New Jersey. We have taken this action, and I have no second thoughts about it." Fellow Republican Darrell Issa, meanwhile, says that New Jersey's quarantine—like those in Illinois and New York—is an attempt to compensate for the White House's lack of leadership on Ebola, but probably not the best course. "Science has told us that if someone doesn’t have an elevated temperature or the other later symptoms, that we can rely on them not being contagious," he said. "If that’s true, then immediate isolation of people for 21 days is not the answer. Again, trust matters." Elsewhere on your Sunday dial: National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci: "Asymptomatic (people) do not transmit. That doesn't mean we're cavalier about it, but that means there are other steps (to avoid the) unintended consequences of disincentivizing health care workers." Per the AP: "The best way to protect us is to stop the epidemic in Africa, and we need those health care workers so we do not want to put them in a position where it makes it very, very uncomfortable US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power: Returning American health care workers need to be "treated like conquering heroes and not stigmatized for the tremendous work that they have done." |
Randy and Rhonda Thill after a ride to Hudson, Wis., on Sept. 6, 2014. (Photo courtesy Rhonda Thill)
Rhonda Thill holds her husband Randy's wedding ring Thursday at her St. Paul home. She thought the ring was lost after Randy was killed in a motorcycle accident in June. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)
About a dozen bikers in leather and denim were crawling aroundin the median this weekend on U.S. 61 in St. Paul.
They were trying to mend a broken heart.
The broken heart belongs to Rhonda Thill, a St. Paul woman who lost her love, her husband and the father of her three children, in a motorcycle accident three weeks ago.
She couldn't bear to lose his wedding ring, too.
But the ring wasn't among the personal effects she got from authorities after Randy Thill's fatal accident. Thill, 47, died about 1 a.m. June 25 after losing control of his Harley-Davidson and hitting the U.S. 61 median about a half-mile south of Warner Road.
He died at the scene.
Rhonda Thill knew his gold band must be there. It was a little loose on his finger, but he wore it every day for nearly 19 years.
Someone would have to go there, to the spot where he died, and find it.
"I wanted to go, but I can't," she said this week. "I'm not ready to see it yet."
A friend called the State Patrol for her and explained the situation. A trooper went back to the scene to look for the ring but couldn't find it.
A few friends made plans to search on the Saturday after the accident, but a thunderstorm kept them away.
Her father and brother went out with a metal detector, but they came up empty, too.
Thill was despondent. She turned to a high school friend who knew someone at the towing company that picked up her husband's Harley. They still had the bike, so she asked if he could at least bring her the guardian ride bell from her husband's motorcycle.
He did, but it wasn't enough.
"She called me up crying and said 'I really want that ring back. I don't know what it's going to take,' " said Tim Allen, her high school friend.
Allen, vice president of Los Valientes motorcycle club, wanted to help. Randy Thill, a technician at Medtronic, got his motorcycle a couple of years ago, and the Thills had grown close to Allen and his girlfriend during their rides.
"I said I'd round up some friends," Allen said.
Allen called up his friend at Rapid Recovery, the towing company that had Randy Thill's Harley. He asked if he could get the driver who picked up the bike to show them exactly where the accident was and maybe block a lane of traffic with a tow truck while they searched.
His friend, Jay Stevens, did more than that. He's vice president of another motorcycle club called Sober Soldiers, a group for bikers who don't drink.
Not only did he arrange for the tow truck and driver, he also brought along most of his motorcycle club to help search.
"We didn't know if we'd find it," Stevens said. "We just wanted to give her some closure.
Jay Stevens of the Sober Soldiers motorcycle club holds Randy Thill's wedding ring on his pointer finger after finding it Sunday, July 12, in the Highway 61 median in St. Paul. Tim Allen of Los Valientes motorcycle club, right, organized the search. (Photo courtesy of Emi Yokose)
Allen, his girlfriend, Emi Yokose, a couple of Los Valientes members and about a dozen Sober Soldiers followed the tow truck to the scene of the crash.
They started searching a 100-foot stretch of road, some with metal detectors, others on their hands and knees.
Someone spotted the rubber gloves the paramedics left behind.
That was where Thill died.
Stevens focused his search in that spot, in the tall grass of the median just over the cable barrier.
Allen watched him while he did his own digging nearby.
"He was persistent, looking where the body was," Allen said. "All of a sudden, he jumped up and said 'I found the ... thing!' "
Stevens said the ring was pushed into the soil behind a weed. He said he pushed the weed aside and there it was.
"It looked like a bit of gold in the ground," Stevens said.
The whole group went back to Rhonda Thill's house on the East Side.
Allen and his girlfriend walked up to Thill. They handed her a flashlight and a pair of glasses they found in the median. They belonged to her husband, but they weren't what she was looking for.
"She held her head down," Allen said. "Then I held up my pinky with the ring on it and said, 'And I got this.'
"We had to hold her up. She was about to fall over."
Thill said it was amazing that a group of people she mostly didn't know would go to such trouble to help when Allen asked.
"He just had to make a call," she said. "All those people have such kind hearts. They didn't hesitate."
Jaime DeLage can be reached at 651-228-5450. Follow him at twitter.com/JaimeDeLage.
RANDY THILL BENEFIT
What: Riding with Randy -- Benefit and Poker Run
When: 11 a.m. Sept. 5
Where: St. Paul Saloon, 1045 Hudson Road
Info: Facebook.com (search for Riding with Randy -- Benefit and Poker Run) | – When Rhonda Thill got husband Randy's belongings back after he died in a motorcycle crash last month, her heartbreak was compounded when his wedding ring wasn't among them, she tells Kare 11. "It had to be somewhere," she says. "Maybe the force of the impact—it came off or whatever. I didn't want it to be just left out there." A trooper went to the scene to search, but came up empty-handed, the Pioneer Press reports; likewise her dad and brother with a metal detector. Then Rhonda talked to a high school friend, also a biker, and suddenly a dozen bikers were digging in waist-high grass on hands and knees. After about 45 minutes, KARE 11 reports, one man literally struck gold, spotting the ring pushed down in the dirt. The searchers first gave Rhonda Randy's eyeglasses and a flashlight they had found, per the Press. "She held her head down. … Then I held up my pinky with the ring on it and said, 'And I got this,'" her friend tells the paper. "We had to hold her up. She was about to fall over." Rhonda is still amazed that the group, many of them strangers, would go to such lengths—and grateful to have Randy's ring once more. "It ... makes me feel like I've got a piece of us back together again," she tells KARE 11. |
Updated Nov. 29, 2018, at 1:39 p.m.
The office of Jewish professor Elizabeth Midlarsky, who teaches and researches the Holocaust at Columbia Teachers College, was vandalized with swastikas and anti-Semitic slurs on Wednesday.
Midlarsky found the graffiti—two swastikas alongside the derogatory term “Yid"—when she came to her office around 1 p.m. Wednesday, at which point she notified security. The graffiti was drawn in the entryway to Midlarksy’s office, which is not shared with other staff.
“I was in shock,” Midlarsky said. “I stopped for a moment, because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
According to the NYPD, a different staff member entered the room at approximately 11:47 a.m. Wednesday and did not observe anything unusual at that time. The incident remains under active investigation by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and is being treated as an aggravated harassment.
All Teachers College academic buildings require ID for entry, either from Teachers College, Columbia, Barnard, or other affiliated schools.
Midlarsky’s office had previously been vandalized in 2007, when a swastika was spray-painted on her door and anti-Semitic flyers left in her mailbox. According to Midlarsky, this prior incident was “horrifying but not surprising” due to her “relatively visible status as a Jew” at the time, citing her numerous published papers and articles on subjects related to the Holocaust.
However, Midlarsky, attributed this second incident to a broader national rise in anti-Semitic crimes and a changing culture. Midlarsky is a professor of psychology and education whose research interests include altruism, religiousness, and the Holocaust.
Both the Office of University Life and Barnard College issued statements on Thursday morning strongly denouncing the anti-Semitic act and showing support for Jewish students. A Teachers College spokesperson was unable to comment on the specifics of the incident but provided a statement made by Teachers College president Thomas Bailey.
Read the full statement below:
"To the TC Community:
As you may already have heard, the office of a Teachers College faculty member has been defaced with swastikas.
We unequivocally condemn any expression of hatred, which has no place in our society. We are outraged and horrified by this act of aggression and use of this vile anti-Semitic symbol against a valued member of our community.
Please rest assured that we are working with police to discover the perpetrator of this hateful act. I also want to reaffirm the College’s commitment – and my own – to providing a respectful and welcoming environment for all, and to protecting the safety and dignity of all members of our community.
Thomas Bailey
President"
karen.xia@columbiaspectator.com | @xia_karen ||||| NEW YORK (CNN) -- Three professors and a former professor at Columbia University's Teachers College received hate mail this week, the New York Police Department said. It's the campus that was shaken by several bias crimes directed at black and Jewish professors in 2007.
Columbia University's Teachers College is once again the target of a hate campaign.
Three professors received manila envelopes Tuesday with images of swastikas in them.
The fourth, a former professor who is an African-American, was sent a manila envelope containing an image of a noose, according to NYPD deputy commissioner Paul Browne.
Among those receiving a swastika image was Elizabeth Midlarsky, a Jewish psychologist who has studied psychological principles in the context of the Holocaust, police said.
In 2007, her office door was spray-painted with a swastika. (A swastika is the right-angles cross symbol used on Nazi Germany flags).
The NYPD Hate Crimes Unit is leading the investigation into the incident. No arrests have been made.
"The TC community deplores these hateful acts, which violate every Teachers College and societal norm," said an e-mail Wednesday to faculty and students from the college's president, Susan Fuhrman; and dean, Tom James.
No arrests were been made in the 2007 incidents. Police declined to say if they believe there is a connection between those cases and the mailings this week.
All About Columbia University • Hate Crimes • The Holocaust ||||| New York (CNN) The NYPD has launched an investigation into a possible hate crime after a Columbia University professor's office was vandalized with two spray-painted swastikas and a derogatory word aimed at Jewish people.
Professor Elizabeth Midlarsky, who is Jewish and has published various articles related to the Holocaust, told CNN, "I opened the outer door and almost passed out," when she saw the two swastikas spray-painted in red.
Midlarsky, who has worked at the university's Teachers College for 28 years, reported the incident to security and received support from staff before being brought home by a van.
Professor Elizabeth Midlarsky, told CNN, "I opened the outer door and almost passed out," when she saw the two swastikas spray-painted in red on the walls of her office.
"I was so shaky, I wasn't sure I was going to make it," she said.
Thomas Bailey, the president of Columbia's Teachers College said in a statement Wednesday, "We unequivocally condemn any expression of hatred, which has no place in our society. We are outraged and horrified by this act of aggression and use of this vile anti-Semitic symbol against a valued member of our community." Bailey added that they are working with police to find the perpetrator.
Read More ||||| [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]
Two swastikas and an anti-Semitic slur were spray-painted Wednesday on the walls of a Jewish professor’s office at Columbia University, the latest in a surge of anti-Semitic incidents in New York this year.
The office belongs to Elizabeth Midlarsky, 77, who has written about the Holocaust and has been a repeated target of anti-Semitic vitriol while working as a psychology and education professor at the university’s Teachers College in Manhattan.
The Police Department said it was investigating the vandalism — the swastikas and the word “Yid” were scrawled in bright red in the entryway to the office — as a hate crime.
Ms. Midlarsky, who could not be reached for comment on Thursday, found the graffiti Wednesday afternoon, officials said. | – "I opened the outer door and almost passed out." It was then that Columbia University professor Elizabeth Midlarsky saw the two large swastikas spray-painted in red on the walls of her office (photo here), along with an offensive term for Jewish people. Wednesday's scene was deja vu for the ailing 77-year-old, a longtime Jewish activist who's published numerous articles related to the Holocaust during her 28 years as a psychology and education professor at Columbia's Teachers College. A swastika was spray-painted on Midlarsky's office door in 2007 and she was mailed an image of a swastika in 2009, CNN reported at the time. "I feel very, very vulnerable," though "I haven't done anything, said anything," Midlarsky now tells CNN, connecting the latest incident to "a trend and upsurge in anti-Semitism that we've seen in recent years." The incident comes weeks after a Brooklyn synagogue was defaced on the same day that two swastikas were found on Manhattan's Upper West Side, per the New York Times. Days before those events came the fatal shooting of 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. On Thursday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the State Hate Crimes Unit would assist the NYPD in investigating the graffiti, which he called an "abhorrent act of anti-Semitism and hate." It's believed to have been painted between 11:47am, when a staff member came into the room, and 1pm Wednesday when Midlarsky arrived, per the Columbia Spectator. The student-run paper reports ID cards from affiliated Columbia schools are required to access all academic buildings on the Teachers College campus. (A flight passenger was arrested after trying to identify Jewish people on board.) |
Ines Madrigal speaks to journalists outside a court in Madrid, Spain, Monday Oct. 8, 2018. A Spanish court has ruled that a doctor stole a newborn child nearly five decades ago, one of many abducted during... (Associated Press)
Ines Madrigal speaks to journalists outside a court in Madrid, Spain, Monday Oct. 8, 2018. A Spanish court has ruled that a doctor stole a newborn child nearly five decades ago, one of many abducted during Spain's 20th-century dictatorship, but cleared him because the statute of limitations had expired.... (Associated Press)
MADRID (AP) — A Spanish court ruled Monday that a doctor stole a newborn child nearly five decades ago, one of the many abducted during Spain's 20th-century dictatorship, but cleared him because the statute of limitations had expired.
The Madrid court said 85-year-old gynecologist Eduardo Vela could not be punished because one of those who were stolen, plaintiff Ines Madrigal, did not make her complaint until 2012, more than a decade after the gravest crime had taken place.
The court did find, however, that Vela was responsible for abducting Madrigal in 1969, faking her birth by her adoptive parents and forging official documents.
Monday's verdict is Spain's first in relation to the wide-scale child trafficking that took place from the onset of the country's Civil War in 1936 to the death of dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in 1975.
The right-wing regime waged a campaign to take away the children of poor families, prisoners or political enemies, sometimes stripping women of their newborns by lying and saying they had died during labor. The children were then given to pro-Franco families or the church, who educated the children on the regime's ideology and on Roman Catholicism.
Vela, the director of a Madrid clinic considered to be at the epicenter of the scandal, denied the accusations during this year's trial.
Madrigal, who learned at 18 that she wasn't living with her biological parents, argued that she couldn't have lodged her complaint earlier because she only learned about the scheme in 2010, when her adopting mother, who died three years later, disclosed the details of what had happened at Vela's clinic.
DNA tests confirmed the account, but Madrigal's biological parents were never found.
Madrigal, now 49, said she considered the provincial court's verdict to be "bittersweet" and announced she would be appealing it to the country's Supreme Court.
"I'm happy because the judges are acknowledging that there was theft, that I was taken away from my mother, but I didn't think they would stop short of convicting him," she told reporters, adding that "the judges should had been brave."
Madrigal's was the only case of "stolen babies" — as they are known in Spain — that has made it to the trial stage. Most lawsuits have been rejected in the past by courts for coming after the statute of limitations expired.
Spain only started investigating the "stolen babies" cases a decade ago, when National Court magistrate Baltasar Garzon opened a probe on the more than 30,000 children that were under the care of the regime. ||||| An elderly Spanish doctor who became the first person to stand trial over the country’s infamous “stolen babies” scandal has been found guilty of all charges but acquitted because the statute of limitations had expired.
Eduardo Vela, who worked as a gynaecologist at the San Ramón clinic in Madrid, had been accused of taking Inés Madrigal from her biological mother in the spring of 1969 and giving her to the 46-year-old woman who was falsely certified as her birth mother and who would raise her.
Prosecutors had sought an 11-year prison sentence for Vela on charges of unlawful detention, falsifying official documents and certifying a nonexistent birth.
Judges at Madrid’s provincial court on Monday said that Vela’s landmark trial, which began at the end of June, had “indisputably proved” that he had committed the three offences and it was “crystal clear” the doctor, now 85, had faked official documents and handed the baby over to a couple who were not her parents.
Franco's cruel legacy: the film that wants to stop Spain forgetting Read more
However, they ruled that too much time had passed for a conviction since Madrigal could not have been unlawfully detained once she became an adult and had only brought her complaint against Vela six years ago.
“As a consequence of all the above, and noting that the complainant reached her majority on 4 June 1987, and that the statute of limitations for the most serious crime – unlawful detention – is 10 years, and that the complaint was brought in April 2012, the crimes have expired under the statue of limitations,” they said in their judgment.
The trial was a test case for the thousands of families who are thought to have been caught up in the illegal practice, which began shortly after Franco’s victory in the civil war and continued until well after the dictator’s death in 1975.
According to some estimates, as many as 300,000 babies may have been taken from their birth mothers and placed with families who supported the Franco regime. Some of the stolen children are thought to have been placed with families in the US and Latin America.
Among those women targeted were single mothers, those with “degenerate” political views or those from poor backgrounds.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Dr Eduardo Vela. Photograph: web
Madrigal, whose mother told her she was adopted when she turned 18, described the court’s decision as “bittersweet” and said she would appeal against it.
“I feel good because the judges acknowledged the theft, but of course I don’t agree with the statute of limitations point,” she told the Guardian.
Her lawyer, Guillermo Peña, had argued that the statute of limitations should not apply to his client’s case as she had not discovered she had in fact been stolen – rather than just adopted – until 2010.
“I didn’t know about any of that in 1987,” said Madrigal. “But Vela’s lawyer brought up the statute of limitations again and again during the trial – right from the start. And yet the Madrid provincial court has always been opposed to the statute of limitations and had previously always found in our favour.”
Madrigal said the next step would be an appeal before the supreme court.
“We’re going to keep fighting.”
Madrigal said her mother, who died two years ago at the age of 93, had supported her efforts to find justice and answers.
“I always say she didn’t give birth to me but I was born in her heart,” she said before the trial. “She lived to look after me and see me happy.”
Madrigal, a railway worker and president of the Murcia branch of the SOS Stolen Babies association, had also acknowledged that the proceedings were unlikely to bring her real closure or help her find her birth mother.
Vela, who oversaw the clinic for 20 years, told the court that he could not remember details of how it was run. A policeman who investigated the case concluded that the hospital had been used as a source of trafficked babies, and said that Vela had told him that he had burned the archive files.
Madrigal said she hoped her legal action would be first of many brought by stolen babies and their families, arguing that people like her had been torn from their parents, trafficked and ignored for too long.
She said some of the stolen children had been placed with families in countries including the US, Mexico and Chile.
“We were Europe’s baby supermarket and babies were stolen for 60 years,” she said. | – Fascism's shadow hung over Spain Monday as a former doctor was found guilty of stealing newborns for infertile couples—but still went unpunished, the BBC reports. A Madrid court ruled that gynecologist Eduardo Vela, 85, had taken newborn Ines Madrigal from her biological mother in 1969 and gave her to another woman who was wrongly certified as Madrigal's birth-mother. But judges said the 10-year statute of limitations for "unlawful detention" had expired, since Madrigal became an adult in 1987 and only brought the complaint in 2012, per the Guardian. "I didn’t know about any of that in 1987," says Madrigal. "But Vela’s lawyer brought up the statute of limitations again and again during the trial—right from the start." And Madrigal isn't alone: Thousands of similar cases have been reported, since General Franco's fascist regime allowed doctors to take newborns from "left-wing" mothers and give them to pro-Franco families, per the AP. Priests and nuns made lists of parents seeking children while doctors allegedly lied to mothers about what became of their kids. Even post-Franco, Spaniards often kept quiet in a society that respected the Roman Catholic Church and embraced a so-called "pact of forgetting" during the 1970s transition to democracy. But with the European Parliament pressing Spain to take action, this drama appears far from over—except for Vela, who ducked a prison sentence that prosecutors wanted to last for 11 years. |
illustration by Charlie Powell.
Christopher Hitchens died on Thursday at age 62. He will be missed greatly here at Slate, where he wrote the “Fighting Words” column starting in 2002. To honor Hitch, we are collecting tributes from those who knew him best—his friends, colleagues, and fellow writers.
June Thomas, Hitchens’ editor at Slate
Editing Christopher Hitchens, who died Thursday at the age of 62, was the easiest job in journalism. He never filed late—in fact, he was usually early, even when he was clearly very sick—and he managed to make his work seem like a great lark. His weekly e-mails always read the same jaunty way: “Herewith. Hope it serves, As always, Christopher.” READ MORE
Julian Barnes, novelist
In 1980, I published my first novel, in the usual swirl of unjustified hope and justified anxiety. I gave copies to my friends, including some of those I had worked with until recently on the New Statesman. Most of them acknowledged receipt; most attempted to make the encouraging noises the skinless first novelist needs to hear. But there was no response from the Hitch. READ MORE
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Jacob Weisberg, Slate Group chairman
Amazing about Hitchens: his generosity to young people. He sought them out and befriended them. He responded when they called with requests to speak at their college, contribute to a symposium, or stand with any oppressed minority. He hated to say no to anything worthwhile, and cared less about getting paid than anyone I've ever known. After doing unaccountable favors for unimportant people, he named them comrades, which meant welcoming them into his circle of solidarity and acting as if they belonged in his home, with cocktails. READ MORE
James Fenton, poet and critic
I asked Christopher not long ago if he had felt, at the time that he made his decision to move to America, that in England there was always something holding him back. He had indeed felt something like this, although I cannot say I always felt it was for good reasons. Christopher, from the time that I knew him at Oxford, was always a brilliant speaker and debater, and in conversation incomparably interesting and engaging. I regularly turned to him before writing on any political subject, for that jumpstart he could administer so well. READ MORE
Gully Wells, author of The House in France
Walking down a mossy, medieval alley in Oxford, dressed in preposterous hot pants and high heeled suede boots (don’t ask, it was 1969) with my then-boyfriend, Martin Amis, we ran into two men I vaguely knew—Christopher and James Fenton—coming toward us. We stopped, I introduced them to Martin, we chatted briefly, and we all moved on.
I like to think that was the beginning of the deep, enduring friendship—actually more of a love affair—between Martin and Hitch that was to last 42 years, longer than either of their marriages. READ MORE
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Annette Gordon-Reed, Harvard law professor
It is hard to believe it was six years ago that Christopher and I took a road trip to Thomas Jefferson’s mountaintop home, Monticello. Christopher was to do a talk about his short biography, Thomas Jefferson: Author of America, and I was to introduce him. I came down to Washington from New York the night before to stay in his home so that we could set out early and get there at a leisurely place. The pre-trip evening was convivial, with good conversation with Carol and their daughter Antonia, who made occasional appearances. READ MORE
Jonathan Karp, publisher, Simon & Schuster
I had the privilege of publishing two books by Christopher Hitchens, God Is Not Great and Hitch-22. Here are 10 things about him I found particularly admirable:
1. He didn’t need much editing.
2. He had good ideas in the shower. That’s where he came up with the title for God Is Not Great. READ MORE
Andrew Sullivan, blogger
I could sense it coming. But I couldn't write anything beforehand and I cannot write anything worthy of him now. So I just sat down an hour ago when I heard the news—Aaron told me as he clicked on Gawker—and sat a while and got up to write and then blubbered a bit and, staring at the screen, read through some emails from him. READ MORE
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David Corn, Washington bureau chief, Mother Jones
Here is how I came to hate Christopher Hitchens. Hate—as in envy.
In the early 1980s, as a twentysomething trying to start a career as a crusading journalist, I was fortunate enough to share an office with Hitchens. It was just the two of us. And one phone line. We were both working at The Nation. He had come to it as part of an exchange program with the New Statesman, a British publication, and had elected to remain in the wonderful and wild New York City of the late disco era. I was an editorial grunt. The magazine was running short on workspace, and we were assigned a small, windowless office on a floor apart from the main offices. READ MORE
Anne Applebaum, journalist and director of political studies at the Legatum Institute
“I see you were feeling eeyorish about Macedonia last week.” As far as I recall, those were the first words Christopher Hitchens ever said to me. They threw me completely. What was this new adjective, “eeyorish”? From which language did it derive? READ MORE
Fred Kaplan, author and Slate columnist
I met Christopher Hitchens in the early 1980s, soon after he first moved to America. We were both in D.C. I was friends with a few expat British journalists, who of course were old chums of “the Hitch,” so it was natural that we’d be introduced. READ MORE
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Alexander Chancellor, Guardian columnist
In retrospect it seems obvious that Christopher Hitchens always needed a larger canvas on which to perform in his many roles as a journalist, debater, and public intellectual, but it nevertheless came as a surprise to many in London when this left-wing British Marxist, apparently happily ensconced in the socialist weekly the New Statesman, suddenly took off for the United States in 1981, never to return. READ MORE
Matt Labash, senior writer, the Weekly Standard
No secrets are being divulged when I report that Christopher liked a drink every now and then. Preferably now. He wasn’t sloppy about it. In fact, he always seemed in perfect control (I once saw him steer a beach bike through the streets of Key West without spilling his Scotch.) He just liked to keep the machine well-oiled so he could get on to more important things, like liberating oppressed peoples of the world, knocking out his 10,000 words a day, or starting fights with God, assuming there is one, which he doesn’t. In some ways, his affection for drink brought us together, setting in motion my most vivid memories of him. READ MORE
Peter Florence, director of the Hay Festival of Literature and Arts
There was one year, 2003 I think, we kept him onstage all day at Hay. He started on Waugh with Bill Deedes, the model for William Boot in Scoop. He argued the influence of the Congress of Vienna with Eric Hobsbawm for a couple of hours. Instead of lunch, he delivered an extraordinary lecture on Tom Paine and constitutional law. There was a 20-minute Rothmans break. About eight cigarettes. He hadn’t stopped drinking Johnny Walker Black Label at any point from 10 a.m. READ MORE
Hussein Ibish, writer
Because Christopher Hitchens was so politically confrontational and devastating to his opponents, the public is largely unaware of his intense personal generosity and kindness. Time and again, he went far beyond the normal duties of friendship. As our mutual friend Michael Weiss aptly puts it, "Friendship was his ideology." READ MORE
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Victor Navasky, former editor and publisher, The Nation
I became editor of The Nation in 1978, and one of the first and best things I did that year was to ask, via old-fashioned snail mail, a writer I didn't know, but whose elegant pieces I had been reading in the New Statesman, and everywhere else, since he seemed to be traveling the world anyway, why not write an occasional article forThe Nation? Which he proceeded to do with elegance, wit, and brilliance. READ MORE
David Wolpe, rabbi
My first moments with Christopher Hitchens were interrupted by a man who pointed out that on the back of my book on faith, a reviewer was quoted saying “even Christopher Hitchens might find his heart warmed.” So, the man asked Hitchens, was your heart warmed? Hitchens regarded my book as an enforcer from Men in Black might look at a particularly repellant alien. “Oh no,” he said, “my heart is far too reptilian for that.” READ MORE
Peter Pringle, author
Christopher covered the bloodless Portuguese revolution in April 1974, that brought down the 20th century's oldest fascist regime. He arrived at the Tivoli Hotel in Lisbon ahead of most of us, as usual. (I was then working for Harry Evans'Sunday Times.) As I got out of a taxi, he was standing on the hotel steps. He was wearing a white suit, well, it might not have been a suit, but it was white, and he was puffing on a cigarette. From the top of the steps, he called out, "Hello, comrade. This is a real revo." READ MORE
Craig Raine, writer and founding editor of Arté
Hitch took part in a Vanity Fair debate at the Oxford Union with Sidney Blumenthal and Alan Clark. It was organized by the then editor, Tina Brown. Hitch got to his feet: “I stand before you, without shame, reeking of cigarettes and alcohol …” (The debating topic was public and private morality in politicians.) READ MORE
Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue
This past July, I gave a book party for my friend Gully Wells. Christopher Hitchens—or Hitch, as he was known to me and just about everyone else—came, as did Martin Amis and James Fenton, who were among his closest friends. It ended up being a reunion of sorts. We’d all known each other for a long time; a million years ago, in London, I’d dated Hitch, and Gully had dated Martin. READ MORE ||||| What I'll Miss About HitchensBy Lee Siegel
The price paid for celebrity is caricature, and by the end of his rich, accomplished life, Christopher Hitchens had become everyone’s lovable curmudgeon. In the pages of publications that once would have nothing to do with him—The New York Times (they didn’t like his anti-Zionism), The New Yorker (they didn’t like his strong opinions)—he was suddenly extolled for exciting copy as “The Contrarian,” “The Drinker,” The Partygoer.” The relentless comparisons to George Orwell made you wince, not because Hitchens didn’t deserve the extravagant praise—in many ways, he did—but because comparisons tend to diminish. He was not someone like Orwell (a comparison he himself nurtured and invited). He was Christopher Hitchens, unique and unduplicable. He was the most distinctive personality in Western literary journalism. If he was like anything, he resembled some larger-than-life 19th-century figura. He was journalism’s Lord Byron. And unlike certain other Washington-based literati, he didn’t spend his professional life hurling thunderbolts from behind the shelter of a title and a desk. He made his own way. Always.
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Christopher Hitchens's Best LongreadsBy David Sessions
From his epic takedown of Henry Kissinger to his petty crime spree in Bloomberg’s New York, The Daily Beast picks just a few highlights from Christopher Hitchens’s prolific career.
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A Man of Passion, Prose and WitBy Stephen Fry
We shared a love and passion for P. G. Wodehouse and such things form a bond. Wodehouse, who adored the Pekingese breed of dog, liked to judge people on whether they were sound on Pekes. Evelyn Waugh, who like the Hitch and myself, revered the Master, judged people on how sound they are on Wodehouse.
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Andrew Sullivan's Greatest Hitchens Memories
Andrew remembers his dear friend and dedicates much of The Dish to celebrating the rich life of Christopher Hitchens, from the best tributes on the web, his favorite memory of him, his finest moments on TV, to an Auden poem Hitch once read to Andrew. Follow the latest on his blog.
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RIP, Dear FriendBy Andrew Sullivan
He once wrote to me: "Dearest Andrew I always think of Sunday lunch as beginning at about 2.30 ('a lavish and ruminative feast', as Waugh says about elevenses). Want to come here?"
Yes, I do, Hitch. Yes, I do.
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Final Hitchens Memoir Out Next Year
A final memoir by the late Christopher Hitchens will be out early next year, and will likely be a collection of essays called Mortality. It will include many of his columns for Vanity Fair, and will be released by Atlantic Books, which published his bestselling God Is Not Great, Hitch-22 and Arguably. Hitchens died late Thursday night after battling esophageal cancer. "Before I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer a year and a half ago, I rather jauntily told the readers of my memoirs that when faced with extinction I wanted to be fully conscious and awake, in order to'do' death in the active and not the passive sense," Hitchens wrote recently in his final column for Vanity Fair. "However, one thing that grave illness does is to make you examine familiar principles and seemingly reliable sayings.” He went on to dispense with familiar principles and maxims, including “whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger”—a defiant and courageous takedown, to the end.
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How Will Hitchens Be Remembered?By Jason Crowley, Editor of the New Statesman
In his final interview, conducted with Richard Dawkins and published in the Christmas issue of the New Statesman, Hitchens spoke of how the one consistency for him in his long, four-decade career as a writer was in being against the totalitarian, on the left and on the right. “The totalitarian, to me, is the enemy - the one that’s absolute, the one that wants control over the inside of your head, not just your actions and your taxes.” And the ultimate totalitarian was God, against whom (or the notion of whom) he was raging until the end.
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Hitchens’s Best ZingersChristopher Hitchens’s most valuable asset was his scathing wit. From his famous digs at religion to his humiliating takedown of Sarah Palin—and even some snippy comments aimed at cats—read the brilliant writer’s most incendiary jabs. READ MORE>>
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Hitchens Articles in Newsweek MagazineThe writer was known for weighing in on all topics—no matter how controversial. From the presidents to religion to foreign policy, see some of Hitchens’ best work for Newsweek. READ MORE>>
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My Friend and MentorBy Eli Lake
It is fitting that Christopher Hitchens would die one day after the official ceremonies in Baghdad to end the Iraq war. I befriended Christopher and his family in the fall of 2002 in the run up to that war. I will never forget the evening we met. I had just started dating a woman I nearly married and we returned to a party hosted by one of my editors. There was Christopher, holding court, surrounded by journalists and aspiring intellectuals. Even though that evening the pending war was on everyone’s minds, Christopher wanted to talk about the Balkans.
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Hitchens In IranBy Roya Hakakian
I never knew him to take his time, squander words to be merely decorous. He loved or loathed immediately, and he did both as voraciously as he smoked, spoke and drank.
READ MORE>> ||||| See Slate’s full tribute to the life of Christopher Hitchens. Read Slate’s complete collection of Christopher Hitchens' columns.
Here is how I came to hate Christopher Hitchens. Hate—as in envy.
In the early 1980s, as a twentysomething trying to start a career as a crusading journalist, I was fortunate enough to share an office with Hitchens. It was just the two of us. And one phone line. We were both working at The Nation. He had come to it as part of an exchange program with the New Statesman, a British publication, and had elected to remain in the wonderful and wild New York City of the late disco era. I was an editorial grunt. The magazine was running short on workspace, and we were assigned a small, windowless office on a floor apart from the main offices. These were the days before voice mail—and much else—and we would take phone messages for each other on pink slips of paper from “while you were out” notepads.
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You can learn a lot about a person by sharing an office—and taking phone messages for him.
This is how the average day proceeded: I’d arrive in the morning around 9-ish. The phone would soon start ringing—with calls for Hitchens. I’d tell the callers he was not yet available, and they would leave messages: “Tell him, that was a wonderful dinner last night.” Or, “Mick was so pleased to meet him.” Or, “We may all get together again this evening.” Within an hour or so, the nature of the messages would shift to cover plans for lunch that day: “Tell Christopher we’re all meeting at the Spanish place.”
About this time, Hitchens would saunter in. He’d say hello, turn to the pink slips I had placed on his desk, and return the calls. Did I say this was a small office? We each could hear everything the other said on the phone. He’d first phone his compatriots from the previous evening and review what had transpired. He then would talk to his lunch-mates for the day and arrange the details. Then it would be time … to leave for lunch.
While he was gone, calls would come in for him with invitations for afternoon drinks. (In those days, youngsters, late-afternoon drinks were practically obligatory in certain journalistic circles. Think of it as Manhattan teatime.) After a, shall we say, longish lunch, Hitchens would stop back in the office and return the calls regarding the pending drinks. Then it was, ta-ta, once again.
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By now you are getting the picture. But I’m not done yet. After afternoon drinks, the general practice was to return to the office. Upon his arrival, Hitchens would sort through the latest pink slips with phone numbers from his friends, colleagues, and adversaries who had called about dinner plans and after-dinner drinks. (Yes, in those days, after-dinner drinks were a separate stop.)
Soon, it was time for Hitchens to head out to the dinner engagement. He would start packing up. About now, Elizabeth Pochoda, the literary editor of the magazine, would poke her head in the door. “Christopher, you’re going to have that review of the Disraeli biography for me tomorrow, right?”—a soft touch of menace in her voice.
“Oh, yes, of course.” And as soon as she had departed, he’d open his desk, rummage through a drawer, and pull out an 800-page biography of the British prime minister. It was clear to me that the book had yet to be opened. He’d tuck the volume into his bag and say goodnight.
By this point in the day, I knew all his plans for the evening, including the 11-ish rendezvous for cocktails. I wondered how he would be able to read this book and write a review by the next morning. But come the following day—after the calls about the previous night and the calls about the lunch to come had started—he’d trundle into the office, Pochoda would show up, and he’d hand her a 1,500-word essay. And it was—you know the punch line—brilliant. Did I mention this was in the days before computers? Next, it was off to lunch.
I did learn much from Hitchens, but never how to function in quite this manner. What allowed him to live such a packed life was a trait that any of us would relish: He never forgot what he had ever read or learned. His mind was always expanding. That was a natural gift that few of us possess. He could not teach it. But observing Hitchens practice his craft and thrust and parry with intellectuals almost as sharp as him was as valuable an experience as I could have imagined. It sure beat attending J-school. And I much appreciated his sense of social egalitarianism. I found that few journalists of his stature paid much serious attention to the young wannabes nearby. I recall one particular moment, at some social/literary event, when I heard him utter what at the time seemed to be these improbable words, “Carly, you do know David Corn, don’t you?” (It was that Carly.) She, of course, didn’t. Hitchens, as a journalist and as a colleague, was inspiring.
In later years, Hitchens and I had our differences. I was not heartened when he provided left-of-center and intellectual cover to the impeachment crusade waged by extremist radicals of the right in the 1990s. And we had words over his support for the Iraq War—including within the pixels of Slate. I wish I could forget the time, a few months into the war, when he assured me, “Wolfowitz has the rats on the run and this will all be over soon.”
Yet policy and political debates, as important as they are, come and go. Examples remain. Hitchens set one for me. And I know there is no reason to ask him to rest in peace. | – There is no shortage of reflections on the life of Christopher Hitchens today, filled with memories and anecdotes that all seem to include the word "cocktail." Writing for Slate, David Corn recounts his "Hitchens tale," one that occurred some three decades ago while the two shared a tiny, windowless office at The Nation. It seems that Corn spent most of his day taking phone messages for Hitchens. In the morning, they'd be along the lines of "'Tell him, that was a wonderful dinner last night.' Or, 'Mick was so pleased to meet him.'" Then they'd shift to invitations for lunch, afternoon drinks, dinner, and an 11pm cocktail date, with Hitchens popping in just long enough to get those messages, then depart for said restaurant or watering hole. At some point, an editor would stop by to double-check that Hitchens would have, say, the review of a biography ready for her tomorrow. He'd say yes, then slip an 800-page book that clearly "had yet to be opened ... into his bag and say goodnight." What he somehow turned in the next day was—"you know the punch line—brilliant. Next, it was off to lunch." Corn writes that he learned many lessons from Hitchens, but "never how to function in quite this manner. What allowed him to live such a packed life was a trait that any of us would relish: He never forgot what he had ever read or learned." It's not a skill that could be taught, but watching Hitchens "practice his craft and thrust and parry with intellectuals almost as sharp as him was as valuable an experience as I could have imagined." |
Yahoo on Monday made good on its promise to sue Facebook, alleging in a complaint that Facebook violated 10 patents.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., makes a case that Yahoo innovated on several fronts, including messaging, news feed generation, social commenting advertising display, preventing click fraud and privacy controls.
"Facebook was not launched until 2004, 10 years after Yahoo was founded," the complaint reads. "Facebook has since grown to be one of the most widely trafficked sites on the Internet. That growth, however, has been based in a large part on Facebook's use of Yahoo's patented technology."
The complaint also quotes Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as acknowledging that "getting there first is not what it's all about." Further on, it states, "Facebook's entire social network model, which allows users to create profiles for and connect with, among other things, persons and businesses, is based on Yahoo's patented social networking technology."
Yahoo's suit, which seeks unspecified damages, comes at an awkward time for Facebook. The social networking giant is expected to launch an IPO in May to raise $5 billion. Yahoo, meanwhile, risks being seen as desperate in engaging in patent trolling as its revenues and market share continue to slip.
The suit comes after Yahoo and Facebook were apparently unable to work out an agreement over the issue. Yahoo was in talks with Facebook over its patent claims last month, according to a report in The New York Times. At the time, Yahoo was threatening a lawsuit if Facebook didn't pay licensing fees, according to the report.
Image courtesy of Flickr, Eric Hayes
Complaint for Patent Infringement ||||| The Yahoo! Connected TV booth is shown during the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada in this file photo taken January 7, 2011. Yahoo Inc sued Facebook Inc on Monday over 10 patents that include methods and systems for advertising on the...
SAN FRANCISCO Yahoo Inc sued Facebook Inc over 10 patents that include methods and systems for advertising on the Web, opening the first major legal battle among big technology companies in social media.
The lawsuit, filed in a San Jose, California federal court on Monday, marks a major escalation of patent litigation that has already swept up the smartphone and tablet sectors and high-tech stalwarts such as Apple Inc, Microsoft Corp and Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc.
Yahoo's patent lawsuit follows Facebook's announcement of plans for an initial public offering that could value the company at about $100 billion.
Facebook spokesman Jonathan Thaw said Facebook learned of the lawsuit through the media.
"We're disappointed that Yahoo, a longtime business partner of Facebook and a company that has substantially benefited from its association with Facebook, has decided to resort to litigation," he said.
In an emailed statement, Yahoo said it is confident it will prevail.
"Unfortunately, the matter with Facebook remains unresolved and we are compelled to seek redress in federal court," the company said in a statement.
Yahoo, one of the Web's pioneering companies, has seen its revenues decline in recent years at a time when rivals such as Facebook and Google have thrived. In January, Yahoo appointed former PayPal President Scott Thompson as its new chief executive, replacing Carol Bartz, who was fired in September.
Yahoo said late last month it was seeking licensing fees from Facebook over its patents and that other companies have already agreed to such licensing deals.
IPO COMPANIES VULNERABLE
Colleen Chien, a professor at Santa Clara Law in Silicon Valley, said companies are usually more vulnerable to patent suits when they are in the IPO process.
"As a general proposition, when a company is about to go public, the last thing it needs is to get involved in a knock-down, drag out litigation fight," Chien said.
"So that might make Facebook more willing to resolve its differences with Yahoo."
Yahoo has used similar timing to its advantage in the past. Google agreed to issue shares to Yahoo nine days before Google went public in 2004 in exchange for a license to Yahoo's patents. Google later took a $201 million non-cash charge related to the transaction.
In deciding to sue Facebook, Yahoo has retained the same law firm, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, used by Google and other manufacturers in many Android-related smartphone patent cases. Google is a player in social media with its Google+ service.
Quinn Emanuel also counts social gaming service Zynga Inc as a client, according to the law firm's website.
Yahoo has not said whether it will bring patent claims against other social networking companies and a Google spokesman declined to comment on Quinn Emanuel's involvement. Zynga also declined to comment.
In the lawsuit, Yahoo says Facebook was considered "one of the worst performing sites for advertising" prior to adapting Yahoo's ideas.
"Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and CEO, has conceded that the design of Facebook is not novel and is based on the ideas of others," the lawsuit said.
ONLINE ADVERTISING
Only two of the 10 patents at issue are directly related to social networking technology. Most focus on online advertising, including methods for preventing "click fraud," as well as privacy and technology for customizing the information users see on a Web page.
"If what Yahoo is saying is literally true, then it seems like a lot of companies would be liable," said Shubha Ghosh, a professor who specializes in intellectual property at The University of Wisconsin Law School. But he added, much would depend on whether a judge defines the patents broadly or narrowly.
Several social networking companies, including Facebook, have seen an uptick in patent claims asserted against them as they move through the IPO process.
However, most of those lawsuits have been filed by patent aggregators that buy up intellectual property to squeeze value from it via licensing deals and none by a large tech company such as Yahoo.
The lawsuit is a change for Yahoo because the company has never initiated offensive patent litigation against such a large publicly traded company, according to a search of federal court dockets on legal database Westlaw, a Thomson Reuters unit.
A classic defense for companies targeted with patent claims is to threaten a countersuit using its own patents. But Yahoo possesses far more patents than Facebook. According to a U.S. government database, Yahoo has over 3,300 patents and published patent applications, while Facebook has 160.
The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Yahoo Inc. v. Facebook Inc., 12-cv-1212.
(Reporting By Dan Levine and Alexei Oreskovic; editing by Andre Grenon) ||||| Dow Jones Reprints: This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.com
Yahoo Inc. watched in recent years as Facebook Inc. stole the attention of Web users and grabbed a major share of the online-advertising market. Now it is fighting back in court.
The faded Internet behemoth on Monday filed a suit against Facebook, alleging that the social-networking service got a "free ride" by violating 10 Yahoo patents covering technologies such as online advertising, privacy controls and messaging.
The move by Yahoo's new chief executive, Scott Thompson, came as Facebook moves toward an initial public offering of stock this year that could value the company at $100 billion.
Yahoo's suit follows recent ... | – Yahoo followed through on its threat to sue Facebook today, filing a suit accusing the social networking company of violating 10 Yahoo patents. The suit, filed by new CEO Scott Thompson, reportedly comes after months of talks between the two companies; it alleges that Facebook got a "free ride" by using patented technology covering everything from messaging to online ads. Yahoo is struggling and Facebook is about to go public; suits like this are common in such cases, an expert tells the Wall Street Journal. Another tells Reuters that the timing might make Facebook "more willing to resolve" the differences. The suit alleges that Facebook succeeded by using principles "Yahoo had its pulse on" years earlier, a former Yahoo exec says; one example is Facebook's newsfeed, which is similar to Yahoo's patent for custom data streams. "With this lawsuit Yahoo is saying they had the ideas first," the exec says. Indeed, the lawsuit quotes Mark Zuckerberg himself, Mashable reports; he once said, "Getting there first is not what it's all about." A Facebook spokesperson says the company first learned of the suit through the media. |
The council's decision is part of a broader national effort to alleviate poverty, said Maria Elena Durazo, former head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. Raising the wage in L.A., she said, will help spur similar increases in other parts of the country.
"Without a doubt, it was a very big victory," said Durazo, now with Unite Here, the hotel and restaurant workers' union.
Some labor leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with the gradual timeline elected leaders set for raising base wages. But on Tuesday the harshest criticism of the law came from business groups, which warned lawmakers that the mandate would force employers to lay off workers or leave the city altogether.
"The very people [council members'] rhetoric claims to help with this action, it's going to hurt," said Ruben Gonzalez, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce's senior vice president for public policy and political affairs.
He predicted that many businesses would absorb their new labor costs by laying off employees, reducing work hours or moving out of the city entirely.
"It's simple math," Gonzalez said. "There is simply not enough room, enough margin in these businesses to absorb a 50-plus percent increase in labor costs over a short period of time."
Councilman Mitchell Englander, the council's only Republican, cast the lone opposing vote. In a statement, he said the council action could "make it impossible for entire industries to do business" in Los Angeles.
"The very last thing that we should be doing as a city is creating a competitive disadvantage for our businesses with those in neighboring cities," said Englander, who represents the northwest San Fernando Valley.
The council's vote followed months of public debate and back-room lobbying on an issue that has animated City Hall like few others over the last year. Unlike some of the neighborhood-specific political dust-ups that occupy city officials, the pay increase would directly affect workers and businesses throughout the city.
"That's a monumental change in wages," said Jerry Newman, a professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Management. "It's going to have both an economic impact and a social impact."
The stakes for some low-wage Angelenos were reflected Tuesday in testimony from workers such as Juan Moran, a line cook in Little Tokyo. Moran told the council the current statewide minimum wage of $9 per hour isn't enough to live on.
"Sometimes I have to walk half an hour from work to get to my apartment because money's not enough to pay a ride on the bus," the Boyle Heights resident said. "Or I work 12 hours straight without stop … just to pay rent."
Backed by well-organized labor activists at the national level, the campaign to raise the minimum wage has become a focus of Democrats seeking to revive their party's focus on income inequality. Once Los Angeles' wage hike is finalized, the city will join other West Coast cities that have enacted higher minimum wages in the last two years.
New York City and Washington, D.C., are also weighing $15-an-hour minimum wage proposals.
Jaime Regalado, emeritus professor of political science at Cal State L.A., said L.A.'s move on the minimum wage fits in with California's experimentation with left-leaning policies such as regulating greenhouse-gas emissions.
The state "has been out front on a variety of things that are not as rapidly moving nationally," Regalado said.
L.A.'s proposed wage increase, he said, is "consistent with what we've seen as California has grown increasingly blue, especially urban centers like Los Angeles."
In L.A., the move toward a higher citywide minimum wage gathered steam last year as council members pursued a plan to raise the base pay for workers at the city's large hotels to $15.37 per hour. That measure passed last fall.
Newly elected council members representing diverse areas of the city — Mike Bonin from an affluent coastal district, Curren Price from South Los Angeles and Nury Martinez from the San Fernando Valley — led the push for the hotel pay increase, which proponents saw as a precursor to a citywide minimum wage hike.
Last summer, minimum-wage advocates found a key ally in Garcetti, who put forward his own proposal to raise base pay to $13.25 an hour.
In a telephone interview from New York City, where he was speaking at Columbia University, the mayor praised the measure passed by the council. ||||| City follows Seattle and San Francisco in raising minimum wage to $15 by July 2020, with city council members voting overwhelmingly in favour of legislation
Los Angeles became the largest US city to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour on Tuesday, as a wage increase bill passed the city council by a vote of 14-1.
It is now up to city attorney Mike Feuer to draft an ordinance to implement the new minimum wage requirements. The ordinance will then return to the council for a final vote before becoming law. Under the proposed legislation, the city’s minimum wage would increase to $10.50 in July 2016, and would increase incrementally every year until it reaches $15 in July 2020. For small businesses with 25 or fewer employees, the wage hike would come on a modified schedule with the incremental increases starting in July 2017 and the minimum wage reaching $15 by July 2021.
Seattle workers hail 'historic moment' as city sets course for $15 minimum wage Read more
The current minimum wage in California is $9 an hour and is set to increase to $10 in January 2016.
In the past year, two other US cities have approved similar wage increase measures. In June 2014, Seattle moved to increase its minimum wage to $15 by 2017. Last November, San Francisco voted to increase its minimum wage to $15 by 2018.
Other cities, including New York and Chicago, are considering raising their minimum wage to $15 an hour. In February,New York City mayor Bill de Blasio called for a $15 minimum wage by 2019 in his state of the city address.
The shift toward raising the minimum wage by local lawmakers comes at a time when the fight for $15 movement has swelled into the largest protest by low-wage workers in US history. On 15 April, some 60,000 workers in more than 200 US cities took part in the Fight for $15 demonstrations. Many of them were low-wage employees of companies like Walmart and McDonald’s, which have since pledged to increase their workers’ pay by $1-$2 an hour, a raise activists said is still not enough.
Who would oppose a $15 minimum wage? Sometimes your neighbour Read more
“By voting to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, the Los Angeles City Council has just shown what workers are capable of when we stick together. People used to think we had no chance, but we are steadily winning the fight by demanding $15 an hour to lift our families out of poverty,” said Albina Ardon, 29, a mother of two and an active member of the Fight for $15 in Los Angeles.
Ardon, who has worked for McDonald’s for 10 years, earns $9.05 an hour and relies on food stamps and Medi-Cal to make ends meet.
“My life would be completely different if I were paid $15 an hour. I could afford groceries without needing food stamps, my family could stop sharing our apartment with renters for extra money, and I’d be able to provide my daughters with some security.”
The federally mandated minimum wage has stayed at $7.25 since June 2009. While the unemployment rate has dropped to 5.4% – a seven-year low – and the number of jobless claim is at a 15-year low, wages remain stagnant.
President Barack Obama previously called on Congress to raise it to $10.10 . Democrats, led by Washington senator Patty Murray and Congressman Bobby Scott recently introduced a bill that would raise federal minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020.
Advocates for higher minimum wage like Unite Here and Raise the Wage attended the Los Angeles city council hearing on Tuesday. Prior to the vote, the council opened the proposal to debate and allowed each of the sides 25 minutes to make their arguments for and against the $15 minimum wage. Those on the opposing side included small business owners and restaurant owners, who said that higher minimum wage would force them to increase prices or let go of some of their staff.
Genaro Molina (@GenaroMolina47) Members of Unite Here wait for Los Angeles City Council to vote on plan to raise the minimum wage. pic.twitter.com/ucr0plYtpa
Council member Bernard Parks has previously expressed concern about $15 minimum wage leading to higher unemployment in the area.
“Every minimum wage increase that we’ve seen, if it’s too high, causes unemployment,” Parks told NPR in February. “If you have a big city like Los Angeles doing something, you’re going to find a lot of people will fall in line without any thought, because they believe that we’ve done the research. The fact is, we have not done the research.”
The city has commissioned a report from the Institute for Research on Labor Employment from University of California, Berkeley. The report found that by increasing minimum wage to $15.25 by 2019, as some city council members had suggested in the past, would affect 542,000 workers by 2017.
“By 2019, we estimate that 609,000, or 41.3% of the covered workforce, will receive a wage increase from the proposed law,” the researchers wrote in March 2015. “Average annual earnings will increase by 30.4%, or $4,800 in 2014 dollars.”
While higher pay may lead to higher prices and to a drop in consumer spending, those who will get a pay raise thank to the new bill are more likely to spend more, according to the researchers.
These findings did not appease opponents of the $15 an hour minimum wage, who have said that the report is not independent. Since the institute conducted a similar study on the effects of increasing the minimum wage to $13.25 by 2017 as proposed by the Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti last year, the opponents felt that commissioning the institute to conduct this years study was a conflict of interest.
“I asked for an independent study. Selecting UC Berkeley again for this independent analysis does not pass the smell test with me,” city councilman Mitch O’Farrell said in January.
Both Seattle and San Francisco have populations of less than one million, whereas Los Angeles population is more than 3.88 million people. The effects of increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour on that large of a scale remain unknown, which is something that continues to worry Los Angeles lawmakers.
“This is an experiment,” Paul Koretz said during Tuesday’s hearing. “If anyone tells you they know exactly how this is going to go … they’re not being honest with you.”
Despite concerns about the possible effects of increasing minimum wage to $15 an hour, two hours into Tuesday’s hearing, the proposal passed. Worker rights advocates declared the vote a win for the low-wage workers.
“By a vote of 14 to 1, the council directed L.A.’s city attorney to prepare legislation setting a $15 wage floor,” said Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project. “Today, Los Angeles becomes the latest and largest city to throw its support behind the legions of workers who ask for nothing less than to be paid a fair and decent wage.” ||||| “The effects here will be the biggest by far,” said Michael Reich, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley, who was commissioned by city leaders to conduct several studies on the potential effects of a minimum-wage increase. “The proposal will bring wages up in a way we haven’t seen since the 1960s. There’s a sense spreading that this is the new norm, especially in areas that have high costs of housing.”
Image Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, right, on Monday. He said in an interview on Tuesday that “we’re leading the country.” Credit Nick Ut/Associated Press
The groups pressing for higher minimum wages said that the Los Angeles vote could set off a wave of increases across Southern California, and that higher pay scales would improve the way of life for the region’s vast low-wage work force.
Supporters of higher wages say they hope the move will reverberate nationally. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York announced this month that he was convening a state board to consider a wage increase in the local fast-food industry, which could be enacted without a vote in the State Legislature. Immediately after the Los Angeles vote, pressure began to build on Mr. Cuomo to reject an increase that falls short of $15 an hour.
“The L.A. increase nudges it forward,” said Dan Cantor, the national director of the Working Families Party, which was founded in New York and has helped pass progressive economic measures in several states. “It puts an exclamation point on the need for $15 to be where the wage board ends up.”
The current minimum wage in New York State is $8.75, versus a federal minimum wage of $7.25, and will rise to $9 at the end of 2015. A little more than one-third of workers citywide and statewide now make below $15 an hour.
Los Angeles County is also considering a measure that would lift the wages of thousands of workers in unincorporated parts of the county. | – The push for a higher minimum wage just got a major boost courtesy of Los Angeles. The city council has approved raising it to $15 an hour by 2020, reports the Los Angeles Times. Under the plan, the rate will rise from $9 to $10.50 in July 2016, then tick up annually to $12, $13.25, $14.25, and $15. Businesses with 25 or fewer workers will get an extra year to phase it in. Though a handful of other cities have voted for a $15 rate, including Seattle, Los Angeles is the biggest city to do so. The move doesn't become official until the city attorney's office drafts an ordinance and sends it back to council members for their approval, but once it does, it's going to affect a lot of people, notes the New York Times. The newspaper cites one study showing that about 40% of workers in the city make less than $15 an hour. The city's chamber of commerce predicts layoffs as a result. "It's simple math," says one official. "There is simply not enough room, enough margin in these businesses to absorb a 50-plus percent increase in labor costs over a short period of time." But one longtime McDonald's worker, a mother of two now making $9.05 an hour, tells the Guardian that the move is overdue. “My life would be completely different if I were paid $15 an hour," she says. "I could afford groceries without needing food stamps, my family could stop sharing our apartment with renters for extra money, and I’d be able to provide my daughters with some security.” |
Best buddies Amur the tiger and Timur the goat, sharing an enclosure in a safari park in Russia’s Far East, have fallen out big time with Timur receiving treatment after Amur messed him up.
“Timur is currently in good health, he says hi and promises to be less cocky from now on and advises other goats to keep it smart,” park director Dmitriy Mezentsev said in a press release.
The park published a 30-minute video, showing what had happened step-by-step. We break down the half-hour-long slowly unfolding drama for you.
The video starts with happy-clappy images of the goat and the tiger together. They became pals in November and have been attracting attention ever since. When the staff tried separating the two, they wouldn’t have it: Amur roared at nights suffering the loss. So they were reunited.
But things started to turn sour when Timur the goat got a little too comfortable and became a tad too bold with the dangerous big cat.
The brazen goat went as far as scratching his horns on Amur’s delicate fur. He spent hours doing it, annoying the patient tiger further, until he couldn’t take it anymore and snapped at Timur. The video shows Amur jumping up and mauling the goat for a few seconds before throwing him to the ground and turning away.
Timur tried to get up, but couldn’t, he just lay there in the snow for a while, looking exceptionally sad.
Little did he know that a rescue operation was already underway: the staff were luring the big cat into a “canteen” with a live rabbit as his prey, so they could enter the enclosure and grab Timur.
Timur was then taken to the vet who examined him and said he was in good health, but needed rest after the shock.
“Time will tell if we will return him to Amur, it’s too early to tell. For the moment, he needs to recover and to rest.” Mezentsev told Russian media.
From its very beginning, the unusual friendship between the two unlikely buddies has sparked speculation. Both sceptics and fans couldn’t quite answer the question, “What keeps the tiger from eating the goat?”
READ MORE Hunger games? 5 reasons Amur the Tiger hasn’t eaten Timur the Goat
This latest spin in their relationship once again goes to prove that for some reason the tiger doesn’t want to eat the goat, if he wanted to kill him, he would have done it right away. Instead, he chose to give him a lesson and set him free. ||||| MOSCOW (AP) — A romance that enchanted Russia may be over: Timur the goat and Amur the tiger have had a fight and aren't together anymore.
In November, the goat was placed in the tiger's compound in a wildlife park near Vladivostok with the expectation that the big cat would eventually kill and eat him. But the two not only tolerated each other, they appeared to become friends. The odd couple became a popular topic on social media, and T-shirts celebrating them went on sale.
But Timur started pushing it, constantly annoying and butting the tiger.
"Finally, the tiger couldn't hold back, grabbed the goat by the withers and tossed him," park director Dmitry Mezentsev told state news agency Tass on Friday.
"We decided to put them in different enclosures for a while," he said. | – A romance that enchanted Russia may be over: As the AP reports, Timur the goat and Amur the tiger have had a fight and aren't together anymore. In November, the goat was placed in the tiger's compound in a wildlife park near Vladivostok with the expectation that the big cat would eventually kill and eat him. But the two not only tolerated each other, they appeared to become friends. The odd couple became a popular topic on social media, and T-shirts celebrating them went on sale. But Timur started pushing it, constantly annoying and butting the tiger. "Finally, the tiger couldn't hold back, grabbed the goat by the withers and tossed him," park director Dmitry Mezentsev told state news agency Tass on Friday. "We decided to put them in different enclosures for a while," he said. But the split certainly isn't without its humor: "Timur is currently in good health, he says hi and promises to be less cocky from now on and advises other goats to keep it smart," Mezentsev says, per RT, which has video and a still-by-still breakdown of the goat getting the tiger's, er, goat. |
Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer choked up on Tuesday morning discussing the “pain” he endured over the last five years, under intense questioning from MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” hosts.
Spitzer was asked by Mika Brzezinski to give a personal, unrehearsed answer on how he had changed in the past five years after a prostitution scandal drove him from office.
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reset Haberman reports on comeback
“A lot of pain. A lot of pain. … You go through that pain, you change,” Spitzer said, visibly choking up with watery eyes.
(PHOTOS: Eliot Spitzer's career)
Brzezinski wrapped the interview there, but at the end of the show, the hosts discussed an already brewing debate online about whether Spitzer’s tears were real.
“They felt real to me. I was sitting there, it felt very real to me,” panelist and Republican adviser Nicole Wallace said.
No matter what people think of Spitzer, Brzezinski said he deserved credit for coming on.
“He was raw and all there. It was pretty powerful. Don’t know if it’ll change things for him, but I do appreciate a person who’s made mistakes coming and facing the cameras and facing the questions. That’s actually a test of character. There are those that choose not to do that,” she said.
During the interview, Spitzer said whether he had done enough in the five years to overcome distrust of him was up to the voters to judge, but he asked voters to “look at the totality” of his life and career.
“All I can say to the public is look at the totality. Look at what I’ve done, what I’ve said, what I’m saying now, look at what I stand for, and then make a judgment. … I will trust the verdict of the public, yes or no,” Spitzer said.
The exchange came after the hosts repeatedly steered Spitzer away from his now-familiar account of his record and hopes for the comptroller office and back to the scandal that caused him to resign as governor.
“What I did was not only wrong, but was a consequence of hubris and a failure of judgment and self-indulgence, which is absolutely inexplicable and unjustifiable, improper, and I would agree probably with most of Mika’s characterizations about me,” Spitzer said, asked what flaws led him to break the law.
Host Joe Scarborough asked, then, if voters will see a less arrogant, more reflective new Spitzer.
“Hopefully I’ll be more reflective, you know, I’m not sure, the arrogance, I’m not here to quibble about characterizations of me, I’m really not,” Spitzer said, turning the conversation back to “substantive” issues. ||||| When Eliot Spitzer resigned as New York governor amid a humiliating prostitution scandal, no one cheered louder than Wall Street.
More than five years later, the industry’s outspoken antagonist is attempting to make a political comeback – one that could cause serious headaches for bankers and across corporate boardrooms.
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reset Eliot Spitzer on comptroller race, Wall Street reform
Spitzer, 54, is vying to be the next New York City comptroller. The job carries far less public prominence than governor or attorney general, the post from which Spitzer earned the nickname “Sheriff of Wall Street” for his battles with American International Group and the New York Stock Exchange, among others.
(PHOTOS: Eliot Spitzer's career)
But it would provide Spitzer with enough power to get back in the face of corporate America and the finance industry.
As comptroller he could play the role of activist investor while managing the city’s almost $140 billion in pension funds, pressure money managers to accept reforms if they want to do business with New York and audit city agencies’ various dealings with financial companies and make headlines if he thinks the taxpayer is getting a raw deal.
“Any time you are exerting influence on where to place well over a hundred billion dollars in assets, you have power and influence,” said Jon Lukomnik, a former deputy comptroller for New York City who is now a managing partner of Sinclair Capital.
(Also on POLITICO: Spitzer explains his return)
Since his surprise announcement via an interview with the New York Times Sunday evening, Spitzer, who left office in March 2008 shortly after details of his involvement in a high-end prostitution ring became public, has made clear that he would use the city’s shareholder position to be a watchdog of corporate America.
In an interview on the Brian Lehrer Show on Monday, Spitzer offered several examples of corporate principles he would advocate as comptroller.
At the top of the list: Separating the roles of CEO and board chairman at large corporations.
The issue gained attention earlier this year when some investors unsuccessfully sought to have JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon give up his chairman’s role following the bank’s “London Whale” trading debacle, which resulted in billions of dollars in losses.
(Also on POLITICO: Spitzer launches political comeback)
“The argument is that Jamie Dimon is a good CEO therefore we don’t want to separate,” Spitzer said. “Look, George Washington was a great president — we did not eliminate checks and balances even though we thought he was a great president.”
Spitzer added, “Structural checks on decision-making are important in corporate governance as well as in the Democratic arena.”
John Liu, the current comptroller, was active in the push for Dimon to give up some of his powers, but given Spitzer’s history and reputation, the ex-governor could give the issue of corporate governance added heat and attention.
As comptroller, Spitzer could also exercise influence over financial institutions that do business with the city to manage its public pension funds. ||||| POLITICO caught up with former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer Monday night to talk about his just-announced candidacy for New York City comptroller. Here’s what he had to say about how he thinks his record will stand up to scrutiny, his hopes to move past the prostitution scandal, and how he sees himself as the anti-establishment candidate — and what he meant when he said prostitution is like smoking dope.
Q: You have four days to get on the ballot and just over two months to convince people you should be comptroller. How do you convince people to support you in that amount of time?
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reset Eliot Spitzer on comptroller race, Wall Street reform
A: I think the argument is, look what I’ve done. I don’t say that with any degree of hubris, but I think what I can say is look what I did to the attorney general’s office. Look what we did in a series of substantive areas, from the well known such as Wall Street, obviously, to the less well known — community gardens. The low wage labor cases. The proposal I had when I was governor to let undocumented immigrants to get drivers’ licenses. It’s now the law of the land, being rolled out across the nation and of course back then was a lightning rod issue.
So I think I can say I have been on issue after issue — same sex marriage, even in New York, I was the only candidate running for statewide office in 1998 and 2006 who was for it. I’ve been ahead of the curve. I’m not a traditional politician. I am not one who takes the measure of a political issue and calibrates to the public opinion. I’m tough enough to stand up and do what needs to be done. And I think the public knows that. I don’t need to make the case on a tabula rasa. I can point to a record. That doesn’t mean I win, I’m not saying here it comes on a platter, but I think the public does get that. And that’s important.
(PHOTOS: Eliot Spitzer's career)
Q: But is two months enough time to do it?
A: For most people, there’s a visceral response that is generated reasonably quickly as we approach election day or based upon inputs over multiple years. Frankly, I think the larger reality I face is that it’s going to be hard for me to change the public perception of me and the public perception will either win or not. But changing it with even the best communications strategy in the world probably won’t accomplish a whole lot. People remember me looking through the prism as attorney general, as governor and how I left — the good, the bad and the ugly. But I have stood up in front of the public and said I’m seeking a second chance. So we’ll see.
Q: You’ve repeatedly compared the city comptroller’s office to the attorney general’s office. Given all the differences of powers and staff, is that comparison fair?
A: I won’t know until I’m there. But do I think that there’s a real metaphor there? Absolutely. Do I think that the opportunity to use the buckets of jurisdiction that I’ve been discussing in the comptroller’s office? Absolutely. I hope to find out.
(Also on POLITICO: Spitzer explains his return)
Q: Have you spoken yet to your new opponent, Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer?
A: No. I have not had the chance.
Q: Do you think you’ll speak to him before you meet in a debate?
A: I hope so. I have not had a chance to call him quite frankly. It’s been a little busy. Having said that, I look forward to it, and I’ve always thought of him as a decent guy and friend and colleague in government. I hope it stays that way. ||||| Journalist Sally Quinn, the veteran Washington observer, reflected on the common thread between Spitzer, Weiner and Sanford: “The essential thing that these politicians all have is an absence of shame.
“We keep hearing about redemption and forgiveness — these are all religious words,” said Quinn, who now writes a column on faith. “There’s nothing religious about what’s going on here. This is strictly about ‘me, me, me,’ and it’s a neediness that I don’t understand but we see all the time in Washington.”
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reset Anthony Weiner announces NYC mayor run Sanford ad outlines ‘mistakes’
The sex scandals of the past decade have come with such frequency that one could almost set them to music, a la Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”: Mark Foley’s emails, John Ensign’s coverup, David Vitter and the D.C. Madam, shirtless Chris Lee, Herman Cain’s harassment, Jim McGreevey as “gay American,” John Edwards’s love child. And this is by no means a comprehensive list. A common theme is a mingling of professional positions with sexual adventurism, and a seeming conviction that huge vulnerabilities in private lives would somehow not come to public light. Edwards ran for president even after lover Rielle Hunter was carrying his baby — one Edwards claimed was fathered by an aide — and still nurtured fantasies that he could maneuver his way into being Barack Obama’s attorney general after the National Enquirer disclosed his affair.
Of course, the historical record, dating from JFK to FDR to the Roman Empire, offers many examples of leaders who mixed public service with private extramarital indulgences. What is much more common now is their ultra-public disclosure — and the accompanying ability of politicians to rebound from what once were almost always career-ending scandals when personal lapses became known.
On sexual matters, Bill Clinton of course set the modern standard for resilience after being impeached during the Monica S. Lewinsky uproar and seeing his poll numbers rise. Like Richard Nixon before him, said historian Michael Beschloss, Clinton embraced the importance of never giving up and always being seen as a survivor. Contemporary politicians like Weiner and Spitzer may be making a similar calculation, he said, that perceived character defects can be turned into assets through perseverance — “that people will admire their determination to not be defeated.”
But the ease with which politicians recover from scandal says less about the character of politicians than the character of the times, said Doug Sosnik, a close adviser to Bill Clinton in his second term. Because of the “coarsening of our society” — with voters subject to constant news of bad behavior among leading figures in sports and popular entertainment, as well as politics — “it is almost impossible to disappoint anyone…The expectation is that everyone does everything.”
In addition, with respect for leaders in nearly all sectors of society at historically low levels, voters look at candidates through a practical prism, not a sentimental one: Are they competent and effective? If the answer is yes, Sosnik said, the response to personal failings is often, “Who cares?” | – Eliot Spitzer is back on the political scene—just like Mark Sanford and Anthony Weiner—and apparently tearing up over his past transgressions this morning on Morning Joe. Which makes Politico wonder: What makes these guys tick? The simple answer, from Washington insiders, is egomania. "The essential thing that these politicians all have is an absence of shame," says journalist Sally Quinn. "This is strictly about ‘me, me, me,’ and it’s a neediness that I don’t understand but we see all the time in Washington." A political psychologist agrees, saying the new runs for office are attempts to redeem bruised egos: "It’s not that the public needs ... them back in office. It’s much more that they need to be back in office." How some are reacting to Spitzer's run for comptroller: Whether or not Spitzer stands a chance, Wall Street won't want to see him back again, Politico notes. "He’s had these legendary duels and battles with a number of people in the sector,” says an industry official. “Should he be elected, you’ll just have another official who’s antagonistic towards the sector." Indeed, as a financial manager for New York City, he'd have a powerful weapon against corporate heavyweights. Spitzer's own argument is that he's a gutsy progressive; he notes his backing for gay marriage in 1998. "I’ve been ahead of the curve. I’m not a traditional politician. I am not one who takes the measure of a political issue and calibrates to the public opinion," he tells Politico. "I’m tough enough to stand up and do what needs to be done." Adds a former Bush administration official: "When people say his name, it’s usually preceded by a four-letter word." |
Dow Jones Reprints: This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.com ||||| Australian Rugby Union CEO Bill Pulver. (Photo: Stefan Postles, Getty) Story Highlights Report finds doping is 'widespread'
Organized-crime syndicates involved
No individuals named
A lengthy investigation into the use of doping in Australian sports has found that the practice is "widespread."
The Australian Crime Commission issued a report Thursday in which it said "peptides and hormones are being used by professional athletes in Australia, facilitated by sports scientists, high-performance coaches and sports staff."
The commission, which did not name specific individuals, said that the drugs were being used by multiple players across different sports disciplines and that in some instances the banned substances were being supplied though the help of organized-crime groups.
"Organized crime has been found to have a tangible and expanding footprint in this market," the commission concluded.
"There are clear parallels between what has been discovered in Australia and the USADA investigation into Lance Armstrong," the report said. "The difference is that the Australian threat is current, crosses sporting codes and is evolving."
MORE: FDA investigating aspects related to Armstrong case
The Australian Football League (Aussie Rules) and the National Rugby League are the two sports "codes" that are under the most scrutiny.
"This is not a black day in Australian sport, this is the blackest day in Australian sport," said Richard Ings, the former head of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, speaking on Australia's ABC TV. | – Australian sports are besieged by performance-enhancing drugs and organized crime, according to a year-long government investigation, reports the Wall Street Journal. The report didn't name names, but it indicated illegal hormones and other performance enhancers are widespread in Australian sports, facilitated by coaches and trainers. "The findings are shocking and will disgust Australian sports fans," said Australia's Justice and Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare. "It's cheating, but it's worse than that. It's cheating with the help of criminals." The probe also found criminal networks growing increasingly involved in Australian sports, partially because of the PEDs and partially because of the growing popularity of betting, especially in rugby and Australian rules football, with at least "one occasion" of match fixing. "This is not a black day in Australian sport, this is the blackest day in Australian sport," the former head of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority told USA Today. |
Nomura Holdings Inc. and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc may face $500 million in damages for what a judge called an “enormous” deception in the sale of defective mortgage-backed securities, a ruling that may spur other banks to settle similar claims tied to the 2008 financial crisis.
Nomura and RBS were excoriated in a 361-page opinion by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan, whose ruling followed the first trial of claims that banks sold flawed securities to government-owned mortgage companies. After a three-week trial, Cote said they misled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and set a damages formula that may result in the government winning about half its original claim of $1 billion.
“The offering documents did not correctly describe the mortgage loans,” Cote, who heard the case without a jury, wrote Monday. “The magnitude of falsity, conservatively measured, is enormous.”
Before the trial, FHFA had reached $17.9 billion in settlements with other banks, including Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The ruling against Nomura and RBS may encourage other banks to settle mortgage-related suits brought by regulators and private investors rather than face the bad publicity and cost of an adverse judgment, said Robert C. Hockett, a professor at Cornell Law School.
“They look pretty bad,” Hockett said in an interview. “They look like the strategy has blown up in their faces.”
Cote ordered the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which filed the case, to propose how much the banks should pay as a result of her ruling.
‘Consistently Candid’
“Nomura is confident that it was consistently candid, transparent and professional in all of its dealings with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” Jonathan Hodgkinson, a U.S.-based spokesman for the bank, said in an e-mailed statement. Nomura will appeal, he said.
Linda Harper, a U.K.-based spokeswoman for RBS, declined to comment on the decision.
FHFA is pleased with the ruling and “looks forward to submitting proposed damages,” the agency’s general counsel, Alfred M. Pollard, said in an e-mailed statement.
Nomura Shares
Shares of Nomura fell 2 percent, the most among companies on the Topix index of securities firms, to 787.9 yen at the close of trading in Tokyo, paring this year’s gain to 14 percent.
“The drop may be due to profit-taking by short-term investors,” said Mitsushige Akino, executive officer at Ichiyoshi Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. “The lawsuit could be the catalyst, although the impact won’t last long because this has been expected.”
Legal costs are hampering Nomura’s efforts to return its overseas operations to profit. The Japanese firm had a fifth straight annual loss in its businesses abroad in the year ended March as it set aside an unspecified sum for lawsuits in the fourth quarter, financial results showed last month.
Cote rejected the banks’ claim that the housing crash, and not defects in the loans, was responsible for the collapse of the mortgage-backed securities.
David Reiss, a professor at Brooklyn Law School, called Cote’s ruling “incredibly thorough.” The judge included detailed factual rulings that may make it difficult for Nomura and RBS to win on appeal, he said.
‘Danger Batman!!’
The U.S. presented evidence from Nomura executives’ e-mails that suggested the bank might be aware it was selling troubled mortgage-backed securities. One e-mail described some of its mortgages as “crap.”
Another warned: “Danger Batman!!”
“The reason for Nomura’s lackluster due diligence program is not hard to find,” Cote said. The bank, competing to buy and securitize loans, sought to foster a “good relationship” with mortgage lenders and ignored “specific warnings about the risk of working with an originator,” she said.
The banks may use a series of rulings against them by Cote, before and during trial, as issues on appeal, lawyers said.
The judge barred Nomura from presenting some evidence, including limiting the bank’s ability to prove its claim that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac didn’t suffer damages from buying the mortgage-backed bonds. The judge also ruled that FHFA didn’t have to prove Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac knew of Nomura’s alleged false statements.
‘Expressed Skepticism’
Elliott Stein, a Bloomberg Intelligence litigation analyst, wrote that Cote “expressed skepticism about some of Nomura’s contentions and little to none about the FHFA’s case” in closing arguments April 9.
The FHFA claimed Tokyo-based Nomura cheated Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by selling them $2 billion of bonds backed by faulty mortgages. RBS underwrote four of the seven securitizations at issue in the trial.
Nomura and RBS argued that the documents issued in connection with bond sales adequately disclosed the risks and weren’t misleading. The banks also said that any alleged misstatements didn’t factor into decisions by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy the securities.
Most of the trial testimony came from experts reviewing Nomura’s diligence in packaging mortgages into securities and disclosures it made to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in sales from 2005 to 2007.
“This case is complex from almost any angle, but at its core there is a single simple question,” Cote wrote. “Did defendants accurately describe the home mortgages in the offering documents for the securities they sold that were backed by those mortgages?”
‘Disturbing Examples’
In concluding they didn’t, Cote cited what she called “disturbing examples” from Nomura’s files showing it was willing to securitize defective loans.
In at least 184 of 672 sample loans that were reviewed, home values were inflated and appraisers didn’t believe the figures they provided were correct, Cote said.
The FHFA also proved that from 45 percent to 59 percent of the loans backing the mortgage securities had underwriting defects that increased their credit risk.
“Guidelines were systematically disregarded,” she said.
Edinburgh-based RBS was sued separately by FHFA in federal court in Connecticut for selling $32 billion of its own mortgage-backed securities to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That case is scheduled for trial next year.
The case is Federal Housing Finance Agency v. Nomura Holding America Inc., 11-cv-06201, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan). ||||| “As its witnesses repeatedly described and as its documents illustrated, Nomura’s goal was to work with the sellers of loans and to do what it could to foster a good relationship with them,” the judge wrote. “Given this attitude, it is unsurprising that even when there were specific warnings about the risk of working with an originator, those warnings fell on deaf ears.”
During the trial, expert witnesses performed analyses of some of the loans backing the disputed bonds. The experts brought in by the housing finance agency said far more of the loans than the documents stated had characteristics that made them much more likely to default.
Lawyers for Nomura and R.B.S. argued that those experts’ analyses were seriously flawed. In his closing argument last month, David B. Tulchin, a lawyer for Sullivan & Cromwell, representing Nomura, called the experts’ methodologies “entirely artificial in the extreme.”
The banks’ lawyers could argue on appeal that even though Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac took steep paper losses on the bonds, their actual losses have been small. All payments on the roughly $2 billion in bonds have been made, except for about $25 million, according a member of Nomura’s legal team, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
More broadly, Nomura, in its appeal, will most likely continue to argue that the government’s losses on mortgage bonds were caused by the wider housing crash, making it a legal stretch to tie the losses on those bonds to flaws in the underlying loans.
Judge Cote, however, said that the banks’ misconduct exacerbated the collapse in the mortgage market.
“The origination and securitization of these defective loans not only contributed to the collapse of the housing market, the very macroeconomic factor that defendants say caused the losses,” she wrote, “but once that collapse started, improperly underwritten loans were hit hardest and drove the collapse even further.” ||||| NEW YORK A U.S. judge on Monday ruled that Nomura Holdings Inc (8604.T) made false statements in selling mortgage-backed securities to Fannie Mae (FNMA.OB) and Freddie Mac (FMCC.OB) ahead of the 2008 financial crisis.
U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan ruled for the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in a ruling that could allow the U.S. regulator to recover around $450 million.
Cote, who presided over a non-jury trial, said the FHFA was entitled to judgment against Nomura and the Royal Bank of Scotland Plc (RBS.L), which underwrote some of the $2 billion in mortgage-backed securities, in light of misstatements they made in offering documents.
"The offering documents did not correctly describe the mortgage loans," the judge wrote in a 361-page decision. "The magnitude of falsity, conservatively measured, is enormous."
The exact amount of damages to be awarded was unclear. Cote ordered the FHFA to submit a proposed judgment with updated damages figures based on her ruling by Friday.
But Cote, citing figures previously submitted, said the FHFA was entitled to $624.4 million, minus over $178 million in payments it received since launching the lawsuit in 2011.
The FHFA, which has acted as conservator for Fannie and Freddie since the government took them over in 2008, welcomed the ruling, which nonetheless appeared to deliver less than the $1 billion it sought at trial.
"It is clear the court found that the facts presented by FHFA were convincing," FHFA General Counsel Alfred Pollard said in a statement.
Tokyo-based Nomura said in a statement that it plans to appeal, saying it was "confident that it was consistently candid, transparent and professional in all of its dealings with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."
A spokeswoman for RBS declined comment.
The lawsuit was the first to reach trial out of 18 the regulator filed in 2011 over some $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities that various banks sold Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The FHFA previously obtained nearly $17.9 billion in settlements with banks including Bank of America Corp (BAC.N), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Deutsche Bank AG (DBKGn.DE). Those deals followed a series of adverse rulings by Cote.
The seven deals at issue in Nomura's case were issued from 2005 to 2007. Nomura was the securities' sponsor, and RBS underwrote four of the deals.
In her ruling, Cote said the securities sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac "were supported by loans for which the underwriting process had failed," with deals comprised of 45 percent to 59 percent "materially defective" mortgages.
Nomura's lawyers countered that any losses incurred by Fannie and Freddie were not the banks' fault and were due to overall market conditions.
But Cote said the banks "have not quantified the loss that they say is due to macroeconomic factors."
Nor did the banks deny that "there is a link between the securitization frenzy associated with those shoddy practices and the very macroeconomic factors that they say caused the losses to the certificates," she wrote.
The case is Federal Housing Finance Agency v Nomura Holding America Inc, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 11-06201.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Alan Crosby and Christian Plumb) | – If you had to name two banks guilty of selling lousy mortgage packages during the financial meltdown of 2008, it's doubtful you'd tick off the names Nomura Holdings of Japan and the Royal Bank of Scotland. But as Reuters reports, a federal judge yesterday declared that both lied through their teeth when selling their deals to the government-owned entities of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. US District Judge Denise Cote of Manhattan, who decided the case on her own, framed it in straightforward terms in a line that Wall Street critics will love: “The magnitude of falsity, conservatively measured, is enormous.” Other banks such as Goldman Sachs and Bank of America opted to settle rather than go to trial, with Nomura and RBS the first two to do so. Legal experts tell the New York Times that they might have been less worried about their reputations taking a hit in the US because they were foreign banks. Nomura plans to appeal, with no word yet from RBS. The ruling puts the banks on the hook for about $500 million in penalties, though that's only about half of the original claim by the government, reports Bloomberg. |
VATICAN CITY — Ban Ki-moon arrived at the Vatican with his own college of cardinals. Mr. Ban, the United Nations secretary general, had brought the leaders of all his major agencies to see Pope Francis, a show of organizational muscle and respect for a meeting between two global institutions that had sometimes shared a bumpy past but now had a mutual interest.
The agenda was poverty, and Francis inveighed against the “economy of exclusion” as he addressed Mr. Ban’s delegation at the Apostolic Palace. But in an informal meeting with Mr. Ban and his advisers, Francis shifted the discussion to the environment and how environmental degradation weighed heaviest on the poor.
“This is the pope of the poor,” said Robert Orr, who attended the May 2014 meeting as Mr. Ban’s special adviser on climate change and described the informal conversation with Francis. “The fact that he is making the link to the planet is really significant.”
On Thursday, Francis will release his first major teaching letter, known as an encyclical, on the theme of the environment and the poor. Given the pope’s widespread popularity, and his penchant for speaking out on major global issues, the encyclical is being treated as a milestone that could place the Roman Catholic Church at the forefront of a new coalition of religion and science. ||||| CLOSE Shannon Green and Gregg Zoroya discuss the encyclical from Pope Francis to be issued by the Vatican on Thursday, June 18, and the excitement it engenders among climate scientists. USA TODAY
Pope Francis encyclical on the environment is due to be released Thursday (Photo: Alessandra Tarantino, AP)
Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article misstated Pope Francis' chemistry education. He studied chemistry and worked as a chemist prior to attending the seminary.
Scientists weary after years of often vicious opposition by doubters of their climate-change findings see this year as crucial to the planet's future because of a religious document expected from Pope Francis on Thursday.
The rare encyclical, or teaching letter, expected to promote climate action as a moral imperative could do more to slow global warming than international negotiations this year to limit greenhouse gas emissions, scientists say.
"The encyclical is going to go out to over 1 billion Catholics — that's a way of getting a message across to a segment of society that the scientific community could never do," said an excited Jeff Kiehl with the National Center for Atmospheric Research. "I mean it's just unbelievable."
"I'm not a religious person at all," said Gavin Schmidt, a NASA climatologist. But he sees faith-based efforts to shift thinking on climate action as very promising.
"The pope's encyclical is probably going to have a bigger impact than the Paris negotiations," he said.
The 21st United Nations conference on climate change, which is set for December in Paris with more than 190 countries, hopes to reach agreement on emissions that would keep further warming of the planet less than 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, beyond global temperature at the time of the Industrial Revolution.
Catholic leaders expressed hope last week that the encyclical will transcend partisan fighting over the causes of climate change, arguments that have stymied efforts in the U.S. Congress and elsewhere to reduce greenhouse emissions.
"This encyclical is aimed at everyone," Pope Francis said Sunday. "Let us pray that everyone can receive its message and grow in responsibility toward the common home that God has entrusted to us."
He said Friday that to show unity of purpose, the document will be unveiled by three people: a Catholic cardinal, a Christian Orthodox church leader and a climate scientist the Vatican identified as an atheist.
The pope, who studied chemistry and worked as a chemist before entering the seminary, has a history of environmental concern. He said in January that science is largely settled on the causes of climate change and that greater stewardship of God's creation is necessary.
"Mostly, in great part, it is man who has slapped nature in the face," he said.
There has already been push back from conservative Catholic religious writers and figures such as Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who is Catholic, accusing the pope of being alarmist.
"The church has gotten it wrong a few times on science, and I think that we probably are better off leaving science to the scientists," Santorum recently told a radio-talk show host. "When we get involved with political and controversial scientific theories, then I think the church is probably not as forceful and credible."
Scientists, however, applaud the pope for urging moral choices in a discussion dominated by the recitation — or among deniers, the misrepresentation — of facts.
"Many people have this rosy view that there's this knowledge deficit, and that if we just provided more information or if we explain the science better or if we package it better, maybe with colored graphics, or write another scientific paper, that will be the one to convince (doubters)," said climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe of Texas Tech University.
"But the reality is it's not a scientific issue (any longer). It is an ideological issue. We have to appeal to people based on values. Not just on data and facts. And for me as a scientist to say that is very unusual," Hayhoe said. "So from that perspective the pope is a very effective messenger."
Scientists say that some predicted changes such as a warming Arctic, rising sea levels, more intense heat waves, extreme snow and rain storms and animal or plant extinctions are happening faster than anticipated. Frustration over a lack of response by the federal government has been growing.
A website created by Australian science communicator Joe Duggan called "Is this how you feel?" contains dozens of letters from climate scientists angry or stunned by a lack of forceful action by policymakers.
"I feel like nobody's listening," Australian research fellow Helen McGregor wrote last fall.
"There is so much noise around the issue that I often feel compelled to be outraged by our own inability as a species to respond," scientist Carlo Buontempo wrote, "But the truth is that more often than not I just feel tired."
The vast majority say they remain optimistic. Last year, a consortium of North American universities created a speakers network for climate change discussion and more than 370 scientists have since signed up to give talks at libraries, chambers of commerce, schools, colleges and community clubs.
But change still seems too slow, many say.
"As a scientist, I can say that it is possible for us to prevent truly catastrophic, potentially irreversible climate change. But I cannot say as a scientist whether or not we will find the will to do what's necessary," said Michael Mann, a climate scientist at Penn State University who published a book on the role of science deniers in subverting global warming discussions.
Mann said only strong public outcry can force policy changes, and this is where the encyclical is crucial.
"There are a lot of people out there who thus far have been either skeptical or indifferent," Mann said. "I think this (encyclical) will make a difference for them."
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1Sfph3i ||||| The most anticipated papal letter for decades will be published in five languages on Thursday. It will call for an end to the ‘tyrannical’ exploitation of nature by mankind. Could it lead to a step-change in the battle against global warming?
Pope Francis will call for an ethical and economic revolution to prevent catastrophic climate change and growing inequality in a letter to the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics on Thursday.
In an unprecedented encyclical on the subject of the environment, the pontiff is expected to argue that humanity’s exploitation of the planet’s resources has crossed the Earth’s natural boundaries, and that the world faces ruin without a revolution in hearts and minds. The much-anticipated message, which will be sent to the world’s 5,000 Catholic bishops, will be published online in five languages on Thursday and is expected to be the most radical statement yet from the outspoken pontiff.
However, it is certain to anger sections of Republican opinion in America by endorsing the warnings of climate scientists and admonishing rich elites, say cardinals and scientists who have advised the Vatican.
The Ghanaian cardinal, Peter Turkson, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and a close ally of the pope, will launch the encyclical. He has said it will address the root causes of poverty and the threats facing nature, or “creation”.
In a recent speech widely regarded as a curtain-raiser to the encyclical, Turkson said: “Much of the world remains in poverty, despite abundant resources, while a privileged global elite controls the bulk of the world’s wealth and consumes the bulk of its resources.”
The Argentinian pontiff is expected to repeat calls for a change in attitudes to poverty and nature. “An economic system centred on the god of money needs to plunder nature to sustain the frenetic rhythm of consumption that is inherent to it,” he told a meeting of social movements last year. “I think a question that we are not asking ourselves is: isn’t humanity committing suicide with this indiscriminate and tyrannical use of nature? Safeguard creation because, if we destroy it, it will destroy us. Never forget this.”
The encyclical will go much further than strictly environmental concerns, say Vatican insiders. “Pope Francis has repeatedly stated that the environment is not only an economic or political issue, but is an anthropological and ethical matter,” said another of the pope’s advisers, Archbishop Pedro Barreto Jimeno of Peru.
“It will address the issue of inequality in the distribution of resources and topics such as the wasting of food and the irresponsible exploitation of nature and the consequences for people’s life and health,” Barreto Jimeno told the Catholic News Service.
He was echoed by Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga of Honduras, who coordinates the Vatican’s inner council of cardinals and is thought to reflect the pope’s political thinking . “The ideology surrounding environmental issues is too tied to a capitalism that doesn’t want to stop ruining the environment because they don’t want to give up their profits,” Rodríguez Maradiaga said.
The rare encyclical, called “Laudato Sii”, or “Praised Be”, has been timed to have maximum public impact ahead of the pope’s meeting with Barack Obama and his address to the US Congress and the UN general assembly in September.
It is also intended to improve the prospect of a strong new UN global agreement to cut climate emissions. By adding a moral dimension to the well-rehearsed scientific arguments, Francis hopes to raise the ambition of countries above their own self-interest to secure a strong deal in a crucial climate summit in Paris in November.
“Pope Francis is personally committed to this [climate] issue like no other pope before him. The encyclical will have a major impact. It will speak to the moral imperative of addressing climate change in a timely fashion in order to protect the most vulnerable,” said Christiana Figueres, the UN’s climate chief, in Bonn this week for negotiations.
Francis, the first Latin American pope, is increasingly seen as the voice of the global south and a catalyst for change in global bodies. In September, he will seek to add impetus and moral authority to UN negotiations in New York to adopt new development goals and lay out a 15-year global plan to tackle hunger, extreme poverty and health. He will address the UN general assembly on 23 September as countries finalise their commitments.
However, Francis’s radicalism is attracting resistance from Vatican conservatives and in rightwing church circles, particularly in the US – where Catholic climate sceptics also include John Boehner, Republican leader of the House of Representatives, and Rick Santorum, a Republican presidential candidate.
Earlier this year Stephen Moore, a Catholic economist, called the pope a “complete disaster”, saying he was part of “a radical green movement that is at its core anti-Christian, anti-people and anti-progress”.
Moore was backed this month by scientists and engineers from the powerful evangelical Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, who have written an open letter to Francis. “Today many prominent voices call humanity a scourge on our planet, saying that man is the problem, not the solution. Such attitudes too often contaminate their assessment of man’s effects on nature,” it says.
But the encyclical will be well received in developing countries, where most Catholics live. “Francis has always put the poor at the centre of everything he has said. The developing countries will hear their voice in the encyclical,” said Neil Thorns, director of advocacy at the Catholic development agency, Cafod. “I expect it to challenge the way we think. The message that we cannot just treat the Earth as a tool for exploitation will be a message that many will not want to hear.”
The pope is “aiming at a change of heart. What will save us is not technology or science. What will save us is the ethical transformation of our society,” said Carmelite Father Eduardo Agosta Scarel, a climate scientist who teaches at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina in Buenos Aires.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Video: Suzanne Goldenberg visits the Heartland Institute’s conference in Washington, an annual gathering of climate sceptics, to hear what delegates – including US senator James Inhofe and blogger Marc Morano – think about the Pope’s upcoming encyclical on the environment and climate change .
Earlier popes, including Benedict XVI and John Paul II, addressed environmental issues and “creation”, but neither mentioned climate change or devoted an entire encyclical to the links between poverty, economics and ecological destruction. Francis’s only previous encyclical concerned the nature of religious faith.
The pontiff, who is playing an increasing role on the world stage, will visit Cuba ahead of travelling to the US. He was cited by Obama as having helped to thaw relations between the two countries, and last week met the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to discuss the crisis in Ukraine and the threat to minority Christians in the Middle East.
The pope chose Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, as his namesake at the start of his papacy in 2011, saying the saint’s values reflected his own.
||||| VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is looking for a global audience for his upcoming encyclical on the environment, saying Sunday it's meant for everyone, not just Catholics.
Pope Francis is cheered by the crowd as he arrives for an audience with Italian AGESCI boy scouts association's members in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Saturday, June 13, 2015. (AP Photo/Alessandra... (Associated Press)
Francis engaged in some self-promotion during his weekly blessing, alerting the thousands of people in St. Peter's Square that his first solo encyclical is coming out on Thursday and inviting them to pay attention to environmental degradation around them.
"This encyclical is aimed at everyone: Let us pray that everyone can receive its message and grow in responsibility toward the common home that God has given us," he said.
The eagerly awaited document will be launched at a Vatican news conference Thursday that underscores Francis' insistence that it's not just for Catholics: The three speakers are a Vatican cardinal, a Greek Orthodox theologian and an atheist scientist.
In the encyclical, Francis is expected to lay out the moral imperative to fight global warming, since the poor are the most affected by it.
Francis has said he wanted to get the encyclical out in plenty of time before negotiators meet in Paris at the end of the year to hammer out a deal to reduce greenhouse gases to a level that keeps global warming below 2 degrees C (3.6 F), compared with pre-industrial times. | – Pope Francis is days away from releasing what the Guardian predicts will be "his most radical statement" yet, and he says it isn't just for Catholics. Francis will be accompanied by an atheist climate scientist and a Greek Orthodox theologian, as well as a Vatican cardinal, when he releases his long-anticipated letter on the environment on Thursday, the AP reports. The encyclical, a rare papal "teaching letter," is expected to focus on climate change, humanity's role in causing it, and its devastating and disproportionate effects on the world's poor, reports the New York Times, which notes that Francis has long been outspoken on environmental issues and told reporters earlier this year that "man has slapped nature in the face." In a recent speech seen as a preview to the encyclical, Francis made it clear that he believes climate change and the suffering of the poor is the result of capitalism and overconsumption, the Guardian reports. "Much of the world remains in poverty, despite abundant resources, while a privileged global elite controls the bulk of the world's wealth and consumes the bulk of its resources," he said. Climate scientists say since the issue has become an ideological and partisan one as much as it is a scientific one, the papal letter could do more than international negotiations this year to reduce emissions, USA Today reports. (A US conservative group claims Francis has been "misled" on the issue, and staunch Catholic Rick Santorum says he finds the church leader hard to listen to.) |
These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| The man credited with helping San Francisco police capture a pair of Orange County jail escapees over the weekend is an unlikely hero.
Until recently, 55-year-old Matthew Hay-Chapman was living in the botanical garden of Golden Gate Park — homeless, depressed about a string of family tragedies and unable to work because of severe back pain.
Still, he managed to stay connected to the world. Every day, he would check out online news sites at the library or find a newspaper and read it front to back in the McDonald’s by the park.
It was his obsession with current events, along with his keen eye, that led him to spot the fugitives Saturday, hanging out down the block from a police station. As a result, Hay-Chapman is in line to collect $140,000 in reward money.
“When they told me about the benefits, that didn’t matter,” Chapman said Tuesday in front of the McDonald’s at Haight and Stanyan streets, still proudly wearing the black hoodie that San Francisco police gave him as thanks for his assistance. “I was just doing the right thing.”
Hay-Chapman had already escaped living in the park, having befriended a man who lets him sleep on his couch. Now he hopes to use the reward money not just to rebuild his own life, but also to help a troubled son, disabled daughter and two young grandchildren who are in foster care in Oregon.
Life turmoil
Hay-Chapman hasn’t always been one wrong step from the streets. He was raised on military bases all over the world, one of 10 children of an Air Force colonel. Two of his eight brothers are in law enforcement.
Before his life fell apart, Hay-Chapman worked as a carpenter, as a heating and air conditioning installer, as a vault locksmith and as a hotel night manager. Then came the back pain, brought on by lifting something in 2000. It got so bad he couldn’t work.
His daughter, now 33, suffered a brain hemorrhage at birth and is severely disabled. His 30-year-old son lost custody of his two children because of struggles with drug addiction.
‘Ups and downs’
His family said Hay-Chapman has trouble staying on a steady course, but did not have a drug or alcohol problem.
“He’s had his ups and downs,” said his brother John Hay-Chapman, “He is a jack of all trades — he is a good mechanic. ... But he can be irresponsible too, and his troubles came when he followed the wrong road.”
He added, “But here is the thing about Matt: He is sharp, he reads the paper and he is up on everything.”
Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Image 1 of 5 Matthew Hay-Chapman enters Golden Gate Park in front of the McDonald's restaurant at Haight and Stanyan streets in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 near the location where two Orange County jail escapees were apprehended after he recognized the fugitives and pointed them out to police last Saturday. less Matthew Hay-Chapman enters Golden Gate Park in front of the McDonald's restaurant at Haight and Stanyan streets in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 near the location where two Orange County jail ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 2 of 5 Matthew Hay-Chapman returns to the McDonald's restaurant at Haight and Stanyan streets in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 to describe how he spotted two of the Orange County jail escapees last Saturday and pointed them out to police, resulting in their capture. less Matthew Hay-Chapman returns to the McDonald's restaurant at Haight and Stanyan streets in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 to describe how he spotted two of the Orange County jail escapees last ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 3 of 5 Matthew Hay-Chapman crosses Stanyan Street in front of the McDonald's restaurant at Haight Street in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 after describing how he recognized two of the Orange County jail escapees last Saturday and pointed them out to police, resulting in their capture. less Matthew Hay-Chapman crosses Stanyan Street in front of the McDonald's restaurant at Haight Street in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 after describing how he recognized two of the Orange County ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 4 of 5 Matthew Hay-Chapman returns to the McDonald's restaurant at Haight and Stanyan streets in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 to describe how he spotted two of the Orange County jail escapees last Saturday and pointed them out to police, resulting in their capture. less Matthew Hay-Chapman returns to the McDonald's restaurant at Haight and Stanyan streets in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 to describe how he spotted two of the Orange County jail escapees last ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 5 of 5 Matthew Hay-Chapman returns to the McDonald's restaurant at Haight and Stanyan streets in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 to describe how he spotted two of the Orange County jail escapees last Saturday and pointed them out to police, resulting in their capture. less Matthew Hay-Chapman returns to the McDonald's restaurant at Haight and Stanyan streets in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 to describe how he spotted two of the Orange County jail escapees last ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Hard-luck hero helped police nab dangerous escapees 1 / 5 Back to Gallery
Matthew Hay-Chapman and his friend regularly go to the McDonald’s at the entrance of the park — and it was there, on Saturday, that Hay-Chapman was at the right place at the right time.
He was on his way into the fast-food restaurant when when he spotted a white 2008 GMC Savana van parked at the side of the Whole Foods Market on Haight. It looked like the one he used to drive when he worked as a mechanic — and then lived in when times got hard.
Recognized van
Because he’s a news junkie and has what he calls a photographic memory, Hay-Chapman realized that the van matched one that had been linked to three men who had been on the run since they escaped from the Orange County jail Jan. 22.
“I noticed the windows were all steamed up — real heavy condensation,” Hay-Chapman said. He figured someone was living inside.
Suddenly, “boom, this guy pops out of the van. I had seen him in the news,” Hay-Chapman said. “I said, ‘That’s the guy — that’s the Iranian escapee!’”
He followed the man, 37-year-old Hossein Nayeri, into the McDonald’s. Nayeri got in a line that was six people deep, while Hay-Chapman sat down at a table.
Photo: Associated Press This undated photo provided by the Orange County Sheriff's...
“I knew I had time,” Hay-Chapman said. “I studied the man ... because I wanted to be 100 percent sure before I go and alert the authorities.”
Once he was sure, he slipped outside. After a passerby refused to let him use a cell phone, he headed for the nearby Park police station.
Before he got there, a patrol car with two officers in it happened by. Hay-Chapman flagged them down with his metal cane.
The officers were about to confront Nayeri when a man on the street suddenly collapsed into the arms of one of them. As the police called for paramedics, Hay-Chapman kept watch for Nayeri, who soon emerged from McDonald’s with a cup of coffee.
‘Last taste of freedom’
“I call it his last taste of freedom,” Hay-Chapman said. “McDonald’s coffee is worth a lot, and he paid for it.”
With the officers preoccupied with the man who had collapsed, Nayeri “walked calmly past me, calmly with his coffee,” Hay-Chapman said. He watched as the fugitive walked down the restaurant’s steps and crouched between two parked vehicles.
“Now he pops up and he starts to walk calmly across Stanyan,” Hay-Chapman said. After a few feet, “he bolts and he runs into the park. Man, the guy was running right toward the police station.”
The officers fanned out and eventually caught up with Nayeri in front of the station. When they returned to the van, a second fugitive, 20-year-old Jonathan Tieu, was still in it.
Photo: Associated Press This undated booking photo provided by the Orange County, Calif.,...
Nayeri, who had been held on aggravated mayhem, kidnapping and torture charges, and Tieu, who was facing gang-related murder and attempted-murder charges, were returned to authorities in Orange County. The third fugitive, Bac Duong, 43, had turned himself in Friday in Santa Ana.
“Would that every citizen would be paying that much attention,” said Police Chief Greg Suhr, who confirmed Hay-Chapman’s pivotal role in the capture. “God bless him for having courage and for being that observant and that sharp.
“It is pretty amazing,” Suhr said of Hay-Chapman’s story. “He makes the neighborhood safer.”
Orange County sheriff’s officials say they will work with agencies that offered separate rewards — including the county Board of Supervisors, U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI — to deliver the money where it belongs.
Hay-Chapman figures it’s his time.
“When I was down and out, nobody wanted to help me out,” he said. He hopes that because he was “brave enough to stand up” on Saturday, the money will lead to a better life for him and his family.
Friend’s point of view
The friend who finally did help him said Hay-Chapman deserves every penny coming to him.
“He is really a straight-up guy,” said the friend, who asked that his name not be used. “He is a guy who is into doing good things for people even though he is homeless.
“He did what he was supposed to do, what people are asked to do. That money would help him straighten his life out.”
Jaxon Van Derbeken is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jvanderbeken@sfchronicle.com | – A homeless San Francisco man who calls himself a "news junkie" might be able to get off the streets because of his news habit: He will receive the lion's share of a $150,000 reward for helping recapture two escaped inmates in January, the Los Angeles Times reports. Matthew Hay-Chapman recognized the inmates' stolen van in a Whole Foods parking lot on Jan. 28 and spotted fugitive Hossein Nayeri emerging from the vehicle. He says he found a police officer and led him to the van, leading to the capture of Nayeri and fellow escapee Jonathan Tieu. A third man had surrendered a day earlier. Hay-Chapman, 55, was living in Golden Gate Park at the time of the arrests but says he still kept track of the news every day by going online or reading newspapers, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The Orange County Board of Supervisors decided to award him $100,000 of the $150,000 cash reward for the inmates' recapture, with $20,000 going to the owner of the stolen van, and two employees who spotted the escapees acting suspiciously at a Target store receiving $15,000 each. A cab driver kidnapped and almost murdered by the escapees, however, won't get a share of the reward money because the supervisors decided that he had not provided information that led to the men's recapture. |
Jerusalem’s largest soccer club announced Sunday that it has changed its name to “Beitar Trump Jerusalem,” in honor of the US president’s recognition of Israel’s capital and moving his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv.
In an announcement on Facebook, the team praised the US president.
“For 70 years has Jerusalem been awaiting international recognition, until President Donald Trump, in a courageous move, recognized Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel,” the club wrote. “President Trump has shown courage, and true love of the Israeli people and their capital, and these days other countries are following his lead in giving Jerusalem its rightful status.”
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The announcement comes the day before the official opening of the new embassy in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood, in a ceremony to be attended by US Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan, Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, Adviser Ivanka Trump, and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt, as well as ambassadors and officials from all over the world.
70 שנה המתינה ירושלים להכרה בינלאומית, עד שהנשיא דונלד טראמפ החליט לעשות מעשה והכיר בה כבירת הנצח של עם ישראל. הנשיא… Posted by מועדון הכדורגל בית"ר ירושלים – F.C. Beitar Jerusalem on Sunday, 13 May 2018
The soccer club stated that it was permanently changing its name in honor of the occasion.
“Beitar Jerusalem, one of the most prominent symbols of the city, are happy to honor the president for his love and support with a gesture of our own,” the Facebook post read. “The chairmen of the club, the owner Eli Tabib and the executive manager Eli Ohana have decided to add to the club’s title the name of the American President who made history, and from now on will be called Beitar Trump Jerusalem.”
Beitar, one of Israel’s top soccer clubs, is currently in second place in the premier league.
However, the club has a long history of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiment, and is the only club in the Israeli league that has never had an Arab Muslim player. Officials on the team have indicated in the past that it is unofficial policy.
Earlier this year, the club promised to crackdown on racist fans. It also said it would close down the eastern section of its ground which is infamous for housing the club’s most rabid fans, including the ultra-nationalist “La-Familia” faction. Last year, 19 members of the group were charged with attempted murder, including of rival supporters. ||||| Palestinian protesters burn tires during a protest on the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Monday, May 14, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians are protesting near Gaza's border with Israel, as Israel prepared... (Associated Press)
Palestinian protesters burn tires during a protest on the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Monday, May 14, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians are protesting near Gaza's border with Israel, as Israel prepared for the festive inauguration of a new U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) (Associated Press)
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Thousands of Palestinian protesters converged along the border with Israel on Monday, drawing Israeli fire that killed at least 16 people in the bloodiest day of weeks of demonstrations and casting a cloud over Israel's festive inauguration of the new U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem.
With their anger fueled by the embassy opening, protesters set tires on fire, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the air at several spots along the border, while the Israeli military said protesters assaulted the border fence. By midafternoon, at least 16 Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed while over 500 were wounded by Israeli fire, Palestinian health officials said.
In the West Bank, several thousand people gathered in the center of Ramallah, while hundreds marched to the Qalandiya crossing on the outskirts of Jerusalem, where protesters threw stones at Israeli troops.
The protest in Gaza was to be the biggest yet in a weekslong campaign against a decade-old blockade of the territory. The march was also directed at the inauguration of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem later Monday. The relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv, a key campaign promise of President Donald Trump, has infuriated the Palestinians, who seek east Jerusalem as a future capital.
"A great day for Israel," Trump tweeted early Monday.
Monday marked the biggest showdown in recent weeks between Israel's military and Gaza's Hamas rulers along the volatile border.
It is the culmination of a campaign, led by the Islamic militant Hamas and fueled by despair among Gaza's 2 million people, to break the decade-old border blockade of the territory by Israel and Egypt. Since weekly border marches began in late March, 58 Palestinian protesters have been killed and more than 2,300 wounded by Israeli army fire.
Hamas leaders have suggested a border breach is possible Monday, while Israel has warned it would prevent protesters from breaking through the barrier at any cost.
Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the army had bolstered its front-line forces along the border, but also set up additional "layers" of security in and around neighboring communities to defend Israeli civilians in case of a mass breach. He said there already had been several "significant attempts" to break through the fence.
"Even if the fence is breached, we will be able to protect Israeli civilians from attempts to massacre or kidnap or kill them," he said.
The timing of Monday's events was deeply symbolic, both to Israel and the Palestinians.
The U.S. said it chose the date to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment.
But it also marks the anniversary of what Palestinians call their "nakba," or catastrophe, a reference to the uprooting of hundreds of thousands who fled or were expelled from what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's independence.
A majority of Gaza's 2 million people are descendants of refugees, and the protests have been billed as the "Great March of Return" to long-lost homes in what is now Israel.
In one of the border areas east of Gaza City, Mohammed Hamami, a 40-year-old civil servant, joined a crowd of hundreds of protesters, along with his mother and five children.
"Today we are here to send a message to Israel and its allies that we will never give up on our land," he said.
"We will cross the border and impose new realities like the reality Trump imposed in Jerusalem," he added, referring to President Donald Trump's decision in December to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and then move the U.S. Embassy there.
Some protesters moved to within about 150 meters (yards) of the border fence. A reporter saw two men who tried to advance further being shot in the legs by Israeli troops.
Clouds of black smoke from burning tires rose into the air. Earlier Monday, Israeli drones dropping incendiary material had pre-emptively set ablaze some of the tires collected in advance by activists.
Protesters have used the thick smoke as cover against Israeli snipers perched on high sand berms on the other side of the border. The army accuses Hamas of using the protests as cover to plan or carry out attacks.
Leaflets dropped over Gaza by army jets warned that those approaching the border "jeopardize" their lives. The warning said the army is "prepared to face all scenarios and will act against every attempt to damage the security fence or harm IDF soldiers or Israeli civilians."
In Jerusalem, top Trump administration officials attended events linked to the inauguration of the embassy later Monday.
Speaking at a celebration hosted by the Orthodox Union, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that it was a U.S. "national security priority" to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Trump's decision to go forward with a campaign promise to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was welcomed by Israel and condemned by the Palestinians. Previous presidents had signed a waiver postponing the move, citing national security.
Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community. The Palestinians seek the city's eastern half as the capital of a future state.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cut ties with the Trump administration and declared it unfit to remain in its role as the sole mediator in peace talks.
Saeb Erekat, a senior Abbas aide, blasted the Trump administration Monday, saying Trump had violated a promise to hold off on moving the embassy to give peace talks a chance and that his administration is "based on lies."
Erekat said the Trump administration has "become part of the problem, not part of the solution."
Administration officials have dismissed Palestinian criticism, portraying the embassy opening as an essential step toward an eventual Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. However, they have not said how they will move forward without the Palestinians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump's "bold decision" in upending decades of U.S. policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "It's the right thing to do," a smiling Netanyahu told the jubilant crowd at a reception in Jerusalem late Sunday.
Although Trump has said his declaration does not set the final borders of the city, his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital has been perceived by both Israel and the Palestinians as taking Israel's side in the most sensitive issue in their conflict.
Only two countries, Guatemala and Paraguay, have said they will follow suit. Most of the world maintains embassies in Tel Aviv, saying the Jerusalem issue must first be resolved.
In a reflection of the deep sensitivities, dozens of countries — including Britain, France and Germany — skipped a celebration Sunday night at the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Monday's opening will be attended by Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who both serve as White House advisers. Kushner leads the Trump Mideast team.
__
Ben Zion reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, and Karin Laub in Amman, Jordan contributed to this report. ||||| Tweet with a location
You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| Israeli forces killed 58 Palestinians at the boundary fence with Gaza on Monday, local health officials said, a level of bloodshed not seen since the most violent days of Israel’s 2014 war in the territory.
The death toll more than doubled the number of Palestinians killed during six weeks of demonstrations, dubbed the “March of Return,” and came on the same day that a new U.S. Embassy opened in Jerusalem.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians had gathered on the edges of the fenced-off and blockaded territory from midmorning. Many came to peacefully demonstrate, bringing their children and carrying flags. Food stalls sold snacks and music blared.
But the protests appeared to have a more violent edge than in previous weeks. Some young men brought knives and fence cutters. At a gathering point east of Gaza City, organizers urged protesters over loudspeakers to burst through the fence, telling them Israeli soldiers were fleeing their positions, even as they were reinforcing them.
Israeli snipers were determined not to allow a breach, and ambulances soon began screaming back and forth from the fence as gunshots rang out. No Israeli soldiers were injured, though, and Israel drew widespread condemnation for an excessive use of force.
More than 2,700 people were injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, including 1,359 from live ammunition. The dead included six children under the age of 18, among them a 15-year-old girl, and a medic, the ministry said.
1 of 30 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × Gaza protests turn deadly as U.S. Embassy opens in Jerusalem View Photos Israeli soldiers killed dozens of Palestinians demonstrating along the border fence and wounded more than 1,600 in the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 war with Israel. Caption Israeli soldiers killed dozens of Palestinians demonstrating along the border fence and wounded more than 1,600 in the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 war with Israel. Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
The United Nations said that “those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account,” and Human Rights Watch described the killings as a “bloodbath.” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned a continuing “massacre” of the Palestinian people. Turkey and South Africa announced they were recalling their ambassadors from Israel.
The Trump administration, however, blamed Hamas for the loss of life. “The responsibility for these tragic deaths rests squarely with Hamas,” deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah told reporters at a briefing. “Israel has the right to defend itself.”
The violence was a jarring contrast with the opening ceremony for the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, which drew first daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Trump adviser Jared Kushner.
In Gaza, Hamas has given its backing to the demonstrations, which have galvanized people around a call to protest the loss of Palestinian homes and villages when Israel was formed in 1948.
Palestinians will mark the anniversary of that day — known as the “Nakba,” or “Catastrophe” — on Tuesday, when more demonstrations are planned. More than two-thirds of Gaza’s population is descended from refugees who were displaced at the time of Israel’s creation.
At Gaza City’s main al-Shifaa hospital, medics said they were overwhelmed.
“I don't know how we will manage,” Ayman al-Sahbani, the head of the emergency department, said as families jostled to get in to see injured relatives. “How long can this go on? How long?”
The hospital had set up an additional 30-bed triage area outside, and earlier in the day said it had the capacity to treat 200 or 300 serious gunshot wounds. It had received around 400 injured by about 6 p.m., most of whom had been shot, he said.
“We’ve reached the critical point now,” he said. “A lot of people need operations soon, but the operation room is full.”
Palestinian women suffering from tear-gas inhalation sit in a medical aid tent during a protest near Beit Lahiya in the Gaza Strip. (Dusan Vranic/AP)
Increasing economic hardship has fueled frustrations in Gaza, along with wider despair across Palestinian territories amid moves by a U.S. administration seen as wholeheartedly on Israel’s side in the decades-old conflict.
At least 110 Gazans have been killed over the past six weeks, according to Gaza Health Ministry figures.
At the demonstrations east of Gaza City, some said the force used by Israel would only bring further unrest.
Standing a few hundred meters from the fence, Nirma Attalah, 29, said her 22-year-old brother had been killed two weeks ago. “My brother was shot in the head in this place,” she said. She had come on Monday with her whole extended family. “We are here for Jerusalem, for Palestinian land,” she said.
A truck rolled past carrying young men chanting: “To Jerusalem we go with millions of martyrs” and “Death rather than humiliation.”
Drones dropped canisters of tear gas, sending crowds fleeing. Other drones dropped leaflets that urged demonstrators to say back from the fence.
“People have come out of the rubble to say we will not forget our rights,” said Yousef Abu Saleh, 25. “The American administration is adopting the Israeli story and stealing our right of return.”
While some said they would abide by official calls to keep the demonstrations peaceful, others talked about their enthusiasm to break into Israel and wreak havoc.
“We are excited to storm and get inside,” said 23-year-old Mohammed Mansoura. When asked what he would do inside Israel, he said, “Whatever is possible, to kill, throw stones.”
Two other young men carried large knives and said they wanted to kill Jews on the other side of the fence.
The Israeli military brought two extra brigades to the Gaza border in preparation for the demonstrations and added additional “defense lines” in an effort to prevent any mass invasion into Israeli communities near the border.
The military said at least 40,000 people protested in 13 places along the fence — more than twice as many locations as in past weeks of protest.
“Especially violent riots” took place near the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where three people were killed after trying to plant an explosive, the military added. The military also said it would “act forcefully against any terrorist activity,” and it carried out an airstrike on Hamas military posts in northern Gaza after Israeli troops came under fire.
At demonstrations near the Bureij Camp in central Gaza, Ahmed Loulou, 22, released a cluster of balloons carrying a Palestinian flag. He had written in marker: “We are returning. This is our land.”
The load was briefly caught in a power line before bobbing unsteadily toward the border.
Loulou said that it was his first time at the demonstrations and that he had been persuaded to come by friends.
Meanwhile, young men fired stones from slingshots as they sheltered behind earthen berms. Shortly afterward, the sound of live ammunition zinged through the air over the sound of the afternoon call to prayer.
“Sniper! Sniper!” shouted a young boy.
A Palestinian man throws leaflets dropped Monday by the Israeli military during Monday’s protests along the Israel-Gaza border. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)
The vast majority of demonstrators were unarmed, but near a parking area, a man pulled out an AK-47 and took aim at an Israeli drone dropping leaflets. He let off a stream of bullets into the air and brought it down. Later, more gunfire was heard as Palestinian factions argued over who would keep the downed drown, onlookers said.
As the death toll neared 50, loudspeakers called for protesters to leave the border area. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya was called to Cairo on Sunday night in an apparent attempt to persuade the militant group to quell the demonstrations. No agreement was made, Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nounou said as he attended the protests. “They understood our points. Our people are showing their solidarity with Jerusalem today, and showing their anger with the U.S. administration.”
Hamas’s Interior Ministry said seven of its members were killed, including a medic from the civil defense, two internal security staff and a military intelligence official. At least 12 journalists were injured, according to the Health Ministry.
The demonstrations have proved to be a welcome distraction for Hamas, refocusing anger against Israel as frustration built against the group in Gaza.
At a news conference as evening fell, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayaa said the protests would continue.
“This blood will keep boiling until the occupation leaves forever,” he said.
At a morgue, the blood was washed off the bodies of those killed before they were taken away by waiting relatives. Dressed in a blue Chelsea soccer shirt, Ahmed Jundiya, 20, was waiting for the body of his 20-year-old cousin.
Jundiya himself hadn’t been at the demonstrations.
“I wanted to go, but my parents said no,” he said. “You can see the result of participating,” he added, motioning toward the room where his relative lay.
Anne Gearan in Washington and Sufian Taha in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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Trump’s embassy move has triggered deadly protests. These maps explain why.
New U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem: A stone plaque and $400,000 in renovations
Trump’s ‘buy now, pay later’ foreign policy ||||| FILE - In this July 1, 2017, file photo, pastor Robert Jeffress, of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, speaks as he introduces President Donald Trump during the Celebrate Freedom event at the Kennedy... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this July 1, 2017, file photo, pastor Robert Jeffress, of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, speaks as he introduces President Donald Trump during the Celebrate Freedom event at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. In a tweet Sunday, May 13, 2018, Senate candidate Mitt... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this July 1, 2017, file photo, pastor Robert Jeffress, of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, speaks as he introduces President Donald Trump during the Celebrate Freedom event at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. In a tweet Sunday, May 13, 2018, Senate candidate Mitt... (Associated Press) FILE - In this July 1, 2017, file photo, pastor Robert Jeffress, of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, speaks as he introduces President Donald Trump during the Celebrate Freedom event at the Kennedy... (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate candidate Mitt Romney of Utah says a prominent Baptist minister shouldn't be giving the prayer that opens the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem because he's a "religious bigot."
In a tweet Sunday night, the former Massachusetts governor and 2012 Republican presidential nominee criticized Dallas minister Robert Jeffress for his remarks about Jews, Mormons and Islam.
Romney said, "Robert Jeffress says 'you can't be saved by being a Jew,' and 'Mormonism is a heresy from the pit of hell.' He's said the same about Islam."
The liberal group Media Matters reports on its website that Jeffress made the remarks cited by Romney in a 2011 speech at the conservative Values Voter Summit.
Jeffress responded in a tweet of his own by defending his view that "salvation is through faith in Christ alone."
"Historic Christianity has taught for 2,000 years that salvation is through faith in Christ alone. The fact that I, along with tens of millions of evangelical Christians around the world, continue to espouse that belief, is neither bigoted nor newsworthy,: Jeffress said in the tweet,
The role of Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, a Southern Baptist megachurch, underlines the significance of the Jerusalem event as an appeal to Christian conservatives, part of President Donald Trump's base of supporters. | – One of Israel's biggest sports teams has given itself a new name in honor of the opening of the new US Embassy in Jerusalem—and the man who made it possible. Soccer club Beitar Jerusalem says it is now called Beitar Trump Jerusalem and the change will be permanent. "President Trump has shown courage, and true love of the Israeli people and their capital," the team said in a statement. The team, which is in second place in Israel's top soccer league, is notorious for anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiment, according to the Times of Israel. In other developments: Deadly violence: Israeli soldiers killed 16 protesters near the Gaza border and injured hundreds more ahead of the opening, say Palestinian health authorities, per the AP. That makes Monday the deadliest day of protests since they began six weeks ago, reports the Washington Post. Mitt Romney speaks out. Romney said Sunday night that a Dallas minister shouldn't deliver the embassy's opening prayer because he is a "religious bigot," the AP reports. "Robert Jeffress says 'you can't be saved by being a Jew,' and 'Mormonism is a heresy from the pit of hell.' He's said the same about Islam," Romney tweeted. In response, Jeffress said it isn't bigoted to teach that "salvation is through faith in Christ alone." |
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With 1.39 billion active users worldwide, Facebook’s social network is the closest thing we have to a universal communication platform. And people post — or try to post — just about everything you can imagine.
On Monday, the company clarified its community standards to give its users more guidance about what types of posts are not allowed on the service.
Facebook walks a delicate line when it tries to ban violent or offensive content without suppressing the free sharing of information that it says it wants to encourage. Its audience is vast, with a huge variance in age, cultural values and laws across the globe. Yet despite its published guidelines, the reasoning behind Facebook’s decisions to block or allow content are often opaque and inconsistent.
For example, the company flip-flopped repeatedly on whether to allow beheading videos on the service before recently deciding to ban them. In December, it blocked a page in Russia that was promoting an antigovernment protest, then allowed copycat pages to stay up. And in October, it created an exception to its requirement that people use their real names on the service when it allowed San Francisco’s drag queens to use their stage names while continuing to crack down on others using false names.
“We’re trying to strike the balance based on the way our community works,” Monika Bickert, Facebook’s head of global policy management, said in an interview. “The landscape is complicated.”
The company hopes that more specific explanation of its rules will take some of the mystery out of what it will and will not allow.
Terrorist organizations like the Islamic State have long been banned from the service. But supporting or praising groups involved in “violent, criminal or hateful behavior” is also banned, the updated rules say.
Threatening people with physical or financial harm, or bullying them by posting items intended to degrade or shame them, is also prohibited. So is anything that encourages suicide or eating disorders.
Facebook has always banned pornography and most other nudity, but it is now diving into the nuances. “We remove photographs of people displaying genitals or focusing in on fully exposed buttocks,” it says. It also restricts some images of female breasts if the nipple shows, “but we always allow photos of women actively engaged in breast-feeding or showing breasts with post-mastectomy scarring.” Photos of paintings, sculptures and other art that depicts nude figures are also fine.
The company is for the first time explicitly banning content promoting sexual violence or exploitation, including so-called revenge porn, which it defines as intimate images “shared in revenge or without permission from the people in the images.” (Twitter has also updated its rules to forbid revenge porn.)
One thing that has not changed: Facebook has no plans to automatically scan for and remove potentially offensive content, Ms. Bickert said.
Facebook will still rely on users to report violations of the standards. Ms. Bickert said that the company had review teams working at all hours of the day around the globe, and that every report was examined by one of them before a decision was made.
The process can take time — typically 48 hours on matters of safety, she said. That may not be fast enough for some people in an era where graphic content can go viral in minutes. Twitter, which is a much more public forum, has come under fire from women’s advocates and antiterror groups for not responding quickly enough to reports of abusive or violent tweets.
But Facebook wants to take into account the full context of a post, Ms. Bickert said. For example, a victim of a violent attack might post images on Facebook as a way of raising public awareness. “Sometimes the best way to share information about atrocities in the world is Facebook,” she said. “We recognize that is a very challenging issue.”
Facebook’s rulings can also be appealed. “If a person’s account is suspended, those appeals are read by real people who can look into the specifics,” she said.
Ms. Bickert said that clarifying its rules helped not only Facebook users but also the people who reviewed possible violations to decide what was permissible. “We can only do this if we have objective rules,” she said.
Governments also ask Facebook to take down posts. In conjunction with the updated community standards, the company published on Monday its latest transparency report, which discloses country-by-country information on government requests for user data and the removal of content.
In the report, Facebook says that in the second half of 2014, it restricted 9,707 pieces of content for violating local laws, up 11 percent from the first half of the year. Of those, India requested the most takedowns, with 5,832, and Turkey was not far behind with 3,624. No content was restricted in the United States based on government requests.
The number of government requests for account data increased slightly, to 35,051, compared with 34,946 in the first half. The United States was at the top of the list, making 14,274 requests for information on 21,731 Facebook accounts, with the company agreeing to turn over information in 79 percent of the cases.
“As difficult questions arise about the limits of what people can share, we have a single guiding principle: We want to give the most voice to the most people,” Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s co-founder and chief executive, wrote in a post that accompanied the report.
“Some people say we should ignore government orders requiring us to restrict people’s voice, even if that means the whole service would be blocked in those countries. I don’t think that’s right,” he said. “I believe we have a responsibility to the millions of people in these countries who rely on Facebook to stay in touch with their friends and family every day. If we ignored a lawful government order and then we were blocked, all of these people’s voices would be muted, and whatever content the government believed was illegal would be blocked anyway.”
“It’s tempting to think of free expression and having a voice as black and white — either you have it or you don’t,” Mr. Zuckerberg said. “But giving people a voice, like most things in our society, is something that we must make incremental progress towards.” ||||| By Monika Bickert, Head of Global Policy Management, and Chris Sonderby, Deputy General Counsel
Every day, people around the world use Facebook to connect with family and friends, share information and express themselves. The conversations that happen here mirror the diversity of the more than one billion people who use Facebook, with people discussing everything from pets to politics. Our goal is to give people a place to share and connect freely and openly, in a safe and secure environment.
We have a set of Community Standards that are designed to help people understand what is acceptable to share on Facebook. These standards are designed to create an environment where people feel motivated and empowered to treat each other with empathy and respect.
Today we are providing more detail and clarity on what is and is not allowed. For example, what exactly do we mean by nudity, or what do we mean by hate speech? While our policies and standards themselves are not changing, we have heard from people that it would be helpful to provide more clarity and examples, so we are doing so with today’s update.
There are also times when we may have to remove or restrict access to content because it violates a law in a particular country, even though it doesn’t violate our Community Standards. We report the number of government requests to restrict content for contravening local law in our Global Government Requests Report, which we are also releasing today. We challenge requests that appear to be unreasonable or overbroad. And if a country requests that we remove content because it is illegal in that country, we will not necessarily remove it from Facebook entirely, but may restrict access to it in the country where it is illegal.
Billions of pieces of content are shared on Facebook every day. We hope these two updates help provide more clarity about the standards we have, whether they are our own Community Standards or those imposed by different laws around the world.
More Detailed Community Standards
The updated Community Standards are broken into four sections:
Helping to keep you safe
Encouraging respectful behavior
Keeping your account and personal information secure
Protecting your intellectual property
In particular, we’ve provided more guidance on policies related to self-injury, dangerous organizations, bullying and harassment, criminal activity, sexual violence and exploitation, nudity, hate speech, and violence and graphic content. While some of this guidance is new, it is consistent with how we’ve applied our standards in the past.
It’s a challenge to maintain one set of standards that meets the needs of a diverse global community. For one thing, people from different backgrounds may have different ideas about what’s appropriate to share — a video posted as a joke by one person might be upsetting to someone else, but it may not violate our standards.
This is particularly challenging for issues such as hate speech. Hate speech has always been banned on Facebook, and in our new Community Standards, we explain our efforts to keep our community free from this kind of abusive language. We understand that many countries have concerns about hate speech in their communities, so we regularly talk to governments, community members, academics and other experts from around the globe to ensure that we are in the best position possible to recognize and remove such speech from our community. We know that our policies won’t perfectly address every piece of content, especially where we have limited context, but we evaluate reported content seriously and do our best to get it right.
If people believe Pages, profiles or individual pieces of content violate our Community Standards, they can report it to us by clicking the “Report” link at the top, right-hand corner. Our reviewers look to the person reporting the content for information about why they think the content violates our standards. People can also unfollow, block or hide content and people they don’t want to see, or reach out to people who post things that they don’t like or disagree with.
While the Community Standards outline Facebook’s expectations when it comes to what content is or is not acceptable in our community, countries have local laws that prohibit some forms of content. In some countries, for example, it is against the law to share content regarded as being blasphemous. While blasphemy is not a violation of the Community Standards, we will still evaluate the reported content and restrict it in that country if we conclude it violates local law.
Countries contact us to let us know when content may be in violation of local laws and we compile these requests into a public report called the Global Government Requests Report.
Global Government Requests Report
The Global Government Requests Report, which covers the second half of 2014, includes information about the government requests we received for content removal and account data as well as national security requests under the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and through National Security Letters.
Overall, we continue to see an increase in government requests for data and content restrictions. The amount of content restricted for violating local law increased by 11% over the previous half, to 9,707 pieces of content restricted, up from 8,774. We saw a rise in content restriction requests from countries like Turkey and Russia, and declines in places like Pakistan.
The number of government requests for account data remained relatively flat, with a slight increase to 35,051 from 34,946. There was an increase in data requests from certain governments such as India, and decline in requests from countries such as the United States and Germany.
We publish this information because we want people to know the extent and nature of the requests we receive from governments and the policies we have in place to process them.
Moving forward, we will continue to scrutinize each government request and push back when we find deficiencies. We will also continue to push governments around the world to reform their surveillance practices in a way that maintains the safety and security of their people while ensuring their rights and freedoms are protected. ||||| This is a set of web collections curated by Mark Graham using the Archive-IT service of the Internet Archive. They include web captures of the ISKME.org website as well as captures from sites hosted by IGC.org.These web captures are available to the general public.For more information about this collection please feel free to contact Mark via Send Mail | – When it comes to rules about posts on Facebook, there's a fair bit of subtlety. Rather than electronically identifying offensive images, for instance, the company says it has actual human beings assess context, the New York Times reports. Today, the site is posting a more thorough explanation of its policies, which also address matters ranging from hate speech and nudity to issues of intellectual property. It encourages users to flag content that concerns them. Among its examples: Nudity: Genitals are a no-no. But while, for example, some images of breasts won't be tolerated, pictures of breastfeeding or mastectomy scars are allowed, as is artwork showing nudes, a spokeswoman tells the paper. Violence: The site has gone back and forth on beheading videos, finally settling on a ban, the Times reports. But images of violence may be allowed if they're aimed at sharing "information about atrocities in the world." Hate speech: Race-, gender-, and religion-based attacks won't be tolerated, the site says. But "people can use Facebook to challenge ideas, institutions, and practices," the site notes. "Such discussion can promote debate and greater understanding." International differences: The laws of different countries can change what's acceptable where. Facebook points to its Global Government Requests Report as a source of information on how official policies affect content and privacy. In the second half of 2014, the site notes, 9,707 pieces of content were restricted by governments, up 11% from the first half of the year. The site offers a clickable map showing different countries' records. Click for the full policy page. |
It was a rare but certainly interesting case of theft, and the perpetrator has now been sentenced.
An employee of the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa was found to have been stealing gold from the mint.
In November of last year 35-year-old Leston Lawrence was found guilty of stealing 22 gold “pucks”.
Original RCI story 2016
His job at the time was to take small samples from batches of molten gold which would then be tested for purity. He sometimes worked alone and the process meant periods out of sight of the only security camera in the room.
He managed to sell 17 of the pucks for a total of about $130,000. He was caught, not by the mint, but through an alert bank employee where he cashed the cheques.
Lawrence creating gold puck
Lawrence has now been sentenced to 30 months in jail, and pay a $190,000 fine, the estimated actual worth of the missing gold.
Ontario Court Justice Peter Doody also said Lawrence must repay the fine within three years of his release, or be sent back to jail for another 30 months.
Lawrence used the money to buy a house in Jamaica and a boat in Florida.
Internal video of screening room as Lawrence sets off main detector
The judge noted that the evidence was mostly circumstantial as no-one actually saw Lawrence taking the pucks and there was no video evidence although the pucks exactly fit the unique ladle used at the mint, and Vaseline and latex gloves were found in Lawrence’s locker at work. Four unsold pucks were also recovered from a safety deposit box.
Records show Lawrence also set off the metal detector more often than any other employee, but that subsequent checks with a wand did not set off alarms.
The Mint says it since improved its internal security measures.
Additional information- sources ||||| The former Royal Canadian Mint employee who apparently used his rectum to smuggle 22 solid gold "pucks" out of the secure facility in Ottawa has been given a 30-month prison sentence and must pay a fine of $190,000.
In November, 35-year-old Leston Lawrence was found guilty of stealing the 22 pucks from the mint on Sussex Drive, and of laundering 17 of them through Ottawa Gold Buyers (the cheque for an 18th puck never cleared because that puck was seized by police).
Lawrence was also found guilty of possession of property obtained by crime, conveying gold out of the mint and breach of trust by a public official.
Ontario Court Justice Peter Doody ruled Thursday that Lawrence would have to serve an additional 30 months if he doesn't pay the $190,000 fine within three years of being released from prison.
The weight of the 17 laundered pucks ranged from 192 to 264 grams apiece and were sold for between $6,800 and $9,500 each in 2014 and 2015.
Lawrence made $130,000 from the 17 pucks he sold, which he sent abroad to build a house in Jamaica and buy a boat in Florida, among other transactions. The full market value of the 17 pucks of gold is estimated to be about $190,000, according to a statement of restitution prepared by the mint in early January.
It's estimated that if Lawrence had managed to sell all 22 pucks through Ottawa Gold Buyers, Lawrence would have made about $165,000 — an amount based on what he sold the 17 pucks for.
Crown wanted 3 years, defence wanted 18 months
During sentencing submissions last month, Crown attorney David Friesen said Lawrence should be sentenced to three years in prison, arguing that the offences took place over several months and were "not simply a one-off," and that Lawrence has not demonstrated remorse.
The Crown was also seeking a $190,000 fine.
Defence lawyer Gary Barnes, meanwhile, said his client should receive an 18-month jail sentence, arguing lax security measures made it easy for Lawrence to smuggle the gold and that he's already lost his job.
Barnes also argued Lawrence should only have to pay back $130,000 — the amount he actually made selling the 17 pucks of gold — rather than the $190,000 the 17 laundered pucks are estimated to be worth.
Defence lawyer Gary Barnes says the judge in the gold smuggling trial was meticulous. 1:27
'Accepts that he has been convicted'
Speaking to reporters outside court Thursday, Barnes called Doody's decision careful and meticulous, and said it was "difficult to quibble with what he had to say."
Lawrence is reacting "very well" to the media interest in the case, Barnes said, and accepts the outcome of the trial.
"We expected it all along. ... When no one showed up for the first week and we were sort of under the radar, that was very, very surprising," Barnes said.
"He's sitting there looking at what the judge has done ... and he accepts that he has been convicted."
Barnes also reiterated that the mint's security measures were too lax.
Mint responds
In an emailed statement, a mint spokesperson wrote Thursday that "several improvements" have been made to their security system, "including upgrades to our facility's security checkpoint and screening process; upgrades to our camera system to high definition which provides real-time monitoring capability in all areas of the mint; and working closely with CATSA [Canadian Air Transport Security Authority] to establish more robust scanning training of our employees.
"The mint is one of the most secure facilities in Canada and we are confident that we have the right security measures in place to effectively operate our business," the statement reads. | – A Canadian man who smuggled $145,000 in gold out of the country's mint is on his way to prison—and will probably be searched extremely thoroughly on the way in. Leston Lawrence, found guilty in November of smuggling 22 gold "pucks" out of the Royal Canadian Mint in his rectum, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay his former employers the full market value of the stolen gold, the CBC reports. Ontario Judge Peter Doody ruled that if the 35-year-old can't come up with the money within three years of getting out of prison, he'll have to go back behind bars for another 30 months. Lawrence—who set off metal detectors at work many times but always passed searches with a handheld wand—was convicted of conveying gold out of the mint, breach of trust by a public official, and possession of property obtained by crime, reports the BBC. Prosecutors said he used the $100,000 or so he made from selling the gold to Ottawa Gold Buyers to buy a house in Jamaica and a boat in Florida. Investigators, first alerted by a suspicious bank teller, found Vaseline and rubber gloves in Lawrence's work locker. In his safe deposit box at a bank, they discovered four unsold gold pucks, which had about the same diameter as a golf ball and matched the size of the ladle Lawrence used to test gold at the mint, Radio Canada International reports. (You'll never guess how this teen tried to smuggle a gun.) |
By JPOST.COM STAFF, REUTERS
Photo: REUTERS/Darren Whiteside
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday he would demand full membership of the United Nations when he goes to the UN General Assembly next week, setting up a diplomatic clash with Israel and the United States.
"We are going to the United Nations to request our legitimate right, obtaining full membership for Palestine in this organization," Abbas said in a televised speech, indicating he would seek a vote on the issue in the UN Security Council.
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"We are going to the Security Council," he added, to rapturous applause from his audience of Palestinian leaders. "As for other options, we have not yet taken a decision on them," he said.Abbas said that nobody should have any illusions that he will come back from New York with independence."If we succeed, and this is what we are working towards, then we must know that the day following the recognition of the state, the occupation will not end," Abbas said."But we will have obtained the world's recognition that our state is occupied and that our land is occupied and not disputed territory, as the Israeli government claims," he said.He added that the move is not intended to isolate Israel or delegitimize its legal status. "Israel is there, no one can isolate or take away its legal status, but we need to isolate the policies of Israel. We need to put an end to the occupation and take away the legal status of the occupation."The PA president said that recognition of statehood with pre-1967 borders is necessary for renewed negotiations with Israel. "We need to have full [UN] membership within [pre-1967] borders in order to go to negotiations on a basis adopted by the world so that we may discuss the permanent issues of Jerusalem, borders, refugees - and our prisoners in Israeli prisons.""We're not going there to bring independence, we will come back to negotiate the issues, but god willing, we need full membership in the UN."He stressed that any popular protests in support of his initiative should be peaceful. Jerusalem fears that the UN showdown could spark violence across the West Bank and is putting IDF forces on high alert in the area.Abbas is due to address the UN General Assembly on Sept. 23, when he said he would present Palestine's membership bid. ||||| “We need to have full membership at the U.N.,” Mr. Abbas said in the speech from his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, which was broadcast live on Al Jazeera and other outlets. “We need a state, a seat at the United Nations.”
He added, “We are going to the Security Council,” as Palestinian dignitaries gave him rousing applause and a standing ovation. Mr. Abbas called it “our decision, which we have conveyed to everyone.”
The borders Mr. Abbas seeks are those of 1967, meaning East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza would be included. More than 500,000 Israelis have settled beyond those lines.
Israel, while officially accepting the idea of a Palestinian state, wants to leave nearly all of the settlers where they are and keep control of Jerusalem. It also fears militant groups and missiles would penetrate such a state unless Israel controls its borders, an approach rejected by the Palestinians.
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One goal of the move is to gain admission to a range of international legal and diplomatic forums where complaints against Israeli occupation and settlement could be pursued. Mr. Abbas said he was not seeking to delegitimize Israel, only to advance negotiations between two equals.
For the Obama administration, the move poses an acute dilemma. It has vowed to use its veto because it argues that the only viable way toward Palestinian statehood is through direct talks with Israel. But for the past eight months, Arab countries have risen in revolt against dictators and the Palestinian question has totemic significance for the entire region.
The United States has struggled to place itself on the side of those seeking justice and freedom in the current revolts. But the Obama administration has supported uprisings in Libya and, less strongly, in Syria , while looking the other way during a crackdown by an ally, Bahrain . A veto of Palestinian membership would intensify Arab perceptions of American double standards.
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Moreover, Republican lawmakers have vowed to end American aid to the Palestinian Authority if it seeks United Nations membership, something the administration opposes. That could create further chaos on the ground.
The White House sent two senior diplomats, Dennis B. Ross and David M. Hale, on repeated trips to Jerusalem and Ramallah in recent weeks to try to work out an alternative to a United Nations campaign.
In recent days, senior administration officials said, the United States was trying to get agreement on a statement, backed by the international community, affirming President Obama ’s proposal last May to negotiate the creation of a Palestinian state. That plan would use as a baseline the pre-1967 boundaries of Israel, with land swaps. But Palestinian officials said it was too little too late.
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“We ask President Obama to face the moment of truth,” Mohammad Shtayyeh, a senior Palestinian official, said afterward. “This is a peaceful measure. There is no reason whatsoever for the United States not to support us on this step.”
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel issued a curt statement, saying, “Peace will not be achieved by a unilateral approach to the United Nations.”
Mr. Netanyahu says that the Palestinians must not be rewarded for avoiding direct talks and tough sacrifices. Some of his ministers have called for a range of punitive responses, including annexing portions of the West Bank or removing travel privileges from Palestinian officials. He has not expressed himself publicly on those suggestions.
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At the Arab League , which had strongly urged the Palestinians to take the less confrontational path of seeking limited statehood recognition via the General Assembly, an official said the group would now nonetheless stand firmly behind Mr. Abbas. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity in order not to upstage leaders of the league, who were traveling to New York for the United Nations annual meetings.
Officials of Hamas , the militant Palestinian faction that controls Gaza, said Mr. Abbas’s declaration was a useless stunt aimed at continuing what it called fruitless negotiations with Israel, which Hamas does not recognize as a legitimate state.
“The speech is an attempt to justify the negotiations,” said Mahmoud Zahar, a Hamas leader, reached by telephone. He argued that turning to the United Nations would get Mr. Abbas nothing.
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Hamas has banned public demonstrations in Gaza to support Mr. Abbas’s move. Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, told reporters that Mr. Abbas had approached the United Nations unilaterally, without winning support from the group, despite what Mr. Barhoum called the Palestinian president’s rhetoric about reconciliation.
Mr. Abbas’s speech was played live on the official channel Palestine TV with the “UN 194” logo of the statehood recognition bid in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. Some Palestinians listened; others said it mattered little because the United States would veto it.
Admission to the United Nations as a full member state requires a recommendation from the 15-member Security Council, with a majority of nine votes, and no veto from the five permanent members, which include the United States. Then the submission goes to the General Assembly, which must pass it by a two-thirds vote among the 193 members.
The American vow to veto has already made it clear that the membership application will not make it out of the Council. But as in other matters involving the United Nations bureaucracy, procedural and legal tools can delay the application for weeks or months along the way. And the Palestinians could still subsequently seek less formal recognition of statehood through the General Assembly.
Mr. Abbas is aware of the obstacles ahead, some diplomats said, and may not object to the uncertainty. He ended his speech, saying, “As for other options, we have not yet taken a decision on them.”
The theory is that by going to the Council, Mr. Abbas makes his strongest political and symbolic act. And for Mr. Abbas, a man who is 76 and speaks frequently about retiring, that may be part of the point. In addition, the procedural delays at the Council could provide the time for an alternative negotiation framework to mature.
But that is a distinctly minority view of how events are likely to proceed. Most analysts and officials fear the combination of Israeli and Palestinian intransigence, along with a roiling region, will create the conditions for confrontation rather than negotiation. | – It’s official: Mahmoud Abbas will demand full UN membership from the Security Council next week, despite an almost certain veto from the US. Abbas formally committed to the gambit for the first time in a speech today, the New York Times reports, saying that “We need a state, a seat at the United Nations, and nothing more.” The US had hoped it could talk Abbas out of the move. But the AP notes that Abbas downplayed expectations, saying the move wouldn’t grant Palestine its independence. “The occupation will not come to an end,” he said. “But we will at least have recognition that we are under occupation, and not a disputed territory as Israel says.” He also said that he wasn’t trying to isolate or delegitimize Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post. “Israel is there, no one can isolate or take away its legal status,” he said, “but we need to isolate the policies of Israel.” |
High-profile Hollywooders, as well as several sports, business and political luminaries, are offering up a string of last-minute, big-dollar contributions both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
Actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Zach Galifianakis, Renee Zellweger, Susan Saint James Ebersol and Amanda Seyfried are among the four-figure donors in recent days to Obama’s campaign, according to federal campaign finance disclosures.
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reset PHOTOS: Stars hit up the swing states Play Slideshow POLITICO’s late night roundup
Author Anne Rice, Disney TV Animation Executive Producer Dan Povenmire, and comedy writer Ian Maxtone-Graham are other notable Obama contributors.
For Romney, actor Kelsey Grammer, Denver Broncos executive John Elway and former game show host Bob Barker have made 11th hour, four-figure donations.
Sarah Palin’s political action committee, SARAH PAC, also chipped in $5,000 last week.
Heritage Foundation Executive Becky Dunlop, American Beverage Association Chief Executive Susan Neely, former Mike’s Hard Lemonade President Philip W. O’Neil, the political action committee of the Consumer Electronics Association and the congressional campaign of Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) are among the recent donors of at least $1,000 to Romney’s campaign. ||||| The Obama campaign is using a mailer modeled after online cat memes as part of their final get out the vote push in the crucial battleground state of Ohio. On the mailer, there is a picture of a cat peeking out from behind a laptop decorated with Ohio-themed Obama campaign stickers highlighting the push to get people to vote early.
“STOP LOOKING AT CATS ONLINE AND GO VOTE,” text on the flyer says.
A user on the social news site Reddit with the handle MollyBloom11 posted a picture of the mailer on the site last night. They were clearly impressed with the campaign’s understanding of internet culture.
“The Obama campaign sent me this today…They know their audience,” MollyBloom11 wrote.
The Obama campaign confirmed the mailer was real and has been used in Ohio. They were not immediately sure whether similar imaging has been used for online ads or in other states.
Follow Hunter Walker on Twitter or via RSS. hwalker@observer.com | – The stars are coming out in a big way as Election Day looms. The latest: Will Ferrell really, really wants you to vote—and he'll do anything to make sure you do, he promises in a new video for President Obama. "Hungry? How about a home-cooked meal? Hope you like angel hair pasta," he says. "You need a guy to help you move a couch? Done. I've even got my own van." But his promises get bigger—and weirder—from there. "If you vote, I'll eat anything you tell me to—garbage, hair, human toenails, underpants, whatever—I'll do it," he swears. The president's name stays out of it until the very end, when Ferrell concludes, while holding a football, "Vote Obama. It's a slam dunk." On Jimmy Kimmel's show last week, Chris Rock offered up a special message to white voters. "In times like these, you need a white president you can trust," Rock explains. "And that white president's name is Barack Obama." His evidence that Obama is actually white? The president used to be called "Barry," he likes to golf, he wears "mom jeans," and he has a Portugese water dog, among other things. Amy Poehler kept her endorsement brief and to the point: "If you can vote, go vote for Obama," she concludes. Obama himself is also urging voters to hit the polls ... and he's doing it cat-meme style. It's not just ads: Celebrities are making last-minute donations to both campaigns, Politico reports. Jake Gyllenhaal, Zach Galifianakis, Renee Zellweger, and Amanda Seyfried all recently made four-figure contributions to Obama's campaign, while Kelsey Grammer, Bob Barker, and John Elway did the same for Romney. Click here, here, or here to see previous celebrity endorsements. |
Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton are welcoming a little one to their newly-formed family -- but it isn't a baby. The Telegraph reports the newlyweds have just adopted a cocker spaniel puppy, whose name has not been released.
According to the report, the puppy is barely a few months old and is the son of Kate's mother's dog, Ella.
US Weekly reports the couple was initially worried they weren't ready to take care of a pet, but after a short trial period, all fears were assuaged.
"William and Catherine fell in love with the pup instantly and it wasn't long before they decided to keep him," a Palace aide told the magazine. "He's now part of the royal fold!" ||||| Duke and Duchess welcome new arrival: Kate and Wills adopt pet cocker spaniel but the name remains a mystery
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge now have a three-month old puppy
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have welcomed a new addition to their family - an adorable three-month old puppy.
The couple acquired the male cocker spaniel in early December and have been happily settling him in at their rented farmhouse in North Wales.
Remarkably, however, William and Kate have given palace aides strict instructions not to publicly reveal the name of their pet, arguing that it is a ‘private’ matter.
‘He is a private pet and they do not want his name to be made public although the couple are happy to confirm that they do, indeed, have a new dog,’ a spokesman at St James’s Palace, the couple’s London headquarters, intoned.
Royal sources say the black pup is ‘a few months old’ and comes from a litter bred by Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, who adores the breed.
‘I don’t know whether the Middleton family dog is a boy or a girl, but the Duke and Duchess’s puppy is the result of the family dog breeding with one belonging to another breeder,’ said an aide.
The new dog is the couple’s first together and replaces Prince William’s black labrador, Widgeon, who died about two years ago.
Over the years, the Royal Family have embraced dogs as their favoured pets.
Formal portraits from the 17th century onwards show kings, queens and their children happily posing with their beloved animals, from pugs to greyhounds, King Charles spaniels to corgis.
Some pets have even merited their own portraits, and, as in many households, were considered very much members of the family.
Prince William’s black labrador, Widgeon, died about two years ago (left, stock picture) but now he has acquired a male cocker spaniel with wife Kate
When Queen Victoria’s beloved collie, Noble, died at Balmoral in 1887, he was buried in the grounds of the castle and given his own gravestone, which read:
'Noble by name by nature noble too
Faithful companion sympathetic true
His remains are interred here'
A terrier named Caesar belonging to King Edward VII was given even greater status when, having outlived the king, he walked behind His Majesty’s coffin in the funeral procession.
The current Queen is, of course, associated with the corgi.
The breed was introduced to the Royal Family by her father, King George VI, in 1933 when he bought a corgi called Dookie from a local kennels.
For her eighteenth birthday, The Queen was given a corgi named Susan from whom numerous successive dogs were bred.
Some corgis were mated with dachshunds (most notably Pipkin, who belonged to Princess Margaret) to create ‘dorgis’.
At present, The Queen owns three corgis, Monty, Willow and Holly and three dorgis, Cider, Candy and Vulcan, who travel with her everywhere, with Her Majesty looking after them herself as much as possible.
Tradition: The current Queen is associated with the corgi
Other members of the Royal Family own dogs of various breeds. The Duchess of Cornwall owns two Jack Russell terriers, Tosca and Rosie, and recently acquired a rescue pup called Beth from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
Spaniels are one of the oldest known breeds of dogs and are believed to have to come to the UK during Caesar’s invasion in 55 and 54 BC.
It is assumed they originated from Spain as the word spaniel is believed to have been derived from Hispania or possibly from the French phrase chiens de l’Espagnol (dog of Spain).
Spaniels were initially bred to flush game out of dense brush but by the late 1600’s had become specialized into water and land breeds.
The difference between cocker and springer spaniels is that the former are smaller, more compact, dogs and can have marginally more placid temperaments.
As a breed cocker spaniels have friendly, affectionate, happy natures and considered to be wonderful family pets.
The arrival of the couple’s anonymous new pooch is particularly timely as he will help keep Kate, 30, company while her husband is posted to the Falkland Islands for six weeks.
Search and Rescue pilot William, 29, will fly out tonight with his Sea King crew on a routine deployment to the region, leaving his wife on her own.
She is expected to spend more time in London while he is away and will largely live with her pup at Kensington Palace, the couple’s London base.
Last night betting firm Ladbrokes were offering odds of 10/1 on the dog being called Charlie, 33/1 on Bouncer and 66/1 on Fenton, after the now world-famous hound seen chasing deer in Richmond Park, which became a YouTube sensation.
The pup has not been formally revealed in public yet but has been seen being walked by the couple on beaches near their Anglesey home. | – You may have heard the happy news: Prince William and Kate Middleton are the proud parents of a 3-month-old cocker spaniel. However, if you were hoping to find out what they're calling the puppy, prepare to be disappointed. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have strictly instructed aides not to reveal his name, the Daily Mail reports. Says a spokesperson, "He is a private pet and they do not want his name to be made public although the couple are happy to confirm that they do, indeed, have a new dog." Click for pictures of the "private pet." |
A street is cordoned off near the department store Ahlens following Friday's suspected terror attack in central Stockholm, Sweden, Saturday, April 8, 2017. Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven says everything... (Associated Press)
A street is cordoned off near the department store Ahlens following Friday's suspected terror attack in central Stockholm, Sweden, Saturday, April 8, 2017. Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven says everything indicates a truck that has crashed into a major department store in downtown Stockholm is "a... (Associated Press)
STOCKHOLM (AP) — The suspect in Stockholm's deadly beer truck attack is a 39-year-old native of Uzbekistan who had been on authorities' radar previously, Swedish authorities said Saturday. The prime minister urged citizens to "get through this" and strolled through the streets of the capital to chat with residents.
Swedes flew flags at half-staff Saturday to commemorate the four people killed and 15 wounded when the hijacked truck plowed into a crowd of shoppers Friday afternoon in Stockholm. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven declared Monday a national day of mourning, with a minute of silence at noon.
Sweden's police chief said authorities were confident they had detained the man who carried out the attack.
"There is nothing that tells us that we have the wrong person," Dan Eliason told a news conference Saturday, but added he did not know whether others were involved in the attack. "We cannot exclude this."
Eliason also said police found something in the truck that "could be a bomb or an incendiary object, we are still investigating it."
Prosecutor Hans Ihrman said the suspect has not yet spoken to authorities and could not confirm whether he was a legal resident of Sweden. Anders Thornberg, head of the Swedish Security Service, said security services were working with other nations' security agencies to investigate the attack, but declined to elaborate.
Police declined to comment on media reports about overnight police raids around Stockholm or if they were hunting any more suspects in the case. They said the suspect had been on their radar before but not recently, and did not explain why authorities apparently had not considered him a serious threat.
Eliason told reporters the suspect was "a more marginal character."
Sweden's health service said 10 people were still hospitalized for wounds from the attack and four of them were seriously injured.
Many in Sweden were shocked by the attack, questioning whether Swedish society — considered democratic and egalitarian — had failed in some way.
Visiting the attack site at an upscale department store, Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria laid roses on the ground Saturday and wiped away a tear.
"We must show a huge force, we must go against this," she told reporters.
The stolen beer truck traveled for more than 500 yards (meters) along Drottninggatan, a main pedestrian street, before smashing into a crowd outside the popular Ahlens department store.
The crash was near the site of a December 2010 attack in which Taimour Abdulwahab, a Swedish citizen who lived in Britain, detonated a suicide bomb, killing himself and injuring two others. He had rigged a car with explosives but the car bomb never went off. Abdulwahab died when one of his devices exploded among panicked Christmas shoppers.
Steve Eklund, 35, who works in an office nearby, said "maniacs can't be stopped."
"It's very simple. Things like this will always happen in an open society," Eklund said. "Sweden is not a totalitarian society."
In February, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Sweden could be the next European country to suffer the kind of extremist attacks that have devastated France, Belgium and Germany. Two days after his remarks, a riot broke out in predominantly immigrant suburb of Stockholm where police opened fire on rioters, a surprise to many Swedes who aren't used to officers using guns.
"We must get through this. Life must go on," Lofven said Saturday after again laying flowers near the crash site. "We in Sweden want an open society."
Lofven also made a point of walking around Stockholm, including along the Drottninggatan, chatting with people having coffee outside a cafe.
The prime minister says said the aim of terrorism is to undermine democracy.
"But such a goal will never be achieved in Sweden," he said.
___
AP reporters Pietro DeCristofaro in Stockholm, and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed. ||||| Image copyright AFP Image caption The lorry was driven into the front of a department store
Swedish police have confirmed they discovered a suspect device inside the lorry which was driven into a Stockholm department store on Friday.
The device was found in the driver's seat, National Police Commissioner Dan Eliasson said, but it was not known whether it was a bomb.
Mr Eliasson also said the suspect in custody was from Uzbekistan, 39, and known to security services.
The hijacked lorry was driven into Ahlens department store in the capital.
Four people were killed - 10 remain in hospital, including a child. Two are in intensive care.
Eyewitnesses: Lorry was 'trying to hit people'
Late on Saturday, police in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, found a "bomb-like device" in the Groenland district of the city and detained a man.
The area was cordoned off and a controlled explosion carried out. Police say further investigations are continuing.
What do we know about the Stockholm suspect?
The suspect, who was not named, was known to the security services.
However, he had only been seen as a "marginal character", Mr Eliasson said.
The head of Swedish security police, Anders Thornberg, said the suspect was "a person who has previously figured in our intelligence flow".
Image copyright Swedish police Image caption Police wanted to speak to this man - a suspect matching his description was later arrested
It is not clear if the suspect was resident in Sweden.
Mr Eliasson said police had reason to believe the suspect was the man behind the attack.
But he added: "We still cannot rule out that more people are involved."
On Saturday, there were reports of more police raids in Sweden. However, police told Reuters they had not made any further arrests.
Was there a bomb in the lorry?
Police say it is too early to tell what the "technical device" in the lorry was - only that "it should not be there".
"I cannot say at this stage that this is a bomb or some sort of flammable material," Mr Eliasson said.
"We are doing a technical investigation."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption What we know about the Stockholm lorry attack
What is the Swedish government doing?
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has called it a terrorist attack, with borders tightened at his request.
"Terrorists want us to be afraid, want us to change our behaviour, want us to not live our lives normally, but that is what we're going to do."
"Terrorists can never defeat Sweden, never," Mr Lofven said.
"We're also determined to continue to be an open society; a democratic society."
Image copyright AFP Image caption A memorial has been set up near the site
The mayor of Stockholm, Karin Wanngard, reiterated that Stockholm was open.
"This is not an attack that's about the colour of your skin," she said.
"We can show that with good integration, with an openness and a friendly behaviour, we are stronger together and it doesn't matter where you come from."
Sweden's king, Carl XVI Gustaf, said: "We are all shaken by what has happened."
He added that those "who want to help, are more than those who want to hurt us".
"Unfortunately we've experienced many acts of violence before and we have coped and we will now too."
There will be a minute's silence in Sweden at midday on Monday to commemorate the dead.
Has Sweden experienced similar attacks before?
Sweden has generally low crime rates, and has been ranked as one of the safest countries in the world.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Forensic police are investigating the site of the lorry attack
In 2010, two bombs detonated in central Stockholm, killing the attacker - an Iraq-born Swedish man - and injuring two others.
In October 2015, a masked man who was believed to have far-right sympathies killed a teacher and pupil in a sword attack.
In February, US President Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden, and blamed it on the country's asylum policy - baffling many Swedes.
Sweden has taken in nearly 200,000 refugees and migrants in recent years - more per capita than any other European country.
However, there was a drop in numbers last year after the country introduced new border checks.
Separately, Sweden is believed to have the highest number of Islamic State group fighters per capita in Europe.
About 140 of the 300 who went to Syria and Iraq have since returned, leaving the authorities to grapple with how best to reintegrate them into society.
Timeline: Vehicle ramming attacks in Europe and the US ||||| STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A 39-year-old Uzbek man being held in custody is the suspected driver of a hijacked beer delivery truck that plowed into crowds in central Stockholm, killing four people and wounding 15 in an apparent terror attack, police said on Saturday.
The man, previously known to Swedish intelligence services as a marginal figure with no clear links to extremist groups, is suspected of mowing down pedestrians on a busy shopping street and smashing through a store front on Friday.
“Nothing indicates that we have the wrong person, on the contrary, suspicions have strengthened as the investigation has progressed,” Dan Eliasson, head of Sweden’s national police, told a news conference on Saturday.
The man, detained on Friday night on terrorism charges after the attack in the heart of the capital, appeared to have acted alone but “we still cannot rule out that more people are involved,” he said.
Police raided several addresses in the Stockholm area on Saturday, according to TT news agency and tabloid Aftonbladet, but told Reuters no further arrests in connection with the attack had been made.
A Reuters witness saw police wearing protective masks carrying out a search at an apartment in a southern Stockholm suburb.
LAWYER MET WITH SUSPECT
Court-appointed lawyer Johan Eriksson told Reuters he had met with the suspect on Saturday but declined to give further details about his client.
Police did not name the detainee, but said he was from the central Asian republic of Uzbekistan and that he had seemed peripheral in intelligence reports.
“We received intelligence last year, but we did not see any links to extremist circles,” Sapo security police chief Anders Thornberg said.
Related Coverage Factbox: Deadly attacks in Western Europe since 2014
Eliasson said there were “clear similarities” to an attack last month in London in which six people died, including the assailant who drove a hired car into pedestrians on a bridge.
Vehicles have also been used as weapons in Nice and Berlin in the past year in attacks claimed by Islamic State.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack in Sweden, which until now had been largely immune from major attacks and where many take pride in an open, democratic society.
“I think it was just a matter of time, but still one doesn’t think it will happen,” Cecilia Hansson, a 25 year-old nurse, said. “It’s still unreal when it happens this close.”
Police said they had found a suspicious device in the vehicle, which ended up rammed into the Ahlens department store, but said they did not yet know if it was a homemade bomb, as reported by public broadcaster SVT.
Local authorities in Stockholm, where flags flew at half mast, said 10 people including a child were still being treated in hospital, with two adults in intensive care.
Sweden will hold a minute’s silence at midday (1000 GMT) on Monday to mourn the dead. Police said they were maintaining a heightened presence, fearing copycat attacks.
FLOWERS, DEFIANCE
A gaping hole in the wall of the store showed the force of the impact from the truck, which was removed overnight for examination by forensics experts, and people gathered to pay their respects and leave flowers.
Ahlens said it would open part of the store on Sunday.
STOCKHOLM 2017-04-08 Police in central Stockholm near the crime scene on April 08, 2017, the day after a hijacked beer truck plowed into pedestrians on Drottninggatan and crashed into Ahlens department store on Friday, killing four people, injuring 15 others. TT News Agency/Anders Wiklund/via REUTERS
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven visited the site and struck a defiant tone: “All of us feel anger over what has happened, I also feel the same anger, but we also need to use that anger for something constructive and go forward.”
“We want - and I am convinced the Swedish people also want - to live a normal life. We are an open, democratic society and that is what we will remain.”
Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf, who broke off a trip to Brazil and quickly returned home after the attack, addressed the nation in a televised speech from his home at Stockholm’s palace.
“Those of us who want to help are many more than those who wish to harm us,” said the monarch, wearing a dark suit and black tie. “Sweden is, has long been and will continue to be a safe and peaceful country.”
The attack was the latest to hit the Nordic region after shootings in the Danish capital Copenhagen killed three people in 2015 and the mass attack in 2011 by far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in Norway.
A failed suicide bombing in December 2010 killed an attacker only a few hundred yards from the site of Friday’s incident.
IMMIGRATION
For decades, Sweden has been among the most generous nations to immigrants. But some Swedes are having second thoughts after more than 160,000 people, many from Syria, applied for asylum in 2015 in a nation of just 10 million.
Sweden has since tightened its borders and asylum numbers have slowed to a trickle. Support for the opposition far-right Sweden Democrat party, which links worries about education, welfare costs and crime with immigration, has continued to rise.
“We have warned about such incidents ... but we do not want to score any political points today,” Julia Kronlid, vice chairman of the party, told Reuters.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack in Nice, France, in July 2016, when a truck killed 86 people, and a truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin in December that killed 12.
Slideshow (22 Images)
In last month’s attack in London, a man drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge near Britain’s parliament and then stabbed a policeman to death before being killed himself.
In February U.S. President Donald Trump falsely suggested there had been an immigration-related security incident in Sweden, to the bafflement of Swedes.
Neutral Sweden has not fought a war in more than 200 years, but its military has taken part in U.N. peacekeeping missions in several conflict zones, including Iraq, Mali and Afghanistan. ||||| Police say 39-year-old man from Uzbekistan detained on Friday is suspected of being driver as explosives reportedly found in cab of vehicle
The driver of a hijacked beer delivery truck that careered into crowds on Stockholm’s largest shopping street, killing four and injuring many more, is believed to be a 39-year-old man from Uzbekistan previously known to the security services.
Police in Sweden’s capital confirmed that a man had been arrested “on suspicion of a terrorist crime through murder” after the attack on Friday afternoon, which saw the haulage vehicle drive down a pedestrianised street in the capital before crashing into a department store.
Karin Rosander, a communications director at the Swedish prosecution authority, said that police suspected the arrested man had carried out the attack. He continued to be detained on Saturday.
The country’s national police chief, Dan Eliason, confirmed reports that the suspect was aged 39 and from the central Asian country. He added that he had previously been named in security information but was not recently under investigation, describing the suspect as “a more marginal character”.
Play Video 0:42 Swedish police confirm Stockholm attack suspect is from Uzbekistan – video
Anders Thornberg, head of the Swedish security service, said: “The suspect didn’t appear in our recent files but he earlier has been in our files.”
He said the security services were working with other nations’ security agencies on the matter, but declined to elaborate.
About 15 people were injured and four killed in the attack launched on Drottninggatan, one of the city’s main public thoroughfares. Five of the injured had been released from hospital by Saturday morning but ten remained under care, including a child.
Police sources reportedly told the Swedish broadcaster SVT that a bag of explosives was found in the truck and a bomb disposal unit was deployed overnight. They added that the devices had not been detonated and it is claimed the suspect had “burned himself”. Officials declined to confirm the reports but added that a device of some kind had been found in the truck.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Swedish police released these images of a man suspected of being involved in the attack.
“The person in question has been arrested as the culprit ... in this case the driver,” police spokesman Lars Bystrom said.
A police patrol stopped the man on Friday after the attack because he had “behaved in a way that made him interesting”, and he resembled a suspect in photos issued by police shortly after the crash.
According to a report in the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet, citing a police source, the arrested man is a 39-year-old from Uzbekistan. He had minor injuries and broken glass on his clothes, which matched those of the man in the photos. He is said to have taken a train north from the city after the attack and was arrested in a suburb near the airport, although he lives elsewhere in Stockholm.
Police spokesman Lars Bystrom declined to comment on the reports.
Other media reports said a second man had been detained on suspicion of being connected to the main suspect. The police declined to comment on whether it had arrested any other people.
If confirmed as a terrorist attack, it would be Sweden’s first such assault using a large vehicle.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest People stand behind the police cordon around the scene of the attack. Photograph: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images
The prime minister, Stefan Löfven, said he had strengthened the country’s border controls. “Terrorists want us to be afraid, want us to change our behaviour, want us to not live our lives normally, but that is what we’re going to do. So terrorists can never defeat Sweden, never,” he said.
Restrictions on local transport imposed after the attack were lifted on Friday evening.
Fredrik Reinfeldt, the former prime minister of Sweden, said on Saturday that a liberal, open society must accept that its very freedoms make such attacks possible. “The feeling is that the price of the open society is that it’s very tough for us to shelter against these kinds of initiatives taken by a single person,” he told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.
Swedes would not reject the principle of free movement across borders, nor accept extreme levels of surveillance to stop future attacks, although there may be a debate over whether greater use of CCTV is warranted, Reinfelt said. “We are preparing, we understand the risks; but we are not willing to close down the openness that is the flare of freedom that we love so much.”
The attack occurred just before 3pm (1300 GMT) when the stolen truck crashed into the corner of the bustling Åhléns department store having driven at speed down the pedestrianised Drottninggatan, situated above Stockholm’s central subway station.
Pictures taken at the scene showed a large blue beer truck with a mangled undercarriage smashed into the department store.
Witnesses described scenes of terror and panic. “A massive truck starts driving ... and mangles everything and just drives over exactly everything,” Rikard Gauffin told Agence France-Presse. “It was so terrible and there were bodies lying everywhere ... it was really terrifying.”
The truck was towed away in the early hours of Saturday.
A witness who gave his name as Marko said he and his girlfriend were in a coffee shop near the scene when he saw the truck ram into the store. “He hit a woman first, then he drove over a bunch of other people ... We took care of everyone lying on the ground,” he told Aftonbladet.
Hasan Sidi, another passerby, told Aftonbladet he saw two elderly women lying on the ground. He said people at the scene urged him to help one of the women who was “bleeding to death”. Sidi said: “One of them died ... I don’t know if the other one made it.”
Friday’s attack was the latest in a string of similar assaults with vehicles in Europe, including in London, Berlin and Nice.
The British prime minister, Theresa May, spoke with her Swedish counterpart on Saturday and offered to work together against extremist attacks. A Downing Street statement said May expressed her condolences on behalf of the British people in a telephone call to Löfven.
The statement said the leaders agreed on the importance of working together to tackle such threats. In a similar attack on Westminster last month, Khalid Masood drove a rented SUV into pedestrians before running into the grounds of parliament where he stabbed a police officer to death. Six people died, including the attacker.
The deadliest vehicle-based attack came last year in France on the 14 July Bastille Day national holiday, when a man rammed a truck into a crowd in the Mediterranean resort of Nice, killing 86 people.
Agence France-Presse and Reuters also contributed to this report | – The man accused of killing four people with a hijacked beer truck in Stockholm Friday is a 39-year-old from Uzbekistan who was a "marginal character" already known to authorities, officials in Sweden say. Police say they found a "suspect device" in the vehicle and they haven't ruled out the involvement of other people, the BBC reports. Ten people, including a child, are still in hospital after the attack on one of the city's main thoroughfares. Authorities believe the device may have burned the suspect instead of exploding when he drove through crowds on a pedestrianized street and crashed into a department store, the Guardian reports. Police say the suspect fled after the attack and was arrested in a northern suburb. The AP reports that Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven made a point of walking through the city's streets and stopping to chat to people before laying flowers at the scene Saturday. " We must get through this. Life must go on," Lofven said. "We in Sweden want an open society." "Terrorists want us to be afraid, want us to change our behaviour, want us to not live our lives normally, but that is what we're going to do," Lofven said. "So terrorists can never defeat Sweden, never." There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack, though ISIS claimed similar attacks in cities including London and Nice, reports Reuters. |
John Harris, left, editor in chief of Politico, and Jim VandeHei, Politico executive editor, speak to advertisers in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 19, 2007. (Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press)
Over the past few months and years, the hard-working staff here at Spoiler Alerts has tried to make a few useful suggestions for improving the quality of punditry during this campaign season. For example:
Don’t use Donald Trump as a vehicle for your particular hobbyhorse — you’ll just get tarnished. Don’t call for a military leader on horseback to rescue the country — the ones interested in the job are probably the last ones who should be president. Don’t use Silicon Valley buzzwords to describe anything with respect to politics or policy — it means those words have been played out. Don’t assume Americans care too much about foreign policy or national security. They don’t. Don’t call for a third-party candidate to enter the race because: (a) that candidate won’t win, and (b) even if the candidate wins, the new president still needs to cope with a Congress that will remain a product of the two-party system.
To be fair, I never actually wrote that last point up, mostly because I thought it was so obvious that it did not need to be said out loud.
I bring this up because Politico co-founder Jim VandeHei’s Wall Street Journal op-ed manages to ignore all of these warnings. Praising the plain language of Donald Trump? Check. References to disruption? Check. Calls for an “Innovation Party?” Check. VandeHei also leans hard on the “Normal America vs. D.C. bubble” trope, which will be a topic for another column.
Today, however, Spoiler Alerts would like to focus on VandeHei’s yearning for a military leader to set things right:
Exploit the fear factor. The candidate should be from the military or immediately announce someone with modern-warfare expertise or experience as running mate. People are scared. Terrorism is today’s World War and Americans want a theory for dealing with it. President Obama has established an intriguing precedent of using drone technology and intelligence to assassinate terrorists before they strike. A third-party candidate could build on death-by-drones by outlying the type of modern weapons, troops and war powers needed to keep America safe. And make plain when he or she will use said power. Do it with very muscular language — there is no market for nuance in the terror debate.
There are many, many things wrong with that paragraph. But ignore the “scare Americans and use force at will” rhetoric for a few paragraphs. Do you know who would fit VandeHei’s bill perfectly? Retired four-star admiral William McRaven. Former Navy SEAL. Former JSOC commander. Current chancellor of the University of Texas system. Architect of the Osama bin Laden raid.
Even better, it seems as though McRaven is ready to enter the political fray. Except that, as my Washington Post colleague Craig Whitlock notes, McRaven’s latest political intervention is … somewhat problematic:
[McRaven] made clear that he was angry at the Senate for its treatment of Rear Adm. Brian L. Losey, the commander in charge of the Navy’s elite SEAL teams and other commando units. Losey, who formerly served under McRaven, was denied promotion last month and is being forced to retire after several senators from both parties pressured the Navy to hold him accountable for retaliating against multiple whistleblowers. … McRaven’s description of Losey as an innocent victim is at odds with the findings of the Defense Department’s inspector general, which concluded that he had repeatedly violated whistleblower-protection laws. … Had he stopped there, McRaven’s comments probably would not have attracted much public attention. Instead, he went on to slam lawmakers and question whether a fundamental underpinning of the American system of government — civilian control of the military — was frayed or at risk. “The greater concern for America is the continued attack on leadership in the military,” he wrote. “During my past several years in uniform, I watched in disbelief how lawmakers treated the chairman, the service chiefs, the combatant commanders and other senior officers during Congressional testimony. These officers were men of incredible integrity, and yet some lawmakers showed no respect for their decades of service.”
So the poster boy for VandeHei’s new leadership is … a recently retired admiral who challenges civilian control of the military. I would be uncomfortable with this person in charge of determining the proper allocation of war powers between the different branches of government. By exploiting the fear factor.
Enough with the op-eds that search for magical solutions to existing problems. Can we see some op-eds that address how to restore trust in Congress? Because that is the underlying problem that enables McRaven or VandeHei to go on these rants. ||||| I have spent the past two decades in the Washington, D.C., bubble—the heart of Establishment America—covering politics and building a company, Politico, focused solely on politics. But I’ve also spent a lot of time in my hometown of Oshkosh, Wis., and my adopted hometown of Lincoln, Maine, two blue-collar towns in the heart of Normal America.
Here are my two big takeaways: Normal America is right that Establishment America has grown fat, lazy, conventional and deserving of radical disruption. And the best, perhaps only way... ||||| Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Elle
In Tuesday’s edition of the Wall Street Journal, Jim VandeHei, the former CEO of Politico who left to start a still-mysterious new venture, has written one of the more clueless and despicable op-eds I have read from a current or former journalist. That it manages to be at once both sinister and utterly banal is its signal achievement.
Isaac Chotiner Isaac Chotiner is a Slate staff writer.
VandeHei’s piece is ostensibly a common man’s plea for a responsible third party—one that would depart from the potential third-party paths laid out by Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. In this and in this alone, it differs little from the Beltway pundits’ quadrennial exercise in hyperventilation over the prospect of a third-party candidacy. But VandeHei also puts forth some random and unfocused ideas that unite only around a bizarre combination of demagogy and Silicon Valley–driven innovation. Call it #Authoritarianism.
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VandeHei begins by laying out his credentials. He assures us that he actually spends lots of time in blue-collar “Normal America.” Naturally, the places he mentions as being “normal”—Lincoln, Maine, and Oshkosh, Wisconsin—are small and more than 90 percent white. From this experience, VandeHei declares that “Normal America is right”: Washington “has grown fat, lazy, conventional and deserving of radical disruption.” These sentences, with their lazy assumptions about Washington mingling with the TED Talkese, achieve a sort of majesty in their bathos.
VandeHei then explains the problem with Sanders and Trump; one is a socialist, and the other is too vulgar, as if Trump’s language were the most offensive thing about him. VandeHei adds: “But if someone turned the critique, passion and disdain shared by the two movements into a new one, they could change the system in meaningful ways. Only an outside force can knock Washington out of its governing rut—and the presidency is the only place with the power to do it.” The rest of the piece offers a “template” for doing so.
And it’s here that the column starts rotating between the vapid and the creepy. The former comes in large doses, as VandeHei calls for “a true outsider” who will help “mandate that lawmakers … get outside of the D.C. bubble by holding months-long sessions in different sections of Normal America.” But amid this sort of dreary nonsense, VandeHei lets the mask drop here and there. “And exploit cable TV’s addiction to whatever is hot and new,” he writes. This is gross enough coming from someone in the media, but here is the next section, which is much worse, in full:
Exploit the fear factor. The candidate should be from the military or immediately announce someone with modern-warfare expertise or experience as running mate. People are scared. Terrorism is today’s World War and Americans want a theory for dealing with it. President Obama has established an intriguing precedent of using drone technology and intelligence to assassinate terrorists before they strike. A third-party candidate could build on death-by-drones by outlying the type of modern weapons, troops and war powers needed to keep America safe. And make plain when he or she will use said power. Do it with very muscular language—there is no market for nuance in the terror debate.
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For a politician to call for the exploitation of fear is one thing. For someone in the media to call for it is another. For a media personality to call for it in the midst of a campaign that has seen unprecedented levels of bigotry and xenophobia is the ultimate monument to the Politico view of politics as a mindless exercise in signaling and brand management. (The bit about the ticket having military experience is a particularly nice touch.)
Perhaps fearing that he had reached his quota of fascistophilic appeals, VandeHei returns to banality, offering up such beauties as “Use the Internet revolution for the greater good.” He then adds, “Also, call on Silicon Valley technologist [sic] to do tours of service to bring data solutions and efficiencies to our aging governmental systems.” Terrific.
You can tell where this is headed, can’t you? “Why not recruit Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg or Sheryl Sandberg to head a third-party movement?” VandeHei writes. “Maybe we can convince Michael Bloomberg to help fund the movement with the billions he planned to spend on his own campaign—and then recruit him to run Treasury and advise the president.” So essentially the only way to fix our broken country that has been screwed over by elites is to give more authority to three of the most powerful people in the country. | – One of the co-founders of Politico makes the case that the success of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders shows that America is ready for a third-party movement. Those two have raised a "terrific middle finger" to the establishment, but neither presents a coherent governing strategy, writes Jim VandeHei in the Wall Street Journal. He wants a new party to combine the best of their movements, and even floats a name for it: the Innovation Party. VandeHei suggests someone like Mark Zuckerberg or Sheryl Sandberg could lead it, while Michael Bloomberg could provide financial backing and then perhaps run the Treasury. "Right now, millions of young people are turned on by a 74-old-year socialist scolding Wall Street" and "millions of others by a reality-TV star with a 1950s view of women," writes VandeHei. His ideal candidate is instead someone from outside the political system who can talk to Americans in "unvarnished" language. He or she should also be from the military or select a running mate who is, because "terrorism is today's World War." Click for his full column, which is meeting with some heated criticism. Some samples: "It takes a uniquely special mind to come up with an op-ed that is simultaneously so pointless and so perverse," writes Isaac Chotiner at Slate. He takes particular exception to VandeHei's suggestion that a candidate "exploit the fear" of Americans. "Anyone who believes we are a meritocracy should read Jim VandeHei, who somehow rose to the top of journalism world," tweets Ian Millhiser of ThinkProgress. At the Washington Post, Daniel Drezner provides a critique "of an op-ed gone horribly, horribly wrong," from VandeHei's use of "Silicon Valley buzzwords" to his call for a military leader to save us all. |
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When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more ||||| More than a week after he inserted himself into the 2016 presidential election by releasing information about an investigation into Anthony Weiner’s laptop that might implicate Hillary Clinton, FBI Director James Comey sent out another missive on Sunday clearing the Democratic nominee.
In a letter to Congressional leaders, Comey said the FBI found nothing in their investigation that “changed our conclusions that we expressed in July with respect to Secretary Clinton,” meaning no recommendation of criminal charges.
The FBI director has been under fire for sharing details about an ongoing investigation, against Department of Justice policy with regard to the timing before an election.
News of Comey’s latest letter set Twitter on fire, with Comey getting it from all sides for either “bowing” to Clinton pressure or for getting involved in the first place and disrupting the election.
A sampling below:
James Comey backs down, Clinton intimidation shook him. The FBI will never be taken seriously again. pic.twitter.com/MljbuRFmxm — Mike Cernovich 🇺🇸 (@Cernovich) November 6, 2016
After dropping a partisan bomb on the election, James Comey issues an "oh never mind" letter. pic.twitter.com/xeFDYiUaqT — Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) November 6, 2016
If there is nothing to hide Comey then release all the emails. Let the American people decide. #FBI — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 6, 2016
My prayer Hillary is elected and makes James Comey's life a living hell for the next seven years @FBI — Robert Ernst (@RobEjr) November 6, 2016
James Comey now appears to be the guy who saw an unlit match on the floor and then screamed “FIRE!” in a crowded theater. — Matt Viser (@mviser) November 6, 2016
It's not Comey's fault that ignorant voters take mere presence of an investigation to mean something criminal definitely happened. — KStreetHipster (@KStreetHipster) November 6, 2016
JESUS CHRIST!!!! Now Comey announces FBI has not changed its assessment based on new emails. He threw the election in2 chaos FOR NOTHING!!! — Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 6, 2016
At the 11th hour, FBI has officially cleared Clinton in latest email probe! Why Comey stirred this unfounded controversy we may never know. https://t.co/KVz6j8ywKi — Misha Collins (@mishacollins) November 6, 2016
I don't care what your politics are, Comey has royally screwed the pooch handling this investigation. https://t.co/o66T0dFSrE — Harlan Hill (@Harlan) November 6, 2016
Now that Comey clears Clinton (again), he can get fired without claims of retaliation. — Markos Moulitsas (@markos) November 6, 2016
New Comey letter doesn't undo all damage of his last one which stopped Clinton momentum & may help Trump avoid landslide defeat he deserves. — Max Boot (@MaxBoot) November 6, 2016
So I'm guessing when Trump next speaks, the FBI / Comey / System are back to being rigged, yah? — (((DuneMyThang™))) (@Kris_Sacrebleu) November 6, 2016
Looks like James Comey thinks Hillary Clinton will win and he doesn't want to get fired. Sad. #RiggedSystem — Deplorable VP (@MikePenceVP) November 6, 2016
FBI Director Comey has ONCE again caved 2 the DoJ! The Dems will now put him back on his shiny pedestal
If we want LAW & Order vote #Trump🇺🇸 — Deplorable Me🇺🇸⚡🏈 (@chrgdup1973) November 6, 2016 ||||| Immediately after breaking news hit that FBI director James Comey wasn’t changing any conclusions when it came to Hillary Clinton‘s use of a private email server, essentially stating that nothing will come from the previous letter he sent last month, Twitter went absolutely berserk.
Considering the partisan nature of the story, and it coming just two days before the presidential election, it all depended on who was sending the tweet on what kind of reaction you’d see.
We had the acknowledgement of how Democrats and Republican would immediately shift allegiances and their views of Comey.
Now Ds who were savaging Comey a few days ago will praise him & GOPers who were behind him will turn on him again. https://t.co/WGsT8fp1rf — David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) November 6, 2016
*the sound of everyone switching sides on comey again* — Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) November 6, 2016
The anticipation of how Donald Trump and his campaign would react.
Rudy Giuliani probably just threw his glass of Metamucil against a wall — john r stanton (@dcbigjohn) November 6, 2016
CNN’s Jim Acosta reminded us all how much Trump praised Comey after the first letter.
Trump last Monday: "It took guts for Director Comey to make the move he made… What he did, he brought back his reputation." — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 6, 2016
And there was a little humor regarding last night’s Reno rally.
James Comey saw a sign and yelled "Gun!" — Matt Browner Hamlin (@mattkbh) November 6, 2016
Then we got journalists weighing in.
Ive said, given chaos Comey created, he better be able to indict Clinton. Now he says "never mind." I dont curse on this feed, but fuck 'im. — Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 6, 2016
BREAKING: “What an ass!!!!” -my father, on Comey’s 2nd letter — Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) November 6, 2016
Hey, guys! Remember these things called "weekends"? #MakeTheNewsSlowAgain — Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) November 6, 2016
Kellyanne Conway's positronic motherboard scrambling to compile spin for Trump's "worse than Watergate" blurtings about Comey/emails. — Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) November 6, 2016
FBI really handled this one well — Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) November 6, 2016
Okay Trump and Clinton, back to your default positions on Comey… — Glenn Thrush (@GlennThrush) November 6, 2016
Thought neighbor stole my wrench. So I wrote a letter to all the neighbors letting them know i was investigating. But nm, he totes didn’t. — Ben Howe (@BenHowe) November 6, 2016
And just in case you wanted to know how Trump surrogate Newt Gingrich felt.
Comey must be under enormous political pressure to cave like this and announce something he cant possibly know. — Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) November 6, 2016
UPDATE – 4:24 p.m. ET: NBC’s Alex Seitz-Wald noted Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway‘s first televised reaction to the news:
.@KellyannePolls on MSNBC on Comey: "He's mishandled this investigation from the very beginning." — Alex Seitz-Wald (@aseitzwald) November 6, 2016
She previously gave her thoughts on the development with this tweet:
Then why did you, your colleagues, and your candidate attack Comey and his credibility? https://t.co/GjPeV8pWsr — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) November 6, 2016
UPDATE – 4:36 p.m. ET: House Speaker Paul Ryan and the Republican National Committee have also responded to the news:
NEW: @SpeakerRyan issues statement in response to FBI letter on Clinton email review: https://t.co/cVXPro91CB pic.twitter.com/xAA1g0aGDl — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 6, 2016
RNC reaction to news FBI is not changing its conclusions after reviewing newly-discovered Clinton emails: pic.twitter.com/W2OjssAPkg — Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) November 6, 2016
UPDATE – 4:46 p.m. ET: Former congressman and current Trump advocate Joe Walsh had this to say:
Comey never should've opened his mouth in July. He never should've opened his mouth Oct 28th. Now 2 days b4 Election Day he cleans it up. — Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) November 6, 2016
UPDATE – 4:46 p.m. ET: Wayne Allyn Root, who spoke at one of Trump’s recent rallies, offered some thoughts:
Crooked Hillary, what did you offer to Crooked Comey? American public no longer trusts FBI. What a legacy for Crooked Comey. — Wayne Allyn Root (@WayneRoot) November 6, 2016
Fox News host and frequent Trump booster Sean Hannity also got in on this:
If law enforcement or congress ever ask for e mails regarding an investigation, the FBI now says it's OK to delete them with "Bleach Bit" — Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) November 6, 2016
As for #NeverTrumper Bill Kristol:
Am I the only person in America (or at least on Twitter) who thinks each of Comey's three decisions (or announcements) is defensible? — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) November 6, 2016
UPDATE – 5:20 p.m. ET: Drudge Report creator Matt Drudge made a rare Twitter appearance to give his personal take:
Comey's head-fake fake just made the hornets nest even crazier! 48 hours of madness upcoming!! — MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) November 6, 2016
UPDATE – 6:40 p.m. ET: CNN’s Chris Cuomo also weighed in:
Kind of just as big a surprise as last arguably inappropriate disclosure https://t.co/XxZAGWjVxX — Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) November 6, 2016
[image via screengrab]
–
Follow Justin Baragona on Twitter: @justinbaragona
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com ||||| Editor’s note: This post has been republished from 10/28/16.
— —
Responding to the news Friday that the FBI was rekindling its investigation into Clinton’s emails, Rush Limbaugh speculated that the bureau was simply trying to redirect voters’ attention away from Wikileaks’ ongoing release of emails hacked from Clinton campaign manager John Podesta.
FBI Director James Comey “is going to make everybody think for the next three or four days that there’s really something to be forthcoming here,” Limbaugh said.
Limbaugh said that the revelations in the Wikileaks material were “starting to hurt” the Clintons and that the renewed interest in an FBI investigation into her private email server would be a fruitless distraction.
The radio host likened Comey to the “Lone Ranger,” riding to the Clinton campaign’s rescue. He added that Comey was “still carrying water for Clinton and is trying to get everybody to stop paying attentions to the Wikileaks dump.”
Limbaugh qualified that this was the “cynical” interpretation of recent events.
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com ||||| Comey must be under enormous political pressure to cave like this and announce something he cant possibly know. ||||| (CNN) FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers Sunday the agency hasn't changed its opinion that Hillary Clinton should not face criminal charges after a review of new emails.
"Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July," Comey wrote in the new letter to congressional committee chairmen.
Comey dropped a bombshell on the presidential race last month when he sent a letter to Congress saying the FBI had discovered emails in a separate investigation that could be connected to the now-closed probe of whether Clinton mishandled classified information. The move infuriated Democrats and emboldened Republican nominee Donald Trump.
It's impossible to know before results are tallied what impact Comey's actions -- first raising a vaguely worded red flag 11 days out, and then lowering it two days from the election -- will have on the contest. But the news could help Clinton put to rest a controversy that has dogged her in the 2016 race's closing days, helping Trump narrow a polling gap nationally and in key battleground states.
Trump assailed the FBI's handling of the matter, though he did not directly address Comey's announcement at a rally in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
"You can't review 650,000 new emails in eight days. You can't do it, folks," Trump said, adding, "Hillary Clinton is guilty. She knows it, the FBI knows it, the people know it, and now it's up to the American people to deliver justice at the ballot box on November 8."
JUST WATCHED Cooper to Conway: Fine to speculate without facts? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Cooper to Conway: Fine to speculate without facts? 02:17
Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, blasted Comey's handling of the review.
"Today's letter makes Director Comey's actions nine days ago even more troubling," Feinstein said in a statement. "There's no doubt that it created a false impression about the nature of the agency's inquiry."
She added: "The Justice Department needs to take a look at its procedures to prevent similar actions that could influence future elections."
JUST WATCHED Franken: Comey should answer Congress' questions Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Franken: Comey should answer Congress' questions 02:40
'As fast as we could'
Comey's letter was the culmination of a fast-paced review of the newly discovered email, law enforcement sources said Sunday.
"We went through this as fast as we could," a senior law enforcement official told CNN, with another law enforcement official saying investigators worked "around the clock" to review the large volume of emails.
The FBI found the new emails as part of its separate investigation into a sexting incident by Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin.
The thousands of new emails were mostly personal and duplicates of what had already been seen, law enforcement officials said in explaining how the conclusion was reached so quickly. The laptop which was found was about a decade old with lots of personal content on it not relevant to the investigation, according to one source.
The probe is considered over with regard to Clinton. Though with not all the deleted emails recovered and not all the devices in FBI's possession, it is always possible something else could turn up that would require more review.
There were some classified emails found, but law enforcement officials stressed the issue is not the classified information so much as proving intent. The sources would not specify if the the classified messages were new or duplicates of ones already reviewed, nor would would officials say how many there were and what levels at which they were classified.
"Keep in mind we are focused on intent," the official said. "We know there are classified materials, but that doesn't change the conclusion reached back in July."
As for others who were part of the probe, including Abedin, the FBI is still working on some remaining aspects of the review, including determining how the emails ended up on the laptop in the first place. Abedin's attorneys have said she doesn't know why these emails were there because this wasn't a computer she used.
JUST WATCHED Who is Huma Abedin? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Who is Huma Abedin? 03:25
The expectation remains that investigators will have to talk to Abedin again.
It isn't uncommon to come across new evidence after concluding a probe -- which is what happened here in October. Normally, investigators take a look to see if anything changes in their conclusions and it's not a controversial issue. This case isn't a normal case, given the election and the stakes.
DOJ informed of decision
Comey sent the letter as soon as possible, the senior law enforcement official said. He was "very careful" about how the letter was crafted given the sensitivities.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch was informed ahead of time that the FBI director was sending the updated letter to Congress informing them of that there would be no change in the FBI stance on Hillary Clinton, a Justice official told CNN on Sunday.
Lynch and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates disagreed with Comey's earlier decision to notify Congress. The attorney general backed Comey's move Sunday.
"Everyone is on the same page," the source said.
Since there is no change to the original findings, the Justice Department has no need to weigh in further, the official said.
"The Department of Justice and the FBI dedicated all necessary resources to conduct this review expeditiously," the Justice Department said in a brief statement released Sunday afternoon.
Campaigns weigh in
Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said her campaign is validated in its belief that nothing would change.
We were always confident nothing would cause the July decision to be revisited. Now Director Comey has confirmed ithttps://t.co/BMQQx9eRzw — Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) November 6, 2016
"We were always confident nothing would cause the July decision to be revisited. Now Director Comey has confirmed it," he tweeted.
The Trump campaign quickly slammed Comey.
"We thought that Director Comey and the FBI were wrong when they made their initial recommendation in July, and we think that they're wrong now," Trump spokesman Jason Miller told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room."
GOP vice presidential nominee Mike Pence sought to keep the pressure on Clinton.
"Mishandling classified information is a crime," he said at a rally in an airport hanger in Hickory, North Carolina. "Hillary Clinton said that she never sent or received any classified information and the director of the FBI told the Congress classified information was sent."
In Michigan, Trump called Clinton "the most corrupt person ever to seek the office of the presidency of the United States."
But the Republican nominee, who has expressed hope in the last week that the FBI's review of new emails might yield an indictment, emphasized to his supporters Sunday that Clinton is "protected" by powerful forces.
"Well, you have to understand it's a rigged system and she's protected," Trump said in Minnesota, though he offered no evidence to back up his theory.
'It opened a wound'
A senior Democrat close to Clinton's campaign told CNN that "it's impossible to fully undo the damage of the last nine days."
Internal campaign polling, the source said, found that some independents and Republican women fled Clinton after the original Comey announcement, robbing her of a constituency that she'd hoped would turn her contest with Trump into a blowout.
"It opened a wound that cannot be quickly healed," the Democrat said.
However, the Democrat called it a relief that the "matter is resolved" and said Clinton's campaign plans to "make everyone know about" Comey's Sunday letter.
Comey's last-minute announcement gives Clinton an opportunity for an I-told-you-so moment.
"We have seen Director Comey's latest letter to the Hill," said Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton's communications director, speaking with reporters after the news broke. "We are glad to see that he has found, as we were confident that he would, that he had confirmed the conclusions he reached in July and we are glad that this matter is resolved."
Trump and his allies have seized on that announcement, using it to claim Clinton was likely to face criminal charges.
"If she were to win, it would create an unprecedented constitutional crisis," Trump claimed Saturday night in Reno, Nevada. "In that situation we could very well have a sitting president under felony indictment and ultimately a criminal trial. It would grind government to a halt."
Political benefit
The political benefit for Trump has been that Republicans who'd been skeptical of their party's nominee have largely followed vice presidential nominee Mike Pence's calls to "come home" to the party -- finding Trump less objectionable than Clinton.
It's not just Trump's campaign that seized on Comey's actions. Down-ballot Republicans -- particularly Senate candidates who had been forced to answer for Trump's statements for months -- used the moment to change the topic, shifting to the more comfortable ground of attacking Clinton.
The last-minute Sunday move from Comey could also provide new fuel for Trump's claims of a "rigged" system -- allowing him to cast the FBI director's intervention in the presidential election in a new light.
Comey and the FBI went from Trump's scapegoat to the Republican nominee's hero, with Trump claiming Comey had redeemed himself just in time.
Newt Gingrich, a top Trump ally, tweeted "Comey must be under enormous political pressure to cave like this."
Comey must be under enormous political pressure to cave like this and announce something he cant possibly know. — Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) November 6, 2016
Dems, GOP react
House Speaker Paul Ryan dismissed the significance of Comey's latest letter.
"Regardless of this decision, the undisputed finding of the FBI's investigation is that Secretary Clinton put our nation's secrets at risk and in doing so compromised our national security," Ryan said in a statement. "Fortunately, the American people have the opportunity to ensure Secretary Clinton never gets her hands on classified information again."
Capitol Hill Democrats praised Comey's decision to release more information.
"While the original letter should never have been sent so close to an election, the expeditious review of these emails should put to rest -- once and for all -- the irresponsible speculation indulged in by the Trump campaign and others," Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said. "Voters can now make their decision based on the merits, and that decision should be simple: it is the choice between a woman superbly qualified to be commander in chief, and a man patently unfit for office."
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus issued a statement saying, "None of this changes the fact that the FBI continues to investigate the Clinton Foundation for corruption involving her tenure as secretary of state. Hillary Clinton should never be president." ||||| Please share and comment. Right after the news that FBI director James Comey was reopening the case into Hillary Clinton's email server, Rush Limbaugh speculated that it was all a distraction to take away focus from the Wikileaks and that Comey would clear Hillary Clinton. After today's revelation that theory seemed to have proven true Mediate.com reported: Responding to the news Friday that the FBI was rekindling its investigation into Clinton’s emails, Rush Limbaugh speculated that the bureau was simply trying to redirect voters’ attention away from Wikileaks’ ongoing release of emails hacked from Clinton campaign manager John Podesta. FBI Director James Comey “is going to make everybody think for the next three or four days that there’s really something to be forthcoming here,” Limbaugh said. Limbaugh said that the revelations in the Wikileaks material were “starting to hurt” the Clintons and that the renewed interest in an FBI investigation into her private email server would be a fruitless distraction. The radio host likened Comey to the “Lone Ranger,” riding to the Clinton campaign’s rescue. He added that Comey was “still carrying water for Clinton and is trying to get everybody to stop paying attentions to the Wikileaks dump.” Read more @ (Link: www.mediaite.com) After today's revelation it would appear that Rush may have been correct. Please Share and Comment | – Just as quickly as the bombshell was dropped, it disappeared: FBI Director James Comey said in a letter Sunday to the top Republicans on the House Oversight Committee that after reviewing newly discovered Hillary Clinton emails, the bureau still believes there's no reason for Clinton to be criminally charged. "Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July," the letter reads, per CNN. Clinton spokesperson Brian Fallon tweeted in response: "We were always confident nothing would cause the July decision to be revisited. Now Director Comey has confirmed it." Twitter went nuts after the news broke; Mediaite and the Raw Story have a sampling of the reaction, much of it backlash against Comey and the FBI. Newt Gingrich tweeted, "Comey must be under enormous political pressure to cave like this and announce something he cant possibly know." Mediaite notes that when news of the review of the new emails was first announced, Rush Limbaugh had speculated the announcement was just a stunt to distract everyone from the WikiLeaks release of John Podesta's emails. "[Comey] is going to make everybody think for the next three or four days that there’s really something to be forthcoming here," Limbaugh said, only for nothing to ultimately come of it. At least one blog says Sunday's letter proves Limbaugh correct. |
On May 13, in South Carolina, the AP reports that a prison inmate, out for a hospital visit, attempted to escape by trying a GTA-style driver-yank-and-carjack on a nearby car. Things didn’t work out so well for 18-year old Ezekiel Stevenson, the wannabe carjacker, because the driver of the car had a tiny advantage: the key fob.
I have a sort of love/hate relationship with proximity keys. Well, mostly hate, if I’m honest. Sure, they can be convenient, but all too often they manage to cause complicated issues and hassles that could so easily be resolved if the damn car just demanded to have a key jammed in it somewhere.
This time, though, I have to admit a clear and unfettered victory for the proximity key. See, when Stevenson dragged that unnamed guy out of his car, he had the key fob on him, so when the prison inmate tried to drive away, the car’s owner was able to shut down the car.
With the car immobile, a standoff ensued, with Stevenson attempting to lock the doors, but the owner just kept clicking the button on the fob and unlocking them, over and over, until police were able to enter the car.
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Stevenson bolted into the woods, but was caught within the hour. If the car had used a conventional key, this all would have played out very differently.
Looks like I owe proximity keys a bit of an apology.
... | – Authorities say a quick-thinking driver thwarted a car-jacking by a jail inmate in South Carolina, reports the AP. Arrest warrants say Ezekiel Stevenson yanked a driver from his car during a hospital visit on May 13. But the driver kept his key fob, shutting the engine down before the car could leave the lot. (This is thanks to a "proximity key," explains Jalopnik.) That led to a standoff with the 18-year-old inmate, who kept trying to lock the doors. Each time, the driver used the fob to unlock them for officers. Stephenson then managed to flee into the woods, dodging an officer's gunshot (no details are provided about why the officer opened fire), but he was found within the hour. He had been in the Darlington County Jail on a hit-and-run charge. Now he's back there facing escape, carjacking, and resisting arrest charges. His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. |
EARLY NEXT YEAR. MORE BREAKING NEWS WE ARE FOLLOWING. A JUDGE RULED THE THREE SIBLINGS OF A 19 MONTH OLD BABY BURNED TO DEATH WILL STAY IN FOSTER CARE. CATH YEAR HERNANDEZ WAS INSIDE THE COURTROOM FOR THE HEARING. WHAT ELSE ARE WE LEARNING FROM THAT? Reporter: CPS CALLED THIS EMERGENCY HEARING TODAY AFTER THEY BELIEVE THAT THOSE CHILDREN ARE IN DANGER. AND THOSE CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE IN THE CUSTODY OF THEIR PARENTS. SO TODAY THAT JUDGE AGREED. TODAY IN A HEARING A JUDGE ORDERED A FIVE-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND HER THREE-YEAR-OLD BROTHER AND SISTER TO STAY IN FOSTER CARE. WHILE THEY WERE HOME ALONE MONDAY NIGHT, THEIR 19-MONTHS-OLD SISTER MANAGEELED TO GET INSIDE THE OVEN AND IT WAS TURNED ON. SHE DIED FROM SEVERE BURNS. CPS TOLD THE JUDGE THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD GIRL HAS GONE BACK AND FORTH, BUT CLAIMS TO HAVE BEEN SLEEPING WHEN IT ALL HAPPENED. THE CASE WORKER ALSO SAYS ONE OF THE THREE-YEAR-OLDS TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUTTING THE BABY IN THE OVEN. CPS SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE TALKING WITH THE THREE CHILDREN. WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THE CHILDREN. PART OF THAT'S GOING TO BE THE COUNSELING TO SEE IF WE CAN HELP THEM DEALING WITH THOSE MEMORIES AND WHAT HAPPENED. Reporter: INVESTIGATORS SAY THE MOTHER WAS AT WORK MONDAY NIGHT AND LEFT THE FOUR CHILDREN WITH HER BOYFRIEND. POLICE QUESTIONED THE MOTHER, WHO HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF PREVIOUS CPS CASES, ALONG WITH HER BOYFRIEND. IT'S UNCLEAR IF THEY'LL FACE CHARGES. THE ATTORNEY FOR THE CHILDREN SAYS BOTH THREE-YEAR-OLDS ARE IN ONE HOME AND THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD IS IN ANOTHER. THE NEXT HEARING TO TALK ABOUT THE CUSTODY OF THE CHILDREN IS DECEMBER 2. REPORTING LIVE IN DOWNTOWN
HOUSTON -
Three siblings of a 19-month-old girl who was burned to death inside a northeast Houston apartment on Monday will be placed in foster care.
Case workers from Child Protective Services filed an emergency hearing to take custody of the three children. According to CPS, there have been previous reports made concerning the mother.
According to homicide detectives from the Houston Police Department, the mother was at work and left her three children with her boyfriend at the Angel Ridge Apartments off the 8600 block of Sterlingshire Street.
The children -- a 5-year-old, two 3-year-olds and a 19-month-old girl -- were home alone when they started to play with the oven. Emergency crews arrived after midnight, but there was nothing they could do to save the baby, J'zyra Thompson.
"Upon their arrival they found a deceased 1-year-old," HPD homicide detective Ronda Pemberton said. "We found the baby next to the oven. It appears to be accidental."
On Wednesday, authorities focused on her three siblings who were a 5-year-old girl, 3-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy.
"The court found that there was an immediate danger to those three children and granted us emergency custody," said County Attorney Amy Strickland.
"Both of them had left the children home alone. What was reported was that they had left to get a pizza. The children were left at home for an extended amount of time and that's when obviously the child somehow managed to be inside an oven," said Estella Olguin with CPS.
"She was a sweet baby," said Gina Dennis, the child's grandmother. "This is unexplainable. I have no words."
CPS told the judge the 5-year-old girl claims to have been sleeping when it happened. The case worker also said one of the 3-year-old children took responsibility for putting the baby in the oven.
"We're still going to be working with the children. Part of that is going to be counseling to see if we can help them deal with those memories and what happened," said Strickland.
The children's attorney said the 5-year-old was in one home and the other two children were in another home.
Police questioned the mother and her boyfriend. It's unclear if they'll face charges.
The next hearing was set for Dec. 2. ||||| Fredrick Price came to the apartment complex on Sterlingshire looking for his two kids Thursday morning, both three years old. When Eyewitness News first talked to him, he had no idea they were among the children left alone in unit 115 Monday night. That's where 19-month-old J'Zyra Thompson died after being placed in an oven."I need to know where they are, I haven't heard from my children in months," said Price. " I've been trying to contact Racquel."Price is the ex-boyfriend of Racquel Thompson. Police believe she left her four kids, all under five years old, home alone Monday night. That's when little J'Zyra, seen on Thompson's Facebook page with big eyes and a bright smile, ended up in the oven. The toddler burned to death with three other kids in the home. She died without ever knowing a father."She was a cute little baby, I just didn't know if that was my daughter or not," said Price, who has never taken a paternity test relating to her ex-girlfriend's youngest child.Court records obtained by Eyewitness News show Child Protective Services are concerned with a number of issues relating to Thompson and her boyfriend. Records show Thompson told officials she often left the kids home alone to drive her boyfriend to work at a pizza place. Monday night, Thompson and her boyfriend left to go get Dominos Pizza for takeout, and stopped at Walgreens to pick up a prescription. Case workers say the couple left the four kids home alone without telling a grandmother who lived in the same apartment complex."It's very irresponsible, someone should have been here or I should have gotten a phone call, come and get my children." Price says his two children had been staying with Thompson because he lost his job a few months ago. He says he has since tried to contact Thompson on the phone and via Facebook, but she has not responded.Court records show prices two kids, just three years old, told investigators that one of them put the baby in the oven, and the other turned it on. Records show the children told CPS workers they made the oven "hot", and that the baby was kicking the oven door while inside. Records also show Thompson tried CPR when she got home. But it was too late, the child had multiple burns.CPS said no suitable relatives can care for the three surviving children from the home, so they are currently in foster care. Thompson also has an older child who lives with his father. In addition, she is seven months pregnant with her current boyfriend's child. Thompson apparently also drove the kids without a license nor car seats.Meanwhile, Price asked Eyewitness News about his two children. We told him they are in foster care, and he told us he will contact CPS to see if he can take custody of the children."I have to go get them. I have to go and get them," he said.No charges have yet been filed against Thompson or her boyfriend, though CPS workers said in their court filings that criminal charges are expected. | – An absolutely awful story out of Houston, where police say four children were left alone Monday night and their mother came home to find one of them dead. The two 3-year-old siblings of the 19-month-old little girl who died, J'Zyra Thompson, told authorities that one of them put the baby in the oven and the other one turned it on and made it "hot," ABC 13 reports. J'Zyra, they said, kicked the oven door while she was trapped inside. The oldest sibling, 5, was apparently asleep at the time, Click2Houston reports. When Racqual Thompson, the children's mother, returned home from going out with her boyfriend to get takeout pizza and pick up a prescription, she attempted CPR, but it was too late. J'Zyra died of multiple burns. Police say Racqual Thompson had left the children without informing a grandmother who also lived at the apartment complex. The three surviving children are in foster care, as CPS could not find suitable relatives to care for them. Criminal charges are expected, though none have yet been filed. (In Kentucky, an arrest has been made in the killing of a girl who went missing at a football game.) |
© Provided by AFP A Chinese animal lover consoles a dog after a convoy of trucks carrying some 500 dogs to be sold as meat, were stopped along a highway in Beijing on early April 17, 2011, and the dogs were later rescued to the China Animal Protection Association
A Chinese woman has paid over $1,000 to save 100 canines from being eaten during a dog meat festival, media said Sunday, as activists have lashed out at the event labelling it cruel.
Animal-loving Yang Xiaoyun paid about 7,000 yuan (US$1,100) to save around 100 dogs in the southern city of Yulin on Saturday, web portal Netease reported.
The city holds an annual festival devoted to the animal's meat on the summer solstice, which has provoked an increasing backlash from animal protection activists.
Reports said that Yang, 65, plans to rehouse the dogs at her home nearly 2,000 kilometres (124 miles) away in Tianjin.
Pictures posted online showed her browsing a market in Yulin where the dogs were kept in cages.
© Provided by AFP A vendor waits at a corner of a makeshift dog market in the suburb of Beijing 01 April 2001, with various mongrels in cages for sale to dog meat lovers
Activists, who say the festival is cruel, have in the past travelled to the city to hold demonstrations, sometimes buying dogs to save them from the cooking pots.
Locals have been quoted as saying that animals are killed in a humane way for the festival, where their meat is then served with lychees.
The majority of "meat dogs" in the country are stolen pets and strays, according to an investigation published this month by Hong Kong-based charity Animals Asia, though eating dog is unusual in most parts of China.
Around 30 million households in the country are estimated to keep dogs as pets, helping to fuel the growing animal rights movement.
This year the festival has been targeted by British Comedian Ricky Gervais, who posted a series of messages on Twitter with the hashtag "StopYuLin2015".
The city's government has tried to distance itself from the event.
"Some residents of Yulin have the habit of coming together to eat lychees and dog meat during the summer solstice," the city's news office wrote on Sina Weibo, a Chinese Twitter equivalent.
"The 'summer solstice lychee and dog meat festival' is a commercial term, the city has never (officially) organised a 'dog meat festival'," it added.
Eating dog is not illegal in China, but the government called on meat vendors to respect food safety laws.
"Yulin is an open, tolerant and civilised city," it said. "We welcome people across the world to pay attention to Yulin." ||||| Dog and cat meat traders at Yulin festival in China have said that business is booming, despite calls for it to close amid animal cruelty accusations.
It is expected that thousands of cats and dogs will be slaughtered this weekend to mark the summer solstice on Sunday in Yulin, washed down with lycee wine.
Government officials have ostensibly “banned” the controversial annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival after it attracted protesters and criticism from around the world.
Some readers may find the below images distressing
A woman on her moped transports more than 10 dogs, which had just been slaughtered, to her market shop for sale
However, the slaughter of cats and dogs for meat is not outlawed in China, and the local government in Yulin says it cannot stop legitimate businesses preparing meat in the run-up to this year’s solstice on 21 June.
In pictures: Yulin meat festival
6 show all In pictures: Yulin meat festival
1/6 Yulin meat festival A man selling live dogs for meat Dog meat for sale at Dongkou Market, Yulin, Guangxi Zhuang, China (Photo by Sipa Asia/REX)
2/6 Yulin meat festival A dog vendor lifts up a dog to protest against animal rights activists coming to block the local dog meat festival (Photo: EPA/LI KE CHINA OUT)
3/6 Yulin meat festival Dog meat for sale at Dongkou Market in Yulin (Photo by Sipa Asia/REX)
4/6 Yulin meat festival Dog meat for sale at Dongkou Market, Yulin (Photo by Sipa Asia/REX )
5/6 Yulin meat festival Dog meat for sale at Dongkou Market in Yulin (Photo by Sipa Asia/REX)
6/6 Yulin meat festival Animal rights activists in Rome try to reach the Embassy of China to protest against the Festival of Yulin, but are blocked by the police (Stefano Montesi/Demotix/Corbis)
Indeed, it has been reported that business is only getting better for the dog and cat meat traders as the controversy continues.
Celebrities including Leona Lewis and Ricky Gervais have denounced the festival this week.
A slaughterhouse butcher transfers a cat to a cage, to be handed off to Peter Li. Shortly after, Li rescued the cat from the slaughterhouse
Peter Li, animal activist group Humane Society International’s China specialist, visited the market earlier this week and reported: “I saw cat and dog intestines and carcasses strung up.
“Workers were blow-torching the carcasses to make them shiny and ready for shipment to restaurants. There were some dogs still alive in wire cages, but they looked exhausted, emaciated and dirty.” ||||| Peter Li is a China policy specialist at Humane Society International. He is also an associate professor of East Asian politics, University of Houston-Downtown. The views expressed here are solely his.
(CNN) Yulin's dog meat "festival," where some 10,000 dogs are slaughtered and served up as meals, is often wrongly assumed to be an ancient Chinese tradition.
In fact, the festival only dates back to 2009 when it was launched in the city in China's southwest to celebrate the summer solstice.
The consumption of dog meat does have historical precedence in China.
At its height during the Han Dynasty (202 - 220 AD), dog meat was considered a delicacy.
Yet, dog eating soon lost favor and by the Sui-Tang dynasties (581 -- 907 AD), dog eating had been rejected as an indecent habit.
Subsequent dynasties valued dogs as helpers and hunting buddies.
Losing battle?
In the 21st century, dog eating is facing strong criticism inside China. Three decades of economic expansion has spawned a growing army of animal lovers and pet owners believed to be 30 million strong.
Of China's estimated 130 million dogs, at least 27 million are urban pets, according to research group Euromonitor.
As more young people move into the cities, they look to companion animals for comfort in the absence of the family unit.
With their new found bond with animals, this new generation of Chinese see cats and dogs as thinking, feeling individuals deserving of compassion. Most importantly, they are friends not food.
I believe the dog meat industry is fighting a losing battle.
My own investigations and those of Chinese activists and journalists all confirm its downward spiral as the cruelty involved is exposed.
Guangzhou, a city well known for eating dogs, cats and exotic wildlife, just closed a dog meat restaurant that had been in operation for 51 years, according to local reports.
Likewise, brutal dog slaughter used to be everywhere in Beijing's suburbs less than 10 years ago, but it has now virtually disappeared.
In 2011, local authorities shut down the Jinghua Dog Meat Festival following nationwide condemnation.
JUST WATCHED Inside China's dog meat 'festival' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Inside China's dog meat 'festival' 01:23
How long can Yulin authorities remain defiant of Chinese and international public opinion?
Rabies risk
The dog meat trade is a serious threat to human health, and Chinese authorities have every reason to stand by the animal advocates.
China has the world's second highest incidence of rabies in humans. And according to China's ministry for public health , Guangxi province, where Yulin is located, has the largest number of cases in China, while Yulin is one of China's "top ten cities" for cases of human rabies.
Eating dog meat of itself does not cause rabies, but the handling and slaughter of vast numbers of unvaccinated dogs exposes the traders to a high risk of rabies infection.
Transporting the dogs to the festival is an intrinsically brutal operation. Dogs for Yulin come from as far as central and north China's Henan and Shandong, more than 1,000 miles away.
They are crammed into wire cages unable to extend their limbs, denied food and water for days during the exhausting trip. The dogs arrive at their destination malnourished and underweight, dehydrated, often dying from injuries or from being poisoned during capture. Others are already dead.
Food safety disaster
This isn't solely an animal welfare issue; it's also a food safety disaster.
China's food safety regulations ban the processing, selling and serving of products from diseased or dead animals of unknown causes.
And yet the Yulin authorities seemingly ignore these rules, allowing dog meat from unknown sources to be sold to consumers, and in so doing prioritizing the profits of dog meat traders over consumer health.
When contacted by CNN, a spokesperson for the local food and drug administration declined to answer any questions.
JUST WATCHED Dog meat festival in China sparks outrage Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Dog meat festival in China sparks outrage 03:21
The average Chinese citizen finds public dog slaughter inexcusably offensive.
Dogs are openly killed in crowded marketplaces, on the streets, and most shockingly next to elementary schools, imposing bloody and cruel practices on vulnerable members of the public.
Such public slaughter risks creating an indifferent and morally defunct society.
Beating and killing these struggling, crying dogs in full view of other terrified dogs showcases an industry that is devoid of humanity.
Additionally, the criminal activity of dog theft sustains much of the dog meat industry, with often violent confrontations between angry dog owners and the thieves.
Changing culture
Protesters gather to demonstrate against dog meat trade in China.
Opposition to dog eating is not about interfering in the food choices of dog meat eaters, nor a challenge to Chinese culture.
No culture is stagnant; it evolves and progresses.
During my most recent trip to Yulin in May, I sat down to have tea with five dog meat traders. I asked them if they wanted their children to step into their shoes. They answered a resounding "No."
Their children were ashamed of their parents' profession. The 19-year-old son of one trader asked: "Why are you doing this, out of all the jobs out there?"
It is a question resounding throughout China, and the authorities need to listen. | – Don't like the thought of dogs being served up with lychees? Neither does Yang Xiaoyun, a 65-year-old Chinese woman who saved 100 canines from being killed and served at a dog-meat festival in southern China, AFP reports. The animal lover paid about $1,100 yesterday for the dogs in the city of Yulin, and plans to take them home to Tianjin, about 1,240 miles away. Her gesture has drawn more attention to Yulin's controversial festival, where activists hold demonstrations, charge animal cruelty, and sometimes buy dogs so they won't get eaten. "I saw cat and dog intestines and carcasses strung up," an activist tells the Independent. "There were some dogs still alive in wire cages, but they looked exhausted, emaciated, and dirty." Locals say the dogs are killed in a humane manner at Yulin's festival, where people eat dog meat with lychees—but the tide in China may be turning against the practice. Roughly 30 million Chinese households are said to have dogs now, while more young people are moving into cities and buying animals for companionship, CNN reports. What's more, the city of Guangzhou—known for serving dogs and cats—just shut down a dog-meat restaurant. But while officials have criticized the Yulin festival, they stop short of imposing a legal ban against the slaughter of cats and dogs. "Yulin is an open, tolerant and civilised city," says the city's news office. "We welcome people across the world to pay attention to Yulin." |
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talks to Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi (R) after his speech during the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran, August 30, 2012.
DUBAI Iran has no interest in nuclear weapons but will keep pursuing peaceful nuclear energy, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told heads of state from developing countries in Tehran.
Iran, hosting a summit of the 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), is hoping the high-profile event will prove that Western efforts to isolate it and punish it economically for its disputed nuclear programme have failed.
"Our motto is nuclear energy for all and nuclear weapons for none," Khamenei told the assembled heads of state.
But discord over Syria swiftly marred the summit when Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi urged member states to support Syrians striving to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, whose staunchest regional ally is Iran.
"Our solidarity with the struggle of the Syrian people against an oppressive regime that has lost its legitimacy is an ethical duty as it is a political and strategic necessity," Mursi said, prompting a walkout by the Syrian delegation, according to the pan-Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera.
It was not immediately clear if the Syrians had returned to the meeting after Mursi's speech.
Mursi's visit to Tehran was the first by an Egyptian leader since Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, but his uncompromising speech suggested there would be no swift reconciliation between the two countries after three decades of animosity.
Diplomatic relations between Cairo and Tehran broke down immediately after Iran's revolution over Egypt's support for the overthrown Shah and over its peace agreement with Israel.
The NAM summit's final declaration is set to express deep concern about the violence in Syria and support for efforts by U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to broker a resolution to the conflict, a delegate at the meeting told Reuters.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, attending the Tehran summit, urged Khamenei late on Wednesday to take concrete steps to prove Iran's nuclear work is peaceful.
The West suspects Iran is seeking a nuclear weapons capability, an accusation Tehran denies.
In his speech, Khamenei criticized the U.N. Security Council as an illogical, unjust and defunct relic of the past used by the United States "to impose its bullying manner on the world".
"They (Americans) talk of human rights when what they mean is Western interests. They talk of democracy when what they have is military intervention in other countries," he added.
(Reporting by Marcus George, Zahra Hosseinian and Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Alistair Lyon) ||||| The U.N. chief jolted his Iranian hosts for a nonaligned nations meeting Wednesday by pointing out "serious concerns" in Tehran's human rights record and urging cooperation with the world body to improve freedoms.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, second right, reviews an honor guard, as he is welcomed by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right, for their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012.... (Associated Press)
In this photo released by the official website of the Iranian Presidency Office, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right, shakes hands with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, at the start of their... (Associated Press)
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, left, is welcomed by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right, for a meeting, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) (Associated Press)
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right, welcomes Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, for their meeting, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) (Associated Press)
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, second right, reviews an honor guard, as he is welcomed by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right, for their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012.... (Associated Press)
In this photo released by the official website of the Iranian Presidency Office, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, left, talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right, during their meeting... (Associated Press)
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had signaled he would not shy away from criticism of Iran during his visit to the Nonaligned Movement gathering in Tehran, but the sharp comments appeared to catch Iranian officials off guard just hours after his arrival.
"We have discussed how United Nations can work together with Iran to improve the human rights situation in Iran. We have our serious concerns on the human rights abuses and violations in this country," he told a news conference as he sat next to Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, who frowned at the remarks.
Iran's opposition groups had urged Ban to use his appearance in Tehran as a platform to criticize Iran's ruling system over its crackdowns on political dissent, including the house arrests of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi.
While in Tehran, Ban also could raise sensitive issues such as demands by U.N. nuclear inspectors for wider access to various sites, including a military base near Tehran suspected of being a proving ground for explosives experiments that could be used to test nuclear triggers. Iran denies it seeks nuclear arms, but Western nations and allies fear Tehran's uranium enrichment labs are moving close to warhead-grade material.
U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said in his talks, Ban expressed frustration that `'little tangible progress" has been made in talks between Iran and world powers over Tehran's nuclear program. No date has been set to resume negotiations after several rounds over the past months.
Iran says it wants talks to continue, but also claims that the current gathering in Tehran shows that Western efforts to isolate Iran have failed.
In Vienna, the U.N.'s nuclear agency has created a special Iran Task Force of nuclear weapons experts, intelligence analysts and other specialists focused on probing Tehran's atomic program, according to an internal document shared with The Associated Press.
Iran is seeking to use the weeklong meeting of the 120-nation Nonaligned Movement to promote its position that its nuclear program is peaceful and its uranium enrichment is within the U.N. treaty rules. The meetings are capped by a two-day summit that begins Thursday.
Ban's visit is being interpreted by Iranian media as a blow to Western attempts to isolate the Islamic republic in defiance of Israeli and American calls to boycott the meeting.
Tehran is also seeking to win support from the nonaligned bloc, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the U.N. member states, for its nuclear program. A visit to Natanz uranium enrichment site in central Iran by participating leaders has not been ruled out.
Ban met Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad later Wednesday.
Khamenei called on him to take action over Israel's nuclear weapons, according to Khamenei's website, calling this "a big danger to the region." Israel has never acknowledged having nuclear weapons but is widely believed to have a large arsenal.
In advance, Ban also said he would discuss the Syria crisis with Iranian leaders, who remain staunch allies of Bashar Assad's regime. The U.N. chief has in the past called Iran a major player capable of mediating in regional conflicts, including Syria's civil war.
Nesirky, the U.N. spokesman, said that in his meetings in Tehran Ban "urged the leadership _ the president, the Supreme Leader, the speaker of parliament _ to really reach out to the Syrian leadership and impress on them the really urgent need to stop the violence and to create the conditions that are necessary for a political process."
Iran plans to propose the formation of a three-member nonaligned team, plus two neighbors of Syria, to help resolve the crisis there, Iran's state media quoted prominent lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi as saying.
The proposed troika will include Egypt, Iran and Venezuela plus Iraq and Lebanon. Boroujerdi, who met Assad during a visit to Syria last week, said the Syrian president said he would welcome the Iranian plan.
Khamenei told Ban that the solution is to stop weapons shipments to the Syrian rebels, or as he put it, "irresponsible groups inside Syria," according to his website.
A senior Iranian official gave details of the plan Iran is proposing at the summit.
"Iran's proposal ... is a cease-fire and the implementation of a three-month mechanism for national reconciliation talks in this country," the official IRNA news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian as saying Wednesday.
Anti-regime fighters have dismissed any role for Iran in such a plan. The rebels and some others say it has little hope of succeeding. Also, the United States has rejected Iranian participation in international meetings on the Syrian crisis.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland urged Ban to press Iran over Syria. She said Iran does have a role to play: "It can break with the Assad regime and stop providing material support and arms and advisers and all of these kinds of things," she said.
___
Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report from the United Nations. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Mohammed Mursi's comments will "really have hurt", the BBC's Jon Leyne says
Egypt's president has told a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (Nam) that the Syrian uprising is a "revolution against an oppressive regime".
Mohammed Mursi, making the first visit to Iran by an Egyptian leader since 1979, said the movement had an "ethical duty" to support the uprising.
His comments sparked a walkout by the Syrian delegation.
Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Mr Mursi's speech "incites continued bloodshed in Syria".
Egypt has been holding the rotating Nam presidency and Mr Mursi was handing the duty over to Iran during his visit.
He used his speech to tell delegates of the 120-member body: "Our solidarity with the struggle of the Syrian people against an oppressive regime that has lost its legitimacy is an ethical duty, as it is a political and strategic necessity.
Analysis President Mursi's speech in Tehran marks an important moment as he defines Egypt's new foreign policy. The new Egyptian leader has defied Washington, by going to Tehran for the Non-Aligned summit. Now he has angered the Iranian government by criticising their allies, the Syrian regime. The message is clear. Egypt intends to have a new, independent and assertive foreign policy. It is a huge contrast from the days of President Hosni Mubarak who was seen, by many Egyptians, as slavishly following the Americans. But it will also provide some reassurance to Washington, showing there is not about to be a new "Islamic axis" between the Muslim Brotherhood-led government of Egypt and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
"We all have to announce our full solidarity with the struggle of those seeking freedom and justice in Syria, and translate this sympathy into a clear political vision that supports a peaceful transition to a democratic system of rule that reflects the demands of the Syrian people for freedom."
He compared the anti-government movement in Syria to the Palestinians, saying they were both "actively seeking freedom, dignity and human justice", and said Egypt was "ready to work with all to stop the bloodshed".
The BBC's Iran correspondent, James Reynolds, says Tehran's hope for the summit was to show the West the Islamic Republic had plenty of friends elsewhere, but Mr Mursi's comments would certainly have upset the hosts.
However, he says not everyone in Iran would have noticed, as one Iranian state TV channel mistranslated Mr Mursi's words into Persian, giving the impression that president was actually speaking in support of the Syrian government.
Syria's delegation walked out of the conference room when Mr Mursi began speaking, Egyptian and Syrian media reported. Iranian media said they had simply left to conduct an interview.
Mr Muallem said Mr Mursi's comments "violated the traditions of the summit and are considered interference in Syrian internal affairs".
He accused Mr Mursi of "inciting continued bloodshed in Syria".
Syria's exit illustrates the strong divisions that are likely to overshadow or even dominate this summit Read more from James
Mr Mursi's visit was the first by an Egyptian leader to Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Iran cut ties with President Anwar Sadat's administration over its signing of a peace treaty with Israel.
After his speech, Mr Mursi met Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said the presidents had discussed bilateral ties and "emphasised the need to solve the Syria crisis via diplomacy and to prevent foreign intervention".
Mr Mursi left Tehran shortly afterwards, Iranian media said.
'Serious concerns'
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is attending the summit, said Syria was facing a long-term civil war, and warned that "those who provide arms to either side in Syria are contributing to the misery".
"The situation cannot be resolved with the blood and the bodies of more than 18,000 people and counting. There should be no more bullets and bombs. I urge all parties in the strongest possible terms to stop the violence now," he said.
Non-Aligned Movement Formed in 1961, originally an alliance of newly independent Afro-Asian states
Currently 120 members, comprising nations ostensibly unaligned with the major world powers
Aims to represent the political, economic and cultural interests of the developing world Profile: Non-Aligned Movement Syria rebels 'down fighter jet'
Mr Ban's acceptance of Tehran's invitation to the summit was described by the US State Department as "strange", but the South Korean has not shied from drawing attention to the Iran's human rights record, telling a press conference he had "serious concerns".
Nuclear disarmament is also on the agenda of the talks and in his speech to delegates on Thursday, Ayatollah Khamenei said that, contrary to the view held in the West, Iran was "never seeking nuclear weapons".
He said such weapons were "a major and unforgivable sin", but that Iran would "never give up the right to peaceful nuclear energy".
The ayatollah also criticised the "illogical" structure of the United Nations Security Council, saying it enabled the US to impose its "bullying manner" on the world, Reuters reports.
Mr Ban responded to the ayatollah's statement by calling on Iran to build confidence in its nuclear ambitions by co-operating fully with the Security Council over its nuclear programme.
He also rebuked Tehran for its hostility towards Israel, saying: "I strongly reject threats by any member states to destroy another or outrageous attempts to deny historical facts such as Holocaust."
However, Mr Ban's comments were also altered on Iranian state TV.
IRTV1 removed all references to Israel and the Holocaust, while rolling news channel IRINN's translation was: "I, as the secretary-general, cannot accept that threats or improper words are used in the political scene and create a situation which we cannot control."
IRINN's translation of Mr Ban's comments on the nuclear issue wrongly stated that he had noted that "the Islamic Republic of Iran's co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency has been constructive, effective and positive". ||||| Dow Jones Reprints: This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.com
VIENNA—The Iranian scientist considered Tehran's atomic-weapons guru until he was apparently sidelined several years ago is back at work, according to United Nations investigators and U.S. and Israeli officials, sparking fresh concerns about the status of Iran's nuclear program.
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, widely compared with Robert Oppenheimer, the American physicist who oversaw the crash 1940s effort to build an atomic bomb, helped push Iran into its nuclear age over the past two decades. A senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, he oversaw Iran's research into the construction and detonation of a nuclear warhead, Western officials say.
Mr. Fakhrizadeh complained ... ||||| Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi arrived in Tehran on Thursday in the first visit by an Egyptian leader to Iran in decades.
Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi meets with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, unseen, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. Morsi was in China on a three-day visit since... (Associated Press)
The Egyptian president was attending a summit of the Nonaligned Movement, and is supposed to transfer leadership of the 120-nation bloc to Tehran.
Iran's state TV in a live broadcast showed Morsi being received by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the summit conference hall in Tehran.
Tehran cut diplomatic relations in 1979 because of Egypt's peace accord with Israel. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran has considered Israel as its arch foe.
Iran's leadership welcomed the 2011 uprising in Egypt that ultimately brought Morsi, an Islamist, to the presidency.
Representatives from more than 100 countries are attending.
Tehran has an ambitious agenda for the summit, including the launching of a peace effort including Egypt, Iran, and three other countries to help resolve the crisis in its key regional ally, Syria. But anti-regime fighters have dismissed any role for Iran in a plan they and some others say has little hope of succeeding.
Iran is also using the summit to counter U.S. claims that it has been isolated over its nuclear program. The West says Iran is trying to develop weapons while Tehran says the program is for peaceful purposes. | – Egypt's new president arrived in Iran today for a historic visit, the AP reports—and he promptly sparked a walkout at the Nonaligned Movement Summit. Mohamed Morsi, the first Egyptian leader to visit Iran since Tehran cut diplomatic relations with Egypt in 1979 over its peace treaty with Israel, praised the Syrian rebels—thus angering the Syrian delegation, which left the meeting. Morsi called the Syrian uprising a "revolution against an oppressive regime," the BBC reports, and called for the Nonaligned Movement to support it. More from the summit: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, whose presence at the summit is bugging the US, met with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday to ask that Iran, one of the Syrian regime's last remaining allies, try to get the Syrian government to end the violence. But Khamenei insists the government should continue to be armed while the rebels should have no weapons, reports the AP. Khamenei also insisted Iran is not interested in developing nuclear weapons, but will continue to pursue nuclear energy, Reuters reports. "Our motto is nuclear energy for all and nuclear weapons for none," Khamenei said, calling nuclear weapons "a major and unforgivable sin." But the Wall Street Journal reports that an Iranian scientist considered to be a nuclear weapons guru a la Robert Oppenheimer has resurfaced after a few years off the job. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh is back at work, UN investigators find, prompting more concern over Iran's nuclear agenda. Fakhrizadeh's work had been frozen in 2006; he is believed to be running a nuclear weapons-minded research facility in the suburbs of Tehran. |
Caitlyn Jenner, photographed in her Malibu home. “If I was lying on my deathbed and I had kept this secret and never ever did anything about it, I would be lying there saying, ‘You just blew your entire life,’ ” she says.
On March 15, the day of the Los Angeles Marathon and myriad street closures, Bruce Jenner left his bunker-style home above Decker Canyon in Malibu at 4:15 in the morning to avoid any possibility of being late. Detection seemed unlikely this early in the day; even the paparazzi go back to their wormholes for a few hours’ sleep before the body count begins again. But anything could happen, as it had in January of 2014 in the space of roughly five feet from the back door of a medical office to the car, with Jenner’s neck in a bandage from a tracheal shave, his picture snapped and disseminated into the Internet infinity of insatiable gossip at warp speed. So the more nondescript the car the better, which is why the black 2014 BMW sedan, in the conspicuous consumption of Los Angeles, was inconspicuous. Jenner had already been taking hormones. The hair on his body and his facial hair had been removed. He had had his nose fixed twice and the tracheal shave. On this Sunday his destination was the office of a surgeon specializing in what is known as facial-feminization surgery. Pioneered in the 80s and 90s by San Francisco plastic surgeon Douglas Ousterhout, it can involve such procedures as hairline correction, forehead contouring, and jaw and chin contouring. There would also be a procedure to augment his breasts. Photograph by Annie Leibovitz. The car made its way to the surgical center in Beverly Hills without incident. Jenner was nervous. He knew there would be pain, and he hated taking any kind of drug to alleviate it because of the way it made him feel. But there was more than just physical dread. Several days earlier I had walked with him as he played golf at the exclusive Sherwood Country Club, in Thousand Oaks. He has been a member there for 15 years, ever since Kris Jenner, feeling generous toward her husband, paid the roughly $225,000 initiation fee. He played by himself because he almost always played by himself, a loner who said he wasn’t lonely, although it was hard to see the difference. He didn’t take his game very seriously: he could have been a scratch golfer if he had. He often played two balls at a time, voicing the usual golfer epithets of “Sit!” and “Get down!” He liked the peace of it, the Santa Monica Mountains safeguarding the holes like a cupped hand. It was perhaps the only open space he could go to without getting besieged by the paparazzi, not only with their cameras hanging from their necks like evil eyes but also with their questions: “Are you a woman yet?” “Do you still have a penis?” “You wonder if you are making all the right decisions,” he said as he played in the anonymous uniform of blue sweater and gray slacks and hat and sneakers, parring the 517-yard par-five second hole because he, as usual, drove it at least 280 yards off the tee, being the kind of athlete who can pick up anything instantly. “I wish I were kind of normal. It would be so much more simple. “The uncomfortableness of being me never leaves all day long,” he continued. “I’m not doing this to be interesting. I’m doing this to live.” Given his sense of humor, he couldn’t resist adding, “I’m not doing this so I can hit it off the women’s tee.” After all the confusion and shame and self-conflict and dishonesty for virtually all of his 65 years, was this the right decision? Could he go on living as he had? He was not having genital surgery. There are an estimated 700,000 transgender women and men in the United States; only about a quarter of transgender women have had genital surgery. There is a common misperception that such surgery is somehow “required” to be a transgender woman or man, akin to a certificate from the Transgender Licensing Board. The transgender community for years has been trying to get the public to understand that genitalia are not a determinant of gender: you can be born a woman with male genitalia, just as you can be born a man with female genitalia. In any case, under the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s “Standards of Care,” formed by a consensus of leading psychologists and medical specialists, genital surgery is not advised for at least a year after transition. Jenner had actually gone through various stages of transition once before, in the mid- and late 1980s. He took hormones that resulted in breast growth and had his beard removed through an incredibly painful two-year regimen of electrolysis that he withstood without any medication because “pain is kind of, for me, part of the pain for being me … this is what you get for being who you are. Just take the pain.” The physical changes had been so noticeable that rumors started, including a call from The New York Times about what was going on with Bruce Jenner, in particular Bruce Jenner the winner of the gold medal in the decathlon in the 1976 Olympics, a symbol of masculinity as interwoven into American culture as the Marlboro Man. Jenner had once talked in jest about going to Denmark and coming back to his four young children as Aunt Heather. It was obviously a bizarre thought, indicative of his terrible confusion. It also could be seen as a precursor to the fractured relationship that would occur when he essentially lost contact with the four children from his first two marriages, eventually in favor of yet another new family, with values that had once seemed so alien to his, the Kardashians.
He was living in a one-bedroom house in the Malibu hills in almost total seclusion after he started to transition in the 80s. Dishes piled up. His career was in limbo after an income of half a million dollars the first year after the Olympics. Everything had seemed perfect then, or as close to perfect as it can be when you are pretending your way through life, conforming to the vision of millions because that’s what they expect, and that’s exactly what you give them because you are good at it, scary good. ABC executive Irwin Weiner had offered him a broadcasting job the very same night as his Olympic victory, in Montreal. He tried out for the lead role in the film Superman, which was too much of a stretch without acting experience, although Jenner was actually one of the great actors of our time. He adorned the front of the Wheaties box. He drank orange juice for Tropicana and took pictures for Minolta. He gave speeches about the 48 hours of his Olympic win all over the country to enthralled audiences. He was red, white, and blue. He was Mom and apple pie with a daub of vanilla ice cream for extra deliciousness in a country desperate for such an image. He had a tireless work ethic. He had beaten the Commie bastards. He was America. “Jenner is twirling the nation like a baton; he and his wife, Chrystie, are so high up on the pedestal of American heroism, it would take a crane to get them down,” wrote Tony Kornheiser in The New York Times in 1977. He also secretly wore panty hose and a bra underneath his suit so he could at least feel some sensation of his true gender identity. He stopped transitioning in the late 80s. He was scared of what the reaction would be. He decided he could not do this to his four children, Burt, Cassandra, Brandon, and Brody. He needed to jump-start his career. He needed credibility to squelch the rumors, and he told me marrying Kris Kardashian, in 1991, helped give him that along with compatibility and love. Photograph by Annie Leibovitz; Styled by Jessica Diehl. In March, he had been living on his own for about a year and a half since his and Kris’s separation, which would ultimately lead to their divorce after 23 years of marriage. It gave him the opportunity to live more freely as a woman. It wasn’t enough. He worried the most about how the two daughters whom he and Kris share, Kendall and Kylie, would react to his transition. But Kendall was a 19-year- old supermodel, and Kylie, at 17, already had endorsement deals for various beauty products, in addition to what they make from Keeping Up with the Kardashians, on the E! network. They were each independent enough to have bought homes, Kendall a condo for $1.4 million in the area of Westwood, Kylie a house in Calabasas for $2.7 million. Now that he felt the two girls could process the change, there was only one step left. Bruce Jenner went to the office in Beverly Hills, thinking the facial-feminization surgery would take about five hours. Caitlyn Jenner left the office in Beverly Hills after the procedure had taken roughly 10 hours. Comfort in Isolation
During the first full day of recuperation, there was a moment when Caitlyn Jenner lay down on her bed as best she could, hoping to get some sleep. The pain was such that she had no choice but to be on large amounts of medication. She had ice packs over her eyes. She closed them for a little bit, then suddenly shot up, causing the ice packs to slip. She was undergoing something that had never happened before in 65 years of life: a panic attack. She told the 24-hour nurse on duty she had to get out of bed. Caitlyn asked her to turn on the television so the sound would be a distraction. The recently purchased $3.6 million home—built with concrete slabs like the artillery batteries you can still see on the Pacific coast, put there in case of a Japanese attack during World War II—was one floor on top of an aboveground garage. There were three bedrooms off the long hallway and then the kitchen and dining area and sunken living room in an open floor plan. It offered remarkable views of Catalina Island and the Pacific and glimpses of whales through the floor-to-ceiling windows in her bedroom. Because of its literal mountaintop location, you could see everything but not hear anything except the flapping-flag sound of the wind. No nearby neighbors. No cars pulling up. It was encapsulated in silence, and maybe that was the point of living there, comfort in isolation. Caitlyn went into the long hallway and paced back and forth on the dark wood floor, where not even the footsteps made a sound. The panic attack lasted about 15 seconds, but a single thought continued to course through her mind: “What did I just do? What did I just do to myself?” A counselor from the Los Angeles Gender Center came over to the house so Caitlyn could talk to someone with professional expertise. The counselor helped ease her mind. She said such reactions were often induced by the pain medication. She also said such second-guessing was human and temporary. The thought has since passed and has not come back. There is no buyer’s remorse. Not that it matters anyway, because there is no turning back. “If I was lying on my deathbed and I had kept this secret and never ever did anything about it, I would be lying there saying, ‘You just blew your entire life,’ ” she told me. “ ‘You never dealt with yourself,’ and I don’t want that to happen.” Bruce Jenner, she said, was “always telling lies.” Caitlyn Jenner, she said, “doesn’t have any lies.” Bruce Jenner caused hurt to four children who loved and idolized him before he gave his love and total attention to another family. Caitlyn Jenner has the possibility to make it right and close the fissure as much as she can. “I have high hopes that Caitlyn is a better person than Bruce,” said his oldest son, Burt, now 36. “I’m very much looking forward to that.” “It Ain’t Bruce”
This is the most remarkable story I have ever worked on in 38 years as a journalist, the only writer in the world with unlimited access to Jenner for a story of global interest, witness to the final months of one of the most iconic male athletes before he disappears and a woman appears in his place. I spent hundreds of hours with the man over a period of three months. Then I spent countless hours with the woman. It was initially weird, and virtually anyone who says it isn’t weird is giving themselves far too much credit. It was initially surreal, having seen Bruce Jenner set seven personal bests as he won the decathlon in 1976 with that perfectly buff body, and seeing him now in an elegant black dress with fine-looking breasts. With apologies to members of the transgender community, who are rightfully sensitive about the use of language, I constantly used “he” instead of “she,” and at one point called Caitlyn “dude” out of force of habit, and closed conversations with “All right, man, I’ll talk to you soon.” “I don’t really get hung up,” she told me. “A guy came in the other day and I was fully dressed—it’s just habit, I said ‘Hi, Bruce here,’ and I went, Oh fuck, it ain’t Bruce, I was screwing up doing it.” My miscues have nothing to do with intolerance—I have been a cross-dresser with a big-time fetish for women’s leather and an open critic of the often arbitrary delineation between men’s and women’s clothing—but because it is a strange story regardless of all the important inroads that have been made by transgender men and women into the cultural mainstream. Just as it is a tragic one, and a painful one, and a harmful one, for so many years, not just to himself but to others he should have been closest to, and a lonely one, and a brave one, and a funny one, and maybe, just maybe, because it is far too early to tell, a triumphant one. The Show Must Go On
Or maybe, given Jenner’s past, it’s all just fodder for a “docu-series” (i.e., reality television in a fancy suit) that, in May, Caitlyn started shooting for the E! network, debuting this summer. Can you hear the thunder of a Kardashian spin-off? The same four children whom he lost contact with for years at a time, none of whom have the last name Kardashian, fear exactly that. They also fear that the spectacular way in which she came across on the ABC 20/20 special two-hour interview with Diane Sawyer (Caitlyn had completed her transition by the time the show aired, on April 24) will endanger what she can do for the continued momentum of the transgender movement. Instead they worry that the whole narrative will devolve into spectacle and shenanigans intercut with a little dash of social cause and the use of paid consultants who are experts on transgender issues as a cover for social responsibility. She is also someone who in the past has been easily influenced by the opinions of others. Caitlyn insists that will not be the case since, as an executive producer, she has full creative control. Her insistence is real. The children, collectively known as “the Jenner side” and all in their 30s and as grounded as the Kardashians are not, feel otherwise. Through the portal of their television show, the relationship of the Kardashian children to their dad has unfolded publicly for eight years. The relationship of the Jenner children with their dad has gone untold: unless you were a Keeping Up with the Kardashians fetishist, you might not even know that he had four other children. Given the pressure placed on them to participate in the upcoming E! series, it became clear to me that their story is more germane than ever. They disagree with their father’s decision to use not only the same production company that made Keeping Up with the Kardashians but many of the same people, including several original executive producers. The E! network, with such shows as Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Total Divas, The Royals, and Botched, is not known for its subtlety. In the hope of repairing their relationship with their father, they—Brandon in particular—have supported Caitlyn, and that support has been inspiring to her. The last thing the Jenner kids want to do is reverse the rebuilding of the relationship. But despite numerous entreaties from their father as well as the head of E! programming, the Jenner children refuse to participate, forgoing financial gain and exposure in the process. At first their decision did not seem to register with Caitlyn. She kept hoping they could be persuaded because she knows from eight years on Keeping Up with the Kardashians the necessity of a family dynamic for ratings success. When she realized the decision was final, she became increasingly frustrated and on one occasion hurled profanities. She told me she felt “terribly disappointed and terribly hurt.” Caitlyn neither understands the tragic irony of those words nor recognizes her historical tendency toward self-victimization. Based on hours of interviews with the Jenner children, as well as his two ex-wives, a picture emerges of a father who had been absent for years at a time, insensitive, hurtful, and weak in no longer making an effort to keep up contact after he married Kris Kardashian. Caitlyn openly acknowledged to me mistakes made with them as Bruce Jenner. The regret is genuine. Juggling two ex-wives with a third wife was at times very difficult. But not seeing his children for long periods, beginning around the time of their adolescence, not acknowledging birthdays, not going to graduations, and intentionally not being there for the birth of his daughter were Jenner’s own decisions. The wounding only went deeper, given that Bruce Jenner was an exemplary father to the so-called Kardashian side, including Kendall and Kylie. In the course of their father’s journey, the Jenner children have gone through their own journey as well. “Love has nothing to do with gender,” said his daughter Cassandra. She paused for a moment and added this: “There’s no way to separate what he’s going through, the trap he’s been in for the past 60 years and how that has affected his choices around love and relationships. It’s impossible.” Light and Shadow
About two weeks after the surgery, I sat on a stool at the kitchen counter opposite Caitlyn. She had listened to Monica Lewinsky’s powerful TED talk on what it is like to be the ceaseless target of cyber-ridicule. The talk had struck a chord with Caitlyn because of the similarities with how she had been dealt with on the Internet. She had in front of her five pages of notes. It dawned on me that she was going to give her version of a TED talk to an audience of one: me. It went on for nearly 40 minutes. My heart bled for Caitlyn. She was so earnest, trying so hard: you could feel the essential goodness in Caitlyn, and Bruce Jenner before her. Mistakes had been made, ones that caused terrible scars, but as many others had said about him, they emanated from following a path of least resistance as well as from a hatred of confrontation. Bruce was instantly likable, a singsong lilt in a voice of amusement and bemusement, shades of sweet goofiness. It was how he liked to interact, bouncing along the surface. But it seemed like he often used the method of communication as a guard against emotional connection. “If he had emotional legs he’d get up and walk to you,” Jenner’s second wife, Linda Thompson, remembers telling her son Brandon after his father had not attended his high-school graduation. “But he doesn’t. He just doesn’t have that capability.” It was late afternoon by the time the simulated TED talk ended. Light streamed in through the kitchen bay windows, slanting through the bottle of handwash onto the porcelain sink and the Wolf stove and the Sub-Zero refrigerator. The clarity was piercing, only adding to the stillness, relics of an archaeological expedition, a remodeled kitchen untouched by human hands discovered in the hills of Malibu. The light then suddenly shifted. It angled on her face in a perfect dissection of brightness and shadow down the centerline. Caitlyn looked gorgeous in the light. Her features were accentuated and popped. Just as her features were obscured in the shadow. I did not know which way it would go. Only where it had already gone. “Nature Made a Mistake”
When Jenner’s sister Pam was a young girl she noticed something puzzling one day on the bookshelf of the family’s house, in Cornwall, New York. It was the mid-1950s, and like millions of other American families in the 50s the Jenners had a set of encyclopedias. What was odd to Pam was the way in which her brother Bruce, 16 months younger, had arranged them: from A to Z, right to left. She noticed how her younger brother spelled “saw” as “was” and “was” as “saw.” Pam concluded, as would just about any older sibling caught up in her own world, that Bruce was just “a stupid younger brother.” Their mother, Esther, was puzzled. When she worked on spelling with her son she noticed that he spelled every word right one day and then completely forgot the next. “Bruce, you’re not concentrating. You’re daydreaming,” she said to him. In second grade, since he still could not read, he was held back. Teachers thought that the child, whose father, William, was a tree surgeon, was just lazy. It was only later that Jenner was diagnosed with dyslexia, a learning disability marked by difficulty in processing language. He wasn’t lazy or stupid. He could spell every word right the first time because he had memorized them. His self-esteem as a child was understandably poor. Dealing with his dyslexia was enough of a challenge for Bruce Jenner. It was enough for any young boy trying to navigate the rock-rimmed shore of peer acceptance. Jenner is fond of invoking God in setting out the challenges of his life. If that is the case, then God had a daily double in store. When Bruce was around 10, he would sneak into his mother’s closet, sometimes his sister’s. He would put on a dress and maybe wrap a scarf around his head and walk around outside. Without knowing the clinical term for what he was feeling—gender dysphoria—he found himself “fascinated by it all,” just as he felt “scared to death somebody was going to find out.” Because there was nobody he could talk to about it. He didn’t tell anyone until the early 1970s, when he told his first wife, Chrystie. In the context of the late 1950s the very concept of a transgender woman in the United States was foreign, the only publicized experience that of Christine Jorgensen, a former World War II G.I. from the Bronx whose name at the time was George Jorgensen Jr. She underwent gender-reassignment surgery in Denmark because it wasn’t done in the United States. The story became public on December 1, 1952, after the New York Daily News got ahold of a letter Jorgensen had written to her parents in which she said, “Nature made a mistake, which I have had corrected, and I am now your daughter.” The resulting publicity was astonishing but the interest largely prurient and centered on someone with a penis going to a foreign country and coming back with a vagina. In fifth grade Jenner ran in a race, perhaps the most important sporting event in which he ever participated. He turned out to be the fastest kid in school. His athletic ability led him to football and basketball at Sleepy Hollow High School, and then Newtown High School, in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, after he moved there in the middle of 11th grade. It also exhibited itself out of school when he won the Eastern States water-skiing championship. “Sports saved my life,” Jenner said. He became popular because jocks are always popular. He became determined in sports because he was gifted, but also because it helped to prove his masculinity, since, as he told me, “that’s what everybody wants to believe.” He went to tiny Graceland College, in Lamoni, Iowa, on a football scholarship. He hurt his knee, ending his football career. But a coach there, L. D. Weldon, who happened to be an expert in the decathlon, saw something in Jenner, and Jenner responded to it. He came out of nowhere in April of 1971 to win the decathlon at the Kansas Relays. He made the United States Olympic team in 1972 and finished 10th in the decathlon in Munich. After the end of the competition, 10 different events in two days, Jenner went on a long-distance run through the streets of Munich. It was the beginning of a training regimen in which he would practice eight hours a day, every day, for the next four years, leading up to the 1976 Olympics. Going for Gold
The decathlon was perfect for him, not just as a sporting event and the ultimate in he-man-ism but also as a years-long diversion from the awareness that he identified as a woman. He hoped for much of his life that the gender dysphoria would somehow go away, be stamped out with enough diversions, or at least not occupy his thoughts: decathlon training, other sports after the Olympics such as professional car racing and tennis, becoming a pilot, marrying and having a family. “You always think in the back of your mind, I can live with this. I can fix this…. If I just do this it’s going to be O.K.,” he told me. On July 30, 1976, in Montreal, Jenner won the decathlon, the most grueling event of the Olympics, at the age of 26, with a world record 8,618 points. Because of the times, a country struggling with the aftershock of Vietnam and the oil embargo and Watergate, he became a supercharged hero. The United States’ performance at the 1976 Olympics—where it won only one individual gold medal in men’s track and none in women’s track and was embarrassed by the Soviet Union and East Germany at the peak of the Cold War—only heightened the need. Tens of millions watched Jenner on television, buff and with that mane of hair flowing like a lion’s, running through the Olympic stadium holding a small American flag which had been handed to him by an overjoyed spectator. He was six two and 194 pounds of mostly muscle, perfectly proportioned. “Bruce Jenner of San Jose, Calif., wants to be a movie or television star. After his record-breaking victory in the Olympic decathlon today, he probably can be anything he wants,” wrote Frank Litsky in The New York Times. Although Litsky did not know it at the time—no one did, except for Jenner’s first wife, and she did not know the full extent—falser words could never be written. Becoming a woman wasn’t going to happen, because he had won not simply a gold medal but a gold medal in the decathlon, which carries with it the title of “the world’s greatest athlete.” Litsky went on to list the usual descriptive suspects—“a handsome, cheerful, outgoing man with long, straight blond hair.” “People say, Oh my God, what a body—you look great. That wasn’t what I was looking for,” Jenner told me. “I could not really cross-dress. I tried to grow my hair out as much as I could without getting yelled at.” The night of his Olympic win Jenner and his wife, Chrystie, stayed in a penthouse hotel suite in Montreal. It was arranged by his lawyer at the time, Alan Rothenberg, after he realized that the Jenners, typically, with their innocence and lack of lavishness, had made no plan for a place to stay. After Jenner woke up the next morning, he walked past the grand piano into the bathroom. He was naked. The gold medal was around his neck. He looked at himself in the mirror. The grand diversion of winning the decathlon was finished. Everything would change. Nothing had changed. He didn’t see a hunk. He didn’t see success. Instead of reveling in the accomplishment, he diminished it in his mind because he had done it, the stupid little boy with dyslexia. The little boy who knew he had been born a girl and was now just trying to put one over on the rest of the world. “Now what do I do?” he said to himself. He was too irresistible for the starved nation, too perfect. He almost immediately signed a contract with ABC. He got taken in the seventh round of the National Basketball Association draft in 1977 by the Kansas City Kings. He did the endorsements and the speeches. He knew he was bullshitting. “Underneath my suit I have a bra and panty hose and this and that and thinking to myself, They know nothing about me. “I walk off the stage and I’d feel like a liar. And I would say, ‘Fuck, I can’t tell my story. There’s so much more to me than those 48 hours in the stadium, and I can’t talk about it.’ It was frustrating. You get mad at yourself…. Little did they know I was totally empty inside. Totally empty inside.” Chrystie
Jenner had married Chrystie Crownover in 1972. They had met in college. She was the daughter of a minister from southeastern Washington State. She suggested the marriage, in part because her job as a flight attendant for United Airlines gave her access to free tickets for herself and her spouse, so they could fly to decathlon events all over the world. In stark contrast to the Kardashian period, they drove under the redwoods of California with Beethoven blasting and grabbed a rope swing to drop into the Russian River. Chrystie was the breadwinner, a devoted partner in his journey to a gold medal. In 1973, early in the marriage, Chrystie noticed a rubber band attached to the hook of one of her bras. She asked Bruce about it. She remembered him telling her, “Gee, I don’t know.” Subsequently he gathered the nerve and brought up the mystery of the bra again. “That’s why the rubber band. Because I’ve been wearing your clothes.” Photograph by Annie Leibovitz; Styled by Jessica Diehl. “He told me he always wanted to be a woman,” Chrystie said. “He told me as a little kid how that felt. He told me [of] different fantasies that he had, related to loving women.” Chrystie felt immense gratitude that he was sharing something so intimate with her. “If he had been wanting to dress up when he was with me or any of those things it would have been different. But he was still masculine. He was still my hero. He was still pursuing this goal of being the greatest athlete in the world. It wasn’t like it was a hard thing to handle. It was like a piece of information he shared with me and then he went back to being a real guy…. He had a strong, healthy sex drive and seemed like pure man.” Bruce Jenner as Bruce Jenner had a sexual appetite exclusively for women. Caitlyn has no idea what the future will hold as Caitlyn Jenner. But, she adds, it is not important to her right now. “If you have a list of 10 reasons to transition, sex would be number 10.” It should also be emphasized that sexual preference and gender identity have nothing to do with each other. In September 1978, Chrystie and Bruce had Burton, or Burt for short. He was named after Jenner’s younger brother, who had died in a car accident shortly after the Olympics, on the day he was supposed to fly to California to live with Bruce and establish residency in hopes of attending a state university. The marriage began to fissure. They separated for a period of time, then got back together. Chrystie became pregnant; in an interview in Playboy in 1980, Jenner said, “My first reaction was that I didn’t want it,” and he asked her to consider an abortion. They separated permanently when Chrystie was still pregnant with their second child, Cassandra, who is now 34. She has two young children with her husband, Michael Marino, who is in private equity. “I never knew he wasn’t at my birth until I was about 13 years old and we were arguing on the phone about money,” Cassandra, a 2001 graduate of Boston College and stay-at-home mother, told me. “He kept saying, ‘You don’t know the whole story.’ “I hung up the phone and was asking my mom what he was talking about until she confessed the history behind my birth.” Jenner told me he was in the middle of divorcing Chrystie when he found out she was pregnant. He said he brought up the idea of an abortion but rejected it after 30 seconds. He was in a hotel room in Kansas City when Cassandra was born. He cried, but “under the circumstances I could not even see myself being there.” Linda
Jenner started seeing Linda Thompson, a performer on the syndicated country-music and variety show Hee Haw who would go on to have an accomplished career as a songwriter. (She and her second husband, David Foster, co-wrote the song “I Have Nothing,” made famous by Whitney Houston.) Bruce and Linda had met at the Playboy Mansion during a tennis tournament. Jenner divorced Chrystie in 1980 and married Thompson several months later, in January of the following year. She was pregnant at the time with their first son, Brandon. He appeared on the cover of Playgirl with Linda Thompson in May of 1982. He was shirtless (but not hairless). Linda, in what looks to be a low-cut leotard, has her lips and nose pressed sensually against his cheek. In a question-and-answer interview he talks about his “masculine qualities” and their healthy sex life and the fabulousness of their marriage after a year. It appears obvious in hindsight that he was desperately trying to maintain his cover in a society that still largely condemned transgender women and men. They had been married for more than four years and had two children, Brandon and Brody, when he told Linda of his gender dysphoria. She said she was shocked and devastated. Brandon was about three and a half at the time and Brody 18 months. They went into counseling, but, Thompson told me, the therapist said the condition would never go away. “ ‘You can live with him as he transitions and you can have what you might consider a lesbian relationship because, you know, you can stay married to him. You will both be women, but he’s attracted to you. He would like to stay married to you. Or if that doesn’t appeal to you, you can move on.’ “And I opted for the latter because I married a man…. As much as I felt my life and my dream were destroyed and I was going to have to get a divorce, and then my kids, I was going one day to have to explain to them—I thought my pain doesn’t compare to the pain that he’s in. At least I’m comfortable living in my own body.” Jenner describes the period of the mid- to late 80s as “the dark years.” He had no social life. Professional opportunities dwindled, in part because he had no motivation to work and didn’t seem to care. He had moved from ABC to NBC, and around 1983 his contract was not renewed. He was tired of giving speeches. His acting career had resulted in one feature film, back in 1980: Allan Carr’s frantic Can’t Stop the Music, a thoroughly bizarre film with Steve Guttenberg and Valerie Perrine and the Village People trying to capitalize on the disco era. Its campiness is so bad that it’s sociologically fascinating to watch today. But it received the 1980 Razzie for worst picture and screenplay; Jenner was nominated for worst actor but lost out to Neil Diamond, for The Jazz Singer. A made-for-television film, Grambling’s White Tiger—starring Jenner as a white quarterback on the otherwise all-black Grambling State University football team, with Harry Belafonte as legendary coach Eddie Robinson—was well received. But it did not propel him anywhere. He was running out of the diversions that had guided his life. But the gender issues were not going away; if anything, they were intensifying. “The gender issues were big at that time,” Jenner told me. “I had ignored them for so long, but I was aging.” “I Don’t Want to Be This Way”
It was during that first attempt at transition, in the mid-and late 1980s, that he went on hormones, had his beard removed, and had plastic surgery on his nose. The changes were noticeable. Brody Jenner, now 31 years old and a reality-TV staple with a new show called Sex with Brody, debuting on E! this summer, was somewhere around 4 when he said to his mother, “Mommy, we saw Daddy get out of the shower and he’s got boobs.” Rumors began in the media and were squelched. “I was terrified of being discovered,” Jenner said. “I was not at a point in my life where I was comfortable with myself. “ ‘I don’t want to be this way’ was the bottom line. Who would want to be dealing with all these issues…. I look at men and say, Oh my God, would it not be so wonderful to be comfortable in your own skin, male or female, so when you wake up in the morning you get dressed and go to work and this identity issue is not even present? “You’re happy being who you are. You have a beautiful wife and this and that…. I look at women and think the exact same thing: Wouldn’t it be wonderful to wake up in the morning and be able to get dressed and go out and live your life?” But the context of the times made Jenner scared. There were only a handful of well-publicized transgender cases. The atmosphere for transgender men and women was still extremely difficult. Johns Hopkins Hospital had come to public attention for championing sexual-reassignment surgeries in 1966 but stopped doing the procedure 13 years later, after a controversial study by a psychiatrist there reported that recipients, in making psychosexual adjustment, were no better off than those who didn’t have the surgery. Paul McHugh, psychiatrist in chief for the medical school, whose stance against gender-reassignment surgery borders on religious zealotry in the eyes of activists, was instrumental in the decision, concluding that the only surgery as radical and misguided was the lobotomy. The same year, 1979, Professor Janice G. Raymond published The Transsexual Empire: The Making of the She-Male. She wrote in the book, “I contend that the problem of transsexualism would best be served by morally mandating it out of existence.” Enormous strides are being made today in the acceptance of transgender women and men, thanks, in part, to the Golden Globe Award-winning Amazon series Transparent and such transgender spokeswomen as the writer Janet Mock and Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox. (Last year Cox appeared on the cover of Time magazine with the headline THE TRANSGENDER TIPPING POINT.) Yet only 19 states have laws to protect transgender workers. Kris
Around 1990, Jenner stopped his transition. He decided he needed to “get back in the game.” He was in Ketchikan, Alaska, finishing a celebrity fishing show with former Los Angeles Dodgers first-baseman Steve Garvey, when Garvey’s wife, Candace, raised the idea of fixing him up with Kris Kardashian. She was divorced from Robert Kardashian, who went on to fame—or perhaps infamy—as a friend and attorney of O. J. Simpson’s and died of cancer in 2003, at the age of 59. Candace mentioned that Kris lived in Beverly Hills with a marvelous sense of style and great shopping skill. Jenner at first was not interested. “I’m thinking the last thing I need is a Beverly Hills shopper,” Jenner said. “I don’t need that. No offense to shoppers. It’s the perception of this woman who sits around Beverly Hills and goes shopping all day.” On second thought, Candace said, it would never work since Kris, like Jenner, had four children. Then Jenner was interested: “She comes with as much baggage as I do.” They hit it off immediately and seven months later, in 1991, were married. The issue of how much Bruce Jenner told Kris of his gender-identity issues is a matter of dispute: neither side wants to appear rancorous, but the two sides agree on virtually nothing. Breast growth as the result of hormones is irreversible. Jenner insists that he was a “good solid B cup” when he met Kris. She said it was comparable to a “little bit of a man boob situation” but that there was “no B cup going on.” The issue goes to the core of how much moral obligation Jenner, or anyone with established gender dysphoria, has to tell a prospective spouse of his or her condition. “When I met Bruce,” Kris said, “he told me that he had done hormones back in the early 80s. This was a conversation that took place in the early 90s. So, what he was telling me happened a decade earlier, and he never really explained it.” As far as Kris Jenner was concerned, “there wasn’t a gender issue. Nobody mentioned a gender issue. Somebody mentioned that [he] at one point in his life liked to dress up.” Jenner is emphatic that he told Kris he had taken hormones in the late 1980s up until the year they met, and was equally emphatic in saying there were other side effects besides breast growth. He finds it implausible for her to suggest she was not aware of his gender struggle. But he does concede that “probably a mistake I made was maybe not having her understand—not the severity of it but that this is a condition you cannot get away from. From that standpoint maybe I blew it away a little bit, sort of ‘This is what I do.’ ” He said he did cross-dress in front of her. But ultimately, he said, she set down rules: he could cross-dress when he was traveling on his own but not at home. Kris said he never cross-dressed in front of her, the only evidence “a few times I would see a suitcase or things lying around the house.” She also said she never set down any rules. At first, based on interviews, the merging of Jenner’s children from the first two marriages with the four children from Kris’s first marriage—Kourtney, Kimberly, Khloé, and Robert junior—was a happy one. The eight of them performed together at the Jenners’ wedding as “the “Jennashians.” The Jenner children continued to live with their mothers, but they said that they frequently went over to their father’s house and that Kris embraced them. Then it all stopped. The children maintain that Kris essentially turned on them. Kris said she and her husband stopped seeing the children “because you just got to a point where it became exhausting to be embattled all the time. We weren’t getting anywhere with constantly asking to see the kids and not getting a yes. And I think the kids really didn’t hear that side of it.” Relations became further strained when Linda Thompson, after waiving child support at the time of divorce, took her ex-husband to court to get it. Jenner told me that the suit had a very negative impact on Kris’s willingness to integrate the families. Jenner acknowledged that his focus was on Kendall and Kylie and his four stepchildren and that he thought, “I can hopefully build a relationship with the Jenner side once they’re old enough and mature enough and they’re out from under the apron of their mothers.” Burt Jenner, who owns West LA Dogs, a day-care center for dogs, said he does not remember seeing his father more than twice a year for a period of roughly 10 years. Brandon Jenner, who is 33 and in an accomplished indie-pop duo with his wife, Leah, still maintained a sporadic relationship with his father. But even he went through stretches of two to three years without ever hearing from him. The other two children also went through long periods of never seeing their father at all. Jenner said he was not invited to such milestone events as high-school graduations and would have gone had he known; the children and their mothers say he was invited and in some instances did not even respond. When the Northridge earthquake hit the Los Angeles region, in 1994, Brandon, then 12, told his mother that his father had called to see if the family was O.K. His mother was delighted that Bruce had called. “Mom, I’m just kidding,” Brandon told her. “I think the nail in the coffin for the relationship was the beginning of the TV show,” in 2007, said Burt. “There was a you-aren’t-part-of- this kind of thing. Kris made the choice to make a good TV show that was in their image and brand.” As she put it in a book she wrote called Kris Jenner … and All Things Kardashian, the title “Keeping Up with the Kardashians and the Jenners just didn’t have the same ring to it.” Family Matters
Burt wonders now if it would have been better for him if his dad had not been an Olympic champion. “It’s very hard to have a father to idolize,” he told me. “It would have been much easier if he hadn’t won the Olympics.” Burt is a formidable racecar driver, as his father was, winning the Octane Academy competition on NBC in 2013, which netted him $50,000 in prize money and a car. “My father taught me on the athletic field,” Burt said. “The confidence in yourself to go out and win.” But Burt, notable in the family for being bluntly candid, also said, “I was very fortunate to have an awesome stepfather to fill the void…. At the end of the day there’s no way I can get around it. I am ungodly thankful and I feel very fortunate to not have had my father in my life…. I learned how to open doors and shake hands and look people in the eye. Things that my dad never would have taught me.” Photograph by Annie Leibovitz; Styled by Jessica Diehl. Jenner does have regrets. “I have made a lot of mistakes raising the four Jenner kids. I had times not only dealing with my own issues but exes. [It was] very traumatic and there was a lot of turmoil in my life, and I wasn’t as close to my kids as I should have been.” It was actually during one of the most difficult periods of his life, the attempted transition in the late 1980s, that they found a caring and loving father. As Cassandra put it, he was a better parent when he “was moving towards his authentic self.” As she said of her dad, “I would happily have traded a distant father for a loving, involved mom.” Keeping Up with Bruce and Kris
Kris Jenner took over her husband’s foundering career after they were married. She got rid of Jenner’s handlers. She renewed his speaking engagements. He appeared in infomercials for Eagle Eyes Sunglasses and for a piece of workout equipment called the SuperStep and other products. They did an infomercial series called “Super Fit with Bruce and Kris Jenner.” The efforts were financially successful. But after Keeping Up with the Kardashians started and became a runaway hit, the dynamics of the relationship changed, Jenner told me. “The first 15 years I felt she needed me more because I was the breadwinner…. Then really around the show, when that hit and she was running this whole show and getting credit for it and she had her own money, she didn’t need me as much from that standpoint. The relationship was different. “I think in a lot of ways she became less tolerant of me. Then I’d get upset and the whole relationship kind of fizzled.” One has to watch only a sampling of the show to see the interaction. “A lot of times she wasn’t very nice,” Jenner said. “People would see how I got mistreated. She controlled the money … all that kind of stuff.” Kris Jenner acknowledged that her workload quadrupled as the result of the ever-expanding Keeping Up with the Kardashians empire and she “didn’t have the kind of time she had in the past.” She also said Bruce was often angry and upset during the last years of the marriage. “He was married to me and he wasn’t who he wanted to be so he was miserable…. All I was doing was working very hard for my family so that we could all have a wonderful future, and he was pissed off. “At the end of my relationship with Bruce he definitely had a lot of social anxiety,” Kris said. “That was one of the reasons we were in a struggle at the end. We fought a lot because we would go out together and before we got to the end of the block we were in a fight because he started saying, ‘When can we go home?’ ” What strikes her now is how her husband, after fully embracing life for much of their marriage, “just decided I’m done now” without explaining his gender dysphoria until after they were divorced. “It was like the most passive-aggressive thing I think I’ve ever experienced.” As she asked rhetorically of her former husband, “Why would you want to be married and have kids if this is what you wanted since you were a little boy? Why would you not explain this all to me?” Jenner said that from his perspective the disintegration of the marriage had far less to do with gender issues and far more to do with the way Kris dealt with him: “Twenty percent was gender and 80 percent was the way I was treated.” They separated in June 2013. He rented a house in Malibu. They were amicably divorced last September. The agreement was completed with no lawyers, an indication, Jenner said, “of 23 great years together.” He said that he retained the contracts that were his and she retained the ones considered hers. The agreement, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, states that they aimed to divide their assets evenly, but Kris almost certainly emerged much wealthier than Bruce, since she kept sole possession of all the business interests and intellectual property in her name—including Keeping Up with the Kardashians and its spin- offs. Jenner knew that at some point he would have to tell his children of his gender identity. But any right to privacy he should have had was irrevocably lost in December of 2013 when he got a call from TMZ asking him if he had just had a medical consultation for the tracheal shave. Jenner remembers pulling his car to the side of the road. He pleaded that nothing be published because it would “destroy lives.” The pleas were unsuccessful. The item appeared online. Pacing the hallway of his rented home in Malibu that night after publication, he contemplated suicide with a gun he kept in the house. He decided not to go through with it. But he also realized that, with the story now out there, he was going to have to tell his children. He also knew he would now need a strategy for eventually going public with his transition. The TMZ disclosure had robbed him of any right to his own timeline. He told each of his children individually, starting with Brandon, whose reaction was unequivocal: “I’ve never been more proud of you than I am at this moment.” The rest of the Jenner children reacted much the same way. They were already aware of their father’s identity as a woman. Their mother had told Burt and Cassandra roughly 20 years earlier, when they were 13 and 11. Brandon had assumed it because of the obvious physical changes. Brody was not told by his mother until he was 29. “As soon as I heard it, it was almost a relief. Because it just made a lot of sense growing up,” Brody told me. “Reasons and things like why he wasn’t there. Not around. I finally realized he had his own issues he was dealing with at that time.” About a year ago, Brandon and Brody got a sobering glimpse of their father’s life when they went over to the Malibu rental house to surf. As they put on their wetsuits early in the morning, they saw that lights were on inside. Brandon went over to say hello, then quickly came back and told his brother they needed to leave immediately because he had just seen their father at the computer in a gown and earrings. Because they knew their father identified as a woman, they were not shocked. But they also knew he did not want them to see him dressed like this. “He wakes up at 4:30 in the morning probably because he’s not tired but [also] because that’s the [only] part of the day he actually gets to be” what he wants, said Brody. “That’s so sad, when you can’t be like that always.” The Jenner children feel both happiness for their father and inspiration at his bravery. They also feel that their relationship with their dad will now have an opportunity to grow. “I feel like he’s been the closest to us and the best parent when he’s been moving toward his true identity,” said Cassandra. As part of the transition, Jenner started hosting intermittent and small gatherings called “girls’ nights,” casual occasions with wine and food in which Jenner could dress as desired and feel natural and comfortable in the presence of women. It was at a girls’ night that Cassandra met Caitlyn for the first time. “I was just nervous that I wouldn’t make her feel comfortable,” Cassandra said. “I was worried I wouldn’t say the right things or act the right way or seem relaxed.” But almost all of it melted away when she got there. “We talked more than we ever have. We could just be girls together.” It’s Her World Now
For the Jenner children the issue of the transition has become a non-issue. They all still see their dad as their dad regardless of any gender label. Brandon said he was a little taken aback when he saw Caitlyn for the first time after surgery and she pulled her top up to reveal her new breasts. “Whoa, I’m still your son,” he gently reminded her. But the moment easily passed. After so many years of non-contact and hurt, one of the most stirring parts of the transition has been the renewal of the relationship of the Jenner children with their father. Except that disagreement over the upcoming E! docu-series has posed yet another hurdle. The children believe that with the right producers the show could be wonderful on multiple levels, including elevating public consciousness of the issues surrounding the transgender community, much the way the Sawyer interview did. The docu-series will be produced by Bunim/Murray, the company responsible for such shows as The Real World, The Simple Life, Bad Girls Club, and, of course, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Bunim/Murray is credited with inventing reality television: nobody does it better. But this is not your typical reality show. Their father’s adamant decision to use some of the same producers and much of the same crew who have produced the Kardashian episodes for 10 seasons only enhanced their concern that the show would devolve into maximum mayhem and minimum social awareness. The children said they were interested not in their own financial gain but in ensuring the legacy of their father as perhaps the most socially influential athlete since Muhammad Ali. At a meeting at the Jenner house with another prospective producer, who was not chosen, Brandon laid out his concerns succinctly: “You go on E!’s Web site, the Bunim/Murray Web site, and you look at all the shows, every one of them is a circus.” “With Bunim/Murray and E! it’s been the opposite of inspiration,” he said during the meeting. “Oh my God, we’re diving into the lion’s den—they’re gonna make a show about the Jenners versus the Kardashians.” Brandon Jenner wants his father to know this is simply the kind of disagreement that happens in families. He wants his dad to know he loves and admires her, as do all the Jenner children, just as he hopes that his father’s love will not become conditional, as it has been in the past. “This is the fourth quarter of [her] life. But within our relationship this is the first quarter, the relationship that [she] has with the kids. Regardless of the show and all that stuff, there will be a fourth quarter of the relationship. And I envision the fourth quarter as having a 15- or 16-year-old daughter who knows her grandparent as ‘Mapa’ or whatever Dad wants to be, and loves that grandparent for who she is.” E!’s head of programming, Jeff Olde, hopes the children will decide to participate once they see the quality and tone of the show. He respects their decision and knows it is “coming from a place of pure love.” He also said this will be a quality show with a totally different feel from other E! offerings. “It’s not at all a Kardashian spin-off…. We will not resort to spectacle. That doesn’t mean we can’t have fun with it.” “We all love ratings,” Olde said, “but we understand the power and responsibility to be able to share this story.” Olde, who is gay and married, said he and his husband have been in the trenches for almost 20 years fighting for equal rights. “This is so far beyond television, on a personal level. If I get one thing right in my professional career, it will be this.” Jeff Jenkins, the executive vice president of development and programming for Bunim/Murray, echoed Olde’s sentiment and said that “ratings are not the goal” of the series. “It is to tell Bruce’s story the way he wants it to be told.” Bunim/Murray has produced several well-received shows on members of the L.G.B.T. community, including Pedro Zamora, whose groundbreaking participation in 1994’s The Real World: San Francisco made him one of the first openly gay H.I.V.-positive people to be depicted on prime-time television. There are many out there who think the E! series, while slightly more elegant perhaps, is just a stunt to make money. Caitlyn Jenner is prepared for the criticism just as she is also prepared with an answer. “ ‘Oh, she’s doing a stupid reality show. She’s doing it for the money. She’s doing this, she’s doing that.’ I’m not doing it for money. I’m doing it to help my soul and help other people. If I can make a dollar, I certainly am not stupid. [I have] house payments and all that kind of stuff. I will never make an excuse for something like that. Yeah, this is a business. “You don’t go out and change your gender for a television show. O.K., it ain’t happening. I don’t care who you are. It ain’t happening, O.K.? You don’t do it.” Caitlyn’s 89-year-old mother, Esther, while enormously proud of her son’s courage, is among those who have wondered about motive. “I woke up one night and all I was thinking about is: Why is it necessary [for Caitlyn] to go through all these surgeries?” Esther said. “Is this all about making money? And that was bothering me. He’s lived a life the last 25 years—and I don’t know if it was both he and Kris or mainly Kris—it seemed like their lifestyle was about money; that’s why it came to my mind.” The lifestyle was the materialistic equivalent of morbid obesity, but Jenner never was a part of it. I can say unequivocally that he actually hates to spend money. The recently purchased house did cost $3.6 million, but that is low by celebrity standards, and it has a mortgage on it. The big-ticket items, a 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS that cost somewhere around $180,000 and the country-club membership, were birthday gifts from Kris. I watched with fascination as he fetched golf balls out of the water hazard on the sixth hole at Sherwood with a pole so he would never have to buy any himself, honorably returning the ones stamped with “99” to fellow club member Wayne Gretzky. The Legend Becomes Her
It was early May, and Caitlyn had just gotten three letters from transgender women thanking her for the interview and the dignified way in which ABC and Sawyer had handled it. One of them was addressed “Bruce Jenner, Malibu, California,” as if she had become her own country. An incredible 16.9 million had watched on a Friday night. “Honestly, since the Diane Sawyer piece every day it’s exciting to go to the mailbox, because I get letters every day from all of these people from all over the world,” she told me. “I’ve gotten a lot from trans women, telling their story, and how excited they were to see the Diane piece.” She first watched the Sawyer interview on ABC’s East Coast feed with the Kardashian klan, sitting between Kendall and Kylie. The two youngest children worried that the reaction would be negative, only to be put at ease by the Twitter messages rolling in from famous people—Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus and Oprah Winfrey and Jimmy Fallon and a dozen others. Caitlyn then watched a second time at nine P.M. with the four Jenner children and their mothers. Brandon called the experience “one of the best nights of my life.” “Was it tough to watch? Of course it was,” Caitlyn told me. “I never thought in a million years I would ever have to divulge such private, intimate feelings I’ve had all my life…. I was also excited to get it off my chest. Scared but excited.” The reaction from the celebrity community was overwhelmingly positive, perhaps because Caitlyn Jenner is a fellow club member. The estimated 700,000 transgender women and men in the country are virtually all anonymous, too many of them suffering from job discrimination and violence. A 2013 report co-authored by a variety of equality and human-rights groups, including the Human Rights Campaign, said that transgender workers have a 14 percent rate of unemployment, double that of the general population; 44 percent are under-employed; and 15 percent have a household income under $10,000, as opposed to 4 percent in the general population. The National Transgender Discrimination Survey Report in 2010, based on roughly 6,500 responses to an extensive questionnaire, determined that the attempted-suicide rate for transgender women and men was a staggering 41 percent, compared to 1.6 percent in the general population. I can report that Caitlyn seems immensely happy, relaxed, with a shiny sense of purpose and confidence. She can’t wait when she goes out now to tell the paparazzi to “make sure it’s a good shot,” instead of asking patrons to help shield her from them in the parking lot of the local Starbucks. She looks forward to re-creating the atmosphere of “girls’ night” on a more regular basis, “where everybody is treating you the same way. You can talk about anything you want to talk about. You can talk about outfits. You can talk about hair and makeup, anything you want. It becomes not a big deal.” She is aware of the appalling conditions in which many transgender women and men live, and said that in her E! show she will focus on ways of lowering the rates of suicide and attempted suicide, among other issues. Caitlyn also plans a segment in which she sees if she can still hit a golf ball 300 yards off the tee, even with those very ample breasts. There is a road trip planned, in which Caitlyn and several transgender women will take an R.V. from the Los Angeles area to San Francisco to visit a center for transgender youth, and then on to Napa Valley. She said she now accepts the children’s decision regarding the E! series. “I think it’s better for the show right now. It keeps me on point and doesn’t distract with all the family issues.” As a possible peace offering, Caitlyn went over to Brandon and Leah’s house recently, not to make one last charge to persuade but to help plant a garden. “I think the relationship will take a new shape,” said Brandon. “My hopes that the relationship would blossom, that we would turn over a new leaf, has kind of turned into, I just want a relationship that is sustainable. I just want to have the best parts as possible.” On July 15, Caitlyn’s first major public appearance, she will be awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at ESPN’s ESPYs in Los Angeles. Its past winners include Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, and Billie Jean King. All 10 of her children and stepchildren are expected to be onstage when she accepts it. A Different Kind of Gold ||||| Tweet with a location
You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more | – Bruce Jenner is no more, and the 65-year-old former Olympian debuts as a woman on Vanity Fair's July cover in an Annie Leibovitz photo with the headline "Call me Caitlyn." VF sent Leibovitz and Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger to Jenner's place in Malibu, where they got "unfettered access." "If I was lying on my deathbed and I had kept this secret and never ever did anything about it," Jenner tells Bissinger, "I would be lying there saying, 'You just blew your entire life.'" Jenner also debuted @Caitlyn_Jenner, tweeting, "I'm so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world Caitlyn. Can't wait for you to get to know her/me." She had 153,000 followers in her first 40 minutes. The issue of Vanity Fair is out June 9. |
A radar map shows the route of the missing EgyptAir flight MS804 before it loses signal 10 miles into Eygptian air space.
An EgyptAir flight carrying 66 passengers and crew on a flight from Paris to Cairo went missing on Thursday, disappearing from radar over the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt's national airline said.
Officials with the airline and the Egyptian civil aviation department told Reuters they believed the Airbus A320 probably crashed into the sea. ||||| CLOSE Skip in Skip x Embed x Share Despite early reports to the contrary, an EgyptAir official now says debris from flight MS804 has not yet been found. USA TODAY
A relative of the victims of the EgyptAir flight 804 wipes her tears as she is comforted at Charles de Gaulle Airport outside of Paris on May 19, 2016. (Photo: Michel Euler, AP)
Debris found Thursday in the Mediterranean Sea was not from an EgyptAir flight that vanished from radar en route from Paris to Cairo early Thursday, an airline official said.
Ahmed Adel, EgyptAir vice chairman, told CNN Thursday that a statement he made earlier to the network was not accurate.
"We stand corrected on finding the wreckage because what we identified is not a part of our plane," Adel told the news organization. "So the search and rescue is still going on."
Adel's statement added to the mounting questions as to what happened to the Airbus 320 that was carrying 56 passengers and 10 crew members, and turned global attention back to the prospect of potential terrorism.
Earlier, Greek officials disputed Egypt's claim that Greek authorities found floating wreckage, including two life vests, from an EgyptAir flight carrying 66 people that crashed into the Mediterranean early Thursday en route from Paris to Cairo.
EgyptAir said the Egyptian foreign ministry confirmed in a letter to the Cairo government that Greek searchers found the debris near the Greek island of Karpathos. But within an hour of that report, Athanassios Binis, head of Greece’s Air Accident Investigation and Aviation Safety Board, told state ERT TV that “an assessment of the finds showed that they do not belong to an aircraft.”
Binis said the determination was confirmed by Egyptian authorities, according to the Associated Press. There was no immediate response or clarification from EgyptAir.
Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said the Airbus A320 made two sharp turns then suddenly lost altitude before vanishing from radar 174 miles off the Egyptian coast. “It turned 90 degrees left and then a 360-degree turn toward the right, dropping from 38,000 to 15,000 feet and then it was lost at about 10,000 feet,” he said.
Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathi said the possibility of a terror attack as the cause of the crash of flight MS804 is "higher than that of a technical error,” Egypt's state-run newspaper Al-Ahram reported.
Adding to Thursday's confusion, unnamed officials told Reuters that the United States saw no signs of an explosion as it reviewed imagery.
French President François Hollande earlier confirmed the disappearance of the airliner but said it was too early to determine the cause of the crash.
The plane vanished shortly after entering Egyptian airspace. Greek civil aviation authorities said all appeared fine with the flight until air traffic controllers were preparing to hand it over to their Egyptian counterparts. The pilot did not respond to their calls, and the aircraft then disappeared from radar.
CLOSE Skip in Skip x Embed x Share Egypt's aviation minister said on Thursday that a 'terror attack' was a more probable explanation for the disappearance of the EgyptAir flight than technical failure.Video provided by AFP Newslook
About 40 minutes before contact with the plane was lost, Greek air traffic controllers said the pilot was in good spirits and reported no problems as he flew over the Greek island of Kea, according to a statement by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority.
Al-Ahram identified the pilot as Captain Mohamed Shokeir. The airline said he had 6,275 hours of flying experience, including 2,101 hours on the A320 aircraft used in the flight.
The French military said a Falcon surveillance jet monitoring the Mediterranean for migrants was diverted to help in the Egypt-led search effort for the airliner. Greece's defense ministry also mobilized a search-and-rescue operation. U.S. Commander Sixth Fleet is working to provide U.S. Navy P-3 Orion support, according to the U.S. Navy.
In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said President Obama received "multiple updates" on the missing plane from his homeland security and counterterrorism team and asked to be kept apprised of developments.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump weighed in on the crash, calling it "yet another terrorist attack." In a Twitter post Thursday, Trump pointed to the incident, asking "when will we get tough, smart and vigilant? Great hate and sickness!"
FBI Director James Comey told reporters during a visit to the Chicago field office that U.S. officials don't have any evidence at this point that confirms the plane was brought down in a terrorist attack. "We don't know exactly what this is yet," Comey said.
At Charles De Gaulle's Terminal 1, Paula Alina checked boarding passes Thursday afternoon, including those for EgyptAir flight MS800 bound for Cairo. Since the Paris terrorist attacks last year, Alina said, she has seen many people boarding flights in tears because they're afraid of a terror attack onboard.
"It is heartbreaking," she said. "I can barely speak. I feel tired and confused." As for those boarding the next plane to Cairo, Alina said, "I feel afraid for them."
But she said the ground staff puts on a brave face. "I don't speak to them otherwise I would show them that we are worried for them," Alina said.
In Cairo, Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, the country’s highest security body. The council includes the prime minister and the defense, foreign and interior ministers, in addition to the chiefs of the intelligence agencies.
El-Sissi and Hollande spoke on the phone and agreed to “closely cooperate to establish as soon as possible the circumstances” surrounding the incident, according to a statement issued in Paris.
Sherif Ismail, Egypt's prime minister, told reporters at Cairo airport that it was also too early to draw any conclusions about what caused the plane's disappearance. “We cannot rule anything out,” he said. He also said there was no "distress call."
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus said in a statement that it "regrets to confirm the loss of an Egyptair A320, flight #MS804." Airbus said EgyptAir took delivery of the plane in November 2003 and that it had accumulated approximately 48,000 flight hours.
Details on passengers emerge
EgyptAir said the passengers included:
• 30 Egyptians
• 15 French
• 2 Iraqis
• One each from Sudan, Chad, Portugal, Algeria, Canada, Great Britain, Belgium, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
No Americans were reported to be aboard the plane.
One of the victims was Egyptian-born Ahmed Helal, a plant manager at Procter & Gamble's Amiens, France, manufacturing facility, the company said. Helal spent two years in Cincinnati from 2012 to 2014 as an associate operations director for single dose unit detergents as P&G first launched Tide Pods, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Relatives of passengers aboard the missing flight arrived at Cairo airport and at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris, where crisis centers were set up. The Associated Press reported that a man and a woman, identified by airport staff as relatives of the flight’s passengers, sat at an information desk near the EgyptAir counter at Charles De Gaulle. The woman sobbed, holding her face in a handkerchief.
In Cairo, family members of passengers and crew sat in the modest restaurant at the Le Passage hotel just beside Cairo Airport. Paramedics and doctors were on standby in an adjacent alcove ready to assist grief-stricken survivors.
"Only God knows what happened to them," said Mohammed Diab, an uncle of one of the air marshals on the ill-fated jet.
"All they have told us is the plane is missing," said the tearful 72-year-old, even as Egyptian TV broadcasted video of wreckage thought to be from the downed plane floating in the Mediterranean. "He had been working for EgyptAir for five years and he loved his job," Diab said of his 25-year-old nephew.
EgyptAir operates from a hub at Cairo International Airport and is based in Heliopolis, Egypt. It offers passenger and freight services to more than 75 destinations.
In March, EgyptAir Flight 181 en route to Cyprus was hijacked by a passenger claiming to be wearing a suicide belt. The hijacker surrendered at Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus and all passengers were released safely. No one was hurt in the incident, which Cypriot authorities said was not terrorism related.
A Russian passenger plane crashed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula in October, killing all 224 people on board. Moscow said it was brought down by an explosive device, and a local branch of the Islamic State claimed responsibility.
Contributing: Jacob Wirtschafter in Cairo; Nikolia Apostolu from Lesbos, Greece; Maya Vidon in Paris; Melanie Eversley, Gregory Korte in Washington.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/27Ct7fy ||||| U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials are working to gather information on EgyptAir Flight 804, which vanished overnight just as it entered Egyptian airspace.
While the details surrounding the incident are still unclear, Egypt and its flag carrier, EgyptAir, have had a checkered air travel safety record. Two recent incidents in particular have called the country's transportation security into question, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues.
When EgyptAir Flight 181 was hijacked in March, many initially assumed the motive was terrorism. Claiming to be wearing an explosive vest, 59-year-old Seif Eldin Mustafa demanded the domestic Cairo-bound flight divert to Cyprus.
In a standoff on the tarmac, it was discovered Mustafa's interests were personal. He was arrested and no one was hurt.
The incident renewed security concerns at Egyptian airports, following the crash of a Metrojet flight in October 2015. The Russian passenger plane disintegrated over the Sinai desert after departing from the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, en route for St. Petersburg. All 224 people on board were killed. ISIS soon claimed responsibility for the apparent bomb attack.
In 1985, one of the deadliest hijackings in history was on EgyptAir Flight 648. After departing Athens for Cairo, three heavily armed terrorists forced the plane to land in Malta. On the ground, Egyptian troops raided the aircraft in a move that has since been criticized. At least 58 people on board were killed.
Fourteen years later, EgyptAir Flight 990 crashed off the coast of Nantucket, shortly after taking off from New York. All 217 people on board died. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded the pilot brought down the plane intentionally -- something Egyptian authorities have disputed, instead blaming mechanical failure.
Egypt says it will investigate the latest incident -- what happened to EgyptAir Flight 804 -- joined by French authorities and the plane's manufacturer, Airbus.
There will also be an examination of French aviation safety at airports. ||||| Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| MS804 plane crash.
7:00pm Egypt's aviation ministry said a letter it received from the country's foreign ministry says that Greek authorities have found “floating objects” that are part of the plane wreckage.
Pieces of plastic as well as lifejackets have also been found near the island of Karpathos, the ministry added in a statement.
"Family members of passengers and crew have been already informed and we extend our deepest sympathies to those affected," EgyptAir said.
"The Egyptian Investigation Team in co-operation with the Greek counterpart are still searching for other remains of the missing plane."
6:40pm France is sending three investigators to Cairo along with a technical expert from Airbus, to join the probe into the EgyptAir flight that crashed Thursday, Transport Minister Alain Vidalies said, according to AFP.
6:00pm The Egyptian Armed forces said in a statement that the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Italy, France and Greece are cooperating in the search for the missing plane. The statement confirmed that the search is still ongoing.
5:45pm A Greek frigate discovered two large floating objects in a sea area 230 miles south of the island of Crete, Reuters reported. The objects appeared to be pieces of plastic in white and red. They were spotted close to an area where a transponder signal was emitted earlier, according to Greek defence sources.
5:35pm According to the Guardian correspondent, an EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo is departing now.
5:15pm Egypt’s aviation ministry denied in a statement reports “about finding the plane debris over the Greek island of Crete.”
“EgyptAir contacted concerned sides who did not confirm the published information is accurate,” read the statement.
4:45pm Egypt’s State TV says no confirmation yet from Egypt's aviation ministry that plane wreckage has been found.
4:30pm Egypt's health ministry announced that family members of the victims of the EgyptAir MS804 plane were aided by a medical team at Cairo International Airport for conditions varying from a mental breakdown to a rise in blood pressure.
Nine family members received aid at the Airport while one was referred to EgyptAir Hospital.
Greek state TV said authorities found aircraft parts in the sea while looking for the missing flight MS308, Reuters reported.
3:15pm Greek military official says an Egyptian search plane has located two orange items believed to be from the missing EgyptAir flight, AP reported.
The official says the items were found 230 miles (370 kilometers) south-southeast of the island of Crete but still within the Egyptian air traffic control area. One of the items was oblong, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with regulations.
3:08pm Missing EgyptAir MS804 debris found South of Greek Island of Karpathos in Southern Meditereanean according to Greek State TV
2:35pm Egyptian aviation minister Fathy told reporters during the press conference that the “possibility of a terror attack is higher than that of a technical error,” according to an Ahram Online reporter.
Answering Ahram Online's question on why he believes it was likely a terrorist attack rather than a technical error, Fathy said: "I said so based on what I read and from my expertise, but these remain assumptions and possible scenarios. I will still use the word ‘missing’ till we find the debris."
2:20pm Egypt's Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek ordered an investigation into the incident, according to a prosecution statement.
Sadek commissioned the Supreme State Security Prosecution to conduct investigations into the matter.
2:15pm Egypt’s aviation minister said that the last contact with plane was at 2:30am Cairo time. Authorities tried to contact the flight again at 2:50am but there was no response.
Fathy also said that Egypt will cooperate with French authorities to investigate to the disappearance of the plane.
1:45pm Egypt's Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy said in a press conference that Egypt does not refute the assumption that the missing EgyptAir aircraft might have crashed due to a terrorist attack or a malfunction or any other scenario.
Fathy stressed that they will continue to say that the Airbus 320 is “missing until the debris is found.”
1:40pm Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov said on Thursday that a terrorist act might be linked to the disappearance of EgyptAir's MS 804.
“It is extremely unfortunate that today one more incident happened with a plane from the Egyptian Airlines. It seems that this is a terrorist act, which resulted in the deaths of 66 citizens from around 12 countries,” Bortnikov said during a press conference.
Egypt said that it is not ruling out that the airliner may have crashed due to a terrorist attack or a technical malfunction.
1:30pm Greece's civil aviation department released a statement with a timeline on Egypt Air MS 804's latest moments and Greek attempts to contact it.
1:10pm Greek's Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said on Thursday that no results have been obtained so far in the search for the missing EgyptAir aircraft, Reuters reported.
Kammenos said that until now there was only a picture obtained of the missing plane that was in Egyptian airspace mid-air and made sudden swerves.
"At 3.39am the course of the aircraft was south and south-east of Kassos and Karpathos (islands)..immediately after it entered Cairo FIR and made swerves and a descent I describe; 90 degrees left and then 360 degrees to the right," Defence Minister Panos Kammenos told a news conference.
Earlier, Egypt's army spokesman said the search for the plane that disappeared from radar monitors while en Route from Paris to Cairo was taking place where the plane reportedly went missing, with the participation of jets from Greece.
12:50 Families of the EgyptAir crash victims said that they have no information and that the company said they will get in contact with them when they do, an Ahram Online reporter, Lina Wardani, at Cairo International Airport said. The families refused to speak to the press and covered their faces.
12:40 Egypt's National Security Council, headed by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, decided to continue the search efforts through Egyptian military jets and navy vessels, and to work on uncovering the circumstances behind the plane's disappearance as soon as possible in cooperation with France and Greece.
The council, attended by several ministers including the civil aviation minister, also decided to mandate the government with offering all means of aid to the families of passengers and crew members, and called on the crisis management centre at EgyptAir to follow up on the developments and announce any new details
12:20 French President Francois Hollande has announced that they have confirmation that the EgyptAir plane reported missing has been 'crashed and disappeared'. Hollande stressed that no hypothesis should be ruled out, but they are keen on "finding the truth".
Earlier, France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Thursday "no theory can be ruled out" in the missing EgyptAir flight.
12:10 According to AP, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault says "nothing is confirmed" regarding the disappearance of the EgyptAir flight and is warning against some unverified information in circulation.
Ayrault, speaking after meeting with families gathered at a hotel at Charles de Gaulle airport, tells journalists the priority is "solidarity" with them and extended a "message of compassion and support."
He says French authorities are in direct contact with Greek and Egyptian authorities.
11:35 Airbus released a statement saying that it "regrets to confirm the loss of an Egypt Air A320, flight #MS804 "
According to Airbus, the plane went missing at around 2:30 am (local Egypt time) over the Mediterranean Sea, with a scheduled service operating from Paris to Cairo.
It stressed that until now no further factual information is available, adding that it will provide more details as soon as they are confirmed and cleared by authorities for release.
Airbus expressed its readiness to provide full technical assistance to the French Investigation Agency and to authorities in charge of the investigation.
The company provided details about the aircraft involved, which was delivered to EgyptAir from the production line in November 2003 and accumulated 48,000 flight hours with IAE engines.
11:30 According to AP, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault says "nothing is confirmed" regarding the disappearance of the EgyptAir flight and is warning against some unverified information in circulation.
Ayrault, speaking after meeting with families gathered at a hotel at Charles de Gaulle airport, tells journalists the priority is "solidarity" with them and extended a "message of compassion and support."
He says French authorities are in direct contact with Greek and Egyptian authorities.
11.20 Egypt's army said it is taking all the necessary procedures to find the missing plane by dispatching a number of rescue and search jets along with navy vessels specialised in rescue and relief operations.
A high alert has been imposed in military hospitals and the army is currently in coordination with the cabinet and the foreign and civil aviation ministers to provide the needed support.
The army spokesman said the search for the disappeared plane is taking place where the plane reportedly went missing, with the participation of jets from Greece.
Fifty-six passengers including 30 Egyptians, 15 French, two Iraqis, one Briton, one Canadian, one Sudanese, one Chadian, one Portuguese, one Algerian, one Belgian, one Kuwaiti and one Saudi were on board of the missing plane in addition to 10 crew members.
11.05 According to Reuters, Greece is deploying military aircraft and a frigate to an area in the southern Mediterranean where an EgyptAir aircraft vanished from radar screens early on Thursday, its defence ministry said.
Meanwhile, AP reports that the French military says a Falcon surveillance jet monitoring the Mediterranean for migrants has been dispatched to help search for the EgyptAir flight that crashed in the area.
Military spokesman Col. Gilles Jaron told The Associated Press that the jet is joining the Egypt-led search effort, and the French navy may send another plane and a ship to the zone.
He said the Falcon was on a surveillance mission as part of EU efforts to monitor migrants crossing the Mediterranean toward Europe.
10.45 According to AP, the director of Greece's Civil Aviation Authority says air traffic controllers were in contact with the pilot of the EgyptAir flight as it passed through Greek airspace.
The director, Constantine Lyzerakos, said the plane was at 37,000 feet, traveling at 519 mph, and did not report any problem.
Lyzerakos told private Antenna television that controllers tried to make contact with the pilot 10 miles before the flight exited the Greek Flight Information Range (FIR), but the pilot did not respond. Lyzerakos says controllers continued trying to contact the pilot until 3:39 a.m. Greek time (1239 GMT) when the plane disappeared from the radar.
Lyzerakos says the plane was in Cairo's FIR when it vanished.
10.40 Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault exchanged condolences on the casualties of EgyptAir flight MS804. Meanwhile, there are no confirmations from the Egyptian authorities that the plane has crashed. The two officials stressed that they need to cooperate to understand the reasons behind the crash.
10.25 There were no weather issues at the time and in the vicinity of the area where an EgyptAir plane with 66 people on board went missing on Thursday morning, European air traffic network manager Eurocontrol told Reuters.
10.22 France has offered to send planes and boats to the crash area, Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French foreign minister, declared this morning.
10.20 PM Sherif Ismail told reporters at Egypt's international airport that search for the lost EgyptAir plane is still underway and that the crisis management centre is putting into consideration all scenarios that could have led to the disappearance of the plane including terrorism.
Ismail said that the armed forces might have received a plane signal not a pilot signal and that they are still looking into the matter.
Ismail said that a press conference is expected to take place after 1:00pm local time in Cairo to explain the latest updates on the incident.
Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy told reporters that all officials are closely following the matter and that families of the passengers are present in the airport.
10.10 According to AFP and AP, the EgyptAir flight which disappeared on route from Paris to Cairo early Thursday crashed into the sea off the southern Greek island of Karpathos while in Egyptian airspace, a Greek aviation source told AFP.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian aviation ministry says the causes of the disappearance are still unknown and has denied all circulating reports of a crash.
10.00 A joint crisis management centre between Egypt and France has been created at France’s international Charles De Gaulles airport to be able help families of passengers who on the lost plane.
9.50 EgyptAir said the reasons behind the sudden disappearance of EgyptAir flight MS804 from Paris to Cairo are still unknown. In their seventh statement since the disappearance of the aircraft, EgyptAir asks all media outlets to be cautious and to stick to their issued press releases.
9.40 Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is currently holding an urgent meeting with the National Security Council to follow the latest updates and news on the lost EgyptAir flight. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters from the EgyptAir crisis center that the search is still underway and that there is still no confirmations on the missing plane.
9.35 According to AFP, France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said that "no theory can be ruled out" as to why the EgyptAir flight went missing.
09:20 According to the armed forces, no distress signal was in fact received from the plane. A brief note posted a few moments ago by the army's official spokesman, Mohamed Samir, on Facebook said that the armed forces "had not received any SOS signal" from the lost plane.
09:15 French President Francois Hollande called Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to follow developments, AFP reports. The French president is due to hold a crisis meeting with senior officials later.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail has arrived at EgyptAir's crisis centre, the airline reported, where he will follow the situation in person.
09:10 From an EgyptAir statement: An EgyptAir official said that the Egyptian army's rescue and search had received a distress call from the plane at 4:26 Cairo local time.
The implications of this are still unclear.
09:00 There are unofficial reports that the plane may indeed have crashed. AP quotes "Egyptian aviation officials" as saying that "the possibility that the plane crashed has been confirmed." The search is currently underway for the debris, the officials said, requesting anonymity as they were not cleared to speak to the press.
08:00 The Egyptian army has dispatched jet fighters to search for the missing flight, an army spokesman statement read.
The army is coordinating the search with Greece and Egyptian and Greek naval vessels have been dispatched to hunt for the plane, amid fears it may have crashed in the Mediterranean.
07:45 EgyptAir said the 56 passengers including 3 children on board include 30 Egyptians, 15 French, two Iraqis, one Briton, one Canadian, one Sudanese, one Chadian, one Portuguese, one Algerian, one Belgian, one Kuwaiti and one Saudi. Ten staff members were also on board, three of them were security personnel.
--
An EgyptAir flight vanished early this morning en route from Paris to Cairo. Radar signals from flight MS804 were lost at 2:30am Cairo time, EgyptAir have said, around the time the flight entered Egyptian airspace over the Mediterranean.
The commercial flight left Paris at 11:09pm GMT and was due to land at Cairo airport at 03:15am local time.
Sources told Al-Ahram Arabic website that air traffic controllers in Athens had failed to establish communication with the pilot after the plane went off the radar.
Fifty-six passengers and 10 crew members are on board.
Authorities say they lost contact with the plane as it was cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet at 2:45am Cairo local time.
Rescue teams and the Egyptian armed forces have been searching the area where the plane was last spotted on the radar.
The company identified the plane as an Airbus 320 manufactured in 2003.
The pilot, who was identified by sources as Captain Mohamed Shokeir, has over 6,000 flight hours while the copilot has over 2,000 hours of flight.
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||||| Three air marshals were among the 66 people aboard EgyptAir Flight MS804 that crashed while flying over the Mediterranean Sea early Thursday, authorities said.
France’s transport chief Alain Vidalies told reporters that having that many security officers on such a flight was “the usual practice.” He added that the plane — which can carry up to 189 passengers — was not transporting any freight.
Related: Missing EgyptAir Jet Raises Fears of ‘Worst-Case Scenario’
Former NTSB investigator Greg Feith told MSNBC that Egypt had boosted security recently, which could explain the number of officers on board.
“The only other reason to have security personnel like we do here in the U.S. is if they were transporting some sort of prisoner or someone of interest,” Feith added. “But most likely this was similar to our federal air marshals flying on this flight.”
Egyptian aviation security has been under intense scrutiny since a Russian Metrojet passenger plane crashed after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh airport on Oct. 31, killing all 224 people on board.
This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com. ||||| Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton agree on at least one thing — the disappearance of EgyptAir Flight 804 appears to be the work of terrorists.
“Looks like yet another terrorist attack. Airplane departed from Paris. When will we get tough, smart and vigilant? Great hate and sickness!” the presumptive Republican nominee tweeted early Thursday.
Clinton chimed in Thursday afternoon, telling CNN, “It does appear that it was an act of terrorism.”
“Exactly how, of course, the investigation will have to determine,” she added.
Secretary of State John Kerry didn’t speculate on what caused the Cairo-bound jetliner to vanish from radar over the Mediterranean, but he offered his condolences during a NATO meeting in Brussels.
“We extend our condolences to each and every country that lost people, and particularly Egypt, which has made so many efforts in recent months to break out of and away from the last events,” he said.
“And so no matter what, I think everybody — our thoughts are with them and with all the passengers.”
British Prime Minister David Cameron also refrained from speculating and instead expressed condolences for the families of the 66 people who were aboard the jetliner.
“I absolutely feel for them,” Cameron told LBC Radio. “This is obviously a dreadful event. We don’t know very much right now about what’s happened.” | – Debris from EgyptAir Flight 804 has been found in the waters near Greece's Karpathos Island, ABC News reports via a statement from the airline. The country's Ministry of Civil Aviation was sent an official letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirming the find; EgyptAir says family members of passengers and crew have been informed and "conveys its deepest sorrows." Meanwhile, as officials probe the cause of the crash, an Egyptian official says it's looking more like terrorism than mechanical malfunction, USA Today reports. In a Thursday press conference held before the debris was confirmed, Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathi says the "possibility of a terror attack is higher than that of a technical error," noting he based that assessment on "what I read and from my expertise," per Al-Ahram. But, he added, "these remain assumptions and possible scenarios." More developments: NBC News offers a breakdown of what countries the passengers were from. A radar map showing the plane's flight path appears on the Telegraph. There were three air marshals aboard the flight, per MSNBC. CBS News examines Egypt's "checkered air travel safety record." In addition to aviation experts, government officials, and law enforcement authorities, Donald Trump is chiming in on what he thinks happened, the New York Post reports. |
× Woman With Last Name of Crook Arrested After Allegedly Stealing Underwear From Alhambra Kohl’s Store
A woman with the last name of Crook was arrested on suspicion of commercial burglary Friday after she allegedly stole ladies undergarments from a Kohl’s department store in Alhambra, police said.
Josephine Crook was accused of concealing the items in an empty purse and failing to pay for them, according to an Alhambra Police Department Facebook post.
The 49-year-old woman was taken into custody around 7: 15 p.m. and booked at the Alhambra Police Department, Los Angeles County inmate records showed.
Crook’s bail was set at $20,000, according to inmate records.
She was scheduled to make her first court appearance on Wednesday at the Alhambra Municipal Court.
No further information was immediately available. ||||| Josephine Crook was arrested on Friday, Oct. 24, 2014 for allegedly stealing ladies' undergarments from a Kohl's department store in Alhambra.
A woman with the last name of Crook was arrested for burglary at a department store in Alhambra Friday night, police said.
Josephine Crook, 49, was arrested at a Kohl’s department store on the 1200 block of South Fremont Avenue and is suspected of commercial burglary and possession of burglary tools. Crook allegedly was in possession of a pair of wire cutters and a pair of scissors.
Crook allegedly took ladies’ undergarments and failed to pay for the items she concealed in her empty purse, police said. | – Much like a guy named "John Pirate" probably shouldn't try to make a living terrorizing the high seas, someone with the surname "Crook" raises eyebrows when they turn to a life of crime. California cops say they arrested one Josephine Crook on Friday on suspicion of commercial burglary after she allegedly walked out of her local Kohl's with women's underwear stuffed in her purse, KTLA reports. The 49-year-old was also said to have had wire cutters and scissors on her, NBC Los Angeles adds. Crook's bail is set at $20,000, and she's to appear in court tomorrow. The Alhambra Police Department's Facebook post about the incident pretty much sums it up: "I can't make this stuff up ..." (At least she didn't take a nap in the dressing room.) |
Saddle up to the gate on your next United flight and you may notice that there's now a different system in place for loading passengers. Just this week, Chicago-based United Airlines updated its boarding process to rely on fewer boarding lanes, a move that will cut down on congestion and potentially speed up passenger loading.
The new boarding process has been in the works for months. In June, United started experimenting with different boarding procedures in a handful of test gates in Chicago and Houston, two of the busiest hubs in the airline's network. Now, as of this week, the official new boarding process is finally in place.
Moving forward, the airline will still have five boarding groups but will only use two lanes for boarding. Elite and other priority passengers in group 1 and 2 will load through lane 1, while customers in group 3, 4 and 5 will use lane 2. Those not actively boarding will be asked to remain seated until paged. Chase co-branded credit card holders, according to the blog Wandering Aramean, will board in group 2.
In addition to the new boarding process, United is also launching push notifications for those who have the airline's mobile app. Those who opt in will be given a push notification when boarding starts, a tool that will be particularly useful if a flight is delayed or if the ground crew decides to load the aircraft early.
This week's updates come as the latest milestone in a long history of experimentation that United and other airlines have performed around the oft-complicated and congested boarding process. Several years ago, in an effort to better segment the cabin and speed up loading, United started using five lanes to feed through passengers. And while that method successfully segmented passengers in the boarding zone and prepared them for departure, it also created a fair amount of idle, standing passengers and congestion near the gate – especially during delays. The new strategy launched this week helps alleviate that problem.
Indeed, some of United's peers are already using this simplified process. American Airlines currently boards by zone using only two lanes while Delta Air Lines splits the difference and boards with four. One difference between United and its competitors, however, is that as of this week, top tier or "1K" elite members will be able to pre-board before the official process starts; with most carriers only VIP passengers are given that access.
New boarding lanes and gateside notifications should roll out to airports this week. ||||| CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today announced it has reached an agreement with Compañía Panameña de Aviación S.A. (Copa), Aerovías del Continente Americano S.A. (Avianca) and many of Avianca's affiliates, for a joint business agreement (JBA) that, pending government approval, is expected to provide substantial benefits for customers, communities and the marketplace for air travel between the United States and 19 countries in Central and South America.
Many more choices for customers
By integrating their complementary route networks into a collaborative revenue-sharing JBA, United, Avianca and Copa plan to offer customers many benefits, including:
Integrated, seamless service in more than 12,000 city pairs
New nonstop routes
Additional flights on existing routes
Reduced travel times
Drive economic benefits for consumers and the communities we serve
The carriers expect the JBA to drive significant traffic growth at major gateway cities coast to coast, which is expected to help bring new investment and create more economic development opportunities. Further, the JBA is expected to provide customers with expanded codeshare flight options, competitive fares, a more streamlined travel experience and better customer service, resulting in significant projected consumer benefits.
Better serve our customers
Additionally, allowing the three carriers to serve customers as if they were a single airline is expected to enable the companies to better align their frequent flyer programs, coordinate flight schedules and improve airport facilities.
"This agreement represents the next chapter in U.S.-Latin American air travel," said Scott Kirby, United's president. "We are excited to work with our Star Alliance partners Avianca and Copa to bring much-needed competition and growth to many underserved markets while providing a better overall experience for business and leisure customers traveling across the Western Hemisphere."
"We are delighted to further solidify our existing partnership with United Airlines and look forward to increasing service options for our customers by working more closely with Avianca," said Pedro Heilbron, Copa Airlines' chief executive officer. "We believe this agreement benefits our passengers by providing competitive fares and a superior network of more than 275 destinations throughout Latin America and the U.S., and promotes further growth and innovation within the airline industry in the Americas."
"We are certain that together we are stronger in the United States – Latin America market than any of the three airlines individually," said Hernan Rincon, Avianca's executive president – chief executive officer. "This partnership will allow Avianca to strengthen its position as a first-level player in the airline industry in America as we will expand our scope in the continent with United and Copa, offering better connectivity to our customers."
JBAs drive competition that benefits customers
Although JBAs have been proven around the world to benefit consumers and enhance competition, currently 99 percent of the U.S. carrier passenger traffic that makes connections in Central and South America does so without a JBA. Competition in the U.S.-Latin American market has grown and includes a diverse set of carriers offering service across multiple price points. Yet the market lacks a comprehensive revenue-sharing, metal-neutral network of carriers and the associated heightened competitive forces that drive value and better consumer experiences. The JBA represents an innovative, best-in-class new product offering that will make competition in this robust market even stronger.
"Our analysis shows that a metal-neutral JBA among United, Copa and Avianca will provide substantial benefits to consumers traveling between the relevant countries," said Dr. Darin Lee, executive vice president of economic consulting firm Compass Lexecon and airline industry expert. "This JBA will enable United, Copa and Avianca to compete more effectively, offer competitive fares, and increase service, encouraging innovation and establishing a more robust and vibrant marketplace."
To enable the deep coordination required to deliver these benefits to consumers, communities and the marketplace, United, Copa and Avianca plan to apply in the near term for regulatory approval of the JBA and an accompanying grant of antitrust immunity from the U.S. Department of Transportation and other regulatory agencies. The parties do not plan on fully implementing the JBA until they receive the necessary government approvals. The JBA currently includes cooperation between the U.S. and Central and South America, excluding Brazil. With the recently concluded Open Skies agreement between the U.S. and Brazil, the carriers are exploring the possibility of adding Brazil to the JBA.
About United
United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,700 flights a day to 356 airports across five continents. In 2017, United and United Express operated more than 1.6 million flights carrying more than 148 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark/New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 760 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express carriers operate 546 regional aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".
Safe Harbor Statement
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Certain statements included in this release are forward-looking and thus reflect United's current expectations and beliefs with respect to certain current and future events and anticipated financial and operating performance. Such forward-looking statements are and will be subject to many risks and uncertainties relating to our operations and business environment that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Words such as "expects," "will," "plans," "anticipates," "indicates," "believes," "estimates," "forecast," "guidance," "outlook," "goals" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Additionally, forward-looking statements include statements that do not relate solely to historical facts, such as statements which identify uncertainties or trends, discuss the possible future effects of current known trends or uncertainties, or which indicate that the future effects of known trends or uncertainties cannot be predicted, guaranteed or assured. All forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to us on the date of this release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Our actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to numerous factors including, without limitation, the following: general economic conditions (including interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, investment or credit market conditions, crude oil prices, costs of aircraft fuel and energy refining capacity in relevant markets); economic and political instability and other risks of doing business globally, including political developments that may impact our operations in certain countries; demand for travel and the impact that global economic and political conditions have on customer travel patterns; competitive pressures on pricing and on demand; demand for transportation in the markets in which we operate; our capacity decisions and the capacity decisions of our competitors; the effects of any hostilities, act of war or terrorist attack; the effects of any technology failures or cybersecurity breaches; the impact of regulatory, investigative and legal proceedings and legal compliance risks; disruptions to our regional network; the ability of other air carriers with whom we have alliances or partnerships to provide the services contemplated by the respective arrangements with such carriers; costs associated with any modification or termination of our aircraft orders; potential reputational or other impact from adverse events in our operations, the operations of our regional carriers or the operations of our code share partners; our ability to attract and retain customers; our ability to execute our operational plans and revenue-generating initiatives, including optimizing our revenue; our ability to control our costs, including realizing benefits from our resource optimization efforts, cost reduction initiatives and fleet replacement programs; the impact of any management changes; our ability to cost-effectively hedge against increases in the price of aircraft fuel if we decide to do so; any potential realized or unrealized gains or losses related to any fuel or currency hedging programs; labor costs; our ability to maintain satisfactory labor relations and the results of any collective bargaining agreement process with our union groups; any disruptions to operations due to any potential actions by our labor groups; an outbreak of a disease that affects travel demand or travel behavior; U.S. or foreign governmental legislation, regulation and other actions (including Open Skies agreements and environmental regulations); industry consolidation or changes in airline alliances; our ability to comply with the terms of our various financing arrangements; the costs and availability of financing; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity; the costs and availability of aviation and other insurance; weather conditions; our ability to utilize our net operating losses to offset future taxable income; the impact of changes in tax laws; the success of our investments in airlines in other parts of the world; and other risks and uncertainties set forth under Part I, Item 1A., "Risk Factors," of United's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, as well as other risks and uncertainties set forth from time to time in the reports we file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE United Airlines
For further information: United Airlines Worldwide Media Relations, +1-872-825-8640, media.relations@united.com ||||| Fuller flights are a boon to airlines but overcrowding at gates has become an unwelcome side effect.
United Airlines says its customers have complained about clusters of travelers around its gates. Travelers spilled into corridors and arriving passengers who just stepped off a flight were met with hordes of departing travelers.
"It's too congested," said Maria Walter, United Airlines' managing director of global operations strategy. "It created a lot of angst from our customers."
The airline on Tuesday debuted a new boarding process in an effort to combat this passenger pain point, and make sure flights depart on time as more travelers than ever opt to fly.
United reduced the boarding lines to two from five, and is urging travelers to wait until their boarding group — numbered 1 through 5 — is called. United carried close to 155 million passengers in the 12 months ended in August, up 6.1 percent from the year-earlier period, the company said last week.
The airline now sends out notifications to passengers on their mobile devices to let them now boarding has begun once the first boarding pass is scanned, so that travelers don't have to hover around the gate.
Travelers would sometimes queue up an hour before a flight, Walter said, which would attract even more passengers to the line. "It's like a magnet," she said. ||||| Don't crowd the gate: United rolls out a new boarding process
CLOSE United says it’s streamlining its boarding process. Gone are the five boarding lines used in the previous process. It is a new two-lane, color-coded process that will handle a staggered boarding call. USA TODAY
United has become the latest airline to tweak the way it calls passengers to board its planes.
In a change that’s rolling out to United gates nationwide on Tuesday, the carrier says it’s streamlining its boarding process.
With that, United joins American and Delta in making changes to the boarding call since early 2017.
TODAY IN THE SKY: 'Nobody is winning' the airline boarding nightmare
At United, gone are the five boarding lines used in the previous process. In is a new two-lane, color-coded process that will handle a staggered boarding call.
The lanes will be numbered “1” and “2.” Beyond that, lane 1 is the “blue” lane while lane 2 is “green.”
When it’s time to board, United will call pre-boarding that's open to its top-tier “Premier 1K” and “Global Services” frequent-flyers, active military, customers with disabilities and families with children ages 2 and younger. They'll board via lane 1.
This graphic provided by United attempts to explain its new boarding process. (Photo: United Airlines)
Next comes Group 1, which includes first- and business-class customers plus Platinum- and Gold-level frequent-flyers. Group 1 also boards through lane 1, while Group 2 lines up in lane 2.
Group 2 boards once the Group 1 queue clears. Who is in Group 2? Silver-level frequent-fliers and certain United credit-card holders and customers who’ve purchased United’s priority access or boarding privileges.
Travelers in Groups 3, 4 and 5 will be asked to remain seated while the first two groups line up and board.
After Group 1 and Group 2 have boarded, Groups 3 through 5 will board through the green-colored Lane 2. They’ll be called by number, starting with 3 and ending at 5. Group 5 will include most Basic Economy customers.
Members of Group 1 and 2 who are still arriving to the gate area will priority board via the blue-colored Lane 1.
United says it’s implementing the boarding change after “testing a variety of boarding concepts” since last fall. The new system has been in affect at Los Angeles International Airport since February and will now roll out to all United locations beginning Tuesday.
United’s changes hint at the struggle airlines have had in creating a boarding process that doesn't stress out customers. Even with precisely delineated groups and queues, many travelers still feel compelled to stand in line to hold their spot.
Both American and Delta rolled out similar changes in early 2017.
Southwest, of course, has its own type of system since it has no assigned seats. It calls for fliers in its “A” group to line up at their corresponding pillars, which display numbers indicating where passengers should stand. As the “A” group boards, Southwest repeats the process for the “B” and “C” groups until all passengers have boarded.
That system, enacted in 2007, was meant to address crowding in the gate areas as customers queued up to be first on the plane. The move didn’t eliminate pre-boarding line-ups, but it did add order to the process.
“Airlines now have so many different tiers of boarding groups, between their different levels of elite-status members and their co-branded credit card customers and others," Henry Harteveldt, an airline analyst and founder of San Francisco-based Atmosphere Research, told USA TODAY's Today in the Sky blog at the time. “The result is frustration, crowding, unpleasantness and stress. Nobody is winning here.”
TODAY IN THE SKY: Would you bid 420,000 miles to see a parked plane? These frequent-fliers did (story continues below)
United said customer feedback helped push it to come up with a new system.
"The boarding process was one of the top areas customers told us they wanted improved,” Sarah Murphy, United’s vice president of Global Operations Strategy, Planning and Design, said in a statement. “We listened to customers and employees as we tested a variety of processes on thousands of flights until we found a better boarding process that results in less time spent waiting in lines, improved communication and a better way to recognize our Premier customers while balancing out the number of passengers in each boarding group.”
One big challenge that could remain for United is how its elite-level frequent-flyers will sort themselves out in the updated process.
When a large number of United’s elite customers are flying on a single flight, it's been a frequent complaint in recent years that it would seem as though half the plane (or more) boarded in the first two groups. Whether elite customers now filter more evenly into the updated boarding groups on such flights remains to be seen.
Stay tuned …
30 COO AVIATION PHOTOS: The last MD-11 to Dreamlifters to test planes
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2NjrbY6 | – The "angst" travelers feel at overcrowded gates may soon be eased at United Airlines terminals, an exec for the airline says. That's because United just began a new initiative designed to relieve that particular "passenger pain point," as CNBC puts it, by changing up its departure protocol: The number of boarding lines has been cut from five to two, and overeager customers are now asked to stay out of the boarding area until their boarding group (one of six in total, including pre-boarders) is announced. "It's too congested," a UA rep says of the current procedure, which often results in arriving fliers having to push their way through throngs of departing ones. Forbes notes customers can also opt in to receive push notifications via the mobile app, meaning they can hang out in nearby restaurants or shops until they receive an alert on their cellphones that it's time to board. Over the past year, United test-drove a variety of boarding options on about 12,000 flights, ending up with this system, which is similar to the way American, Delta, and Southwest queue up. United has been using the procedure at LAX since winter and will now implement it at all locations, per USA Today. It's also spreading passengers around more equitably within its six boarding groups, which includes pre-boarders (e.g., families with young kids, service members), first-class passengers and frequent fliers in groups 1 and 2, and then everyone else in groups 3, 4, and 5. "The boarding process was one of the top areas customers told us they wanted improved," another UA rep says in a statement, noting customer and employee feedback guided the airline on the enhancements. (United had some "unfortunate dog incidents" earlier this year.) |
(CNN) The dead submarine crew hadn't moved from their stations for nearly 150 years when the vessel was raised from the ocean in 2000. Whatever killed them happened so suddenly that they never made a run for the escape hatch. What's more, they had no obvious physical injuries.
There was no major damage to the hull that could be definitively traced back to the day the H.L. Hunley, a 40-foot-long Confederate submarine, sank to the ocean floor off Charleston, South Carolina, on February 17, 1864.
Researchers had unsealed the crew compartment of the submarine, but they have yet to find conclusive evidence of how the eight men aboard died.
But in research published Wednesday in the journal Plos One one group of scientists thinks they've finally cracked the case of what killed the crew so swiftly.
Shrinking down, blowing up
The Hunley became the first sub to sink an enemy ship in battle: the USS Housatonic. But sometime after, it went down, too.
It sank the enemy ship with a 135-pound torpedo, which was filled with black powder and attached to a pole 16 feet from the ship's hull. The study authors say the torpedo is the key -- but many have wondered how an explosion could've killed the entire crew without leaving a trace.
Rachel Lance set off explosions near a miniature replica of a Civil War submarine.
To answer this question, biomechanist Rachel Lance designed a model of the Hunley, one-sixth the length of the 40-foot-long submarine. The model, built by Durham-based sculptor Tripp Jarvis, was christened the CSS Tiny.
Lance, then a graduate student at Duke University and an engineer with the Naval Surface Warfare Center , decided she would set off test explosions next to the model submarine. So she found an eight-acre pond on a family-run farm in St. Louis, North Carolina. Bert Pitt of Pitt Family Farms agreed to let Lance use the pond to conduct her experiments.
"Initially, when she was talking about blasting, I was a little concerned," said Pitt, 65, a sixth-generation family farmer, whose grandchildren now make eight generations.
Pitt recalled the wires snaking into the lake and the charges that detonated beneath the surface, splashing water into the air like a large firecracker, he said. One of his grandkids got to press the button.
"It had a little geyser to it," he said. "It was neat to see."
Pitt, a self-proclaimed history buff, had always been interested in the Civil War. He has ancestors who were in the North Carolina Regiments, and at least one of them is buried in their own family graveyard. The house he lives in was built in 1830, before the Hunley sank.
He keenly eyed reports about the Hunley on the History Channel and the National Geographic Channel.
"They were sitting perfectly still in that submarine," Pitt said. "I think people would like to know what did happen to the crew. Everything about the story is intriguing."
Without a trace
Suspended inside the CSS Tiny was a small pressure gauge, which revealed how the sub's own torpedo blast could have killed the Hunley crew without leaving a lasting mark: the shock wave created by the blast.
The shock wave hit the Hunley's hull, which was less than an inch thick, said Lance, lead author of the new study. The metal bent ever so slightly but fast enough to transfer the blast wave to the inside of the cabin.
That wave then traveled through the cabin, hitting each of the eight crewmembers, traveling through their bodies. But the real damage, Lance said, probably occurred when the pressure wave reached their lungs.
"The issue is when it's passing through (the tissues) and it suddenly hits air," she said.
Shock waves, like sound waves, travel quickly in water and solids but not air. The wave slows as it hits the lung, Lance said, and "that energy has to transmit somewhere."
The end result: The blood vessels in the lungs can rupture, known as a pulmonary hemorrhage.
"It was ... noted that men could be killed or disabled at considerable distance" from an explosive, Dr. Thomas Chiffelle, a pathologist from Albuquerque, New Mexico, wrote in a 1966 report for the US Department of Defense. "The man or animal may be killed outright, without external signs of injury, but often with blood-tinged froth or frank blood appearing in the nose and mouth."
It is possible to survive a blast wave from far enough, according to Chiffelle's accounts. Witness accounts from the night of the Hunley's sinking claimed that there was a blue light coming from the ocean. Some speculated that it was the Hunley crew signaling that they'd accomplished their mission.
Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – Since 2000, scientists, historians and a genealogist have studied the first submarine to sink an enemy vessel. The H.L. Hunley did just that more than 150 years ago, on February 17, 1864, during the American Civil War. Hide Caption 1 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – The 40-foot submarine was brought up amid much fanfare off Charleston, South Carolina, in August 2000. Author Clive Cussler and a team discovered the Hunley five years earlier, buried in the sand more than 100 yards beyond its target, the USS Housatonic. Hide Caption 2 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – Conservators later began a new process -- filling the tank that holds the Hunley with chemicals that helped strip away what is called "concretion": organic material that has coated the hull and interior. Hide Caption 3 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – Visitors to a laboratory and exhibit hall in North Charleston, South Carolina, can gaze down on the Hunley on weekends. The large tank is empty when scientists in the Hunley Project are at work. Hide Caption 4 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – The hull is in pretty good shape, despite exposure to sea currents and elements for decades. The eight-member Confederate crew, sitting on the port side, turned a propeller by hand. Hide Caption 5 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – Several years ago, then-senior archaeologist Maria Jacobsen found a gold coin that belonged to submarine commander Lt. George Dixon. Hide Caption 6 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – Lt. George Dixon, according to legend, received this coin as a good-luck charm from his beloved, said to be from Mobile, Alabama. It was bent by a bullet when he was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh, two years before the Hunley made history. He had it engraved and carried it the rest of his life. It was found with his remains by Hunley Project scientists. Hide Caption 7 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – Paul Mardikian, left, senior conservator, and Philippe de Vivies remove material from a piece of the submarine. Hide Caption 8 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – One of the personal belongings found inside the Hunley, a watch belonging to Lt. George Dixon. Hide Caption 9 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – A wallet found in the shipwreck helps tells the story of ordinary life onshore. Hide Caption 10 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – Crew member James Wicks' bandana after conservation. Hide Caption 11 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – This burnt matchstick was found buried in the sediment-filled interior of the H.L. Hunley. Hide Caption 12 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – Experts believe this lantern was used as a flashlight by the submarine's commander. Hide Caption 13 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – This conserved oil can almost looks good as new. Hide Caption 14 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley – The bowl of a pipe belonging to Confederate sailor Joseph Ridgaway, the only crew member positively identified through DNA. Hide Caption 15 of 16 Photos: Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley Delving into mysteries of submarine H.L. Hunley – Experts examine a shoe found in the H.L. Hunley. Hide Caption 16 of 16
But Lance, who is working on a book about the Hunley, said that she has doubts about inconsistencies in these testimonies.
It is virtually impossible to know how powerful the Hunley's torpedo blast was, even with the amount of black powder used. The blast can also change with how tightly the powder is packed and how fine the grains are, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command. Replicating the black powder explosion, Lance said, was the trickiest part of the experiment.
So Lance lowballed it, testing several blasts in the process. She concluded that the shock wave would have instantly killed those aboard the Hunley, based on her calculations and a wealth of prior air blast experiments on large animals.
"Any explosive we've seen in the field ... would definitely create a lethal wave," Lance said.
"These types of injuries are not subtle," she added. "The damage is immediate."
Tick tock
There was another piece of evidence that stood in her favor: a gold pocket watch that belonged to the Hunley's captain, Lt. George Dixon.
The watch had stopped at 8:23, about the time of the Hunley's attack, historians believe.
"Most importantly, it appears it didn't wind down naturally," according to a 2007 update by a research partnership known as the Hunley Project. "Something traumatic -- perhaps water, a shock wave, or some other intervening force -- caused it to stop at that precise time."
Friends of the Hunley -- part of the Hunley Project, which was not involved in the new research -- declined to comment on the research. The organization maintains and researches the original submarine.
Prior naval research has concluded that "neither phase of the explosion was severe enough ... to have significantly impacted Hunley."
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"We had a lot of submariners survive being depth-charged at very close quarters during WWII," said Paul Taylor, a spokesman at Naval History and Heritage Command. "You sort of wonder how they did OK, but supposedly the folks in the Hunley didn't."
The Navy researchers who have been examining the Hunley for over a decade declined to comment on Lance's study while their own research on the crew deaths is ongoing.
But Lance, for one, said she feels like this part of the mystery has been solved.
"This project was originally intended to be a side project, and then it spiraled out of control when we realized we could do actually do it," she said. ||||| During the latter stages of the American Civil War, the H.L. Hunley made history by becoming the first combat submarine to sink an enemy ship. The Confederate crew never returned from its mission, sparking a mystery that’s lasted for over 130 years. An exhaustive new analysis suggests these pioneering submariners didn’t drown or suffocate as commonly believed, but instead died from the shockwave triggered by their very own weapon.
The eight-man crew of the 40-foot Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley died instantly when its powerful barrel torpedo exploded into the hull of the 1,200-ton Union warship USS Housatonic, according to new research published today in PLoS One. Duke University biomechanist Rachel Lance’s exhaustive, three-year investigation suggests the explosion caused minimal damage to the sub, which was less than 20 feet away, but the ensuing shockwave caused catastrophic injuries to the crewmen’s soft tissues, especially to their brains and lungs. The finding subsequently fills in an important gap in US Civil War history, while offering fresh insights into human physiology and the physical forces we’re able—or unable—to endure.
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On the evening of February 17, 1864, the H.L. Hunley, commanded by Charles Pickering, embarked on what would be its first and final combat mission. As part of the Confederate campaign to dismantle the stifling Unionist naval blockade, the sub’s crew managed to sink the USS Housatonic with a submersible barrel bomb.
This “torpedo” wasn’t a self-propelled bomb in the conventional sense. Rather, it was a copper keg filled with 135 pounds of black powder that was positioned slightly ahead and below the sub’s bow at the tip of a 16-foot pole known as a spar. The crew plunged this bomb into the Housatonic’s hull just below the waterline, causing a tremendous explosion. The Union warship sunk in just five minutes, killing five of her crew. The ship came to rest upright in 30 feet of water, allowing the remaining seamen to be rescued.
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The mission may have been a success, but the crew of H.L. Hunley was never heard from again. Its fate was finally revealed in 1995 when the sunken sub was found a mere 300 meters from the wreck of the Housatonic near Charleston Harbor in South Carolina. The sub was raised in 2000, and it has been under investigation by Clemson University scientists ever since.
But while the sub’s fate was finally revealed, it still wasn’t clear what transpired during the military engagement, and what led to the death of its eight seamen. Historians have speculated that the Hunley crew drowned or suffocated, or that shear forces broke a valve causing the sub to sink—or even that the H.L. Hunley was shot by a seaman aboard the doomed Housatonic.
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But none of these explanations fit the evidence. Confusingly, the crewmen’s skeletons were all found at their hand-crank stations, which were used to manually propel the craft. They exhibited no broken bones, the drain pumps were closed, as were the air hatches. The sub was startlingly intact, the only noticeable blemishes being a hole in one conning tower and an apparently broken window. The only satisfactory explanation, argues Lance, is that the crew was killed instantly by the shockwave generated from the barrel bomb explosion.
To prove her case, Lance constructed a 6-1/2-foot scale model of the sub and subjected it to pressurized air blasts and black powder explosions while monitoring the effects with a series of onboard sensors. With the help of a Civil War reenactor and his fully functional, historically accurate rifle, she shot at period-accurate iron plating meant to mimic the sub’s hull. She analyzed the effects of energy blasts onto the human respiratory system, pored through documents at the National Archives in Washington, interviewed an ATF explosives expert, and even visited an original black powder mill. The whole endeavour took about three years, but the results are compelling.
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Lance’s conclusion is that all crew members died instantly from the tremendous force of the explosion. The ensuing shockwave travelled through the soft tissues of seamen’s bodies, especially their lungs and brains.
Normally, a shockwave of this strength would travel at a rate of 340 meters per second (m/s) through the open air, but underwater it accelerates to 1,500 m/s. By the time this shockwave hit the sub and penetrated the crewmen’s skin (the distance to the explosion varied for each crew member, ranging from 18 to 42 feet depending on where they were positioned in the sub), it slowed down to 30 m/s, which was still enough to cause catastrophic physical damage. Each seaman was subjected to about 60 milliseconds of shockwave trauma, as compared to about 10 milliseconds had the men been exposed above water. Lance assesses the probably of this happening to each crew member at about 85 percent.
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“Injuries and fatalities from blasts occur instantaneously,” Lance told Gizmodo. “Since we calculated the blast exposure levels to be in the lethal range, the crew probably did not even have time to realize what occurred. They would have known they were approaching the Housatonic and preparing to attack, but once the torpedo exploded they would have suffered fatal pulmonary and brain traumas before they processed that their attack had been successful.”
This cause of death would have left no mark on the skeletal remains. The soft tissues, which would have shown what happened, are long gone. But in addition to this shockwave analysis, other evidence exists to show that the men died instantly. Had they survived the blast, the crewmembers would’ve tried to release the keel ballast weights, start pumping water, or make an effort to escape the sub—but it appears none of these actions were taken.
Lance says these findings hold dual significance.
“As an injury biomechanist it is a fascinating example of a completely unprecedented injury mechanism,” she said. “The physiology of human beings has not really changed in the past 150 years with the exception of better nutrition, so humans in 2017 still have the same physical vulnerabilities as in 1864. Therefore the Hunley, even though it is a historical case, provides insight into our own physiology that is still applicable to us today. Historical case studies are incredibly important to injury biomechanists because they often present unique scenarios that are unlikely to occur in modern times.”
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For Lance, the other important aspect of this work was finally being able to solve an enduring maritime mystery.
“The mystery of the Hunley has been one of the big question marks of history since it disappeared in 1864,” she said. “While the archaeologists of Clemson did the majority of the heavy lifting with their conservation work, it has been a real honor to be able to contribute my expertise to help finally answer the question.”
[PLoS One] ||||| The submarine H.L. Hunley was the first submarine to sink an enemy ship during combat; however, the cause of its sinking has been a mystery for over 150 years. The Hunley set off a 61.2 kg (135 lb) black powder torpedo at a distance less than 5 m (16 ft) off its bow. Scaled experiments were performed that measured black powder and shock tube explosions underwater and propagation of blasts through a model ship hull. This propagation data was used in combination with archival experimental data to evaluate the risk to the crew from their own torpedo. The blast produced likely caused flexion of the ship hull to transmit the blast wave; the secondary wave transmitted inside the crew compartment was of sufficient magnitude that the calculated chances of survival were less than 16% for each crew member. The submarine drifted to its resting place after the crew died of air blast trauma within the hull.
Funding: We would like to gratefully acknowledge funding and support from the Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation Endowment Fund at Duke University for directly funding this research. We would also like to acknowledge funding from the DoD SMART Scholarship Program for the research and education of Rachel M. Lance. We also gratefully acknowledge funding provided by the US Army MURI program (U Penn prime—W911NF-10-1-0526) partially supporting Cameron Bass. In addition, we would like to thank the Hagley Library’s Center for the History of Business, Technology and Society for funding via an Exploratory Research Grant that enabled the historical black powder research.
This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.
Conventional explosions can injure through one of three generic mechanisms, one of which is primary injury from the blast pressure wave itself (see Ref [ 35 ] for information on other injury types). Primary injuries from blast predominantly affect the gas-filled organs, most often causing pulmonary trauma such as hemorrhaging, but can also present as traumatic brain injuries [ 36 , 37 ]. These injury types would not be evident from skeletal or highly decomposed remains.
TNT is conventionally used as a yardstick to compare the strengths of different explosives, both low and high, which are typically described by stating their TNT relative equivalency (RE) [ 33 ]. RE is a fractional number that describes the strength of an explosive relative to the strength of TNT. Most explosives have RE values in the range 0.8–1.2 [ 33 , 34 ].
Black powder is a low explosive, a volatile blend of crushed charcoal, sulfur, and either sodium or potassium nitrate [ 28 ]. Unlike high explosives, which have burn rates faster than the speed of sound, black powder deflagrates rather than detonates. Variables such as grain size, powder density, and even the type of wood used to make the charcoal can potentially have noticeable effects on powder performance because of their impact on burn rate [ 29 – 31 ]. Tests of modern black powder have shown comparable performance in both burn rate and pressures produced to cannon-grade Union powder from the Civil War [ 29 ]. Black powder performance is also highly dependent upon the strength with which it is confined [ 30 ]. When it is spread on the ground and lit in an open, unconfined environment it burns with negligible pressure generation; however, when it is confined the charge casing allows the gradual generation of internal pressure until the point of casing failure [ 32 ]. While it is categorized as a low explosive, the data presented in this study show that it is capable of generating a sharp-rising pressure wave with certain confinement conditions.
Momentum transfer into a structure produces motion of that structure, and rapid initiation of motion can create a shock wave off the structure’s back surface [ 22 , 25 , 26 ]. Transmitted blast waves have been observed computationally behind structures and experimentally measured behind armor [ 22 , 27 ]. Computational simulations confirm that backface pressure response is the product of rapid motion of the structure wall in response to the original external blast, and because the motion response of the structure increases for stronger blasts, so will the magnitude of the transmitted blast [ 22 , 25 ]. Such a backface wave means that, even if the original blast wave is largely reflected at the front material interface of the structure, it is possible that people behind the structure could still be injured or killed by transmitted shock from a sufficiently large charge at a sufficiently close range without overt damage to the structure.
Blast interactions with structures can be prohibitively complex to test experimentally, so these tests are often performed both in air and in water by scaling down the size of the experiment according to the relevant dimensionless parameters [ 17 , 22 ]. G.I. Taylor first described the pi groups that dictate the behavior of an underwater blast wave hitting a solid structure with air behind that structure, primarily in an attempt to predict damage to ships from TNT depth charges [ 23 ]. Taylor’s dimensional analysis and subsequent studies by other groups concluded that the amount of momentum transferred into a structure by a blast wave can be scaled by size if the time-relevant parameters of the blast wave are also scaled [ 22 , 23 ]. Dimensionless parameters dictating the amount of momentum transferred are shown as Eqs ( 3 ) & ( 4 ).
The increase in both the density and the speed of sound in water means that when explosions occur underwater, the resulting shock and pressure waves travel more efficiently and further than they do in air [ 17 , 18 ]. The most critical behaviors of underwater shock waves follow traditional scaling laws since peak overpressure, duration, and impulse scale with the overall length scale of the experiment [ 17 , 19 ]. However, it is more informative and convenient to describe the output of the charge via the equations provided by Hopkinson scaling, also referred to as the principle of similitude [ 20 ]. The Hopkinson scaling equations for peak pressure and time constant for underwater blast are shown as Eqs ( 1 ) & ( 2 ) [ 17 , 21 ].
Both of two previous primary theories of sinking, suffocation and damage to the hull from arms fire, have been found to be implausible in recent publications [ 15 , 16 ]. In addition, evaluation of the attack showed that the Hunley likely drifted before finally sinking [ 16 ].
The two large holes discovered in the bow and side of the hull were determined not to be the cause of sinking by analysis of the sediment layers within, which showed that both breaches occurred long after the sinking, and no additional damage was found to the hull that provided an explanation. The holes were determined to have occurred at a later date because analysis of the types and quantity of sedimentary materials, including marine macrofauna, showed strata of sediment deposition that permitted analysis of the general patterns of sediment accumulation over time within the hull [ 13 ]. These strata indicated that the holes were not present during the vessel’s initial time underwater. The pattern of damage of the holes was determined to have been caused by a combination of galvanic corrosion, stresses from riveted seams, and erosion from ocean currents [ 14 ].
The Hunley was raised from the ocean floor in 2000, and conservation efforts have been ongoing since [ 5 , 6 ]. The skeletal remains of the crewmembers were found seated at their respective stations, with no physical injuries or apparent attempts to escape [ 7 – 9 ]. The conning towers, which formed the only path of escape, were closed with the aft tower still securely locked [ 10 ]. The bilge pumps were not set to pump out water [ 11 ]. The keel ballast weights, which could be released from within the boat, remained firmly attached [ 1 , 12 ].
The vessel’s commander could see out the fore conning tower and was responsible for navigation, while the remaining crewmen powered the vessel’s propeller from the inside using a hand crank [ 2 , 3 ]. At the other end of a hinged 16-foot spar was firmly bolted the Hunley’s torpedo, a copper torpedo of the common Singer’s design type filled with 61.2 kg (135 lbs) of black powder and fitted with a pressure-sensitive trigger ( S1 Fig )[ 4 ].
The Hunley sank the Union ship Housatonic and killed 5 Union soldiers by setting off a black powder torpedo against the ship’s hull on the evening of February 17, 1864. The narrow, tapered submarine was 12 m (40 ft) long with a maximum width of only 1.2 m (4 ft) [ 1 ]. It was shaped out of the wrought iron boiler of a previous ship, and carried a crew of 8 men ( Fig 1 ).
Methods
Scale model construction A 1/6 length-scaled model of the HL Hunley was constructed out of 16-gauge mild steel, which is materially similar to the wrought iron of the submarine’s hull in many properties including those that dictate structural response to blast exposure (S1 Table) [14, 38, 39]. Key physical design properties of the Hunley were incorporated in the scale model construction, including ballast tanks that could be filled with water and ballast weighting by lining the keel with lead. Information about the methods used to obtain the measurements of the Hunley that formed the basis of the scale model can be found in Ref [15]. The finished model is shown in Fig 2. PPT PowerPoint slide
PowerPoint slide PNG larger image
larger image TIFF original image Download: Fig 2. Photograph of the scale Hunley model, nicknamed the CSS Tiny. [a] threaded attachment for spar [b] access port (2 total, one each at bow and stern) to fill and empty the ballast tanks, can be sealed with threaded insert [c] Rings (3 on model) for carrying the vessel and attaching lines [d] Gasket-sealed panel for interior access [e] Data ports (2 on model) for gauges [f] Bulkhead fittings (4 on model) for gauge wires. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182244.g002 The Hunley model, nicknamed the Tiny, was exposed to underwater blasts via three primary experimental methods: shock tube exposures, black powder charges attached to the bow with a size-scaled, angled spar, and black powder charges directed at the side of the hull. For each exposure type, an omnidirectional incident pressure gauge was suspended in the center of the interior of the hull. An identical pressure gauge was also suspended in the water external to the boat, at the centerline along the length of the boat and at a distance of 6 cm horizontal standoff from the side of the hull. The gauges used were oil-filled tourmaline gauges validated for measurement of underwater and air blasts (Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division, Bethesda, MD), amplified with a PCB Piezotronics 402A amplifier and powered with PCB Piezotronics model 482A10 and model 482 power supplies (PCB Piezotronics, Inc., Depew, NY). The gauge cables were foam-covered and insulated along the length of the cable between the boat and the pier. Data acquisition was performed at 1 MHz rate with 500 kHz antialiasing filters using a Hi-Techniques MeDAQ Win600e (Hi-Techniques Inc., Madison, WI). The experiment was scaled so that the degree of pressure transmission into the scaled model hull would be similar to the degree of pressure transmission into the full-sized Hunley [17, 19, 21, 40–42]. Some changes, such as the change in density from salt to fresh water, were experimentally unavoidable, but the effects are expected to be small (differences in density and bulk modulus increase the speed of sound in salt water 2–4% over that in freshwater).
Shock tube blasts The shock tube exposures were performed in the Duke University Reclamation Pond. The shock tube was composed of a driver section only, made of size 3 high-pressure stainless steel pipe flanges, fitted with a variable number of Mylar membranes (S2 Fig). The shock tube driver was braced from behind with water-saturated wooden rails and pressurized with helium until the Mylar membranes ruptured, creating a shock wave. A live charge creates spherically expanding shock waves, so because the Hunley’s spar held the torpedo at a downward angle the Hunley would have been directly exposed from all sides along the entire length of its hull. Since shock tubes create highly directional shock waves rather than spherical shock waves like those produced by live charges, the shock tube was used to characterize which sections of the hull were responsible for transmitting the effects of blast. The characterization was performed by directing the shock tube at the bow of the vessel, at the side of the vessel, at the vessel’s keel, and at oblique angles relative to the axis of the hull. Once it was determined that the bow of the vessel transmitted negligible blast effects into the main cabin, and the perpendicular component of the blast was responsible for blast transmission into the cabin, the transmission tests were performed by directing the shock tube perpendicularly at the side of the hull. The external pressures were estimated to be the perpendicular component of a blast with the correct direction of propagation, and so were divided by sin(11°) to calculate the overall peak pressure values of the estimated blast [43].
Live charge blasts The test site for the live charges was a freshwater pond with a bottom depth slightly greater than the scaled value (9 m/6 = 1.3 m) of the bottom depth at the location of the Hunley attack on the Housatonic [44]. This depth would ensure that reflections of the blast waveform off the bottom would be equal to or less than those experienced by the Hunley, and so would either approximate the amount of bottom reflection or err on the low side since bottom reflections augment the strength of an underwater blast exposure [17]. All necessary permits and legal permissions were obtained prior to each round of testing. Charges were packed with 4Fg black powder (Goex Powder, Inc., Minden, LA) with casings constructed out of schedule 80 PVC pipe with threaded end caps. The historical drawing of the Hunley torpedo indicates that it was filled with grade FF cannon powder (S1 Fig). However, samples of powder from recently uncovered Union cannonballs from the Civil War indicate that the historic FF grain size more accurately matches the modern 4F grain size standard for musket powder [29]. The charges were triggered using NPb squibs (Martinez Specialties, Groton, NY). Isolated squibs were set off to evaluate their detonation signatures at the distances of interest, but were determined not to have a noticeable impact on the pressure waveforms. Several preliminary underwater tests were conducted with variations in charge size, casing construction, and range to the point of measurement to assess black powder’s performance with respect to the scaling of time constant for the non-dimensional groups. Charge size was varied, with sizes of 283 g, 455 g, 490 g, and 1 kg, and range between the charge and the point of measurement was varied between 80 cm and 1.8 m. The range values were selected to validate the scaling principles in the regions most relevant to the Hunley. Initial testing showed that orientation and position of the charge relative to the gauges had a measurable effect on the pressure waveforms. Therefore, test data were only used for the analysis of scaling if they had the same charge orientation and depth as the tests with the scale boat model, and gauge locations that would fall along the length of the submarine hull. Specifically, the tests evaluating the effects of confinement strength were eliminated from the scaling data set because the measurements were taken at the same depth as the charges. The initial time constant of decay (θ) was measured for all blasts. Theta was scaled using Hopkinson scaling by division by the cube root of charge weight (W1/3) (Eq (2)). This value was then plotted as a function of the scaled distance (W1/3/Range) at which the waveform was measured. A power law equation was fitted to the data in the scaling data set using least-squares regression. This method is the standard procedure for describing the time-scaling behavior of explosives and is referred to as the principle of shock wave similitude [17, 21]. The Tiny model was blasted with black powder charges of three sizes: 283 g and 455 g charges, corresponding to 1/6 and 1/5 size scale of the 61.4 kg (135 lb) Hunley torpedo, and 1 kg charges, which were the maximum size as requested by the ATF. While 283 g is the properly mass-scaled value for black powder, the larger charge sizes were constructed to evaluate the degree of propagation of higher pressures through the hull wall. Experimental limitations on scaling burn rate of the powder and methods of charge confinement meant that the PVC 283 g charges would severely underestimate the strength of the exposure compared to the original copper-cased torpedo; larger charges were therefore also tested to evaluate how the transmission properties changed with increases in external pressure. All charges except one were attached via a size-scaled spar to position them in the same manner as the Hunley’s torpedo. One 283 g charge was positioned beside the boat to further increase external pressure of exposure. The external pressure from this charge was divided by the sine of the angle between the direction of blast propagation and horizontal at the centerline of the keel (11°) to calculate the total external peak pressure from a spar-mounted charge that would have the same amount of propagation through the hull. This angular correction for direction of transmission is often used in structural shock testing for charges in different geometric orientations from their targets [43].
Shock tube blasting of metal plate Propagation of a sharp-rising shock wave through the full-sized Hunley structure was investigated using a mild steel plate with greater thickness (1.6 cm, 5/8”) than the original Hunley hull (1.0 cm, 3/8”). The purpose of this test was to ensure that the shock wave maintained the sharp rise time critical to cause injuries even when propagating through a material at least the thickness of the full-sized submarine hull. The steel plate was a square 61 cm (24”) on each side and was exposed to airblast using a helium-driven shock tube. The shock tube was 30.5 cm (12”) in diameter and was aimed at the center of the plate. A standoff distance of 4 cm was set between the plate and the end of the tube to allow lateral venting of the shock and provide reduced impulse on the plate relative to peak incident pressure. Incident pressure was measured at the end of the shock tube using 200 psia Endevco pressure gauges (Model 8530B-200, Meggitt Sensing Systems, Irvine, CA) that were flush with the internal wall of the tube body. Two additional Endevco pressure gauges were rigidly fixed behind the center of the steel plate, with 10 cm between the back of the plate and the center of the gauge faces. Both gauges were oriented to measure incident pressure. ||||| Around 6:30 p.m. on February 17, 1864, eight men crammed into the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley, a self-propelled metal tube attached to a bomb, and slipped quietly into the freezing black water off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. The crew hand-cranked the sub more than six kilometers toward its target—the Union blockader USS Housatonic—and surfaced like a leviathan for the charge. By 9:00 p.m., it was over: The Hunley had thrust its spar-mounted torpedo into the Housatonic’s hull and within seconds, 60 kilograms of black powder had caved in the ship.
Just after the brief moment of glory, the Hunley, which had just become the world’s first successful combat submarine, mysteriously sank.
Its demise has baffled scores of researchers and Civil War buffs for more than a century. Now, one maverick scientist is making the bold claim that she has cracked the case. After three years of sleuthing, Rachel Lance, a U.S. Navy biomedical engineer who holds a PhD from Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering in North Carolina, concludes that the blast from the sub’s own torpedo sent blast waves through its iron hull and caused instant death for the eight men inside.
If she’s right, the mystery of the Hunley may finally be put to rest. But how she made the discovery is almost as surprising as the discovery itself: She did it without access to the physical sub, which was excavated in 2000; without prior experience in archaeology or forensics; and without help from the Hunley Project, a team of researchers and scientists at Clemson University in South Carolina that has been on the case full time for the past 17 years.
Without collaboration or key pieces of data, could Lance’s account of the final moments of the Hunley and its crew be right?
**********
On a warm September Saturday, I’m standing outside the student center at Duke, a low-rise contemporary building accented with the university’s signature neo-Gothic stone, when Lance swings around the bend in a blue Pontiac Grand Prix straight out of Motor City where she grew up. As I open the passenger door to introduce myself, I’m hit by a wall of thumping workout music. Lance just came from the gym, and her brown, shoulder-length hair is thrown up in an elastic. A blue, stonewashed T-shirt that reads Detroit rides up her pale, lanky arms.
As we make our way off campus, the music keeps pumping.
“Where are we headed?” I yell.
“I’m taking you to the campus pond to see where we ran some of our experiments,” she thunders back. “It’s quiet there so we can talk.”
Lance was modeling an underwater explosion at a computer in Duke’s Injury Biomechanics Lab, where she studied blast injuries, when her adviser had the epiphany that set her Hunley obsession in motion. What if, biomechanical engineer Dale Bass suggested, the modeling software could virtually reconstruct the attack on the Housatonic and reveal insights into the fate of the Hunley? Lance, a history buff, was hooked: a historical mystery with a tantalizing lead to follow. Eventually she’d abandon the software for a more hands-on experimental approach, but Bass’s idea was the catalyst she needed.
She began reading theories about why the Hunley went down. One prevailing idea was that the crew ran out of oxygen and suffocated. It was exactly the type of theory she was poised to tackle: she’s been a civil service engineer with the U.S. Navy since 2009 and has expertise in breathing system dynamics and, more specifically, rebreathers—the closed-circuit breathing systems divers use to recycle breathing gas underwater.
As her investigation got underway, Lance noticed there was very little, if any, published research on the crew’s oxygen consumption during the mission. With the navy, she had researched the phenomenon of how much oxygen people used while operating hand-pedal ergometers requiring the same type of motion as the Hunley’s hand-cranked propulsion system. So, she dug up the data and used it to calculate how much oxygen the crew would have used while cranking their way toward the Housatonic.
It wasn’t clear how much oxygen there was to begin with, though. After hauling up the sub, the Hunley Project conservators calculated how much air was likely available. Their data suggests the crew had enough air for little more than two hours. Lance, however, didn’t have access to the actual data. She had met with project members to discuss collaboration, but they wouldn’t share their calculations with her (and, later on, would ask Lance to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which she’d decline). She’d have to go her own way.
**********
She mulled over the problem for days. Then, she remembered thumbing through a newsletter published by Friends of the Hunley, a nonprofit in Charleston that handles outreach, fundraising, and development for the Hunley Project and runs tours at Clemson’s Warren Lasch Conservation Center where the Hunley is being restored. It was filled with interior and exterior photos of the sub, most of which had measurement notations below them. That gave her an idea.
For the next month, Lance sat hunched over her desk printing out photos of the sub, measuring each demarcated point with a ruler. After weeks of painstaking work, she finally had all the measurements necessary to calculate oxygen consumption versus supply. The results leapt off the page. Suffocation was not a plausible explanation for why the Hunley sank.
“Even with conservative calculations, the crew would have been experiencing noticeable hyperventilation, gasping for breath, choking, symptoms of panic, and likely physical pain from high levels of CO2 in the blood,” she says. “But we also know from records that they were seated peacefully at their stations without any signs of struggle. So, from my perspective, this tossed the suffocation theory out the window.” The findings were published in the March 2016 issue of the journal Forensic Science International.
Richard Moon, the medical director of the Duke Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology, agrees. He helped Lance run the calculations and says, “You have a bunch of submariners who were working moderately hard in an enclosed space. There’s no way they would be working away at the crank in a 10 percent oxygen environment with high levels of CO2 and say, ‘Oh well, things are fine; we’ll just keep on going.’”
The folks at Clemson weren’t convinced. Kellen Correia, president and executive director of the Friends of the Hunley, stated in an email that, “It’s premature to draw any final conclusions about the causes of the loss of the submarine or death of the crew, especially when looking at only one aspect of the situation.” She didn’t, however, reference any specific issues with Lance’s findings.
**********
Debunking the suffocation theory offered Lance some short-term satisfaction, but by this point, she was in deep. She began thinking about the Hunley around the clock, obsessing over it to the point where she’d zone out and stare into her plate of food during dinner with her fiancé. “There was something viscerally terrifying about the fact that eight people died that night, and we had no idea how or why,” she says.
In the meantime, Hunley Project conservators at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center were chiseling—and continue to chisel—their way through the stubborn, concrete-like layer of sand and silt that formed around the Hunley as it sat on the seafloor for more than 100 years.
“The de-concretion has the opportunity to give us more information,” says Clemson archeologist Michael Scafuri, “but we haven’t uncovered any definitive evidence to completely explain the loss of the Hunley. Nothing in and of itself explains what happened.”
There hasn’t been any case-cracking evidence on the human remains side, either. Linda Abrams, a forensic genealogist who has been working on and off with the Hunley Project since 2006, says all of the crew member skeletons were in good shape when they were excavated from the Hunley’s interior. The sub was completely filled with sediment when it was salvaged, so layer upon layer of muck had to be carefully removed before the bones were exposed. “There were no bullet wounds in any of these guys,” she says. And no signs of desperation.
While the scientists haven’t come up with a smoking gun, there is a small area of damage to the sub’s exterior that has stumped them. The forward conning tower has a softball-sized chunk of iron missing where a viewport had been.
Through her research, Lance learned of the damage to the conning tower and the so-called lucky shot theory: a stray bullet fired by Housatonic sailors during the attack punctured the tower, causing the sub to fill with water and sink.
From Scafuri’s perspective, it is a possibility. “The gunfire from the Housatonic may have played a role in this,” he says, “but we cannot confirm that at this point.”
Lance tested the theory by shooting Civil War-era firearms at cast iron samples—the damage to the sub was inconsistent with damage from her rifle fire. Plus, she says, a bullet hole would have allowed water to rush into the sub quickly and caused it to sink much closer to the attack site than where it was found.
Based on her results, Lance crossed the lucky shot theory off her list and documented the findings in a second paper in Forensic Science International.
The Friends of the Hunley declined to comment on the specific findings, but Correia wrote, “Again, Ms. Lance doesn’t have any primary knowledge or data of the Hunley Project.”
Lance pressed on. If the crew hadn’t suffocated, and a bullet hole didn’t sink the sub, what did happen?
**********
When the Hunley took down the towering Housatonic, it was less than five meters away from the blast. And, it was still attached to the torpedo; inspired by Confederate steam-powered torpedo boats known as Davids during the Civil War, the Hunley’s crew had bolted the sub’s torpedo onto the end of its spar. This meant the same explosion that rocked the Housatonic could just as well have meant lights out for the Hunley crew.
Lance had spent the better part of two years investigating the suffocation and lucky shot theories, published twice, and still hadn’t solved the mystery. For her, this explosion theory was the next obvious avenue to explore, and one that meshed well with her injury biomechanics focus at Duke. If a blast wave from the explosion propagated into the interior of the sub, she reasoned, it could have immediately killed the crew or at least injured them sufficiently that they would have been unable to pilot the boat to safety. “When blast waves hit an air space, they slow down like a car hitting a wall,” she explains. “Except in this case, the wall is the surface of the lungs.” The sailors’ lungs could have ruptured and filled with blood.
To test the theory, Lance needed a physical model of the sub. Enter the CSS Tiny, a scale model a sixth the size of the tour bus-length Hunley. Made out of sheet metal, it was a Hunley mini-me right down to ballast tanks filled with water and a steel spar mounted to the bow.
Engineering a miniature submarine wasn’t a stretch for Lance, who grew up working on old cars with her father, a now-retired GM autoworker. As a kid, she was small enough to slide under their 1966 Mustang to change the oil without jacking up the car. “Growing up around car culture makes it easy to fall in love with machinery and engineering,” she says.
A few minutes after peeling away from campus in Lance’s Pontiac, we pull into a dusty lot at the Duke University reclamation pond. The thumping bass line cuts out abruptly and the soundtrack is replaced with the ratchet-like chorus of crickets. At the pond’s edge, she gestures to the water, thick with algae: this is where the Tiny took a test run. Lance and a few members from her lab used blast simulation devices known as shock tubes to test the Tiny’s pressure gauges and other equipment in advance of the live explosives phase of the experiment. As she stood in the water, raising and lowering the shock tubes, fish chomped at her legs. It was as if she was being repeatedly stabbed with tiny knives—but by the end of it, Lance and the Tiny were ready for the big event.
**********
The campus pond was off limits to real explosives, so, two weeks later, Lance and her research team trekked out to a three-hectare pond on a rural North Carolina farm for the live ammo tests. They parked the Tiny in the middle of the pond, and with an explosives agent standing guard, the stage was set. Lance began the countdown: “Five! Four! Three! …” The culmination of months of hard work all came down to the next few seconds, and her nerves were frayed as she frantically clicked between sensor readout screens on her laptop.
From a safe distance, farmer Bert Pitt and his grandchildren were ready for the show. Lance had sweet-talked him into volunteering his pond for the project. “When Rachel came out to the farm,” says Pitt in a thick southern drawl, “she tried to butter me up with red velvet cake and explained that it would only be a one-sixth-scale explosion.”
“Two! One!” Pfffsssssttt! The black powder charge exploded on the Tiny’s spar, and a small geyser of pond water erupted. Pressure gauges hung inside and outside the vessel to measure the underwater blast waves. Below the surface, the explosion jetted a blast wave into the Tiny’s hull with so much force that it caused the metal to flex. That motion, in turn, generated a second blast wave that transmitted straight through the hull into the cabin.
“The secondary blast wave from this would have easily caused pulmonary blast trauma that killed the whole crew instantly,” Lance says. “This is what sank the Hunley.”
Moon supports the conclusion. He says most people would assume that the cabin walls would have protected the crew from the blast waves—but few people know much about underwater explosions. “Speculation up to this point has been fine,” he says, “but when you hold it up to hard science, I think the blast wave theory is the most plausible explanation.”
While Lance believes the mystery of the Hunley can finally be put to rest, the Hunley Project scientists aren’t ready to jump to conclusions. They’ve acknowledged the explosion theory as a possibility in the past, but began to doubt it prior to Lance’s experiment based on results from a computer modeling study conducted by the US Navy in 2013. The study suggests the blast wave would not have harmed the crew, yet further studies continue to second-guess any previous study conclusions.
“The problem is, it’s a complicated scenario,” says Scafuri. “It’s sort of like trying to reconstruct the causes of a car accident with limited information. Would you be able to find evidence of an accident that happened because a bee flew in through the window and distracted the driver, who happened to be texting, on a stretch of road that was slick?”
**********
“Oh, I have something for you,” says Lance at Duke’s reclamation pond. She reaches into her backpack and hands me a cigar-sized, 3D-printed replica of the Hunley—a souvenir of sorts. It offers a micro, yet detailed, view of the sub’s interior that makes me realize how confining the crew compartment—which at full-scale was only one meter wide and 1.2 meters high—must have been for eight grown men. It was a death trap. The fact they crammed themselves into the tube anyway was a sacrifice Lance seems to have unwavering respect for. It’s part of what drove her to press on to the finish line, despite the odds being stacked against her.
**********
But how could it be that Lance was able to unravel a century-old mystery in such a relatively short period of time, particularly given the Hunley Project’s 14-year head start? Was it beginner’s luck, or her ability to approach the problem from a different scientific vantage? Maybe it simply came down to old-fashioned determination. “You have to deal with a lot when doing this kind of research, especially when you’re doing things on your own, which can be difficult and lonely,” she says. “You need to have a lot of perseverance, because that’s where the good stuff is—past that limit where nobody’s been able to push through the problem before.”
In the end, maybe it had more to do with the fact that the Hunley Project is intent on both carrying out the painstakingly slow process of conserving the sub and explaining its disappearance. Although, from a revenue perspective, the mystery in and of itself may be a real positive for the Hunley Project and Friends of the Hunley, considering the sales of T-shirts, shot glasses, and lab tours it helps generate.
Regardless, when Lance’s findings from her blast wave experiment are published (a research paper will be released imminently), the Hunley Project team will be watching.
This time, it will be their theory to disprove.
Related Stories from Hakai Magazine: | – For more than 150 years, researchers have scratched their heads over a Civil War mystery—and now a Navy engineer says she's solved it. Rachel Lance has been diving deep into the 1864 sinking of the Confederate submarine HL Hunley, which mysteriously went down shortly after sinking the Union's USS Housatonic sloop with a torpedo, reports a Hakai Magazine article posted at Smithsonian.com. Over three years, Lance—a Duke grad student with no experience in forensics, no help from experts who'd long been on the case, and no access to the excavated sub itself—carried out what Gizmodo calls an "exhaustive … analysis" and finally arrived at a conclusion published in PLOS ONE: that the torpedo created blast waves that pierced the Hunley's hull and instantly killed the eight crew, whose skeletons were found intact during the sub's excavation near Charleston, SC, in 2000. Lance looked at other theories swirling around the Hunley's fate, including low oxygen or a bullet fired by the Housatonic that punctured the sub. She became obsessed, to the point she'd zone out during meals. "There was something viscerally terrifying about the fact that eight people died that night, and we had no idea how or why," she tells Hakai. Her injury biomechanics background finally led her to her shock wave theory. "When blast waves hit an air space, they slow down like a car hitting a wall," she says. "Except in this case, the wall is the surface of the lungs." A mini replica of the Hunley she dubbed the CSS Tiny and a series of test explosions in a rural pond helped her prove her theory, per CNN. Other researchers remain unconvinced, but Hakai says now Lance's theory is "their theory to disprove." More on her project here. (The Hunley looks a lot better these days.) |
Former coworkers told Action News the suspected killer, Willie Gray worked at the Big Fresno Fair as a landscaper. They remember him as a hard worker. "I couldn't believe it. It was just pure shock. I just would have never believed it," said Stacy Rianda.ABC30 legal analyst, Tony Capozzi believes there's a strong case Gray acted to protect himself. "Unless someone is watching this. Unless there are some witnesses to say otherwise he may have a really good defense as self-defense," said Capozzi.But he added his attorney will have a tough time at trial. "The fact that he left the scene is the indication of consciousness of guilt. You think you did something wrong so you run away. That's allowed to come into evidence in a trial."The bizarre chain of events started on Wednesday when a jury found 37-year-old Bobby Pearson not guilty in a burglary case . It was later found that eight jurors actually believed Pearson was guilty of the burglary, but because of a fundamental misunderstanding of the law explained to them, they entered a not guilty verdict and even confirmed it when the judge polled them.It turns out, the jury couldn't reach a unanimous decision when it came to Pearson, but two-thirds of them thought he was guilty. Judge Kent Hamlin had read instructions to them, including one saying that if they couldn't reach a unanimous decision, they should send the judge a note and not sign any verdict forms."That instruction, I don't know if it was overlooked or misunderstood, but it had been explained," Linden Lindahl, defense attorney for Terrel Minnieweather -- the other defendant in the burglary trial.According to jail records, Bobby Pearson was released from jail just before midnight on Wednesday night. About an hour later, just before 1 a.m. on Thursday morning, Fresno Police found him laying in the road in the area of Dayton and West in Central Fresno. He was taken to Community Regional Medical Center where he died from his wounds shortly after arriving.During the investigation, police said Pearson went to his mother's house after leaving the jail and got into a fight with his sister's boyfriend Willie Gray. Police said Gray and Pearson had longstanding personal issues. They said the fight ended with Pearson laying in the road with two wounds -- one they said, looked like a knife wound, the other may be a gunshot wound. Witnesses also reported a loud pop. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday. Police caught the suspect, Willie Gray, on the run about a mile away from the murder scene at an apartment complex. Officers served a search warrant there looking for evidence and they also towed a minivan, which they believe was the getaway vehicle. Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said investigators seized a gun at the home where Gray was arrested.Dyer said Gray is being treated for injuries at Community Regional Medical Center, and will face murder charges once he is booked into the Fresno County Jail.Police are still investigating the incident.----- ||||| FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A burglary defendant who won his freedom because of a jury's mistake lost his life a few hours later when he was stabbed to death in a fight.
In this 2007 photo released by the Fresno County Superior Court shows Judge W. Kent Hamlin. Police in Central California say a man who was released from jail after a jury mistakenly signed a not-guilty... (Associated Press)
In this June 14, 2012 photo shows Fresno County Superior Court Judge W. Kent Hamlin in his courtroom. Police in Central California say a man who was released from jail after a jury mistakenly signed a... (Associated Press)
In this undated photo released by the Fresno Police Dept. shows Bobby Lee Pearson. Pearson, a defendant in a Central California burglary case, walked out of a courtroom a free man after a jury mistakenly... (Associated Press)
Police rope off the scene where burglary defendant Bobby Lee Pearson was stabbed to death after walking out of a courtroom following a jury's mistake Thursday, June 12, 2014 in Fresno, Calif. Pearson... (Associated Press)
The jury in the trial of Bobby Lee Pearson, 37, mistakenly signed a not-guilty form Wednesday, and the flabbergasted judge said he had no choice but to order him to be released from jail because the verdict had already been put on the record.
It was too late when the judge learned that the jury was unable to reach a verdict, stalling on an 8-4 vote in favor of guilt. Prosecutors might have had an opportunity to retry Pearson, but by then changing the verdict form would have exposed Pearson to double jeopardy.
"I can't believe it," said Superior Court Judge W. Kent Hamlin after setting Pearson free, according to The Fresno Bee.
After being released from jail, Pearson went home to get some clothing and belongings when Fresno police Sgt. James Rios said Pearson apparently got into a fight with his sister's boyfriend.
The two had a long history of problems, said Rios, adding that the boyfriend stabbed and killed Pearson, who was found dead at the scene. The boyfriend's name has not been released.
William Terrence, who prosecuted the case, told The Associated Press that despite the bizarre chain of events that led to Pearson's release, the man he tried sending to prison didn't deserve to die that way.
"There's not a death penalty on a burglary," Terrence said. "I'm not sitting here thinking he got what he deserved."
Terrence said he is still trying to understand the jury's confusion. He said he explained the verdict forms in closing arguments as he has done many times, and so did the judge.
"Apparently, the message wasn't quite received," Terrence said.
In the case of a deadlock, jurors should have sent a note to the judge.
Pearson and two co-defendants were accused of burglarizing an apartment last year and stealing a video system and a gun. The homeowner allegedly caught the intruders and wrestled with one of them.
Jurors returned a guilty verdict against Pearson's co-defendant, Terrel Minnieweather and the mistaken not-guilty verdict against Pearson before lunch Wednesday.
Terrence said Hamlin polled each juror individually to verify Minnieweather's guilty verdict. Turning to Pearson's case, the judge asked the jurors as a group if that was its not-guilty verdict in Pearson's case.
"No one stood up and said, 'Hey, wait a minute. That's not my verdict,'" Terrence said. "They nodded along."
Terrence said that it wasn't a mistake to poll the jury as a group. The evidence against Pearson wasn't as strong, and Terrence said he respected the jury's apparent not-guilty decision.
The jurors were then asked to return after lunch for a potential second phase of the trial. The confusion over the verdict came to light during lunch, when one juror told court staff that he had voted to find Pearson guilty.
Jurors said they were confused by the forms, one of which was for a guilty verdict and the other for a not guilty verdict. One juror said there was no form they could sign that indicated the jury was deadlocked.
"It is bizarre," said Eugene Hyman, who retired from the Santa Clara County Superior Court after serving for 20 years on the bench. "But I can't find fault with anyone."
Hyman, who had no involvement in Pearson's case, said during trials, he would always ask each juror whether the verdict read by the clerk was indeed their verdict. He said there's nothing wrong with polling jurors en masse.
Hyman said the Fresno judge had no choice to acquit Pearson if Hamlin ordered the not guilty verdict "recorded" immediately after the jurors nodded in agreement with the verdict.
Judges are required to poll jurors after every verdict is read in criminal cases, Hyman said, but that requirement can be waived by lawyers. | – Bobby Lee Pearson got what was probably the luckiest break of his life on Wednesday when a jury mistakenly set him free after a burglary trial. It soon turned into the unluckiest break of his life: An hour into his accidental freedom, he got fatally attacked, reports ABC30 in Fresno. The strange chain of events began when jurors couldn't reach a unanimous verdict about Pearson. Eight thought he was guilty and four didn't, and at that point—as the judge had explained to them—they should have sent a note saying they were deadlocked. Instead, they signed a not-guilty form. Judge W. Kent Hamlin learned of the mistake only after the verdict had been read into the public record and had to release the career criminal, reports the Fresno Bee. Otherwise, Hamlin would have declared a mistrial and ordered Pearson held for a second trial. "I can't believe it," he said in court. "I can't change it because double jeopardy has already attached. This has never happened to me in more than 100 jury trials that I have done." Upon being released at 11:57pm Wednesday, Pearson went to his mother's house to collect some belongings and got into a fight with his sister's boyfriend, say police. He was stabbed, with a steak knife found next to his body, and was pronounced dead around 1:25am. "There's not a death penalty on a burglary," the prosecutor in Pearson's case tells AP. "I'm not sitting here thinking he got what he deserved." (Click for another unusual courtroom story.) |
JUPITER, Fla. - Golfer Tiger Woods was found asleep at the wheel, had to be awakened and was charged with driving under the influence early Monday morning in Jupiter, according to police. Woods said later in a written statement that prescribed medications contributed to the arrest.
RELATED: Download WPTV app | More local mug shots
According to a probable cause affidavit, Woods said he was coming home from California and he did not know where he was. He "had changed his story of where he was going and where he was coming from," a DUI probable cause affidavit noted. He also asked how far he was from his house, the affidavit stated.
He was wearing his seat belt, his vehicle was running, the brake lights were on and the right blinker was flashing, according to the police report. Police also noted that both drivers' side tires were flat and there was minor damage to both rims and minor damage to the front driver's side bumper and rear bumper. Woods's attitude was described as cooperative and confused and his speech extremely slow and slurred.
His breath test results were .000, the affidavit stated.
Police asked Woods to take several standard road sobriety tests. He had trouble standing on one leg and putting his finger to his nose, the report stated.
When asked to recite the alphabet and if he understood, Woods said, "Yes, recite entire national anthem backward," according to the affidavit.
Police noted that after several times explaining the instructions, Woods completed the task correctly.
Woods was driving a 2015 black Mercedes-Benz when he was taken into custody at 3 a.m. on Military Trail south of Indian Creek Parkway.
Court documents say there were six witnesses to the arrest.
He was also cited for improper parking. His ticket noted his car was stopped on the roadway in the right-hand lane and right shoulder.
Palm Beach County Jail records indicate Woods, 41, a Jupiter Island resident, was booked at 7:18 a.m. He was released from custody on his own recognizance, meaning no bail money was necessary, at 10:50 a.m.
A court date for the case has been set for July 5 at 8:30 a.m.
Jack Nicklaus says he feels bad for Woods and called him a friend who needs "all our help."
Nicklaus says he last saw Woods at a dinner for past champions at the Masters, and Woods said his back was hurting, according to the Associated Press.
At a news conference Tuesday at the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, Nicklaus said he was a fan of Woods and a friend of his. "I think that he's struggling. And I wish him well," Nicklaus said. "I hope he gets out of it and I hope he plays golf again. He needs a lot of support from a lot of people, and I'll be one of them," the AP reported.
The 14-time major champion has not played since withdrawing from the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February.
Ongoing back problems have sidelined his career for much of the last three years.
In April, he said in a post on his website that he underwent successful back surgery to alleviate ongoing pain in his back and leg.
On Monday evening, Woods issued a statement about his arrest:
“I understand the severity of what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions.
I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn’t realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.
I would like to apologize with all my heart to my family, friends and the fans. I expect more from myself too.
I will do everything in my power to ensure this never happens again.
I fully cooperated with law enforcement, and I would like to personally thank the representatives of the Jupiter Police Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office for their professionalism.”
Location of arrest below:
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. ||||| Tiger Woods was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol on Monday morning, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
Woods, a resident of Jupiter Island, Florida and was booked into jail at 7 a.m. Monday morning.
Records show that Woods was released from custody at 10:50 a.m. under his own recognizance.
Here's Tiger Woods' mugshot after his arrest on DUI charge pic.twitter.com/d6f8CpOIc5 — Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) May 29, 2017
Woods, once the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world and winner of 14 major titles, has not played in a competitive tournament since withdrawing from the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February after the first round because of continuing issues with his back.
The 41-year-old Woods had back surgery in April -- his fourth surgery on his back in the past three years. ||||| This image provided by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office on Monday, May 29, 2017, shows Tiger Woods. Police in Florida say Tiger Woods has been arrested for DUI. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s... (Associated Press)
This image provided by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office on Monday, May 29, 2017, shows Tiger Woods. Police in Florida say Tiger Woods has been arrested for DUI. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s... (Associated Press)
Tiger Woods was arrested early Monday on a DUI charge in Jupiter, Florida, and spent nearly four hours in a county jail before he was released.
Woods, the 14-time major champion who ranks second with his 79 career victories on the PGA Tour, has not played for four months. He is out for the rest of the season while he recovers from his fourth back surgery.
Woods was arrested on suspicion of DUI about 3 a.m. Monday in a suburban area and taken to the Palm Beach County jail, Jupiter Police spokeswoman Kristin Rightler said. He was arrested on Military Trail, south of Indian Creek Parkway.
Jail records show that 41-year-old golf great was booked into Palm Beach County jail at 7:18 a.m. and released on his own recognizance at 10:50 a.m. The jail released a booking photo of Woods in a white T-shirt.
Rightler said she did not have additional details about the circumstances leading to Woods' arrest, nor did she have any information about whether the arrest involved drugs or alcohol. She said an arrest report may be available Tuesday.
His agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, did not immediately respond to a voicemail from The Associated Press. PGA Tour spokesman Ty Votaw said the tour would have no comment.
Woods has not been seen at a golf tournament since he opened with a 77 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, withdrawing the next day because of back spasms. He was in Los Angeles for the Genesis Open, run by his Tiger Woods Foundation, but did not come to the course because of his back.
He was at the Masters, but only to attend the dinner for past champions.
Woods, who had been No. 1 longer than any other golfer, has not been a factor since his last victory in August 2013 as he battled through back surgeries from a week before the 2014 Masters until his most recent operation to fuse disks in his lower back a month ago.
In an update Friday on his website, Woods said the fusion surgery provided instant relief and he hasn't "felt this good in years."
It was the first time Woods has run into trouble off the golf course since he plowed his SUV into a tree and a fire hydrant outside his Windermere, Florida, home in the early morning after Thanksgiving in 2009, which led to revelations that he had multiple extramarital affairs.
A police report then showed that a Florida trooper who suspected Woods was driving under the influence sought a subpoena for the golfer's blood test results from the hospital, but prosecutors rejected the petition for insufficient information.
A witness, who wasn't identified in the report, told the trooper he had been drinking alcohol earlier. The same witness also said Woods had been prescribed two drugs, the sleep aid Ambien and the painkiller Vicodin. The report did not say who the witness was but added it was the same person who pulled Woods from the vehicle after the accident. Woods' wife has told police that she used a golf club to smash the back windows of the Cadillac Escalade to help her husband out.
He eventually was cited for careless driving and fined $164.
Woods and wife Elin Nordegren divorced in 2010. He later had a relationship with Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn from 2013 that lasted two years.
___
Associated Press writer Jennifer Kay in Miami Beach, Florida, contributed to this report. | – It's not the first time Tiger Woods has made headlines for dubious reasons over a holiday: The golfer was arrested on suspicion of DUI around 3am Monday in Jupiter, Florida, reports WPTV, which notes that's where Woods resides. Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office records indicate the 41-year-old was booked shortly after 7am and released at 10:50am under his own recognizance. A police spokesperson said she had no more details about the circumstances leading to the arrest or whether drugs or alcohol were involved, but that an arrest report may be available Tuesday, the AP reports. Sports Illustrated reports the former No. 1 player in the world underwent back surgery once again in April, and hasn't hit the links competitively since February, when he pulled out of a Dubai tournament due to back problems. |
(Reuters Health) - Skin cancers caused by indoor tanning are responsible for $343 million a year in direct medical costs for U.S. patients, a recent study suggests.
On top of those direct healthcare costs, lost productivity and early deaths among patients with melanoma and other malignancies tied to tanning bed use will exceed $127 billion over the lifetime of the people currently diagnosed with these cancers, the study also found.
“We already knew that the use of indoor tanning devices is damaging to health and can cause cancer, but we did not have a comprehensive documentation of the health impacts at the population level or an estimate of the costs of health care to treat these conditions,” said study co-author Hugh Waters of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
An estimated 30 million people in the U.S. use tanning beds at least once a year, and they have approximately 25,000 tanning salons nationwide to choose from, researchers note in the Journal of Cancer Policy.
To estimate the health costs associated with indoor tanning, researchers tallied the average costs to treat skin malignancies including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma.
Based on previously published estimates of the increased cancer risk associated with tanning beds, they also calculated the proportion of cases of these cancers that is attributable to indoor tanning.
With data on the prevalence of tanning device use in the U.S., they were able to calculate the number of skin cancer cases caused by tanning beds and the associated costs for treatment in 2015.
That year, tanning beds were linked to 8,947 cases of melanoma, more than 168,000 cases of squamous cell carcinoma and at least 86,000 cases of basal cell carcinoma.
Based on data from Medicare, the U.S. health insurance program for the elderly, researchers calculated that the average 2015 cost of treating melanoma was $5,054 per case and the typical cost for other skin cancers was $1,168.
In addition to these medical costs, researchers calculated the economic loss over the lifetime of individuals currently diagnosed with these cancers based on what they described as the value of a lost year of life.
This estimate was calculated based on the size of the U.S. population and on a measure of the size of the economy known as gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015. Under this formula, a year of life lost resulted in a $55,266 reduction in GDP.
It’s possible the study underestimated the number of skin cancers associated with indoor tanning, the authors note. Their cost estimates also didn’t include long-term medical and productivity costs associated with follow-up physician visits or additional care.
However, it’s also possible the study overestimated the economic costs associated with indoor tanning, said Dr. David Leffell, a researcher at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, who wasn’t involved in the study.
“I believe that the health risks and costs of natural sun exposure exceed those of indoor tanning substantially,” Leffell added by email.
All unprotected exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can increase the risk of developing skin cancer, noted Dr. Elizabeth Martin, president of Pure Dermatology and Aesthetics in Hoover, Alabama, and a researcher at the University of Alabama School of Medicine.
“The cost of treating skin cancer is the same regardless of whether the patient used indoor tanning or tanned outdoors,” Martin, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email.
Tanning beds, however, can make melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, more likely, and the risk increases with more tanning sessions, Martin said.
The risk is stark for young women.
“Women younger than 30 are six times more likely to develop melanoma if they tan indoors,” Martin noted. “Even one indoor tanning session can increase users’ risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by 67 percent and basal cell carcinoma by 29 percent.”
SOURCE: bit.ly/2lkInK7 Journal of Cancer Policy, online February 28, 2017. ||||| Tanning beds can ring up a steep bill — a whopping $343 million each year in medical costs in the US alone.
Indoor tanning has long been tied to skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the US. It’s estimated that 30 million people — nearly 25 percent of whom are teenagers — head to tanning beds at least once a year.
And the health care costs of the habit can add up, health economists report in a new study published Tuesday in the Journal of Cancer Policy.
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Tanning beds emit UV-A rays, which can damage DNA, and UV-B rays, which can burn the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer. Research has shown that indoor tanning before age 35 raises the risk of melanoma up to 75 percent.
Health care researchers at the University of North Carolina focused on melanoma and two other types of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
The researchers looked at all skin cancer cases in 2015, and then applied data on indoor tanning prevalence and relative risk of skin cancer after using a tanning bed to those numbers. They estimated that there were 263,600 cases of skin cancer in 2015 that could be attributed to the use of tanning beds.
The researchers then summed up the average annual cost of treating patients with each type of cancer, which totaled more than $343 million each year.
“Our findings highlight both the negative health and negative financial impacts associated with indoor tanning,” the authors wrote.
The Food and Drug Administration has taken steps in recent years to rein in use of tanning beds. In 2014, the agency announced that manufacturers would be required to put a black-box warning on tanning beds that states they shouldn’t be used by anyone under 18. The FDA also classified tanning beds as moderate-risk products in 2014, giving health officials the authority to review tanning beds for safety before they hit the market.
The Affordable Care Act aimed to reduce use of tanning beds, too, by implementing a 10 percent excise tax on indoor tanning services.
A couple caveats: The new numbers are just an estimation — it’s impossible to nail down the cause of each individual case of skin cancer. The results also don’t include costs associated with other health problems blamed on tanning beds, such as burns.
But the study’s authors said they are hopeful that putting an estimate on the social costs of indoor tanning will help reduce use of the devices. | – Tanning beds have long been associated with skin cancer, and now researchers are quantifying just what that costs the US financially. Reporting in the Journal of Cancer Policy, they calculate that in 2015, the direct medical care for skin cancers resulting from tanning bed exposure totals $343.1 million. What's more, they figure that early deaths and loss of productivity in these cases add up to a $127.3 billion loss over the lifetime of individuals currently diagnosed. But those are just dollar signs: the human toll is large, too, with more than 263,000 cases of skin cancer attributed to tanning beds in 2015 alone. The researchers call tanning beds a "significant contributor to illness and premature mortality in the US." Reuters notes that some 30 million Americans use tanning beds every year. Tanning beds emit UV-A rays, which damage DNA, and UV-B rays, which can burn one's skin and also raise the risk of skin cancer. (The research did not calculate the medical cost of burns.) Previous research has found that indoor tanning bed exposure in people younger than 35 nearly doubles their risk of melanoma, reports STAT News, and Americans must now be 18 or older to use them in several states. "Women younger than 30 are six times more likely to develop melanoma if they tan indoors," says a University of Alabama researcher who wasn't involved in the study. "Even one indoor tanning session can increase users' risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by 67% and basal cell carcinoma by 29%." (Australia has outright banned tanning beds.) |
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- A South Carolina serial killer already serving life in prison for seven slayings told authorities he has two additional victims buried near an interstate, a sheriff said Tuesday. Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright said investigators are bringing Todd Kohlhepp to the county to lead them to the supposed location of the bodies, the Greenville News reported.
"We're trying to get a game plan together to find out exactly where and what to do. Investigators have been talking to him," Wright said. "We're not going to try to keep that quiet. We're going to go search."
Kohlhepp told investigators that two people are buried near Interstate 26 in Spartanburg County in the northwest part of the state. Wright is unsure who the supposed additional victims are or exactly where they are, he said.
"We haven't been able to confirm anything he's claimed yet," Wright said. "It's not to say that the details are not sketchy because it's been so long, but we're obligated to go check."
Kohlhepp is serving seven consecutive life sentences without parole at Broad River Correctional Facility in Columbia after pleading guilty to multiple charges in May 2017. "48 Hours" investigated the case in the episode, "Buried Truth."
His string of crimes was uncovered in 2016 after police rescued Kala Brown from a storage container where she was chained at the neck and investigators found a body buried in a shallow grave. Brown told investigators she saw Kohlhepp shoot and kill her boyfriend, 32-year-old Charles Carter, who went with her for a cleaning job on Kohlhepp's property in rural Spartanburg County.
Kohlhepp raped Brown while holding her against her will, and told her he had also killed a husband and wife in December 2015, burying their bodies on his land. Johnny Joe Coxie, 29, had been killed immediately, and Kohlhepp kept 26-year-old Meagan Leigh McCraw-Coxie alive for six days before shooting her in the back of the head on Christmas, Solicitor Barry Barnette said.
The Associated Press typically doesn't identify victims of sexual assault, but Brown has spoken publicly about her traumatic experience.
Kohlhepp admitted to her that he had killed four people in the Superbike motorcycle shop in November 2003, the prosecutor said. The owner, Scott Ponder, 30; Beverly Guy, 52; Brian Lucas, 30; and Chris Sherbert, 26 were killed because Kohlhepp thought they were making fun of him. Guy was Ponder's mother and worked as a bookkeeper. Lucas was a service manager, and Sherbert was a mechanic at the shop.
Kohlhepp's crimes took place over more than a decade as he ran a real estate business.
According to the plea agreement signed by Kohlhepp, he will serve seven consecutive life terms plus 60 years on kidnapping, sexual assault and other charges. Kohlhepp will not be eligible for parole, and he also agreed not to appeal the sentence.
Kohlhepp moved to South Carolina in 2001 shortly after 14 years in prison for pleading guilty to kidnapping in Arizona. Authorities there said the then 15-year-old forced a 14-year-old neighbor back to his home at gunpoint, tied her up and raped her.
Friends and co-workers at Kohlhepp's real estate business said he was a hard worker with some strange habits. He would watch pornographic videos during work and joked on his firm's website that he motivated workers by not feeding them. ||||| The Upstate's most notorious serial killer's claim that there were two more bodies buried in Spartanburg County led to a search Wednesday that failed to turn up anything, officials said.
Sheriff Chuck Wright said Tuesday that Todd Kohlhepp claimed the bodies were in the Enoree area.
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"He didn't tell me. He didn't tell our investigators. He told somebody who told us," Wright told WYFF News 4 Tuesday night.
Lt. Kevin Bobo released the following statement after the search concluded:
“When Todd Kohlhepp was arrested in November, 2016, he made vague statements to our investigators about committing two homicides prior to the Superbike incident.
“At that time, we researched his statement and found no evidence to support his claim.
“Since his incarceration at the S.C. Department of Corrections, he made that same claim to a production company that is filing a documentary about his crimes, but his account to that company differed in some details and also included possible locations of these two alleged victims.
“Last week, two of our investigators went to the Department of Corrections and interviewed Kohlhepp. Some of the details he shared with our investigators differed from what he had shared with the production company; specifically, that the victims were buried in one location as opposed to two different ones.
“Those investigators asked Kohlhepp if he would be willing to show us the location of these two alleged victims. Todd Kohlhepp declined that request.
“Monday and Tuesday, our investigators met with the production company and compared notes to see what was consistent in Kohlhepp’s claims and what wasn’t. That additional research led to numerous deputies and cadaver dogs searching a wooded area at the dead end of a frontage road at Highway 92 and I-26 in Enoree.
“Again, we didn’t find any evidence to support his claim. At present, there aren’t any plans to go back to the site tomorrow, and that lead will be suspended until Kohlhepp decides to share more detailed information that can be verified.”
Maria Awes, senior vice president of Committee Films, confirmed in a statement late Wednesday afternoon that her company is working on the Kohlhepp documentary.
“We are currently on the ground filming an exclusive documentary series about Todd Kohlhepp, airing next year on the true crime and justice channel, Investigation Discovery (ID).
“As this is an active investigation, we are working closely with law enforcement to be completely transparent with our information and filming only within their specified parameters.”
Tuesday, Wright had said he felt like he was "between a rock and a hard place" because Kohlhepp killed seven people, so they had to check it out.
The search for more victims
Deputies and K-9's began to search about 9 a.m.
“This will be the last time this happens until he gives me some specifics that I can corroborate, because I don’t want it to be one of those things – he wants to stay relevant,” Wright said. “If he’s got more victims, I promise you, there are no limits to what we won’t do, within the law. I am obligated to see if there are anymore victims here, and if so, we’ll do the best we can to find them, and we’ll work it from there.”
WYFF News 4
Wright said he didn't want to give more attention to Kohlhepp, but he owed it to the families of possible victims to follow up.
Dozens of vehicles lined the road near the heavily area where the search took place. The film makers who are producing a documentary on Kohlhepp's victims were also at the scene. Wright said he allowed them to shoot the search "from a distance."
He said the nonprofit group Foothills Search and Rescue's dogs were used in the search. Wright said the dogs are capable of finding bodies several feet underground, even if they have been buried for years.
Wright said if they had found any spots they wanted to investigate further, there was an industrial X-ray machine at the scene that is capable of detecting items buried 5 to 7 feet underground.
Kohlhepp is an admitted serial killer
Kohlhepp, 47, is serving seven consecutive life sentences plus an additional 60 years in prison after admitting he killed seven people and sexually assaulted a woman that he held captive in a storage container in November 2016.
Kohlhepp confessed that he killed Beverly Guy, Scott Ponder, Brian Lucas and Chris Sherbert in November 2003 at Superbike Motorsports.
He confessed to the Superbike Motorsports killings after investigators found Kala Brown, a woman who had been reported missing, on Nov. 4, 2016, chained inside a storage container on Kohlhepp’s property in rural Woodruff.
She had been reported missing two months before. In the days that followed, authorities also found the bodies of Brown's boyfriend, Charlie Carver, and Meagan Coxie and Johnny Coxie buried on Kohlhelpp's property.
AlertMe | – One of South Carolina's most notorious serial killers claims to have buried two more bodies near an interstate—but a full day of searching Wednesday failed to find any remains. Police using cadaver dogs searched an area near Interstate 26 in southern Spartanburg County without success after receiving information from a production company making a documentary on Todd Kohlhepp, who is already serving life for seven murders, CBS News reports. Sheriff Chuck Wright said there would be no more searching without new information. "At present, there aren't any plans to go back to the site tomorrow, and that lead will be suspended until Kohlhepp decides to share more detailed information that can be verified," he told WYFF4, adding that while he doesn't want to give Kohlhepp more attention, it is his duty to families of potential victims to investigate. "This will be the last time this happens until he gives me some specifics that I can corroborate, because I don't want it to be one of those things—he wants to stay relevant," he said. (Kohlhepp has previously said he won't disclose how many people he killed.) |
See more of Cassie Young on Facebook ||||| Some people still don't seem to understand that all body types are worthy of love.
A woman named Cassie Young saw this first hand recently after she was approached on Twitter by a personal trainer who offered to help her lose weight before her wedding day. But when she explained that she was already happy with how she looked, the conversation took an odd turn.
The unnamed trainer began to shame her for not trying to "look her best" in her wedding photos. Ugh.
Luckily, his misguided comments did not bring the bride-to-be down. She schooled him, and when she posted the screenshots on Facebook last week, she added an important message: your appearance does not define your self worth.
Cassie ends the post by stating, "Life is waiting for you. It's too short to be spent worrying about a belly roll. Go be happy and live it to your fullest."
SEE ALSO: Nude blogger thanks Instagram for suspending her account and proving her point about censorship
After the post went viral, other Facebook users were disgusted by the trainer's tactic of getting a new client and completely supported Cassie's body-positivity in the comments.
Hell yeah. Further proof there's no such thing as the right or wrong size. ||||| Part of the exchange a woman received from a fitness trainer, who body-shamed her. (Photo: Cassie Young via Facebook)
A personal trainer who tried to body-shame a woman for declining his services received a humbling dress-down on social media.
Cassie Young, 31, is a digital director at the nationally syndicated radio show “The Bert Show,” where she regularly shares her past struggles with body acceptance. Last week, after getting engaged to her boyfriend of nine years, Young received a message from a personal trainer (whose identity she doesn’t reveal), offering to help her “shape up” for the big day. When Young politely declined his offer, things got… weird.
On Thursday, Young posted screenshots of the exchange to her Facebook page. “Congratulations on your engagement,” wrote the man. “Hire me to help you get in shape for your wedding.”
Young replied, “I am in shape! Thank you so much for the offer, though.”
You might think the conversation ended there — but wait.
“I know you want to look your best on your wedding day,” the man pressed. “If you don’t hire me, hire someone. Those pictures last centuries. Your children’s children’s children will still have those pictures.”
Cassie Young. (Photo: Sarah Witherington/OWN Boudoir) More
Young wrote in part, “I know it’s probably hard for you to understand this, but it’s taken me a long time to love my body. I’m constantly shamed or reminded that I’m heavy and I should be embarrassed — or people are embarrassed for me — or just straight up rude, calling me ‘disgusting.’ I’ve battled past all that and like myself and how I look.”
The man countered, “You can accept how you look but you can’t be happy with the way you look. You can’t lie to yourself… I just wish the whole big body acceptance people would accept the fact that they are not happy with their bodies.”
Young replied, “I’m sad for you that your self-worth is wrapped up in your appearance. You clearly place a lot of stock in looks but fail to understand that not everyone wants to be chained to that insecurity.” She also added: “You are perpetuating the problem and I refuse to play that game. I reject your notion of operating on superficiality and looks, and I embrace my inner health goals.”
Still, the man would not let up. Read the entire exchange here.
“I saw his messages while lying in bed at 9:30 p.m. and initially I wasn’t offended because he was just offering his services,” Young tells Yahoo Beauty. “Then I started to think about his position of power and any women he may be exploiting by preying on their insecurities.”
Young would know — after a fifth-grade classmate embarrassed her for wearing size 5 jeans, she spent years counting calories and embarking on yo-yo diets. “I would sit in my closet and cry because I wore sweatpants to work every day for two weeks because no other pair fit,” she tells Yahoo Beauty. “But last year I decided to invest in clothes that fit and have modeling photos taken — I’m tired of telling myself I’m not pretty because I have fat rolls.”
She added, “This guy tried to undo the work I’ve done and plant a seed of doubt in my head during my engagement.”
Despite the trainer’s comments, Young refuses to publicly name him. “I want this to be a learning opportunity,” she tells Yahoo Beauty, adding that putting him on blast would deter that from happening. “No one should be vilified because they’re ignorant.”
Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty. ||||| Tweet with a location
You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more | – Cassie Young is used to strangers reaching out to her on social media. The 31-year-old is a digital director at the nationally syndicated radio program The Bert Show in Chicago, and she's got more than 14,000 followers on Twitter alone. But when a personal trainer offered to whip her into shape after she announced her engagement to her boyfriend of nearly a decade, he became so persistent—and their chat so emotional—that she posted their exchange on Facebook, where it went viral. "If you think of life as a 'game' with being skinny as how you 'win,' this guy is offering to play by the rules and get you there," she writes. "I'm telling you the game is BOGUS. You don't need the game. I reject the game. I REFUSE TO PLAY." Young tells Yahoo that, since she was first teased about her size in 5th grade, it's taken years and many yo-yo diets to love the body she has. But the trainer—whom she won't name, saying that "no one should be vilified because they're ignorant"—told her that if she didn't hire him she should hire someone else because "those pictures last centuries" and her children's children would see what she looks like, per Mashable. "This guy tried to undo the work I’ve done and plant a seed of doubt in my head during my engagement," she says. She replied to him, "I'll look my best because I'll be so happy I get to marry the man I love." She says the positive comments she's received from readers mean a lot, and that life is "too short to be spent worrying about a belly roll." (People recently tweeted memories of the first time they were body-shamed.) |
FILE - In this July 24, 2013, file photo, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner leaves his apartment building in New York. Weiner will appear in federal court, Friday, May 19, 2017, to face criminal... (Associated Press)
FILE - In this July 24, 2013, file photo, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner leaves his apartment building in New York. Weiner will appear in federal court, Friday, May 19, 2017, to face criminal... (Associated Press)
Key events in the saga of Anthony Weiner, the former New York congressman who pleaded guilty Friday to transmitting sexual material to a minor:
___
1998
Nov. 3: Weiner, a Democrat, is elected to Congress.
___
2005
Sept 13: Weiner comes in second in a bid for the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City.
___
2010
July 10: Weiner weds Huma Abedin, a close aide to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Former President Bill Clinton officiates.
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2011
May 27: A lewd photograph of a man's underwear-clad crotch is sent from Weiner's Twitter account, and then is quickly taken down.
May 29: A spokesman says Weiner's accounts were hacked and calls the burgeoning social media scandal "a distraction."
June 6: Weiner tearfully admits to sending the lewd photo and then lying repeatedly to protect himself. He refuses to resign.
June 11: Weiner seeks a temporary leave of absence from the House while he seeks professional treatment. A spokeswoman says he will focus on "becoming a better husband and healthier person."
June 16: Weiner says he is resigning from Congress during a news conference in Brooklyn interrupted by hecklers. Weiner apologizes "for the personal mistakes I have made and the embarrassment I have caused."
___
2013
May 22: Weiner launches his re-entry into the world of politics with a run for New York City mayor, asking voters for a second chance.
July 22: With Weiner leading in the polls, a gossip website posts sexually explicit messages it says were exchanged between Weiner and a woman later identified as Indiana native Sydney Leathers. The woman claims Weiner used the alias "Carlos Danger" for their exchanges.
July 23: Weiner says he won't drop out of mayoral race, saying at a news conference: "This is entirely behind me."
Sept. 10: Weiner finishes fifth in Democratic mayoral primary.
___
2016
Aug. 28: The New York Post publishes photos the newspaper says Weiner sent the previous year to a "40-something" divorced woman. One bulging-underwear shot shows his and Abedin's toddler son cuddling next to him.
Aug. 29: Abedin says she is separating from Weiner.
Sept. 21: The DailyMail.com publishes an interview with a 15-year-old girl who claims she had sexually explicit online text and video exchanges with Weiner. Weiner acknowledges communications but also claims he's been the subject of a hoax.
Oct. 28: In a letter to Congress, then-FBI Director James Comey says his agency is investigating whether there is classified information in newly discovered emails of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, now the Democratic presidential nominee. A U.S. official with knowledge of the case tells The Associated Press the emails prompting the new FBI review came from a separate sexting probe of Weiner. Federal authorities in New York and North Carolina had been investigating online communications between Weiner and a 15-year-old girl.
___
2017
May 19: Weiner pleads guilty to criminal charges in connection with his online communications with the 15-year-old girl. ||||| Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner leaves Federal court, Friday, May 19, 2017, in New York. Weiner pleaded guilty to transmitting sexual material to a minor. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) (Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, whose penchant for sexting strangers ended his political career and sparked a probe that upended the presidential race, pleaded guilty Friday to a sex charge, tearfully apologizing for communications with a 15-year-old girl that he said destroyed his "life's dream in public service."
Weiner, who could go to prison, pleaded guilty to a single count of transmitting obscene material to a minor. He admitted exchanging online messages with the girl beginning in January 2015 and "sharing explicit images and encouraging her to engage in sexually explicit conduct."
"I have a sickness, but I do not have an excuse," he said.
In court, the 52-year-old former Democratic congressman paused repeatedly as he fought back tears and tried to compose himself. He said he knew the texting was "as morally wrong as it was unlawful."
Pleading to the charge, which requires him to register as a sex offender, could bring a sentence of up to 10 years. But Weiner is likely to serve a much shorter term if he is sentenced to prison. He signed a plea agreement with prosecutors in which he agreed not to appeal any sentence between 21 and 27 months in prison. His lawyer can request leniency at a sentencing scheduled for Sept. 8.
Wearing his wedding ring and a dark blue suit with a maroon tie, Weiner read from a prepared statement after U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska addressed him: "Tell me what you did, sir."
He said he "compulsively sought attention from women who contacted me on social media" beginning with his service in Congress and continuing through the first half of last year.
"I engaged with many of them in both sexual and nonsexual conversation," he said. "These destructive impulses brought great devastation to my family and friends and destroyed my life's dream in public service. Yet I remained in denial even as the world around me fell apart."
Weiner said he began getting mental health treatment in the fall, when he said he "came to grips for the first time with the depths of my sickness." He said he continues to follow the treatment daily.
"I had hit bottom," he said. "Through treatment I found the courage to take a moral inventory of my defects."
Weiner apologized to "everyone I have hurt," including the girl he "mistreated so badly."
Finished speaking, he wiped his eyes with tissues.
Weiner was already in federal custody ahead of the hearing, which lasted less than a half hour. Afterward, he shook hands with prosecutors, telling them: "Thanks, guys. I appreciate your service."
He then went down the courthouse elevator surrounded by his lawyers and court officers and left the building. He said nothing to reporters. His wife, Huma Abedin, was not in court.
Abedin, a top aide to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton last year, separated from Weiner in September after revelations he had sent more sexually charged messages online.
That same month, the FBI began investigating Weiner after the North Carolina girl told the news website DailyMail.com that she and Weiner had exchanged lewd messages for several months.
She also accused him of asking her to undress on camera. As part of his plea, Weiner agreed to forfeit his iPhone.
The investigation led FBI agents to seize his laptop computer, which led to the discovery of a new cache of emails that Clinton had sent to Abedin.
In late October, just days before the election, FBI Director James Comey stunned the country by announcing that his agency was reopening its closed investigation into Clinton's handling of State Department business on a private email server so it could analyze the newly discovered correspondence.
That inquiry was brief. Comey announced shortly before the election that the new emails contained nothing to change his view that Clinton could not be charged with a crime. But Clinton partly blamed her loss to Republican Donald Trump on Comey's announcement.
Weiner, who represented New York in Congress from 1999 to 2011, resigned after revelations that he was sending sexually explicit messages to multiple women.
He ran for New York City mayor in 2013 and was leading several polls until it was revealed he had continued his questionable behavior. His failed mayoral bid was the subject of the documentary "Weiner." ||||| Former representative Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) was sentenced Sept. 25 to 21 months in jail for transferring obscene material to a minor. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)
This post, originally published in May, has been updated with news that Weiner has been sentenced to 21 months in jail for sexting with a minor.
He was a congressman, he was a sexter.
He was a mayoral candidate, he was a sexter.
He was the subject of a cringing documentary, he was a sexter.
He was ultimately the owner of a computer, seized by the FBI for sexting, that ended up playing a massive role in the 2016 presidential election. He was the husband of one of Hillary Clinton's trusted aides, and now he's about to be her ex-husband.
And now, Anthony Weiner will go to jail. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison Monday after pleading guilty in May to a single charge of sending obscene material to a minor, related a 15-year-old girl he'd been talking to online.
This is Weiner's story, and it's a sad one.
Since the New York Democratic congressman resigned in 2011, Weiner popped back into the public sphere like the creatures from one of those whack-a-mole games at the arcade, often when we'd least expect him. And each time, the political world couldn't look away. And each time, we felt something different about this man and his phone and his self-described addiction.
[Why do politicians cheat?]
Weiner's story was first late-night-TV-worthy (a picture of his you-know-what out there on Twitter? And his last name is Weiner?!).
It morphed into a classic politician sex scandal, his devoted and poised wife standing next to him: “I have said that other texts and photos were likely to come out, and today they have,” he said in a 2013 news conference as new sexts emerged in the middle of his failed run for mayor of New York City. "… There is no question that what I did was wrong. This behavior is behind me.”
Then-New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin, at a 2013 news conference. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)
Then Weiner's story became a bloody car crash unfolding on our TV screens as “Weiner,” a May 2016 documentary about that mayoral run that immolated his higher-profile wife. Huma Abedin was in the middle of trying to hold together a presidential campaign for her longtime boss and friend, Hillary Clinton, and the documentary probing the rifts in her marriage was just plain weird.
“It was astonishing for Abedin to have allowed such a film as 'Weiner' to be made at all — much less to put a high-definition, close-up lens to the most humiliating chapter of her life,” wrote The Washington Post's Karen Tumulty.
Also, what about Weiner? “Why would Weiner want such a film out there? Is it a blind addiction to the spotlight? Some kind of twisted PR ploy? An effort to humanize himself?” I asked at the time.
Apparently Weiner got some kind of boost from it. He tried to bait Donald Trump Jr. into running against him for mayor of New York City.
.@anthonyweiner on @DonaldJTrumpJr 4 Mayor of NYC: "I'd come out of retirement just to beat him like a rented mule" pic.twitter.com/C9YCDZ74A0 — Joe Toohey (@joetoohey) July 26, 2016
Too soon Anthony!!! You probably shouldn't be talking about beating anything ever again. Go back to your cave. https://t.co/Mingecu6o9 — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 26, 2016
Then, Weiner's story took its final, dark turn. A few months after the documentary was released, Weiner sexted again. This time with his toddler son in the bed next to him. Allegedly with a 15-year-old, who released the photos to a British tabloid. Daily Mail reported that he'd been in a months-long online relationship with a 15-year-old girl.
By the next morning, Weiner had deleted his Twitter account. By that afternoon, Abedin announced that the two were separating.
Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner are separating pic.twitter.com/4WVZxfTMmo — Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) August 29, 2016
Flashback: Just two weeks ago, Weiner was asked if sexting had stopped. He deflected. https://t.co/eHXyf1R9hQ pic.twitter.com/M2iXPnnFIp — Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) August 29, 2016
This car crash wasn't satisfying to look at anymore. “Anthony Weiner is gross,” wrote Chris Cillizza at The Fix. “Let's stop paying attention to him.”
Talk turned to whether Weiner's sex scandals were psychosomatic.
“It's about people who use intense fantasy to escape,” Robert Weiss, a sex and tech addiction expert for Elements Behavioral Health addiction treatment centers, told The Fix, speaking about politicians who cheat in broad terms.
We desperately wanted to be done with Weiner. But Weiner wasn't done with us.
The FBI seized his computer to investigate whether he had sent inappropriate photos or videos to a minor. And on that computer, they found something else: emails Clinton sent and received using a private server while secretary of state.
Eleven days before the presidential election, Weiner's sexting turned into a political bomb for Democrats. Then-FBI Director James B. Comey told Congress the FBI had found new Clinton emails in an unrelated investigation.
“I can't consider for a second whose political fortunes will be affected in that way,” Comey would testify to Congress months later.
Clinton lost the election. She'd later come to the conclusion that Anthony Weiner's sexual desires — and the FBI's decision to tell Congress the world about her previously undiscovered secretary of state emails sitting on a server with Weiner's sexts — were a big reason she lost.
“When we heard this Huma looked stricken,” Clinton wrote in her new book “What Happened.” “Anthony had already caused so much heartache. And now this. ‘This man is going to be the death of me,’ [Huma] said, bursting into tears.”
Of course it was Weiner. It was inevitable that this guy we wanted nothing more of would play a starring role in one of the biggest news stories of one of the biggest presidential elections in recent memory.
Arguably, Weiner is STILL haunting us. Comey testified to Congress in May that Abedin had “forwarded hundreds and thousands” of Clinton emails to her husband, which is one reason the FBI director decided to alert Congress so close to the election. Turns out there were far fewer emails on Weiner's computer, the FBI announced several days later.
That evening, Trump fired Comey (although he didn't originally say it was because of Comey's misstatements, it was a good excuse to pull the trigger). And now Trump is living with the consequences of that decision, an investigation into whether he obstructed justice. Trump's problems, in a weird way, has its roots in one of the weirdest political stories of the social media age.
Weiner's modern political story is guffaw-worthy. Cynical. Just plain puzzling. Gross. Criminal. And somehow, influential. ||||| NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner admitted exchanging sexually explicit text messages with a teenage girl and pleaded guilty to a charge of transferring obscene material to a minor.
Here is the full prepared statement he read in court Friday:
“Beginning with my service in Congress and continuing into the first half of last year, I have compulsively sought attention from women who contacted me on social media, and I engaged with many of them in both sexual and non-sexual conversation. These destructive impulses brought great devastation to family and friends, and destroyed my life’s dream of public service. And yet I remained in denial even as the world around me fell apart.
In late January 2016, I was contacted by and began exchanging online messages with a stranger who said that she was a high school student and who I understood to be 15 years old. Through approximately March 2016, I engaged in obscene communications with this teenager, including sharing explicit images and encouraging her to engage in sexually explicit conduct, just as I had done and continued to do with adult women. I knew this was as morally wrong as it was unlawful.
This fall, I came to grips for the first time with the depths of my sickness. I had hit bottom. I entered intensive treatment, found the courage to take a moral inventory of my defects, and began a program of recovery and mental health treatment that I continue to follow every day.
I accept full responsibility for my conduct. I have a sickness, but I do not have an excuse. I apologize to everyone I have hurt. I apologize to the teenage girl, whom I mistreated so badly. I am committed to making amends to all those I have harmed. Thank you.” ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| Anthony Weiner will finally be cut off.
The pervy ex-pol whose years-long self-destructive sexting run sabotaged his own blossoming political career and marriage and helped torpedo Hillary Clinton’s shot at the White House will plead guilty Friday to a charge of transferring obscene material to a minor, possibly sending him to prison.
Weiner was taken into FBI custody Friday morning, a source told the Daily News, and he will enter the plea in a federal courtroom in Manhattan at 11:00 a.m.
The 52-year-old disgraced former congressman had been under federal investigation for having allegedly exchanged sexually explicit messages and images with a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina in 2016.
Anthony Weiner has been under federal investigation for having allegedly exchanged sexuall explicit messages and images with a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina. (Richard Drew/AP)
Weiner could now face up to 10 years in prison for the charge and will likely have to register as a sex offender, but he could also avoid prison altogether.
A federal judge will determine his sentence at a later date.
Earlier this year, Weiner’s lawyers had reportedly been in talks with federal prosecutors for weeks, angling for a plea deal to avoid the most serious possible charge, production of child pornography, which would have carried a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence.
Weiner's estranged wife, Huma Abedin (l.), is a senior aide to Hillary Clinton. (Andrew Harnik/AP)
The expected plea stems from Weiner’s most recent sexting scandal. Last year, a North Carolina teen came forward last year to say that he had been exchanging explicit messages with her.
The girl said she decided to go public with their exchanges after seeing reports of Weiner sending pics to another woman with his toddler son in the background.
The teen has claimed he encouraged her to role-play rape fantasies with him and to say his name while touching herself.
Weiner's 2013 mayoral hopes were dashed in by the emergence of fresh scandal. (Andrew Savulich/New York Daily News)
Weiner reportedly went by the name “T-Dog” while texting the teen and used an encryption app that erases messages and pictures as soon as they’re seen.
In one shirtless photo sent to the girl, Weiner’s hand is gripping his genitals.
The investigation follows a series of public embarrassments that cost Weiner his political career and his marriage — and may have helped damage Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Front page of the New York Daily News for September 22, 2016: Disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner, whose long-suffering wife Huma Abedin recently dumped him, is caught sexting once again, this time with a 15-year-old girl. This time, his transgressions could land him in jail. 15 COULD GET HIM 20 (New York Daily News) Front page of the New York Daily News for May 4, 2017: Hillary Clinton's top aide Huma Abedin is the person who helped torpedo her presidential campaign, FBI Director James Comey claimed Wednesday, because Abedin regularly forwarded classified government emails to her serial sexting spouse Anthony Weiner so the disgraced former pol could print them out for her. HUMA ERROR (New York Daily News) Daily News front pages for Sept. 22, 2016 and May 4, 2017.
Weiner’s estranged wife Huma Abedin, a top aide to Clinton, had announced their separation last August after Weiner was caught sending a lewd selfie that showed his 4-year-old son lying next to him in bed.
Investigators soon seized Weiner’s electronic devices, including a laptop and a cell phone, as part of the probe into that picture, leading to a series of events that many say contributed to Clinton losing the election.
Federal investigators soon uncovered emails on his laptop that were sent by his estranged wife, prompting FBI Director James Comey to reopen an investigation into Clinton’s emails out of concern the shared computer might have had classified documents.
Porn star Sydney Leathers had a hand in Weiner's undoing. (Bryan Smith)
Comey quickly closed the case without any charges, but his announcement, just days before the election, that he’d reopened it at all created negative publicity during a critical moment of the presidential campaign.
Democrats said the attention might have contributed to President Trump’s win.
A Clinton presidency isn’t the only thing Weiner lost due to his pervy online personas.
The Queens Democrat resigned from Congress in 2011 after a lurid sexting scandal involving a crotch shot that he posted on Twitter.
A testy Weiner insisted to reporters at the time that his account had been hacked. But days later, he came clean and resigned.
He later admitted during a press conference to having carried on inappropriate online relationships with at least a half dozen women.
Two years later, he attempted a political comeback and ran for New York City mayor, but his bid imploded when more online exchanges with women surfaced, including messages he traded with a woman named Sydney Leathers under the pseudonym “Carlos Danger.” | – Anthony Weiner has an unfortunate new title to go with "disgraced congressman." From now on, he'll also be a registered sex offender. Weiner appeared in federal court on Friday and pleaded guilty to a charge of transmitting sexual material to a minor, reports the New York Daily News. "I have a sickness, but I do not have an excuse," Weiner said in confessing to sending sexual images to a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina. While reading his statement, he "quickly dissolved into tears," reports the New York Times. And he might yet end up in jail. Related coverage: Divorce: The New York Post reports that Huma Abedin also filed for divorce from Weiner on Friday. It's uncontested, suggesting no fight is expected over assets or custody of their son. What he said: CBS News has the full text of his court statement here. Prison: Weiner faces up to 10 years when he is sentenced in September, but don't bet on it. Prosecutors said 21 to 27 months would be "fair and appropriate," and the AP notes that Weiner agreed not to appeal any sentence of that length. He also could be spared jail altogether. Keeping track: Having trouble remembering all the Weiner scandals? This timeline of his career from the AP might help. Affecting an election: If Hillary Clinton blames James Comey for her loss, then she should be blaming Weiner, too. CNN lays out how his sexting got tangled up in her email trouble. How sad: Amber Phillips assesses it all at the Washington Post, including the question of why on earth Weiner and Abedin allowed a documentary to be made about them. The "sad" Weiner story is not just "one of the weirdest political stories of the social media age," she writes. It's "guffaw-worthy. Cynical. Just plain puzzling. Gross. Criminal. And somehow totally impactful." Moving on: At CNN, Chris Cillizza makes a plea likely to have plenty of support: "Now, can we please agree to just stop talking about Weiner?" |
Soil erosion is often considered to be the primary cause of land and mountain loss on islands, but new research has found that on Oahu the mountains are being dissolved and destroyed by groundwater.
Eventually the mountains Koolau and Waianae on Oahu will be dissolved until the island becomes a nearly flat, very low-lying island similar to Midway.
“We tried to figure out how fast the island is going away and what the influence of climate is on that rate,” said Brigham Young University geologist Steve Nelson. “More material is dissolving from those islands than what is being carried off through erosion.”
The research was done by comparing the effects of groundwater compared to stream water, to find out which one was removing more mineral material. “Nelson and his BYU colleagues spent two months sampling both types of sources. In addition, ground and surface water estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey helped them calculate the total quantity of mass that disappeared from the island each year.”
“All of the Hawaiian Islands are made of just one kind of rock,” Nelson said. “The weathering rates are variable, too, because rainfall is so variable, so it’s a great natural laboratory.”
In order to get an idea of what will happen to the island in the future it was also necessary to take into account plate tectonics. As Oahu is being forced northwest, it actually rises in elevation slowly.
“According to the researchers’ estimates, the net effect is that Oahu will continue to grow for as long as 1.5 million years. Beyond that, the force of groundwater will eventually triumph and the island will begin its descent to a low-lying topography.”
The researchers got something of a surprise when they were doing their mineralogical analysis of the soil samples that they took.
“The main thing that surprised me on the way was the appearance of a large amount of quartz in a saprolite taken from a 1-meter depth,” Brian Selck, co-author of the study, said.
The research was just published in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.
Source: Brigham Young University
Image Credits: Brigham Young University ||||| PROVO, Utah, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The mountains on Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands are dissolving from within under the slow but inexorable onslaught of groundwater, researchers say.
Sometime in the distant future the mountainous tropical island will be reduced to a flat, low-lying island similar to Midway, scientists at Brigham Young University reported Friday.
While external erosion is the primary force that wears down mountains, that's not the case on Oahu, they said.
"We tried to figure out how fast the island is going away and what the influence of climate is on that rate," BYU geologist Steve Nelson said. "More material is dissolving from those islands than what is being carried off through erosion."
That was the result from comparing groundwater against stream water to see which removed more of the total quantity of mineral material mass that disappeared from the island each year, the researchers said.
"All of the Hawaiian Islands are made of just one kind of rock," Nelson said, referring to the volcanic composition of the islands. "The weathering rates are variable, too, because rainfall is so variable, so it's a great natural laboratory."
While Oahu is at present still growing, after about 1.5 million years the force of groundwater will eventually triumph and the island will begin its descent to a low-lying topography, the researchers said. | – Hawaii's island of Oahu is renowned for its mountainous vistas, but someday it's going to be flat as a pancake, or at least as flat as Midway. So say researchers from Brigham Young University in a new study, reports UPI. The big factor isn't what you might expect, namely external erosion. Rather, the island's own groundwater is slowly dissolving the mountains. The weird part, explains PlanetSave, is that Oahu's elevation is actually going to keep growing for 1.5 million years because of how it's being shifted by tectonic plates. But after that, the slow descent begins. |
We suppose Blue Ivy is better than poison ivy, but we still have a feeling that Beyonce and Jay-Z's new bundle of joy may be the target of a few zingers when it comes to kindergarten color-learning time. And although the music industry power couple's baby girl won't have to worry about standing out in a classroom full of Catherines, she certainly doesn't have the wackiest of monikers among Hollywood's offspring.
From Audio Science and Pilot Inspektor to Moon Unit and Apple, some celebs have Beyonce and Jay-Z's unconventional baby name looking quite tame.
Check out some of Hollywood's wackiest baby names below:
Close Strangest Celebrity Baby Names of
Daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin
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Head over to HuffPost Parents to help pick the top baby name of the future! ||||| We suppose Blue Ivy is better than poison ivy, but we still have a feeling that Beyonce and Jay-Z's new bundle of joy may be the target of a few zingers when it comes to kindergarten color-learning time. And although the music industry power couple's baby girl won't have to worry about standing out in a classroom full of Catherines, she certainly doesn't have the wackiest of monikers among Hollywood's offspring. | – If Blue Ivy Carter raised your eyebrows, you obviously have not met the other 28 celebrity babies who made it onto the Huffington Post's list of weird Hollywood baby names: Audio Science: Shannyn Sossamon's son Kyd: The, well, kid (har, har) of David Duchovny and Tea Leoni (he's a boy) Jermajesty: Jermaine Jackson's son Pilot Inspektor: Jason Lee's son Sage Moonblood: Sylvester Stallone's son Blue Angel: The Edge's daughter Bluebell Madonna: Geri Halliwell's daughter Moxie Crimefighter: Penn Jillette's daughter Rocket: Robert Rodriguez's son Click for the full list—trust us, you'll think some of the names are jokes. (We're looking at you, Rob Morrow's daughter...) |
Busy Philipps has made lifelong friends on film and TV sets over her 20-year career, but it sounds like James Franco isn’t one of them. In her anticipated new memoir, This Will Only Hurt a Little, out Oct. 16, Philipps recalls a scary moment with her former Freaks and Geeks co-star.
In an excerpt obtained by Radar Online and verified by Yahoo Entertainment, Philipps details an incident in which Franco allegedly shoved her to the ground, and she writes that he was a “f***ing bully.” While shooting a scene for the 1999 cult TV hit, Philipps claims she was directed to gently hit Franco in the chest while delivering a line. The actor supposedly broke character and got upset.
View photos James Franco and Busy Philipps. (Photo: Getty Images) More
“He grabbed both my arms and screamed in my face, ‘DON’T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!’” she writes in the book. “And he threw me to the ground. Flat on my back. Wind knocked out of me.”
Philipps remembers everyone on set was horrified. The Dawson’s Creek alum apparently sobbed to her co-star Linda Cardellini, who advised her to call her manager. The next day, Franco supposedly apologized after being ordered to do so by the director and producers. However, she notes that he was never punished for his supposed behavior.
View photos Busy Philipps and James Franco in Freaks and Geeks. (Photo: NBC/Courtesy of Everett Collection) More
Yahoo Entertainment reached out to a representative for Franco regarding Philipps’s story but did not immediately receive a response.
Franco’s character has been called into question over the past year; he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women but has denied the claims. The 40-year-old actor has kept a relatively low-profile since allegations surfaced, but the accusations haven’t stymied his carrier. Seth Rogen, who also starred on Freaks and Geeks and is a frequent collaborator of Franco’s, said he would absolutely keep working with his friend. Rogen hasn’t weighed in (publicly, at least) on Philipps’s story.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: ||||| The actress writes about the alleged incident in an excerpt from her upcoming memoir, 'This Will Only Hurt a Little.'
Busy Philipps claims in her forthcoming memoir, This Will Only Hurt a Little, that James Franco physically assaulted her on the set of their cult comedy Freaks and Geeks, where they played a tumultuous high school couple onscreen.
In an excerpt leaked online Monday that The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed is authentic, Philipps alleges that Franco — whom she calls a "fucking bully" — pushed the actress after filming a scene. The short-lived NBC sitcom, which aired for one season from 1999-2000, was created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow.
In her book, Philipps remembers that the script called for her character, Kim Kelly, to gently nudge Franco's Daniel Desario in the chest. Philipps writes that the scripted gesture caused Franco to get upset, after which he allegedly "threw" the actress to the ground in retaliation.
"He grabbed both my arms and screamed in my face, 'DON’T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!'" Philipps writes in the book. "And he threw me to the ground. Flat on my back. Wind knocked out of me."
Philipps goes on to say that she tearfully described the alleged incident to her other Freaks and Geeks co-star Linda Cardellini, who suggested that Philipps report what happened to her manager. Philipps writes that Franco eventually apologized after being told to do so by the episode's director and producers. Though he was asked to say he was sorry, Philipps says that Franco was never punished for his alleged behavior.
When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about her upcoming memoir and E! late-night talk show, Busy Tonight, Philipps said she and Franco have since discussed what happened on set and that he apologized.
"It wasn't even outrageous. At the time, 19 and with my first professional acting job, I was under the impression that this was just the way things were," she said. "James and I have talked about it over the years. At one point he apologized to me. I was always acutely aware of my expendability, and so I felt I needed to never complain, always show up on time and not be difficult. If someone else was being difficult, it was my job to be the easy one or figure out a way to soothe the situation."
During a 2016 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Philipps had told host Andy Cohen about her previous confrontation with Franco on the set of Freaks and Geeks. During her chat with Cohen, the actress brought up Franco allegedly shoving her to the ground.
"When we were 19, we were on Freaks and Geeks and we really, really disliked each other. It’s well-documented," Philipps said. "He, like, shoved me to the ground once. It was really brutal. But we’re friends now and we really like each other now as adults." She added that though she and Franco "really didn't get along," they had "since made amends."
The excerpt from Philipps' book comes nearly nine months after Franco was accused of sexual misconduct by more than five women. The star of HBO's The Deuce has denied the accusations, calling the accounts "not accurate."
Aside from the assault she allegedly suffered at the hands of Franco, Philipps revealed days ago that her book will also detail her experience being raped at 14 years old. The actress shared her story last week, hours after Christine Blasey Ford testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, whom Ford has accused of sexual assault. (Kavanaugh has denied Ford's allegations.)
"This is me at 14. The age I was raped. It's taken me 25 years to say those words. I wrote about it in my book. I finally told my parents and sister about it 4 months ago," Philipps wrote on Instagram, accompanied by what appears to be a school photo. "Today is the day we are silent no more. All of us. I'm scared to post this. I can't imagine what Dr. Ford is feeling right now."
THR has reached out to reps for Franco.
This Will Only Hurt a Little is due in stores Oct. 16.
Oct. 9, 7 a.m. Updated with Philipps' quotes to THR. | – James Franco is a "bully" who shoved her to the ground on the set of Freaks and Geeks, Busy Philipps writes in new memoir This Will Only Hurt a Little. In a leaked excerpt confirmed by the Hollywood Reporter, Philipps says Franco freaked out and broke character after she followed the script's direction to nudge his character in the chest. "He grabbed both my arms and screamed in my face, 'DON’T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!'" Philipps writes. "And he threw me to the ground. Flat on my back. Wind knocked out of me." Philipps says everybody on the set of the 1999 sitcom was appalled by Franco's behavior, Yahoo reports. She says her co-star apologized to her the next day, having been ordered to do so by the episode's director and producers, but he was never punished. Franco, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by five women, has yet to respond to the latest allegations. The Reporter notes that in her book, which is due out Oct. 16, Philipps also describes her experience of being raped when she was 14 years old. She decided to share the story for the first time last week soon after Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about her alleged assault by Brett Kavanaugh. |
Scientists are trying to figure out why male fish in the Potomac River are growing immature eggs in their system. Some believe the deformity has to do with agriculture and industrial run-off that finds its way to the river. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
For male smallmouth bass, sex change is increasingly not an option. In the chemical-laced Chesapeake Bay watershed and in rivers up through New England, it comes with the territory.
Based on the latest U.S. Geological Survey on intersex fish, 85 percent of male smallmouth bass in waters in and around national wildlife refuges in the Northeast have developed "characteristics of the opposite sex." That's in addition to 90 percent of the species in some West Virginia waters and 50 percent to 100 percent in the southern stretch of the Potomac River. All of the affected fish had eggs where their testes should be, according to previous studies.
[One of Europe’s oldest trees is changing its sex]
Why this is happening remains a mystery, says the lead author of a new study, despite the problem being detected more than a decade ago. “It is not clear what the specific cause of intersex is in these fish,” said Luke Iwanowicz, a USGS research biologist. “This study was designed to identify locations that may warrant further investigation."
The strongest suspicion focuses on what is poured down the drains of homes, businesses and farms every day. Scientists are worried that prescription drugs such as birth control and mood-control pharmaceuticals, flushed down toilets, and chemical pesticides such as atrazine, washed off farms by rain, have turned creeks, streams and rivers into chemical soups that disrupt the endocrines of marine life.
[How birth control pills are also altering the sex lives of fish]
These substances throw off functions that regulate hormones and the reproductive system, said USGS biologist Vicki Blazer, a co-author of the latest study and lead author of numerous earlier reports. At one polluted site Blazer examined in the Susquehanna River near Hershey, Pa., two years ago, 100 percent of the male smallmouth bass sampled had eggs.
The surprising thing found in the most recent survey, Iwanowicz said, is that the bass are being sexually transformed in more pristine waters at national wildlife refuges managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency's 560 refuges -- 71 in the Northeast -- provide a sanctuary for 1,000 fish species, 700 bird species and about 200 species of mammals.
Smallmouth bass are "like the canary in the coal mine," Iwanowicz said. "In the case of this specific study, we’re getting a better handle on how widespread [the problem] is. We’re seeing this signal at national wildlife refuges, … evidence that in areas that are managed for animal health, stuff is going on behind the scenes."
A magnification of a cross-section view of a smallmouth bass' testes that shows immature eggs, which are round circles on the monitor. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
Among the 19 refuges included in the study were Blackwater and Patuxent in Maryland, Mason Neck and Rappahannock River Valley in Virginia, Great Swamp in New Jersey, Cherry Valley in Pennsylvania and Moosehorn in Maine.
"These effects have been observed in other organisms, including mammals," said Don Tillitt, another co-author who is a research toxicologist at the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center in Missouri. "The mechanism occurs in the epi-genome, around the genome. Not the genes, but how those genes are expressed."
A USGS study released in March found that male fish exposed to a synthetic hormone called 17a-ethinylestradiol, or EE2, produced offspring that struggled to fertilize eggs. And their grandchildren suffered a 30 percent decrease in their fertilization rate.
[Here's how the chemical industry blocks science that could determine why fish are changing sex]
The problem extends well beyond the Chesapeake Bay region that includes the District, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania. The USGS, which found intersex bass in the Columbia, Colorado and Mississippi river basins in 2009, calls it a "global issue" given changes that have been identified in locations worldwide.
The previous study also determined that the chemical BPA, used widely in plastics, had a similar effect on the small Japanese medaka fish. Marine scientists track the medaka because it reproduces so quickly that researchers can see results of subsequent generations faster than slow-reproducing species such as smallmouth bass.
Intersex changes in male fish have been recorded in 37 species so far, though scientists have yet to identify a single chemical responsible for the transformation.
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A ‘supergene’ turns these male birds into female impersonators or sneaky mate thieves — for life ||||| Eighty five percent of male smallmouth bass and 27 percent of male largemouth bass tested in waters in or near 19 National Wildlife Refuges in the Northeast U.S. were intersex, according to a new study by U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service researchers. Intersex is when one sex develops characteristics of the opposite sex. It is tied to the exposure of fish to endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can affect the reproductive system and cause the development of characteristics of the opposite sex, such as immature eggs in the testes of male fish. Intersex is a global issue, as wild-caught fish affected by endocrine-disrupting chemicals have been found in locations across the world. Estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals are derived from a variety of sources, from natural estrogens to synthetic pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals that enter the waterways. Examples include some types of birth control pills, natural sex hormones in livestock manures, herbicides and pesticides. “It is not clear what the specific cause of intersex is in these fish,” said Luke Iwanowicz, a USGS research biologist and lead author of the paper. “This study was designed to identify locations that may warrant further investigation. Chemical analyses of fish or water samples at collection sites were not conducted, so we cannot attribute the observation of intersex to specific, known estrogenic endocrine—disrupting chemicals.” This prevalence of intersex fish in this study is much higher than that found in a similar USGS study that evaluated intersex in black basses in nine river basins in the United States. That study did not include river basins in the Northeast. "The results of this new study show the extent of endocrine disrupting chemicals on refuge lands using bass as an indicator for exposures that may affect fish and other aquatic species," said Fred Pinkney, a USFWS contaminants biologist and study coauthor. "To help address this issue, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service encourages management actions that reduce runoff into streams, ponds and lakes -- both on and off of refuge lands.” The journal article, Evidence of estrogenic endocrine disruption in smallmouth and largemouth bass inhabiting Northeast U.S. National Wildlife Refuge waters: a reconnaissance study,” by L.R. Iwanowicz, V.S. Blazer, A.E. Pinkney, C.P. Guy, A.M. Major, K. Munney, S. Mierzykowski, S. Lingenfelser, A. Secord, K. Patnode, T.J. Kubiak, C. Stern, C.M. Hahn, D.D. Iwanowicz, H.L. Walsh, and A. Sperry is available online in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. ||||| A strange thing is happening to male smallmouth and largemouth bass swimming in waterways in parts of the Northeast: They are increasingly showing up with characteristics of the opposite sex.
In a survey of 19 national wildlife preserves, researchers from the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service found this month that a whopping 85 percent of smallmouth bass and 27 percent of male largemouth bass were intersex.
"What we're finding is the presence of immature eggs in the gonads of the male fish," said Luke Iwanowicz, a USGS research biologist. "This has basically been an indication of exposure of estrogens such as compounds that enforce the female physiology."
Iwanowicz is the lead author of a paper on the phenomenon, which has been published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety.
Fish are often used as indicators of aquatic health, and in this case, are being used to showcase the increasing threat of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which are being dumped into our rivers, streams, swamps, and lakes. Among the main culprits are hormones in livestock manure and herbicides and pesticides found in runoff. Trace amounts of pharmaceuticals, like birth control pills, are also showing up in waterways after being discharged from wastewater treatment plants.
"Estrogens are hormone signaling molecules that work in low concentrations," Iwanowicz said of the chemicals, which are found mostly in the organs of the fish, rather than the flesh that people eat.
"The low concentrations of these hormones can have potentially profound effects," he said. "We are looking at fish but, of course, there is that concern that, if this stuff is in the water, it can be affecting other wildlife."
He added, "We're not sure how it works into the human dimension but it's kind of worth considering."
Related: Scientists Want To See Microbeads Banned — And California Is Leading The Way
In conducting the study, Iwanowicz and his colleagues did not conduct a chemical analysis on the water so they could not say for sure what was to blame for the intersex fish. But the findings suggest that EDCs were the most likely the culprit.
The problem of intersex fish has been documented over the past two decades in nearly 40 fish species worldwide. Scientists believe their prevalence is more widespread than previously thought and could be starting to take a toll on some populations, either by reducing a fish's ability to reproduce or weakening its immune system and making them more vulnerable to disease.
"Estrogenic exposure is a problem throughout the developed world and there are many instances in which fish population health was degraded through the presence of estrogenic compounds," said Heiko L. Schoenfuss, director of the Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.
"Although estrogens by themselves seldom reach environmental concentrations that would result in the collapse of a fish population, they are an important and potent environmental stressor that may impeded the recovery of aquatic ecosystems that have experienced other sources of disturbances," he said.
A 2009 study by the USGS examined 16 fish species from 1995 to 2004 and found a third of all male smallmouth bass and a fifth of all male largemouth bass were intersex. Intersex fish were found in a third of all sites examined from the Apalachicola, Colorado, Columbia, Mobile, Mississippi, Pee Dee, Rio Grande, Savannah, and Yukon River basins.
John Arway, executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, said the most recent findings reflect what has been found in the state's waters. A USGS study last year found intersex fish in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna, Delaware, and Ohio River basins. Four of the wildlife refuges in the latest study are at least partly located in the state.
"Obviously we're concerned not only about the Susquehanna, but the other waters that either drain into or drain out of those national wildlife refuges," Arway said.
Related: California's Fishing Industry Feels the Pinch From Toxic Crabs
Arway said his agency, along with the US Environmental Protection Agency, found that until 2005 there were no reports of disease among smallmouth bass on the Susquehanna River. Since then, sampling in some sites has revealed disease rates of up to 70 percent.
"One of the things found was that EDCs and herbicides were the likely and probable causes for the effects we are seeing with our bass on the Susquehanna," he said, adding that there has been increased incidences of sores and lesions on the fish, as well as cancerous tumors.
"[W]e are seeing the population of fishable bass declining on the Susquehanna," he said. "That is not to say EDCs are the only stressor that are effecting these young fish but we are starting to narrow down the causes and EDCs are the likely cause that is infecting and killing these young fish."
Combating the problem won't be easy, since estrogen is so widespread — all living things produce it, after all — and its effects are often felt at very low concentrations. Fixes like upgrades to treatment plants, would be costly and limiting the use of herbicides and pesticides or controlling runoff from farms faces opposition from the agricultural industry.
"We need to start acting on some of the chemicals we know cause these effects and not worry about those we can't control like a lot of the antibiotics," Arway said. "We need to trace those concentrations back up the tributaries, find out the major sources of where these chemicals are being applied and then work with the applicators — whether it's the farmers or the lawn care companies — to try to get them to adhere to the label restrictions."
Follow Michael Casey on Twitter: @Mcasey1
Image via Flickr | – Male bass are experiencing unwanted sex changes, apparently thanks to the "chemical soups" that pass for waterways in the Northeast. The Washington Post reports 85% of male smallmouth bass surveyed in the region have "characteristics of the opposite sex"—specifically eggs where their testes should be. The same is true of 27% of area largemouth bass, Vice adds. For a recently published study, researchers tested bass near 19 wildlife refuges in the Northeast, according to a US Geological Survey press release. Researchers didn't do a chemical analysis of the water where the intersex fish were found, so they can't be sure specifically what is causing the sex changes. But they suspect the problem is things that get dumped down drains and into US waters. Researchers believe the likely culprits are birth control pills, pesticides, hormones in livestock manure, and other chemical-heavy products, according to the press release. Vice reports those products contain estrogen, which can produce dramatic effects even at very low levels. But this isn't just a problem in the Northeast. Up to 90% of male smallmouth bass in parts of West Virginia are intersex, and increasing sex changes have been noted in nearly 40 fish species around the world going back 20 years, according to the Post. Study author Luke Iwanowicz calls these fish "the canary in the coal mine." "We are looking at fish but, of course, there is that concern that, if this stuff is in the water, it can be affecting other wildlife," he tells Vice. (A hermaphrodite cat got gender assignment surgery this year.) |
Former President George W. Bush had his official presidential portrait unveiled at a special ceremony at the White House today. It’s fairly standard issue: Bush stands in the Oval Office, his hands on a chair, with a look that Roland Barthes noted decades ago is typical of political portraits . (“The gaze is lost nobly in the future, it does not confront, it soars and fertilizes some other domain, which is chastely left undefined.”) You can see the new portrait over at Talking Points Memo .
One detail stands out, though: President Bush’s favorite painting, the one he kept by his desk, and the one for which he named his 1999 autobiography, A Charge to Keep . Bush loved to regale visitors with what he thought was the story behind the painting, telling how it depicted the famous circuit riders who in the nineteenth century spread the message of Methodism across the Alleghenies. Bush, a Methodist since the 1970s, identified with the quest of the noble cowboy missionary, and visitors often noted the resemblance between Bush and the lead rider. There’s only one problem with that story: As Slate Group editor-in-chief Jacob Weisberg wrote in his 2008 book The Bush Tragedy , “that is not the title, message, or meaning of the painting.” * Weisberg explains:
Whether or not Bush ever learned the true story behind the painting seems to be unclear, but if so, he’s sticking to his guns, unwanted ironies be damned. Indeed, President Bush seems determined to ride off with Koerner’s painting into history.
*Update, June 1, 2012: While Bush’s story of the painting’s origins still appears to be false, aspects of Weisberg’s account have also been disputed. As University of Illinois professor Cara Finnegan points out on her blog First Efforts, an illustration that ran with the horse thief story “The Slipper Tongue” in The Saturday Evening Post is actually a very similar-looking but different Koerner composition, also depicting a man working his way up a hill on a horse. The Google Books archive, similarly, shows the same similar-looking but different Koerner illustration.
Contacted about the dispute, Weisberg agreed that he may have confused the two illustrations, and explained that his photocopy of “The Slipper Tongue” may simply have been blurry.
Not disputed by Finnegan is the later appearance of the composition, also mentioned in Weisberg’s book, with the 1918 Country Gentleman story “A Charge to Keep.” Both Finnegan and Weisberg note that this illustration, now the first confirmed appearance of the painting, is not about Methodist missionaries either. As Weisberg points out, the story—about a son’s fight to keep his land, inherited from his father, from “rapacious timber barons”—may contain a different irony altogether.
||||| President Obama welcomed his predecessor back to the White House on Thursday for the unveiling of the official George W. Bush and Laura Bush portraits. As we watched the two men interact graciously during the event, we could not help but wonder: Where did it come from?
Not the amity. Obama and Bush are members of the presidents’ club and have more in common with each other than with the leaders of their respective parties. We mean the picture itself. Who chooses the artists for official presidential portraits, and how? Who pays for the painting – taxpayers, private citizens, or presidents themselves?
Well, presidents choose their own painters. But it’s not an easy process. Sometimes things don’t work out – Lyndon B. Johnson picked a second artist after the first produced a painting he thought “ugly” in all ways. And there are many applicants. Portfolios flood into the White House from artists, their agents, galleries, staff members, friends, and family.
During the Clinton administration, Hillary Rodham Clinton reviewed these submissions. The first lady sought advice from the White House curator and the director of the National Portrait Gallery, according to an article by White House curator emeritus Betty C. Monkman in the journal White House History.
After Clinton won reelection, Mrs. Clinton began interviewing artists, sometimes with the president in tow. Just before leaving office Bill Clinton picked the Alabama-born Simmie Knox to produce his official likeness. After seeing the likeness – which depicts a rather formal Clinton standing in the Oval Office – Mrs. Clinton picked Knox for her official first lady portrait as well.
Taxpayers don’t foot the bill for this art. At least, not all taxpayers do. They’re paid for via private donations channeled through the nonprofit White House Historical Association.
“We have for years been underwriting the cost of official presidential portraits,” says Maria Downs, WHCA director of public affairs.
This is a fairly recent phenomenon. Prior to the historical association’s founding in 1961, there was no organized effort to produce a line of presidential and first lady portraits for the White House itself. Well into the twentieth century the commission of official portraits was a “haphazard affair,” according to former curator Ms. Monkman.
In 1800, for instance, Congress allocated $700 to purchase a portrait of the recently deceased George Washington. This paid for what has since become one of the icons of American art, indeed one of the touchstones of American history – the full-length “Lansdowne” portrait by Gilbert Stuart.
Four years after Abraham Lincoln’s death, Congress allocated funds for a Lincoln portrait competition. President Ulysses S. Grant picked the winner: a full-length portrait by Chicago artist William Cogswell. Ironically, today a losing effort from that contest is better known. It’s the famous portrait of a brooding, sitting Lincoln, produced by another Chicago painter, George P.A. Healey. Bought by Lincoln’s son Robert Todd, it eventually ended up back in the White House. Today it hangs in the State Dining Room.
Other notable official portraits include John Singer Sargent’s rendering of Theodore Roosevelt, who appears thrumming with energy, ready to bust from the stairway where he is standing, and Aaron Shikler’s posthumous painting of John F. Kennedy, his eyes downcast, against a gray background that makes him appear almost a ghost.
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Presidential paintings hang at the National Portrait Gallery, and in individual presidential libraries, but it is particularly fitting that the White House itself should have the official collection, writes William Seale, editor of White House History.
“Portraits of [presidents] seem to belong there, making windows into that long history,” he writes. | – George W. Bush made a rare public appearance today—next to Barack Obama, no less. And he'll be appearing at the White House every day going forward in at least one form: The 43rd president's official portrait was unveiled in an East Room ceremony replete with jokes and laughs, reports the AP. Bush quipped that the presidents' portraits are now bookended by his own and that of George Washington, noting, "It now starts and ends with a George W." Wife Laura, George H.W. Bush, and Barbara Bush were in attendance. The Christian Science Monitor shares a bit of interesting presidential portrait trivia: Presidents pick the artist who will depict them after sorting through the avalanche of portfolios that are sent to the White House; Lyndon B. Johnson had a second painting done by a new artist after declaring his first portrait "ugly"; and you're not stuck footing the bill for these works of art—donations made to the nonprofit White House Historical Association currently fund the paintings. Click to read about "the irony lurking in Bush's portrait." |
Her letter, which was read in court defending Brock Turner, sparked national outrage from people who said it perpetuated rape culture and blamed victims
A woman who blamed a Stanford University sexual assault victim for drinking too much alcohol has issued a defensive apology, marking the latest controversy surrounding an athlete who avoided prison time for attacking an unconscious woman.
Leslie Rasmussen, a childhood friend of former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner, who was convicted of three felonies, wrote a letter to the judge saying that the assault was “a huge misunderstanding”, Turner is “not a monster”, and that she thought it was unfair “to base the fate of the next ten + years of his life on the decision of a girl who doesn’t remember anything”.
Stanford sexual assault: dozens of letters to judge urge leniency for Brock Turner Read more
Her statement continued: “Where do we draw the line and stop worrying about being politically correct every second of the day and see that rape on campuses isn’t always because people are rapists.” The letter – a selection of which the judge read in court, saying it was a useful reference that highlighted Turner’s strong character – went viral this week, sparking national outrage from people who said it perpetuated rape culture and cast blame on victims.
In the wake of significant backlash, Northside Festival, a New York music showcase, announced Tuesday that it had dropped Rasmussen’s band from its lineup, and her group, Good English, has now released an apology from Rasmussen.
The 20-year-old’s letter of support for Turner was one of dozens submitted to the judge, Aaron Persky, who is facing a recall campaign for giving the defendant a light sentence. Although a jury determined, based on witness testimony, that Turner had sexually assaulted an unconscious woman outside a fraternity party on campus, Persky ordered a sentence of six months in county jail, instead of the minimum two years in prison prescribed by law.
In a statement Good English shared with the Guardian, Rasmussen said she wanted the judge to “consider the effect that alcohol played in this tragedy”, adding:
I understand that this appeal has now provided an opportunity for people to misconstrue my ideas into a distortion that suggests I sympathize with sex offenses and those who commit them or that I blame the victim involved. Nothing could be farther from the truth, and I apologize for anything my statement has done to suggest that I don’t feel enormous sympathy for the victim and her suffering … There is nothing more sad than the unnecessary, destructive and enormous toll that overuse, misuse and abuse of alcohol and drugs play in people’s lives, and I don’t think my effort to point this out in confidence to a judge while commenting on Brock Turner’s character, as the sober person I knew him to be, was an irresponsible or reckless decision. Unfortunately, due to the overzealous nature of social media and the lack of confidence and privacy in which my letter to the judge was held, I am now thrust into the public eye to defend my position on this matter in the court of public opinion.
Unlike her original letter, Rasmussen acknowledged the “enormous pain” of the victim and said Turner was “tried and rightfully convicted of sexual assault”.
The band – which posted the apology on Facebook and subsequently deleted the page – declined to comment further.
After publication of this article, Rasmussen posted a second apology on her personal Facebook page, saying it was wrong for her to make assumptions about what happened that night.
“Most importantly, I did not acknowledge strongly enough the severity of Brock’s crime and the suffering and pain that his victim endured, and for that lack of acknowledgement, I am deeply sorry.
I fully understand the outrage over Brock’s sentencing and my statement. I can only say that I am committed to learning from this mistake. I am 20 years old, and it has never been more clear to me that I still have much to learn.”
Rasmussen’s letter was part of the court record of character references Persky considered before sentencing, and activists and supporters of the victim said they were appalled that the judge, who is a former Stanford athlete, placed so much weight on the references and the impact the trial has had on Turner.
Michele Dauber, a Stanford law professor and family friend of the victim, said it was important that these letters be exposed considering that the judge used them to justify leniency.
“She says in the letter that rapists don’t cause rape. That’s ridiculous,” said Dauber, who posted an excerpt of Rasmussen’s letter on Twitter and is leading the recall campaign against the judge. “I’m shocked that the judge found that to be persuasive.”
Michele Dauber (@mldauber) #brockturner court probation report is fetid pond of victim-blaming rapeyness @thehuntinground @hodgman @brielarson pic.twitter.com/hygboyoV9q
Citing Rasmussen’s references to “being politically correct”, Dauber added, “If that’s what this judge thinks is a good argument, then I think we need to get that out in front of the voters.”
Dauber noted that the character witnesses participated in a “public process”, adding, “They wanted to help their friend, and it was very effective. He was not sentenced to prison.”
Turner’s own testimony blaming the assault on “party culture” and his father’s statement that his son is paying a steep price for “20 minutes of action” have also attracted widespread criticisms.
The judge has declined to comment while an appeal in the case is pending.
The case originally received international attention when the 23-year-old victim released a powerful statement about rape culture and the suffering she has endured throughout the process.
• Two quotes in this article were amended on 8 June at the request of Michele Dauber. ||||| Former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner, who was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on campus, exhibited concerning behavior before with other women, according to sentencing documents.
At a party the night the victim was sexually assaulted, a woman said Turner suddenly grabbed her and kissed her, the court documents show. The woman then turned and pushed him away, describing the interaction as "odd" because they had not talked much and there was no flirtation.
Later that night, Turner came back and tried to kiss her a second time as she was talking to a friend. He put his hands on her waist, and she "had to move away from him," the sentencing document said.
On June, 25 2015, detectives received information about two women who encountered Turner the weekend before the sexual assault took place. The woman attended a KA fraternity party on the weekend of Jan. 9, 2015, where one of the women was introduced to Turner.
The woman said Turner started dancing with her and described him as being “flirtatious” with her, according to sentencing court documents. After she began to feel uncomfortable and “turn her body away so that he would not be directly ‘behind’ her,” he became “touchy” and put his hands on her waist, stomach and upper thighs.
UIG via Getty Images
The woman said Turner "creeped" her out because of his persistence, the court document stated.
It is unclear why it took the women so long to report the incident to the police.
Turner was previously arrested in 2014, when a police officer saw him and a group of friends walking and drinking beers on campus. When the officer yelled, "Stop! Police!" the group ran away from him and continued running after he yelled it again.
One of the men who was detained identified Turner as one of his swim teammates whom he was drinking with when the detective first saw him. The detective then called Turner and asked him to return to the scene, and when he did, he was wearing a "bright orange tuxedo" and smelled of alcohol, the document said. He had a backpack with beers inside, as well as a beer in his hand, and admitted to trying to hide the beer because he was under age.
The prosecutors' sentencing document says it was "abundantly" clear that on the night of the sexual assault, Turner was "on the prowl" and attempted to "hook up" with women who were strangers to him. The sexual assault came one week after he was similarly aggressive with another female, at a different fraternity party, at the same location, the document said.
The document stated that Turner is still in denial about his criminal culpability and that he violated the victim's body and her right to choose with whom she engages in sexual activity, the document states. In his statement to probation he seems to regret his choice, not because it caused a woman to be sexually assaulted, but because it has greatly affected his life as though he is the "victim" of "peer pressure," the document states.
In the early morning hours of Jan. 18, after Brock was arrested, police observed a text message sent to Turner in the “Group Me” application that said “Who’s t*** are those?” Police obtained a search warrant for Turner’s phone but were unable to locate that text or any photos relating to that text, according to the documents.
The search of Turner’s phone “shed some light” into his behavior and character during the time period relating to the sexual assault and in the year prior to when he began attendance at Stanford, according to the sentencing document.
Prosecutors said there was evidence indicating Turner engaged in “excessive drinking and using drugs,” including a photo of him smoking from a pipe, a close-up photo of a bong, another photo of one of Turner’s swim teammates with a bong in his hand and a December 2014 video showing turner smoking from a bong and drinking out of a bottle of liquor.
Several text messages indicative of drug use during Turner’s time at Stanford and when he was still in high school in Ohio were also found on his phone, according to the sentencing document, and the texts contained several references to smoking, buying and sharing “weed” from as early as April 2014, as well as references to doing acid or trying to find a “hook up.”
The document also stated that Turner lied about ever using illicit drugs in his statement to probation and appeared to make it seem as though his first time drinking was at a swim party when he first got to Stanford. Prosecutors also said he also lied about that there was some sort of “flirtation” between the woman he kissed abruptly at the frat party.
The judge who oversaw Turner’s case has been receiving abusive and threatening phone calls after his six-month sentence caused a media frenzy, said Santa Clara Public Defender Gary Goodman. ||||| “How does the average person who is really upset and troubled about the Brock story, how does somebody participate in that, making right of a wrong?” Mr. Stedman said. “We are really just one tiny, infinitesimal part of that puzzle, but I think it was a no-brainer for us.”
In her letter, Ms. Rasmussen, 20, says that there was a distinction between rape and Mr. Turner’s case, and suggested that alcohol was to blame for his actions.
Mr. Turner, 20, a swimmer at Stanford, was found by two passers-by, partially clothed behind a trash bin on campus, on top of the 23-year-old woman, who was incapacitated by alcohol, according to the authorities. The passers-by stopped the assault and held Mr. Turner down as he tried to flee.
“I don’t think it’s fair to base the fate of the next ten + years of his life on the decision of a girl who doesn’t remember anything but the amount she drank to press charges against him,” Ms. Rasmussen, who plays drums in the band, wrote. “But where do we draw the line and stop worrying about being politically correct every second of the day and see that rape on campus isn’t always because people are rapists.”
Mr. Turner was convicted of three counts of felony sexual assault for the attack, which took place in January 2015. This week the judge in the case, Aaron Persky of Superior Court in Santa Clara County, Calif., came under withering criticism from the public for the sentence he imposed: six months in jail and probation.
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Ms. Rasmussen’s letter was part of a package of letters sent to the judge on behalf of Mr. Turner before his sentencing, a standard practice in which people seek to influence a sentencing decision by sharing their experiences of the defendant. His father also sent a letter that had an even more explosive effect when it was made public this week; he said that the episode had affected his son’s appetite and that, in particular, he no longer enjoyed rib-eye steaks.
Following the firestorm her letter provoked, Ms. Rasmussen said that her words were being twisted and that she was being unfairly stigmatized. “This appeal has now provided an opportunity for people to misconstrue my ideas into a distortion that suggests I sympathize with sex offenses and those who commit them or that I blame the victim involved,” she said in a statement.
Ms. Rasmussen also believed that the letter to the judge was private. But a spokesman for the court said she was wrong — such letters, like most documents entered into the court, are a matter of public record.
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Within hours of Ms. Rasmussen’s letter being made public by New York magazine, Good English was removed from a roster of Brooklyn venues where they were scheduled to perform in the coming days, including Rock Shop in Gowanus, Industry City Distillery in Greenwood, Gold Sounds in Bushwick, and Bar Matchless in Greenpoint.
“We don’t want to be affiliated with anyone that’s going to try to victim-blame or even just downplay rape,” said Larry Hyland, an owner of Bar Matchless.
Mr. Hyland said he had received over 50 emails and posts on the bar’s Facebook page demanding that the band’s show be canceled. Some of the messages, he said, included threats to confront the band members if they did perform.
“We didn’t cancel the show because of censorship,” he said, adding that while he disagreed with the content of Ms. Rasmussen’s letter, he understood the impulse to want to help a childhood friend. “I wanted to avoid an unsafe environment.”
On Tuesday, the Dayton Music Art and Film Festival near the band’s hometown announced that it, too, was removing the band from its September lineup. “Such actions should not be defended, friend or not,” the festival wrote on its Facebook page. On Wednesday, Behind the Curtains Media, the public relations firm that represented Good English, dropped them from its client roster.
In her statement, Ms. Rasmussen attributed the fallout from her initial letter not to what she wrote, but to “the overzealous nature of social media.” In particular, she lamented the “uproar of judgment and hatred unleashed on me” and the effect it was having on her musical aspirations. ||||| Photo: Courtesy of the Santa Clara County Sheriff
While Brock Turner, the ex-Stanford student who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman behind a dumpster last year, has formally been sentenced on three counts of felony sexual assault, he is not being described as a convicted rapist in the media. Many people have been asking why. Here’s your answer. Warning: It’s pretty unsatisfying.
In California, rape is defined as someone using “physical force, intimidation, duress, or threats to persuade the victim to engage in sexual intercourse.” In the case of Turner’s rape of an unconscious woman, witnesses and testimony determined that Turner penetrated his victim with a foreign object, not a sexual organ. His victim, who read powerful testimony in court directly addressing Turner, explained what she learned after the attack:
Never mentioned me voicing consent, never mentioned us even speaking, a back rub. One more time, in public news, I learned that my ass and vagina were completely exposed outside, my breasts had been groped, fingers had been jabbed inside me along with pine needles and debris, my bare skin and head had been rubbing against the ground behind a dumpster, while an erect freshman was humping my half naked, unconscious body. But I don’t remember, so how do I prove I didn’t like it.
In the eyes of the law, what Turner did to his victim is considered sexual assault and not rape, no matter how horrific it sounds. The three charges Turner was convicted of are “assault with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated woman, sexually penetrating an intoxicated person with a foreign object, and sexually penetrating an unconscious person with a foreign object.”
Intent to commit rape, legally, is not the same as sexually penetrating a person, and therefore, Turner is not being described as a convicted rapist. But he is now a registered sex offender for the rest of his life. | – More aftermath following the conviction of Stanford swimmer Brock Turner on sexual assault charges, including new allegations of previous troubling behavior he showed toward women—with prosecutors noting he was "on the prowl" the night of the attack and was still in denial as of his sentencing that his actions were criminal, ABC News reports. Per sentencing documents, a woman at a party the same night Turner attacked his victim alleges he became sexually aggressive toward her, grabbing her and kissing her, without encouragement. And in June 2015, investigators got wind about two other women who ran into Turner at a frat party the weekend before the January assault. One said he was "flirtatious" while dancing, and that when she began to feel "creeped out" and tried to turn away, he became "touchy." Meanwhile, a Turner supporter facing backlash for calling out the victim's drinking issued a "defensive apology" to the Guardian Wednesday. In her statement, Leslie Rasmussen says people "misconstrued" her defense of Turner into meaning she didn't feel for the victim, a "distortion" she blames on the "overzealous nature of social media" and, per the New York Times, the fact that she mistakenly thought her court letter would be kept private. "I apologize for anything my statement has done to suggest that I don't feel enormous sympathy for the victim and her suffering," she said. The Guardian notes that after its own article was posted with her apology, she wrote a follow-up on Facebook. "I was not there that night. I had no right to make any assumptions about the situation," she wrote Wednesday evening. "Most importantly, I did not acknowledge strongly enough the severity of Brock's crime and the suffering and pain that his victim endured, and for that lack of acknowledgement, I am deeply sorry." She adds that, at the age of 20, "it has never been more clear to me that I still have much to learn." (New York explains why Turner isn't "technically" a convicted rapist.) |
The person who should step aside is @ SenateMajLdr Mitch McConnell. He has failed conservatives and must be replaced. # DrainTheSwamp ||||| Washington (CNN) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell believes the allegations against Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore and that Moore should leave the race, the Kentucky Republican said Monday.
"I believe the women, yes," McConnell told reporters in Kentucky.
McConnell, the Senate's top Republican and a frequent target of Moore on the campaign trail, said, "I think he should step aside."
Last week, The Washington Post published a bombshell report based on interviews with more than 30 people, saying Moore pursued relationships with teenage women while he was in his 30s. One woman said she was 14 years old when Moore initiated sexual contact with her.
Moore has denied the allegations, and on Sunday night, he claimed he would sue the Post.
After McConnell's statement, Moore said via Twitter that it is McConnell who should bow out of politics.
"The person who should step aside is @SenateMajLdr Mitch McConnell. He has failed conservatives and must be replaced. #DrainTheSwamp," read the tweet from Moore's account.
The person who should step aside is @SenateMajLdr Mitch McConnell. He has failed conservatives and must be replaced. #DrainTheSwamp — Judge Roy Moore (@MooreSenate) November 13, 2017
The Post's report increased pressure on Republicans to disavow Moore, who was already controversial due in part to his history of racially-charged and homophobic commentary.
In the immediate wake of the story , some Republicans, like Arizona Sen. John McCain, said the report was enough for them to call for Moore to drop out of the race. Many Republicans, like McConnell, said Moore should step aside from the race if the allegations are true. McConnell's comments on Monday brought his position a step further, saying he believed the allegations and that Moore should go.
McConnell on Monday said the party is looking to see if a write-in option could be successful.
Documents filed to the Federal Elections Commission on Friday showed the National Republican Senatorial Committee -- one of the party's main campaign arms -- cut its fundraising ties with Moore.
This story has been updated. | – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is stepping up his official thoughts on Roy Moore. "I think he should step aside," he said of the GOP Senate candidate during a presser Monday, the Hill reports. Asked more specifically about allegations that Moore, running in a special Dec. 12 election in Alabama, had a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old when he was 32 and that he attempted to romance three other teens around the same time, McConnell said, "I believe the women." The last time McConnell offered his thoughts on Moore, he qualified them by saying Moore should exit the race "if these allegations are found to be true." Many GOPers who initially qualified their remarks on Moore are also retreating since he told Sean Hannity last week he may have dated teen girls around that time. McConnell is the highest-ranking GOPer in DC to officially call on Moore to step down, per the Washington Post. McConnell also said the GOP is exploring a possible write-in bid, though he didn't name names. The deadline to remove Moore's name from the ballot passed in October. Republicans have also discussed the possibility of getting the election date moved back, and CNN reports the National Republican Senatorial Committee has cut its fundraising ties with Moore. But many Alabama Republicans are still backing him, concerned that a write-in campaign would ensure a Democratic win, and Moore himself shows no signs of willingness to back down. "Apparently Mitch McConnell and the establishment GOP would rather elect a radical pro-abortion Democrat than a conservative Christian," read an email sent to his supporters Sunday night. He also tweeted Monday that "the person who should step aside is @SenateMajLdr Mitch McConnell. He has failed conservatives and must be replaced." Recent polls show the margin between Moore and opponent Doug Jones is razor thin. |
Shia LaBeouf won't be making his Broadway debut this season after all. The 26-year-old actor has quit the upcoming revival production of the play "Orphans" in New York over "creative differences," according to a news release sent Wednesday.
LaBeouf has left the show a month before preview performances are set to begin. "Orphans" is still scheduled to open at the Schoenfeld Theater on April 7, with previews commencing on March 19. The production, directed by Daniel Sullivan, also features Alec Baldwin, in the role of a powerful man kidnapped by two brothers.
Wednesday's announcement did not elaborate on the nature of the creative differences that led to LaBeouf's departure, and no replacement for the actor has been announced.
"Orphans," by Lyle Kessler, debuted in 1983 at the Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles and is often revived at regional theaters across the country. Director Alan Pakula turned it into a movie in 1987, with a cast that included Albert Finney, Matthew Modine and Kevin Anderson.
In 2005, Al Pacino appeared in a workshop production of the play, alongside Jesse Eisenberg, at the Greenway Court Theatre in L.A.
LaBeouf rose to fame starring in the "Transformers" action movies and the most recent "Indiana Jones" installment. But the actor made waves earlier this year by saying that he is swearing off Hollywood blockbusters in favor of riskier, indie-flavor projects.
He had virtually no theater experience going into "Orphans." He began his career doing stand-up comedy, eventually landing a role on the Disney Channel program "Even Stevens."
His next movies include Robert Redford's "The Company You Keep" and Lars von Trier's "Nymphomaniac."
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Al Pacino in 'Glengarry Glen Ross': What did the critics think?
Where's LaBeouf? Shia heading to Broadway, with Alec Baldwin ||||| Tom Hanks swears. Not a blue streak, no, but it’s bracing to hear profanity from the man who has defined decency for three decades in Hollywood, playing white knights in “Splash,” “Forrest Gump,” “Apollo 13” and the “Toy Story” series. If he is grandma-friendly on screen, he is looser and less predictable in person — as his old friend Nora Ephron was reminded several years ago when she sent him the screenplay for a biopic, “Lucky Guy.” Mr. Hanks took an instant dislike to his character, Mike McAlary, the muckraking columnist of New York City tabloids in the 1980s and ’90s.
“I told Nora that McAlary sounded like a real” jerk, Mr. Hanks said, using a more piquant word — and a perceptive one, since McAlary’s power came from his determination to be the biggest, baddest, bona fide ... jerk who ever dug into corrupt cops.
Mr. Hanks reconsidered only years later, after running into Ephron while promoting his 2011 movie “Larry Crowne.” He was a co-writer, a star and the director of that picture, and it was a critical and commercial disappointment. Ephron, by contrast, represented happier days, during their collaborations on “Sleepless in Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail.”
They got around to talking about “Lucky Guy” — she had turned it into a play, and Hugh Jackman had done a table reading — and Mr. Hanks asked to see the latest version. This time he felt drawn not only to McAlary’s swagger, but also his drive to become the next Jimmy Breslin and to be worthy of his own celebrity.
“Look, the title is ‘Lucky Guy.’ It’s about somebody who is almost good enough to deserve what he achieves. And I understand that,” Mr. Hanks said during an interview on the stage of the Broadhurst Theater, where the play, his Broadway debut, is set to begin its 15-week run on Friday.
“I still feel sometimes that I’d like to be as good as so-and-so actor,” he continued. “I see some other actors’ work, and I think I’ll never get there. I wish I could.”
Hollywood stars often come to Broadway to prove something to themselves or to audiences, though they rarely admit it. With Academy Awards for “Philadelphia” and “Forrest Gump,” Mr. Hanks is less hesitant. While he denied that, at 56, he is here because his film career has cooled — “I have two movies in the can. I have plenty to keep me busy” — he also appeared delighted that McAlary is pretty far from a predictable Tom Hanks part.
Will audiences buy him as unlikable? Mr. Hanks is still a genial guy, who tends to cope with pressure by yukking it up. But he has also thrown himself into a role that calls for no vanity, his director and fellow actors say. He has a gray-flecked mustache, as did McAlary, and is trying to preserve the columnist’s rough edges.
“Anytime you go off to do something new, you’ve involved in a reinvention, and any actor who says otherwise is just trying to lower expectations,” said Mr. Hanks, who trained to be a theater actor in the 1970s but quickly moved on to television and then movies.
It has been a twisting path to Broadway for Mr. Hanks and “Lucky Guy,” and a heartbreaking one. The sharp-elbowed McAlary, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1998 for his columns about the brutalization of Abner Louima by police officers, died later that year from colon cancer, at the age of 41. Soon after, Ephron, a former reporter for The New York Post who cherished the tabloids of yesteryear, began to research McAlary’s life and spent years rewriting the script, at one point calling it “Stories About McAlary.”
Once Mr. Hanks signed on, Ephron began meeting weekly with the play’s director, the Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe (“Angels in America”), to sharpen the central device — other journalists sharing and arguing over anecdotes about McAlary — so that the lead character came into sharper focus. All the while, however, Ephron was quietly battling leukemia; to the shock of her “Lucky Guy” collaborators and many friends, she died last June, at 71.
“Nora was turning around new drafts of the play in a week, and it was confusing to me why she was working so quickly,” Mr. Wolfe said. “I had no awareness of the invisible timetable she was on. After she died, we were even more determined to do the play.”
Writers are a pretty hands-on lot, especially with new works going to Broadway. Without Ephron, Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Hanks have become keepers of the “Lucky Guy” flame. Aside from Ephron’s script, there are pages of discarded dialogue that Mr. Wolfe has cherry-picked for an extra dash of nuance or sprinkle of clarity. “My motto is, ‘When in doubt, reference Nora,’ ” Mr. Wolfe said, and he has done so with the blessing of her widower, the writer Nicholas Pileggi.
Mr. Hanks, meanwhile, read many of McAlary’s columns and interviewed some of his old friends, coming away agreeing with a point Ephron once made about him. “Nora said Mac was good when he was covering the stuff he knew, cops and cop scandals, while other times he was clearly struggling,” he recalled.
Seeing those imperfections has helped him avoid turning McAlary into a classically uplifting Hanks role. Or, as he put it bluntly: “not to” screw “this up.” | – Shia LaBeouf was set to make his Broadway debut in Orphans, but the actor has walked away from the production less than a month before previews were set to begin. The initial news release cited only "creative differences" for LaBeouf's departure, the Los Angeles Times reported. But LaBeouf quickly took to Twitter last night, posting details involving a disagreement with Alec Baldwin, who also stars in the play. In an email to Baldwin that LaBeouf posted, LaBeouf mentions "bickering" and "a disagreeable situation," but a source tells the New York Post that the actor is just using his incompatibility with Baldwin as an excuse. The truth is LaBeouf "was fired because he wasn’t good in the role," the source says. As of now, the play is still set to open April 7. In happier theater news, Tom Hanks makes his Broadway debut in Lucky Guy, a play written by Nora Ephron, next week, the New York Times reports. |
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The page you're looking for was moved, removed, renamed or may have never existed ||||| Sony started the fireworks Wednesday for Paul Feig’s estrogen-fueled reboot of Ghostbusters by showing off the trailer in advance before a select group to standing-ovation results. The movie is slated for a July 15 release.
Since the project was first announced and kept largely under wraps (some actors’ reps weren’t even privy to the pages their clients were reading), Ghostbusters has faced its fair share of scrutiny by the media for changing the protagonists from men to women. Feig told the crowd at the Sony mini-event that he’s “relieved for the moment, before it’s released to the world.” Producer Ivan Reitman was more certain about the crowd’s response to the trailer, saying, “I’m confident.”
To the point of the creative decision to switch the genders on Ghostbusters, Feig explained: “Ghostbusters are for everybody. The first movie worked because it had four of the funniest people and I just want the funniest people — and the funniest people are these women.”
Added screenwriter and co-producer Katie Dippold, who worked with Feig on The Heat, “This is a story, if you placed men in those characters, you could do it. It’s pretty genderless.”
The reboot was one of the last big projects pushed through by former Sony chief Amy Pascal during her tenure at the studio before The Hack took its toll on the studio. For years, Sony wanted to reboot the film with Bill Murray returning as Peter Venkman and chased him with two scripts. But it was a challenge to get him to read them. Reitman was always a part of the equation. Following the death of Ghostbusters star and scribe Harold Ramis in 2014, Reitman decided to turn over the directing reins.
Not much has been known until now about the film. Kristen Wiig playsparticle physicist Erin, Melissa McCarthy’s character is an expert in the paranormal, Kate McKinnon’s the nuclear engineer who creates the team’s inventions, and Leslie Jones is a former subway employee who knows her way around New York City.
The plot per Wiig’s character? As she described her, “Someone had created a device that has amplified paranormal activity and we might be the only ones who can stop it.” Feig mentioned that a number of the Ghostbusters staples that we’re familiar with will definitely make their way into the film, hopefully in a surprising way. Count on a cameo by the round, fat, toothy ghost Slimer, who Reitman said was initially nicknamed in early drafts of the first film as “The Belushi ghost, because he ate all the time.” Dan Ackroyd originally conceived Ghostbusters as a vehicle for him and his SNL and Blues Brothers pal.
As far as the music goes, Feig says it’s essential to have a portion of the original Ray Parker Jr. title song in the movie. There also will be a new version of that tune. As to whether they’re reusing Elmer Bernstein’s now-familiar themes, Feig said that composer Theodore Shapiro is “doing an amazing theme and we’re playing with a lot of different themes. I want this to be big, spooky and cool.” Feig worked with Shapiro on Spy.
A majority of those who showed up, and even flew into L.A. for the event at Sony’s Cary Grant Theatre, were mega-fans, guys who dress up like Ghostbusters and visit children’s hospitals around the country. After the trailer ran a first time, they shouted for it to play again.
Previously announced, Sony also has a guy counterpart Ghostbusters in the works as announced by Deadline last March with Channing Tatum producing and Joe and Anthony Russo directing. ||||| Trailer Frenzy A special place to find the newest trailers for movies and TV shows you're craving.
After decades of waiting for a new Ghostbusters movie, here’s your first footage from one. To celebrate the launch of this awesome trailer, we talked with director Paul Feig, producer Ivan Reitman and writer Katie Dippold, and they told us why this trailer reintroduces so many of the things we love.
This trailer starts by nudging your nostalgia with familiar music and visuals. Then, once we get to the new stuff... it still feels familiar. We see a library ghost, Slimer, proton packs, and Ecto-1—but everything is just slightly tweaked and modernized. Even the characters, three radically different scientists and a local resident, mirror the original film. Meanwhile, the humor feels a bit more physical than the first movie, which is in line with Feig’s other movies (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Spy) but it mostly works. Really, what you get here is simply, a brand new Ghostbusters.
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Wednesday, speaking to an audience of super fans in Los Angeles (who stood and cheered the trailer, twice) as well as members of the press, Feig explained that the nostalgic feel of the trailer is part of the movie itself.
“I’d be bummed if I didn’t see the Ecto-1 and all that stuff,” he said. “So we wanted to make sure we give those nods—but make them our own, and give them their own original origin story. When you see the movie, there will be a lot of things you’re happy to see, but they’re coming at you at a slightly different way.”
Make no mistake, despite the cameos, and the recognizable people, places and music, this new Ghostbusters is a reboot, not a sequel. The film-makers wanted to start from scratch, so this world, and these characters, would have to earn their place.
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“To say ghosts have existed for 30 years [would be] a different world,” Dippold said. “In the original it’s so fun to see the ghosts unleashed for the first time and we didn’t want to skip over it.”
Plus, Feig added, “I didn’t like the idea of them being handed technology. I wanted to see it developed.”
The fact that the characters develop the technology themselves is also one of the things that carries over from the first movie: Science is crucial to the film.
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“It was really important to us to make them scientists,” Feig said. “That’s what I love about the first one, the idea that Ivan, Dan [Aykroyd] and Harold [Ramis] had—people fighting the paranormal with science—just really resonated with us.”
So in this movie, Erin, played by Kristen Wiig, is a particle physicist. Melissa McCarthy’s character, Abby, is an expert in the paranormal. Kate McKinnon plays Jillian, a nuclear engineer who creates all the technology. Finally, Leslie Jones’s Patty joins the team because she knows New York, and the film needed an “everyman,” just like Winston in the original.
Feig also said he cast these actresses because their on-screen personas line up perfectly with the characters. “Kristin is this kind of vulnerable comedian, Melissa is a headstrong comedian, then you’ve got Kate who’s just the weirdo-nut, and Leslie is just a powerhouse that comes at you,” he said.
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As for the ghosts our heroes are fighting, Feig wanted them to look very particular and familiar, before things begin to go off the walls. “Being such a science nut, I wanted these ghosts to be what I always considered a ghost to be, which is dead people coming back.” he said. So the main ghosts of the movie are humanoid, but things will definitely change.
Change has been at the heart of this new Ghostbusters from the beginning. Early on, a small but vocal group of people began complaining about the new team being all female. However, Feig said that’s not addressed in the movie. “The first movie worked, because it had four of the funniest people in it,” he said. “I just wanted the funniest people, and the funniest people I happen to know are these women. Ghostbusters is for everybody”
And Feig sees this as the beginning of a new era of Ghostbusters. “I have such a love for this property and what I really wanted to do was bring it to a new generation. Give a new generation their own team,” he said.
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“This comes from such a pure place,” Feig continued. “This thing that [Reitman, Aykroyd and Ramis] created, this idea is such a great idea. It’s such an amazing franchise that had two amazing movies, but it could just keep going. There’s so many things you can do with it. It just seemed terrible to leave it in a box.”
Well, no matter what happens next, that box is finally opened again.
Contact the author at germain@io9.com. ||||| Prime your proton packs, because it's not long now before the Ghostbusters reboot haunts theaters worldwide. We've already seen a few promo photos and set shots from the film, but today we've got our first honest-to-goodness trailer. And oh boy, does it have us intrigued. The new supernatural-ass-kicking squad stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, all with distinct skills and personalities. The teaser runs for about two and a half minutes and features plenty of ghouls and other Ghostbuster staples, such as the gang's iconic uniforms, the Ecto-1, and the classic theme tune. July 15th can't come soon enough. | – The first full trailer for the all-female Ghostbusters reboot is here, and the feedback is good: io9 calls it "perfect," and Deadline reports that Sony's official unveiling event Wednesday was attended by a number of "mega-fans" who gave it a standing ovation and "shouted for it to play again." The movie, out July 15, stars Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. "It looks pretty damn good," declares MoviePilot.com. Engadget's take: "Oh boy, does it have us intrigued." |
A method that gives mice a tan without using ultraviolet radiation now works in human skin samples. It’s an early step in developing a lotion or cream that might provide fair-skinned folk with protection against skin cancer.
As reported June 13 in Cell Reports, a topical drug penetrated and tanned laboratory samples of live human skin, absent the sun. Unlike self-tanning lotions that essentially stain skin brown and provide minimal sun protection, the drug activates the production of the dark form of the skin pigment melanin, which absorbs UV radiation and diminishes damage to skin cells.
The team behind this study had worked with a different drug, the plant extract forskolin, in a 2006 study. The researchers used mice with skin like that of red-haired, fair-skinned people, who don’t tan because of a nonfunctioning protein on the surface of the skin cells that make melanin. ||||| Image copyright Getty Images
Scientists have developed a drug that mimics sunlight to make the skin tan, with no damaging UV radiation involved.
The drug tricks the skin into producing the brown form of the pigment melanin in tests on skin samples and mice.
Evidence suggests it will work even on redheads, who normally just burn in the sun.
The team at Massachusetts General Hospital hope their discovery could prevent skin cancer and even slow the appearance of ageing.
Potent tan
UV light makes the skin tan by causing damage.
This kicks off a chain of chemical reactions in the skin that ultimately leads to dark melanin - the body's natural sunblock - being made.
The drug is rubbed into the skin to skip the damage and kick-start the process of making melanin.
Dr David Fisher, one of the researchers, told the BBC News website: "It has a potent darkening effect.
"Under the microscope it's the real melanin, it really is activating the production of pigment in a UV-independent fashion."
Image copyright Nisma Mujahid and David Fisher Image caption The drug was tested on the skin sample on the right.
It is a markedly different approach to fake tan, which "paints" the skin without the protection from melanin, sun beds, which expose the skin to UV light or pills that claim to boost melanin production but still need UV light.
But the team is not motivated by making a new cosmetic.
Dr Fisher said the lack of progress in skin cancer - the most common type of cancer - was a "very significant frustration".
He added: "Our real goal is a novel strategy for protecting skin from UV radiation and cancer.
"Dark pigment is associated with a lower risk of all forms of skin cancer - that would be really huge."
Tests, detailed in the journal Cell Reports, have shown the melanin produced by the drug was able to block harmful UV rays.
Eventually the scientists want to combine their drug with sun-cream to give maximum protection from solar radiation.
Dr Fisher said everyone should "absolutely" use sun-cream but its weakness was it "keeps you pale".
Image copyright Getty Images
The way the drug works could also allow a ginger tan, as the genetic mutation that causes red hair and fair skin disrupts the normal process where UV light leads to dark melanin.
It is not yet clear if the drug might have the unintended consequence of affecting the glorious hair colour, but it is thought the hair follicle is too deep in the skin for the drug to reach.
But whether you are ginger, blonde or brunette, the drug is not yet ready for commercial use.
The researchers want to do more safety testing, although so far there has been "no hint of problems".
They will probably want to give it a better name than an SIK-inhibitor too.
Matthew Gass, from the British Association of Dermatologists, said the study was a "novel approach" to preventing skin cancer.
He added: "A lot more research has to be done before we see this sort of technology being used on humans, however, it's certainly an interesting proposition.
"Skin cancer rates in the UK are going through the roof... any research into ways that we can prevent people from developing skin cancer in the first place is to be welcomed."
Stopping UV damage could have an extra boon beyond cancer - slowing the appearance of ageing.
Dr Fisher's final piece of promise for the research is: "Many people would say the obvious and most dramatic sign of ageing is what skin looks like and even casual UV damage over the years causes damage.
"Medically it is very difficult to focus on, but if it is tremendously safe then it could keep skin healthier for longer."
Follow James on Twitter. ||||| S
cientists hoping to harness melanin’s protective power against skin cancer have created a class of small molecules that could help the skin produce more UV-absorbing pigments. They tested those treatments on human skin samples in the lab, and found they were able to seep in and boost pigment production.
STAT chatted with study author and cancer researcher Dr. David Fisher about the work, published in Cell Reports.
What did you set out to study?
We know a lot about how pigmentation is made, so we looked for a way to find a small molecule chemical to stimulate pigmentation. We wanted to know whether it would be possible to activate real skin pigmentation without using radiation or the sun’s rays, which are damaging and dangerous. We discovered a class of compounds that have the ability to penetrate into the skin and trigger pigmentation.
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What do you see as the potential applications for those compounds?
We think it could offer protection. Having dark skin is associated with a really dramatically lower risk of developing skin cancer. Even individuals with just modestly darker skin have a significantly lower skin cancer risk than fair-skinned people who don’t tan, but burn. We don’t anticipate that a huge degree of darkening would be required for the protection. I’m seeing this from a cancer prevention perspective as something that would be used together with sunscreen. I would not see it as a replacement for sunscreen, because sunscreens really do prevent skin cancer.
A photograph of skin treated with a topical drug that induces pigmentation. Nisma Mujahid and David E. Fisher
What’s the next step in the research?
The safety would need to be established and tested. I think probably where it would be tested first would be in individuals who are at the highest risk for developing skin cancer. | – Good news for the fair-skinned among us: Scientists in Massachusetts have developed a drug that darkens and protects human skin without the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) light. Dr. David Fisher, a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, tells the BBC the drug initiates a series of chemical reactions that enables skin to produce sun-blocking dark melanin without exposure to dangerous UV light—which initiates the same chemical reactions, but only after damaging the skin. "Under the microscope it's the real melanin,” Fisher says. “It really is activating the production of pigment in a UV-independent fashion." The drug could be a good thing even for people who don't crave a tan: Dark pigment provides a protective barrier against UV radiation, reducing the risk of skin cancer. In an interview with STAT, Fisher says the next step will be to test the drug’s safety, with the first test subjects most likely being "individuals who are at the highest risk for developing skin cancer.” If further tests prove successful the new drug could prove to be a substitute for other self-tanning activities, like lotions, which essentially paint the skin but provide no melanin protection, and tanning beds, which expose the skin to harmful UV rays and can thus be risky. Still, according to Science News, the drug would not, on its own, be considered a substitute for sunscreen, which blocks UV rays but has the counteractive effect of leaving skin pale and vulnerable. Ideally, Dr. Fisher says, the drug would be combined with sunscreen in a single product. |
FILE In this May 6, 2015 file photo, local resident Martha Mattison, left, helps out her son Jacob, 14, with his dog walking business as they walk past recently installed synthetic grass, seen at right,... (Associated Press)
FILE In this May 6, 2015 file photo, local resident Martha Mattison, left, helps out her son Jacob, 14, with his dog walking business as they walk past recently installed synthetic grass, seen at right, in Garden Grove, Calif. California water officials say they will consider dropping a mandate requiring... (Associated Press)
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Strict rules adopted at the height of California's drought leading many people to let their lawns turn brown may soon end as state regulators Wednesday consider letting local communities decide how to keep their own water use in check.
That's good news to Southern California landscaper Greg Gritters, who says local water officials are best suited to manage their supplies.
His clients have had to choose between keeping their lawns green at the expense of huge water bills or turning down their sprinklers and watch their yard turn brown.
"Either way they're unhappy," said Gritters, owner of Vintage Landscape in the Coachella Valley. "There's lots of unhappy people since the drought went into effect."
A proposal before the State Water Resources Control Board in Sacramento would allow local districts to compare their water supplies with how much they anticipate needing if drought continues for three more years.
Cities and water districts will set their conservation targets based on the difference between the anticipated supply and demand. The proposed regulation would extend to January.
The Irvine Ranch Water District in Orange County led the push for a regional approach. Fiona Sanchez, director of water resources for the district, said she is confident that districts statewide will carefully study their supply and demand ratio.
"If agencies are not taking it seriously, it will be very evident they can't meet their customers' demands," she said.
Some districts may set strict conservation goals for residents and businesses, while others could determine it is time to lift conservation mandates.
California is in its fifth year of drought, but regulators are considering the new approach as El Nino storms delivered nearly average amounts of rain and snow this winter in Northern California, filling key reservoirs.
Southern California, however, remains deep in drought, and it's unclear what the future will bring.
Bans on wasting water by washing sidewalks with a hose or washing cars without a shut-off nozzle would become permanent under the proposed regulation.
Max Gomberg, a senior climate scientist for the state water board, said Californians understand the drought remains critical. He doesn't expect people to suddenly begin wasting water with any changes.
"Californians have shown that when there's a serious drought and a need to conserve, people step up and pitch in," he said. "We're confident that people are going to continue practicing their conservation habits." ||||| 0:31 Golden 1 Center doors open, cowbells clang for Kings home opener Pause
1:15 Turkeys gone wild in Davis
0:42 McClatchy High School students fight to save newspaper
1:08 Driving to Golden 1 Center? These tips could help make your journey easier
0:46 Finding a drink in downtown Sacramento
2:33 Golden 1 Center's food: 'Local eats,' not concessions
1:04 These tips make it easier to use Sacramento light rail for trips to Golden 1 Center
1:32 Development around the Golden 1 Center
2:02 Fare check at downtown Sacramento light rail stop goes out of control | – It used to be you'd be heavily fined if you turned on your water too much or for an unapproved reason in parched California. Now many of those restrictions are about to be dismissed, with a reversal of the state mandate for a 25% drop in city water use, the New York Times reports. Instead, thanks to the hard work of everyday Californians and a precipitation-filled winter that partly restocked the area's reservoirs and mountain snowpacks, the State Water Resources Control Board is rolling back its rules on keeping tabs on how long people shower or water their lawns, allowing local communities to come up with their own conservation methods. "We are still in a drought, but we are no longer in the-worst-snow-pack-in-500-years drought," says Felicia Marcus, the head of the SWRCB. By putting the conservation power back into the hands of each community as of June 1, those areas can come up with the best plan based on their particular area's water supply, which varies greatly from place to place. But a climate manager on the water board warns this is still just a trial run, with the National Drought Mitigation Center noting in the Sacramento Bee that 70% of the state is still in "severe," "extreme," or "exceptional" drought. The AP notes that certain bans, such as spraying down sidewalks with a hose, will permanently remain. |
The latest:
HOBOKEN - The New Jersey Transit train that crashed early Thursday killing one and injuring 108 people hit the Hoboken station at high speed, Gov. Chris Christie said.
"The train came in a high rate of speed and crashed through all the barriers," Christie said during an afternoon press briefing in Hoboken.
A 34-year-old woman was killed and the train engineer was injured, Christie said. The National Transportation Safety Board will serve as the lead investigative agency into the cause of the crash.
"We will not speculate about the cause of the accident," Christie said at the press conference with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "The engineer is critical and cooperating with law enforcement officials."
"He is at a local hospital and cooperating," Christie said.
During a 5 p.m. interview on CNN, Christie said the engineer had been released from the hospital.
Christie said he doesn't know exactly how fast the train was going when it struck the station, but the description of the speed was based on eyewitness accounts.
The 8:45 a.m. crash sent the Hoboken station into chaos as passengers kicked through windows to escape the mangled wreckage. The person who was killed in the crash was standing on the train platform and struck by debris, Christie said.
The majority of people injured were on board the train, Christie said.
"The power of the train coming in is devastating at impact," Cuomo said. "We hope there is only one fatality and it stops there."
There is no timeframe for resuming NJ Transit service through the Hoboken station, Christie said. The structural integrity of the building must be evaluated, he said.
"We have no estimate on when the station will be reopened," Christie said.
PATH service, however, is expected to begin again this afternoon, Christie said.
NJ Transit has set up a Family Reunification Center at 20 Caven Point Ave., Jersey City, along with a hotline 855-336-1774 for information.
Alex Wulwick, a lawyer from River Edge who has been riding New Jersey Transit to his job in Manhattan for 30 years, was in the rear of the first car, standing in front of his rear-facing seat when the crash happened.
"Just all of a sudden the lights went out, and everyone was thrown forward" Wulwick said. He was thrown into his seat, but was not injured, he said.
"There was a tremendous jolt, and it seemed like we were on a bit of an incline, and then we kept going," Wulwick said. "There was a horrendous sound of crashing, just a loud, scary, hard sound. It seemed like we were going for a little bit. When I got out and saw the damage, it was amazing how far the train went."
Wulwick said the speed of the train seemed normal before the crash.
"It didn't seem anything out of the ordinary," Wulwick said. "I'm on the train for some 30 odd years. I didn't seem like it was going faster than it should have been."
In the immediate aftermath, there was "absolute panic. Screaming. Just screaming and panic."
Some were trying to calm down other passengers, and someone kicked out the emergency window on the train, and passengers started to climb through. At the same time, the door of the train opened, and most people left that way, Wulwick said.
He didn't see anyone seriously injured, except one man in a torn suit with a large gash to his head who seemed to be in shock. The scene inside the station was equally jarring, Wulwick said.
"The ceiling was totally demolished," Wulwick said. "It was collapsed, wires all over the place." ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. | – The only person killed in Thursday's horrific New Jersey Transit train crash has been identified as Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, a 34-year-old lawyer who dropped her 18-month-old daughter off at day care before rushing to the train station where she died. "It's incredibly sad that this child won't know her mother,"a friend tells the New York Daily News. De Kroon, a Brazilian citizen who studied in Florida, had recently moved from Brazil to Hoboken because of her husband's career. She was killed by debris and another 108 people were injured when the train plowed through barriers and crashed into Hoboken Terminal during the morning rush hour. At a press conference Thursday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the train crashed through all the barriers at a high rate of speed, NJ.com reports. "We will not speculate about the cause of the accident," Christie said. "The engineer is critical and cooperating with law enforcement officials." A passenger who has been doing the same commute to Manhattan for 30 years says he was in the first car and was thrown out of his seat but not injured. "There was a horrendous sound of crashing, just a loud, scary, hard sound. It seemed like we were going for a little bit.," he says. "When I got out and saw the damage, it was amazing how far the train went." The NTSB is investigating. |
A body found in a rural field was identified Wednesday as that of a 17-year-old Southern California girl who was likely kidnapped while walking to a friend's home after a summer class.
Moreno Valley residents wearing T-shirts of missing teen Norma Lopez, react as authorities confirm that a body was identified through dental records as Norma Lopez, during a news conference on Wednesday,... (Associated Press)
Moreno Valley residents react as authorities confirm that a body was identified through dental records as Norma Lopez, during a news conference on Wednesday, July 21, 2010, in Moreno Valley, Calif. A... (Associated Press)
FILE - This undated file image provided by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department shows Norma Lopez, who has been missing since July 15, 2010, after failing to return from a summer school class. An... (Associated Press)
Riverside County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Joseph Borja, at podium, confirms that a body was identified through dental records as Norma Lopez, during a news conference on Wednesday, July 21, 2010, in... (Associated Press)
An autopsy confirmed the identity of Norma Lopez, but investigators would not release the cause of death.
"I don't want to believe it's her," family friend Melanie Villarreal, 18, told The Associated Press. "We know she's in a better place."
Police and the FBI have not identified a suspect and have asked the public for help in the investigation.
"We do have a few leads that we're still following up ... but I wouldn't say that we're any closer," Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Joseph Borja said.
About 2,000 people gathered around an athletic field at Lopez's school Wednesday evening for a vigil where 16-year-old friend Moises Michel remembered how Lopez loved dance, especially merengue and salsa.
"Whenever we were bored we'd just dance with each other, we'd get up and dance," he said. "I'm used to seeing her every day smiling. I'm just in shock because I can't believe it."
The discovery of the body was reported Tuesday just hours after Lopez's anguished family held a press conference to plead for her return, and authorities said they had no clues and announced a $35,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever abducted her.
Lopez vanished July 15 after leaving a summer school class at Valley View High School, where she would have been a senior this year. Authorities said she was heading to meet a friend.
When she didn't show up, her younger sister and a friend went to look for her, found some of her personal items in a field 1 1/2 blocks from the school, and called authorities, Borja said.
The field, a well-known neighborhood shortcut, is off a street that dead-ends at the base of boulder-studded hills cut with trails. Homes line one side, but in the blazing Wednesday heat the expanse of dirt and dry stubble was deserted.
Searchers fruitlessly covered the area for several days.
On Tuesday, a resident driving his tractor-mower on another remote field found the body near a stretch of desert road more than two miles away. The decomposed body, shirtless and clad in jeans, was found face-down in a grove of trees in the agricultural area on the eastern edge of Moreno Valley.
The mix of suburban-style residential sprawl and large rural areas is common in fast-growing Moreno Valley, a city of 186,000 about 60 miles east of Los Angeles between March Air Reserve Base and a swath of unforgiving, rugged terrain known as The Badlands.
The teen's disappearance drew wide attention across Southern California, where the high-profile abduction-murders of two other teenage girls in San Diego County _ one jogging alone this year and the other walking to school in 2009 _ led to a sex offender who ultimately admitted the killings and is now imprisoned.
"I believe this has been made personal because we all have children," Borja said. "It's probably our worst nightmare that our kids can just be taken from a street and killed."
Borja said it was unknown whether the girl was taken by an acquaintance or a stranger. Her boyfriend had been interviewed several times and was cooperative, Borja said.
He would not provide details on the items found at the site where Lopez was abducted, explaining that releasing further details could hamper the investigation.
"We haven't caught the suspect who killed Norma so obviously there is at least a murderer out there, and so I would be vigilant, I would be aware," he said. "If I was a parent I would keep track of my children. I would do everything I could to ensure their safety."
Valley View High School Principal Kristen Hunter said phone notifications had been made to students' parents urging safety precautions. The school has about 3,000 students, with 400 in summer classes.
Lopez was taking biology over the summer and was doing well in the class, the principal said.
Hunter said teachers described the teen as a very good student and a quiet girl who never got into trouble.
On Wednesday, incoming seniors came and went from campus to have their class pictures taken.
Jennifer Sanchez, 18, said she knew Lopez through a freshman-year club.
Lopez was sweet and quiet and mostly spent time at school with her older sister, who graduated last year, her younger sister, and her on-and-off boyfriend, Sanchez said.
"We called them 'the Lopez sisters' because they were really close to each other," Michel said. "They spent a lot of time together."
(This version CORRECTS A new approach. Updates with details, community vigil, quotes, scene, area description. Corrects that she was walking to a friend's home, not her home. AP Video.) ||||| Authorities on Wednesday positively identified the partially decomposed body found on the desolate outskirts of Moreno Valley as that of Norma Lopez, the 17-year-old high school student who police suspected was abducted after summer school.
The Riverside County coroner’s office made the determination after a morning autopsy.
The body was found Tuesday afternoon by a local resident doing yard work in a remote section of town surrounded by wheat fields, just off the 60 Freeway.
Exposed to the elements during the recent heat wave, the remains were so decomposed that authorities could not immediately determine the sex of the deceased, let alone whether it was Norma's body, said Riverside County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Joe Borja.
Borja said investigators still have no suspects in the case, although a newer model green SUV was seen speeding away from the area where Norma disappeared.
Norma was reported missing about 12:30 p.m. Thursday by her older sister, Sonja, after she failed to return home from a summer biology class at Valley View High School. She was out of class by 10 a.m. and had plans to meet her older sister and a friend, authorities said.
Investigators said they found some of Norma's belongings, and signs of a struggle, in a vacant field along Cottonwood Avenue, a popular shortcut among students just a few blocks from the school. They are also looking for the driver and passengers of the SUV seen near the field at the time of her disappearance.
On Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Department announced a $35,000 reward for information leading to Norma's return or the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for her abduction.
Investigators from the Sheriff’s Department and the FBI have interviewed dozens of friends and associates, as well as local felons and others who crossed paths with police. Authorities urged anyone with information about the case to call (877) 242-4345, or send an e-mail to findnorma@riversidesheriff.org.
-- Phil Willon in Moreno Valley
Top photo: Riverside County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Joe Borja speaks to the media today. Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times. Bottom photo: Norma Lopez
| – Remains found in a wheat field near a southern California town have been identified as those of a missing teenage girl police believe was abducted after a summer school program. Norma Lopez, 17, vanished a week ago after a biology class at Valley View High in Moreno Valley. Police have no suspects, but a green SUV was seen speeding from the spot where Lopez tried in vain to fight off her attacker, reports the Los Angeles Times. Investigators found some of Norma's belongings and signs of a struggle just blocks from the school. “We haven’t caught the suspect who killed Norma so obviously there is a murderer out there, so I would be vigilant, I would be aware," said Riverside County Sheriff Sgt. Joseph Barja. "If I were a parent I would keep track of my children. I would do everything to ensure their safety.” |
Christina Anderson and her two children lived in Lakeside and had been lured to DiMaggio's home in Boulevard by his assertion that he was moving from the area and wanted to say goodbye, according to interviews given by Hannah Anderson after her rescue. ||||| The Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday released the autopsy reports on Christina “Tina” Anderson of Lakeside, and her 8-year-old son, Ethan, whose bodies were found last month on the burning Boulevard property of family friend James DiMaggio.
Sheriff’s officials have said DiMaggio killed both of them and kidnapped Anderson’s daughter, Hannah, 16, then remotely set incendiary devices in his house and detached garage.
Authorities have said Christina Anderson, 44, died of blunt-force trauma to the head and that a crowbar was found near her body.
The autopsy report said at least 12 impact sites were on her head, and that her ankles were bound by plastic cable tie. Duct tape was wrapped around her neck and mouth. She had abrasions and lacerations on her right arm and left leg, and her right arm was fractured. She had an incision wound on her neck that the report said was likely inflicted after she died.
Her body was found in the garage, along with that of the Anderson family dog, which had been shot. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze in the garage when they arrived the night of Aug. 4.
Ethan’s body was found in the charred remains of the separate two-story house, which was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived. The autopsy said Ethan most likely died due to the fire, but that he also had skeletal fractures, and trauma could not be ruled out as a possible cause of the fractures.
Ethan’s body had been so badly burned that authorities earlier said he had to be identified through DNA. His father, Brett Anderson, said earlier that his DNA was used.
DiMaggio, 40, was shot and killed by FBI agents in an Idaho wilderness on Aug. 10, six days after Hannah was abducted. She was rescued by the agents and returned to her family.
Sheriff’s homicide Lt. Glenn Giannantonio said Monday that sheriff’s officials had no comment on the autopsy reports and would not be releasing further information about their investigation. | – Christina Anderson, mother of kidnapped teen Hannah Anderson, was bound and gagged before she was killed by at least a dozen blows to the face and head, according to newly released autopsy results. Her mouth and neck bore "multiple layers" of duct tape. The 44-year-old also had a broken arm and a slashed throat, although the latter apparently occurred post-mortem, the Los Angeles Times reports. A crowbar was found near her body. An autopsy on the badly burned body of her 8-year-old son, Ethan, was unable to pinpoint an exact cause of death. According to the report, "It is possible that he died of thermal burns without smoke inhalation in the house fire" that consumed the home of family friend James DiMaggio, though there were fractures to his skull that could have been caused by either the fire or DiMaggio. Police believe DiMaggio carried out both murders before kidnapping 16-year-old Hannah. He was shot and killed by FBI agents six days later. A police spokesman had no comment on the autopsy results and said they would not be releasing further information on their investigation, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune. |
CLOSE Since September, at least 95 women and girls have said former MSU doctor Larry Nassar sexually assaulted them as early as 1992. At least seven women now say they raised concerns about Nassar starting in the late 1990. Matt Mencarini/Lansing State Journal
The mediation period in the lawsuits related to Larry Nassar could be extended by 30 days. (Photo: LSJ file photo)
LANSING - Attorneys are seeking to extend the mediation phase in the federal lawsuits filed over alleged sexual assaults by Larry Nassar.
In September, eight lawsuit that name Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics and others as defendants entered a 90-day mediation phase during which a settlement could be reached.
To date, at least 140 women and girls have filed lawsuits related to Nassar's reported sexual assaults and at least 120 have reported him to police.
Nearly all of the lawsuits name MSU or its current or former employees as defendants. As of Oct. 3, the university's outside law firms have billed it for $4.1 million, a figure that will grow significantly as it does not include work performed by its most expensive law firm after June.
On Tuesday, attorneys representing the women and girls and all the defendants with the exception of USA Gymnastics filed a stipulation and proposed order to extend the mediation by 30 days, to Dec. 6.
"Plaintiffs and the MSU Defendants have sought the concurrence of defendant USA Gymnastics for this stipulation, and it has not yet provided its position," attorneys wrote in the motion filed in federal court in Grand Rapids.
A message was left seeking comment from USA Gymnastics.
Related: At MSU: Assault, harassment and secrecy
Related: Larry Nassar and a career filled with ‘silenced’ voices
Related: Judge won't allow Nassar's child porn convictions to be used during sex assault trial
The mediator for the lawsuits, Jon Muth, wrote to the judge that the parties have "significant work" to do if they're going to reach a resolution, but that "substantial progress" has been made, according to court records.
Nassar worked for decades as a doctor at MSU and with USA Gymnastics. Last year, following a story in the Indianapolis Star, dozens of women and girls began to report sexual assaults by Nassar during medical appointments, some dating back decades.
MSU fired Nassar shortly after the Indy Star story. He left USA Gymnastics in fall 2015 with little notice.
Nassar faces 22 sexual assault charges in state courts, all but three relate to his role as a doctor. In December, he will be sentenced on three federal child pornography charges.
Rising legal fees
MSU is paying five law firms for work related to the Nassar lawsuits, including one that the university has said is handling the "insurance aspects."
That law firm, Latham & Watkins, has billed MSU for $754,853 since June. Its invoices include one for $264,186 sent in September for 337 hours performed in August.
The law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom is the university's most expensive. It charges $990 an hour each for three different attorneys, plus hourly rates between $470 and $565 for four others.
In September, the law firm sent MSU two invoices, each for more than $450,000, for work performed in May and June. In all, it has billed MSU for more than $2.7 million.
As of Oct. 3, MSU's outside law firms have billed it for 6,812 hours worked and $4,174,361, according to university records.
Here’s a timeline of Nassar’s decades-long career and the allegations against him. This will continue to be updated.
Here's a map of key people and connections in the Nassar cases. This will continue to be updated.
Contact Matt Mencarini at (517) 267-1347 or mmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMencarini.
Read or Share this story: http://on.lsj.com/2AiIKN9 ||||| CLOSE Aly Raisman said she, too, was sexually abused by USA Gymnastics’ longtime team physician Larry Nassar. USA TODAY Sports
Aly Raisman says she, too, was abused by USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. (Photo: Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports)
A second member of the Fierce Five squad that won gold at the London Olympics has said she, too, was sexually abused by USA Gymnastics’ longtime team physician.
Aly Raisman confirmed the abuse in an interview with 60 Minutes, which is to air Sunday night. The three-time gold medalist and captain of the 2012 and 2016 Olympic teams also describes it in her book, Fierce, being released next week.
“I am angry. I'm really upset,” Raisman told 60 Minutes. “I see these young girls that come up to me, and they ask for pictures or autographs, whatever it is … I just want to create change so that they never, ever have to go through this.”
Raisman’s revelation comes a month after fellow Fierce Fiver McKayla Maroney came forward to say she was abused by Larry Nassar for several years, beginning when she was 13. A third Olympian, Sydney bronze medalist Jamie Dantzscher, has also said she was abused by Nassar.
According to the Lansing State Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network, more than 140 women have alleged sexual abuse by Nassar, under the guise of medical treatment.
Nassar was the USA Gymnastics’ team physician for nearly 20 years, beginning in 1996. He was fired by USA Gymnastics in the summer of 2015, but the federation waited five weeks before alerting the FBI. Raisman told 60 Minutes that she met with the FBI after the Rio Olympics, where she won a second team gold as well as silver medals in the all-around and floor exercise.
More: Olympic gold medalist Maroney says she was victim of sexual abuse
More: Former gymnast testifies USA Gymnastics was about 'money and medals'
More: Raisman criticizes USA Gymnastics, USOC for response to sex abuse scandal
Raisman has been openly critical of the way USA Gymnastics has handled complaints against Nassar as well as other allegations of sexual abuse. The Indianapolis Star, also part of the USA TODAY Network, has reported more than 360 cases in which gymnasts have accused coaches of sexual transgressions over 20 years.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re the Olympic champion or you’re an 8-year-old that goes to gymnastics in Ohio, or wherever you are in the United States,” Raisman said in a joint interview with USA TODAY Sports and The Associated Press in August, when she and her Final Five teammates from Rio were inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
“Every single kid is important, and I want USA Gymnastics to do a better job with that.”
Raisman declined to detail her interactions with Nassar during the August interview, saying she wanted to keep the focus on the scandal and its overall impact.
“It's important to speak up for something and it's right. It's the right thing,” she said. “More people need to talk about it and I just feel that it's not getting enough attention in the sport. That's what bothers me. I want these young girls to know. It should have never ever happened and I think that needs to be discussed more.”
Last month, Maroney came forward in a Twitter post, saying Nassar abused her under the guise of medical treatment. Nassar abused her until she left the sport, Maroney wrote, adding, "It seemed whenever and wherever this man could find the chance, I was 'treated.'"
Maroney said Nassar abused her before the U.S. team won gold in the 2012 Olympics and before she won silver on vault.
At the 2011 world championships, Maroney said Nassar gave her a sleeping pill "and the next thing I know I was all alone with him in his hotel room getting a 'treatment.' I thought I was going to die that night." She was 15 at the time.
Maroney shared her account in October with the #MeToo hashtag.
"People should know that this is not just happening in Hollywood," Maroney wrote. "This is happening everywhere. Wherever there is a position of power, there seems to be potential for abuse. I had a dream to go to the Olympics, and the things that I had to endure to get there were unnecessary and disgusting."'
Nassar pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges in July, and he faces 22 to 27 years in prison when he’s sentenced on Dec. 7. He also faces 33 charges of criminal sexual conduct in Michigan.
The sex abuse scandal led to the ouster of USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny, who resigned in March under pressure from the U.S. Olympic Committee. USA Gymnastics announced this week that Kerry Perry, formerly the vice president of business development at Learfield Communications, would start as CEO on Dec. 1.
USA Gymnastics hired former federal prosecutor Deborah Daniels to review its practices, and her report found USA Gymnastics needed a “complete cultural change” so safety and well-being of athletes was a greater priority than world and Olympic medals.
USA Gymnastics has adopted all 70 recommendations made by Daniels and is in the process of implementing them. Some have already been addressed with the opening of the U.S. Center for Safe Sport, an independent agency created by the USOC to handle sexual misconduct cases in the Olympic movement.
In a statement, USA Gymnastics said it was "appalled by the conduct of which Larry Nassar is accused, and we are very sorry that any athlete has been harmed during her or his gymnastics career."
"Aly’s passion and concern for athlete safety is shared by USA Gymnastics," the statement said. "We are committed to doing what is right, and we want to work with Aly and all interested athletes to keep athletes safe."
PHOTOS: Every medal won by U.S. athletes in Rio ||||| Aly Raisman, a six-time Olympic medalist and two-time national team captain, said she was sexually abused by former Michigan State and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, according to CBS' "60 Minutes."
Nassar already faces 22 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and could receive a sentence of life in prison.
Raisman told "60 Minutes," in an interview scheduled to air Sunday, that she spoke to FBI investigators after serving as national team captain at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. In the interview, Raisman said she didn't know why it took so long for allegations against Nassar to come forward.
Gymnast Aly Raisman won three Olympic gold medals -- and six medals overall -- while serving as national team captain at the 2012 Games in London and 2016 Games in Rio. Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
"Why are we looking at why didn't the girls speak up? Why not look at what about the culture?" she said. "What did USA Gymnastics do, and Larry Nassar do, to manipulate these girls so much that they are so afraid to speak up?"
Now 23, Raisman told "60 Minutes" that she started seeing Nassar when she was 15. She details the abuse in her book "Fierce," which will be released on Nov. 14.
USA Gymnastics said in a statement Friday that Raisman sharing her personal experience took "great courage" and it is "appalled by the conduct of which Larry Nassar is accused."
Raisman, who was also captain of the team for the 2012 Games in London, is the second member of the "Fierce Five" U.S. women's gymnastics team -- and third Olympian overall -- to allege abuses by Nassar. Just last month, Raisman offered her support to McKayla Maroney after she alleged abuse by Nassar dating back to 2009, when she was just 13.
Nassar was involved with USA Gymnastics for nearly three decades as a trainer and national medical coordinator, a role that led him to treat the country's elite gymnasts at four separate Olympic Games.
Editor's Picks Gold medalist Maroney alleges abuse by Nassar Olympic gold-medal gymnast McKayla Maroney has alleged that former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar abused her as early as age 13.
Perry to lead USA Gymnastics following scandal Kerry Perry replaces Steve Penny, who resigned in March after 12 years as president following criticism over the way USA Gymnastics handled sexual abuse claims. 1 Related
During the 2017 national championships in August, Raisman declined to get into specifics about whether she was abused by Nassar, but she painted a vivid picture of how Nassar's behavior went unchecked.
"I think that, you just want, you want to trust people and that he was just a disgusting person, he took advantage of so many people's trust," Raisman told The Associated Press and USA Today Sports. "And I think, it just disgusts me he was a doctor. It's crazy. Because when a doctor says something you want to believe him and it's just awful."
USA Gymnastics, in a statement to "60 Minutes," said it was "very sorry that any athlete has been harmed" and that "we want to work with Aly and all interested athletes to keep athletes safe."
More than 140 women are now suing Nassar and his former employer, Michigan State University. The plaintiffs are also suing USA Gymnastics and other defendants. Attorneys for the alleged victims, USA Gymnastics, the school and other parties to the lawsuit are engaged in court-ordered mediation in an effort to reach a settlement. Attorneys have said that more women are expected to join the lawsuits.
It is not known whether Raisman or Maroney are part of those lawsuits.
Nassar has already pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges and is in jail, awaiting a Dec. 7 sentencing in that case.
He also faces charges in state court in Michigan, largely related to allegations that he digitally penetrated women during medical exams for his own sexual gratification. If convicted on any one of the 22 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, Nassar could be sentenced to life in prison.
In the past, Nassar and his attorneys have defended the intra-vaginal and intra-rectal procedures as accepted medical practice.
Nassar was a trainer with USA Gymnastics as far back as 1986. In 1996, he was named national medical coordinator, a position he held until the summer of 2015. Nassar resigned his position from USA Gymnastics shortly after concerns were raised about his behavior during medical exams.
USA Gymnastics never informed Nassar's employer at the time, Michigan State University, about the circumstances surrounding Nassar's resignation, and he continued to treat patients in Michigan until he was fired by the school in September 2016.
Raisman has called for change within the sport.
"I am angry," Raisman told "60 Minutes." "I'm really upset because it's been -- I care a lot, you know, when I see these young girls that come up to me, and they ask for pictures or autographs, whatever it is, I just ... I can't ... every time I look at them, every time I see them smiling, I just think ... I just want to create change so that they never, ever have to go through this."
Raisman has also called for sweeping changes in leadership, including the removal of the chairman of the board, Paul Parilla. USA Gymnastics hired Kerry Perry as its new president and CEO on Tuesday after president Steve Penny resigned in March after 12 years on the job.
Raisman and Maroney are the highest-profile gymnasts yet to come forward publicly claiming abuse by Nassar. Jamie Dantzscher, a bronze medalist on the 2000 U.S. Olympic team, was part of the initial wave of lawsuits filed against Nassar in 2016.
The list of Nassar's accusers also includes several former national team members. Jeanette Antolin, Jessica Howard and Kami MacKay have all come forward, alleging abuse by Nassar either through the filing of lawsuits or, in the case of MacKay, on social media.
USA Gymnastics launched an independent review of its policies in the wake of the allegations against Nassar in the summer of 2016, following reporting by the Indianapolis Star that highlighted chronic mishandling of abuse allegations against coaches and staff at some of its more than 3,500 clubs across the country.
In June, the federation immediately adopted 70 recommendations proffered by Deborah Daniels, a former federal prosecutor who oversaw the review. The new guidelines require member gyms to go to authorities immediately, with Daniels suggesting USA Gymnastics consider withholding membership from clubs that decline to do so. The organization also named Toby Stark, a child welfare advocate, as its director of SafeSport. Part of Stark's mandate is educating members on rules, educational programs, reporting and adjudication services.
ESPN's John Barr and The Associated Press contributed to this report. | – Another Olympic gold-medal gymnast has joined former teammate McKayla Maroney in the #MeToo movement, alleging in a 60 Minutes interview to air Sunday that USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar also sexually abused her, USA Today reports. Per ESPN, Aly Raisman, who's now 23, started seeing Nassar when she was 15. Raisman, who says she's "angry" and "really upset" about what happened to her and others, originally addressed in August the many accusations against Nassar, but at the time she didn't get into her own history with Nassar. She said then that she preferred to shine the spotlight on the overall scandal and to get more people "to talk about it." Per the Lansing State Journal, more than 140 women and girls have filed suits related to his alleged sexual misconduct, with nearly as many reporting him to the cops. Now, however, Raisman is talking about her own experience, telling 60 Minutes: "I just want to create change" so other young girls "never, ever have to go through this." She says she met with the FBI after the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Nassar, who was USA Gymnastics' team doctor for almost two decades, was fired in 2015 and is facing nearly two dozen sexual assault charges against him; he's also set to be sentenced next month on three federal child pornography charges. The multiple lawsuits involving accusations against Nassar name as defendants USA Gymnastics, Michigan State University (where he worked as a doctor for decades), and Nassar himself, among others. Via a statement to 60 Minutes, USA Gymnastics said it was "very sorry that any athlete has been harmed" and that "we want to work with Aly and all interested athletes to keep athletes safe." |
Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| A man is in custody after two of his neighbors were found fatally shot early Sunday morning, say police in North Texas. (Published Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016)
A man is in custody after two of his neighbors were found fatally shot early Sunday morning, say police in North Texas.
Fort Worth police said officers were called to a home on the 900 block of Buffalo Springs Drive at about 4 a.m. A spokesman said the original call was a report of a robbery.
When officers arrived, they found two bodies outside the home.
Witness: Neighbor Killed Couple Next Door in Fort Worth
Police investigate the killing of a couple found dead in their driveway in South Fort Worth. (Published Monday, Oct. 24, 2016)
On Monday, police said 35-year-old Cary Joseph Heath was arrested on a capital murder charge at Permenter Middle School in Cedar Hill, where he is employed as a teacher.
Heath was booked on a $1 million bond. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney; jail records do not list an attorney for Heath.
Jordan Milner, who lives across the street from the crime scene, said a neighbor shot his next-door neighbors.
"My wife woke me up and said someone is banging on the door," Milner said. "Turns out what my wife heard were gunshots. From my understanding, the guy had an assault rife. From the looks of it, due to the shell casings, he unloaded the whole clip and killed two of the people who lived next door."
Couple Killed in Fort Worth Neighborhood
A couple was found shot to death inside a south Fort Worth home early Sunday morning. (Published Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016)
Police have not released a motive in the shooting or released the names of the two people killed.
Milner said the victims were longtime residents.
A spokesperson for the Cedar Hill Independent School District said Heath has been placed on administrative leave.
NBC 5's Chris Jose contributed to this report. ||||| Cary Joseph Heath (Photo: Courtesy - Fort Worth Police Dept.)
FORT WORTH -- Parents were stunned after a middle school teacher's arrest on charges of capital murder. Police believe he gunned down two people in Fort Worth early Sunday morning.
Cary Joseph Heath, 35, was arrested at Permenter Middle the very next day. The arrest occurred after school, said Cedar Hill ISD.
Police are still investigating the double murder in the 800 block of Buffalo Springs Drive. Records show Heath lives in the 900 block of Buffalo Springs.
He is currently being held at the Fort Worth jail with a $1 million bond.
His bio on the school's website has since been taken down, but it said Heath is an eighth grade science teacher who was in his first year at the middle school. Prior to that, he served 13 years in the U.S. Air Force.
The murder victims have not been identified. Police had initially detained another man for questioning in the case but he was not arrested.
Cedar Hill ISD said Monday night Heath has been placed on administrative leave. They said they notified parents via an automated phone message, but a number of parents told our crew they had not heard about the incident.
Some were concerned that a man police believe was capable of murder was around children every day.
"It's very scary. You have all the kids over there, you don't want anybody's kids to get hurt, whether its yours or anybody else's, They should be safe over there to get their education and come home," said parent Teresa Moreno.
Copyright 2016 WFAA | – Cary Heath was arrested Monday at the Texas middle school where he teaches eighth-grade science a day after police say he murdered two of his neighbors, NBC DFW reports. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, shots were fired shortly before 4am Sunday at a home down the street from where Heath lives. Police arrived to find two men dead in the home's driveway. "From my understanding, the guy had an assault rife," a neighbor who woke up to gunshots tells NBC. "From the looks of it, due to the shell casings, he unloaded the whole clip." Police aren't discussing a motive for the killings, though the first 911 call from the scene was regarding a robbery. The 35-year-old Heath is being held on $1 million bond and has been placed on administrative leave. The school notified parents of the situation via automated phone messages, WFAA reports. One mother says "it's very scary" that someone suspected of murder was teaching children. "They should be safe over there to get their education and come home," she says. Heath served in the Air Force for 13 years before recently becoming a teacher. |
In The Event Of A Nuclear Blast, Don't Condition Your Hair
Enlarge this image toggle caption Smith Collection/Getty Images Smith Collection/Getty Images
If, for some reason, you find yourself in a situation where you need to wash radioactive material from your body, don't reach for the bottle of hair conditioner. Conditioner can bind radioactive particles to your hair.
That warning was part of guidelines issued last Friday by Guam's Office of Civil Defense, following threats from North Korea that it was preparing to test a missile that would create an "enveloping fire" around the U.S. territory. On Tuesday, North Korean state media reported it would not carry out the test after all.
Still, the guidelines, which also include information on how to take cover before an explosion, are correct. They're the same guidelines posted on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's website, Ready.gov.
The reason conditioner can be dangerous has to do with the physical characteristics of human hair, the chemistry of hair conditioner and properties of nuclear fallout.
When a nuclear warhead detonates, a fireball incinerates everything it touches and hurls the vaporized material skyward. Buildings, rock and living things are turned to dust and get mixed up with the radioactive byproducts of uranium or plutonium atoms splitting.
This dust, called nuclear fallout, leaks a steady stream of dangerous radiation. If you're unlucky enough to be caught outside during or after an explosion, fallout can settle onto your clothing and skin.
Some of these particles are so small they can slip into crevices that lie open on strands of human hair. If you look at a strand of hair in a high-powered microscope, you'll see proteins that look like overlapping scales.
"It can come apart during the day like a pine cone," says Andrew Karam, a radiation safety expert who consults for government response teams. "Radiation contamination particles can get between those scales."
If you shower carefully with soap and shampoo, Karam says, the radioactive dust should wash right out. But hair conditioner has particular compounds called cationic surfactants and polymers. If radioactive particles have drifted underneath damaged scales of hair protein, these compounds can pull those scales down to create a smooth strand of hair. "That can trap particles of contamination inside of the scale," Karam says.
These conditioner compounds are also oily and have a positive charge on one end that will make them stick to negatively charged sections of a strand of hair, says Perry Romanowski, a cosmetics chemist who has developed personal hygiene formulas and now hosts "The Beauty Brains" podcast on cosmetics chemistry.
"Unlike shampoo, conditioners are meant to stay behind on your hair," Romanowski says. If the conditioner comes into contact with radioactive material, these sticky, oily compounds can gum radioactive dust into your hair, he says.
For that matter, Romanowski says in the event of a nuclear blast, you might want to consider forgoing most personal care products that are sticky or oily. "Skin lotions or moisturizing lotions or color cosmetics that have oils — these go on your skin and can attract dust or radiation particles from the air. So that would be a concern," he says.
It's hard to know exactly how damaging using hair conditioner following a nuclear disaster would be, Karam says. But he says that a basic principle is to do anything you reasonably can to lower your radiation exposure. "It's a very minor thing to give up using conditioner for a couple of days. Just wash with shampoo until the radioactivity is washed out," he says.
Karam, who served with the U.S. Navy as a chemistry safety control officer aboard the attack submarine USS Plunger in the 1980s, says that regular washes with a simple soap or detergent should be enough.
"I got a lot of skin contamination on the sub. Most of the time, I could clean it up with soap and water in five to 10 minutes. We assumed two to three washes would take care of it," he says. "Radioactivity is like changing a diaper. You don't want it on you, but if you do get it on you, just wash it off and go on with your day."
The most important thing to remember when it comes to radioactive fallout is to try not to get exposed at all, Karam says. Radioactivity is dangerous and lethal at high doses. How much radiation you receive depends on a lot of factors, including how far away from the blast site you are, and whether or not you're in the path of the wandering plume of radioactive ash and dust from the explosion.
A fallout shelter is best, but a basement may do in a pinch, Karam says. "If you see a flash, go inside right away," he says. It could save your life. ||||| Like most people confronted with the possibility that a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb could release radioactive fallout somewhere near me, I've become obsessed with how to best wash my hair after such a disaster. Escalating rhetoric between the US president and North Korea has caused many people to wonder how they could survive a nuclear blast. In the event of the unthinkable, knowing a bit about haircare could prove useful.
The federal government’s Ready.gov Nuclear Blast web page recommends that if you’re exposed to nuclear fallout, you should remove your outer clothes, then take a decontamination shower to wash your skin with soap and your hair with shampoo or soap and water — not, I repeat, not conditioner. It explains, “Do not use conditioner in your hair because it will bind radioactive material to your hair, keeping it from rinsing out easily.” It’s rare that the government makes haircare recommendations, so I needed to find out more.
I imagined post-blast radiation to function like an unholy ghost, but invisible radiation isn’t the biggest concern. Nuclear fallout is actual, visible stuff: It’s “a fine dust or sand-like material” that emits radiation — you need to get that off and take deep cover while it’s blowing around and burning through its wild, destructive infancy and adolescence.
After removing your outerwear, the next order of business is a decontamination shower. If a nuclear bomb or a dirty bomb goes off and you survive, experts say that you can easily shed 85-95 percent of the radiation on your body just through the removal of outer clothing and a decontamination shower. Yes, water from pipes will probably contain some radiation, but unless a specific warning is issued, use it for washing up anyway. This isn’t the time to blow bottled water on washing your face. Put down the micellar water, dry shampoo, and cleansing wipes and get in a real shower, unless you can’t reach one or getting wet means risking hypothermia.
You can shed 85-95 percent of the radiation on your body just through the removal of outer clothing and a decontamination shower.
While my first instinct would be to take a scalding hot shower and scrub down every inch of my body like a surgeon washing up before entering the operating room, that’s not recommended. After exposure to radiation, new skin nicks, cuts, and irritation caused by cleansing or shaving should be avoided. My old colleague Ran Zwigenberg, assistant professor of Asian studies, history, and Jewish studies at Pennsylvania State University (he’s the author of Hiroshima: The Origins of Global Memory Culture), said that the Japanese government recommended that people cut their hair after the Fukushima accident because it was believed to contain a large amount of radiation. But in most cases, it’s safer to just shampoo your hair rather than crop or shave it.
If you’ve ever compared shampoo and conditioner ingredient lists, you know that there’s sometimes overlap between what’s in each bottle. While the Ready.gov recommendations just mention avoiding hair conditioner, research on decontamination advises that one should use a mild shampoo, and it warns against protein-based conditioners and shampoos for decontamination showers. Another earlier article warns against using protein-based shampoos with conditioners in them. Yet another article simply advises one to avoid conditioner and shampoos that contain conditioner.
To find out why conditioner is a problem, I talked to cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski, who specializes in haircare and serves as a host of the Beauty Brains podcast. He confirmed via email that conditioners are a problem for decontamination showers because “[c]onditioners are meant to stay behind on the hair whereas shampoos are meant to be washed away.” Ingredients such as “Cationic Surfactants (like cetrimonium chloride), silicone (like Dimethicone), and cationic polymers (like Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride)” remain on the hair and can bind radiation to the strands.
Why not just tell people to wash their hair with bar soap while decontaminating?
The good news is that it’s okay to use things like hair conditioner and your favorite shampoo during your next shower, post-decontamination, according to Thomas F. O'Connell, an expert in radiation safety and the Health Physics Society’s homeland security and security screening editor. In fact, things like skincare for your face and body lotion are fine once you’re done decontaminating.
After learning about post-nuclear haircare, I was left wondering why conditioner warnings were emphasized in government recommendations, but shaving, which could result in cuts that weaken the skin barrier, was not. Hair is a great nest for stuff, as I’m sure you’ve discovered if you’ve painted a ceiling or walked under some asshole birds while on the way to an important meeting. But why not just tell people to wash their hair with bar soap while decontaminating, as the USSR did, and make this real simple and safe?
Since I started researching for this article, the page that warns people not to use conditioner on their hair after a nuclear blast has gone from standard text with a zoomed-out blast thumbnail to something resembling a MySpace homepage for a death metal band. The new presidential administration doesn’t have time for appointing government officials that would actually track down and dispose of stray nuclear material that could be fashioned into dirty bombs, but there’s always time for setting stock mushroom clouds as webpage backgrounds. Said cloud appears to be a Getty image used frequently around the web on apocalyptic articles such “We All May Be Dead in 2050,” and there’s a wolf face in there if you look at it after reaching caffeine saturation.
Wary of the bureaucracy, I filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to determine how the government came to the conclusion that nuclear blast warnings should mention hair conditioner. Shortly after filing my request, FEMA let me know that the information had come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). I filed a FOIA with the CDC, but the agency closed the request and said that its information came from a fairly obscure report.
If you actually view the report, you’ll discover that the only section that mentions conditioner is credited to an earlier handbook, published in 2006. Had I not confirmed with outside experts, I don't know how I’d feel about getting my current disaster advice from people from 2006 who put emergency service vehicle cartoon clip art in radiation warning symbols — something about this doesn't feel very well thought-out.
A report I found on the CDC’s website called “Detonation of an Improvised Nuclear Device” details how the CDC and FEMA, in partnership with Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), tested media messages about what to do after the detonation of an improvised nuclear device (aka a dirty bomb, the kind meant to spread fallout and panic).
“In February 2011, six 90-minute focus groups were conducted” at market research facilities “to explore the relevance, comprehensibility, credibility, and effectiveness of selected messages” about what to do after the detonation of a dirty bomb. The focus groups responded positively to the advisement about hair conditioner and overall said that the messages helped them realize that dirty bombs are survivable, and that the advisements would help them feel calm in the event of an emergency.
While not perfect, the Ready.gov recommendations on your post-disaster haircare routine have been made after far more planning and deliberation than the recent statements that could lead to that haircare routine becoming a necessity. ||||| Last week, when North Korea was threatening to send a ballistic missile toward the U.S. territory of Guam, the island's inhabitants were warned that in the case of a nuclear attack, they should not condition their hair.
Wait, what?
Hair conditioning might seem like the last thing that would be on a person's mind following a nuclear attack, but this hair care advice has scientific merit: Conditioner can "bind radioactive material to your hair," according to guidelines posted by Guam's Office of Civil Defense Friday (Aug. 11). [Doom and Gloom: Top 10 Post-Apocalyptic Worlds]
It appears that the people of Guam are safe for the moment, however. North Korea has since de-escalated its threat, saying it would "wait a little more" before moving forward with the missile launchings, according to The New York Times.
Even so, the conditioner recommendations stand. During a nuclear attack, a fireball would pulverize everything in its path, launching the resulting vaporized material upward and mixing it with radioactive byproducts from the bomb to create a radioactive dust, according to NPR. This dust is known as nuclear fallout, and it can contaminate everything it falls on, including human hair.
If people survive the blast, they should take off their outer layer of clothing, which can remove up to 90 percent of radioactive material, according to Ready.gov, a U.S. site on disaster preparedness. If water is available for bathing, survivors should also shower with soap and shampoo to wash off any radioactive dust.
But because hair is made of overlapping scales, it's a bad idea to condition it in the aftermath of a nuclear attack.
"[Hair] can come apart during the day like a pinecone," Andrew Karam, a radiation safety expert who consults for government response teams, told NPR. "Radiation contamination particles can get between those scales."
Unlike shampoo, conditioner has certain compounds — mainly cationic surfactants (such as cetrimonium chloride), silicone (like dimethicone) and cationic polymers (such as guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride) — that pull down these scales to smooth a person's hair, Perry Romanowski, a cosmetic chemist who hosts The Beauty Brains podcast, told Racked.
If nuclear fallout gets under these scales, when the scales are smoothed down, radioactive particles can be trapped underneath and remain there, Karam told NPR.
In addition, conditioner has sticky, oily compounds that stay in hair, even after it's rinsed. These compounds could make it easier for nuclear fallout to stick to the hair, which could, in turn, increase a person's risk of radioactive exposure, Romanowski told NPR.
In fact, people should avoid applying to their body any oily or sticky cosmetic product, such as skin lotion or color cosmetics, if they're in a nuclear fallout zone, as these products would also amass radioactive dust, Romanowski said.
However, most injuries from a nuclear bomb are caused by pressure from the explosion, as well as fires, collapsed buildings, flying shrapnel and acute radiation poisoning (the kind that happens from the initial explosion rather than long-term exposure like that coming from your hair), Live Science reported previously.
Original article on Live Science. | – It might be the strangest advice imaginable for survivors of a nuclear attack: Don't use hair conditioner. But it turns out to be sound advice as well, reports Live Science. The matter came up when Guam, under threat of an attack by North Korea, recently issued safety guidelines to the public. And there among the usual seek-shelter nuggets was the warning that people should use soap and water to rid themselves of toxic dust but avoid the conditioner. It's all because of how the stuff works, and the upshot it that it could actually cause radioactive particles to bind to your hair. Hair is shaped almost like scales, which can open up and come apart throughout the day. Conditioner uses compounds like silicone and cationic polymers to pull these scales back down and smooth it, one cosmetic chemist tells Racked. Conditioner is also oily, and any oily products like lotions or cosmetics are likely to encourage fallout to stick around. So there you have it: Wash with soap and shampoo, but let your hair frizz out. NPR also took a look at those safety guidelines and highlights one that would come in handy should doomsday arrive: If you see a flash, get inside anywhere as fast as you can to reduce exposure to fallout, and remove your outer layer of clothing. (Dandruff shampoo could be harming our water.) |
What advisors are telling their clients 3:15 PM ET Wed, 20 Jan 2016 | 07:09
U.S. stocks closed lower Wednesday but well above session lows as the S&P 500 held a technical level and biotechs recovered in late trade. ( Tweet This )
Traders noted that once the S&P 500 tested the 1,800 level in early afternoon trade, buyers started to come in.
"Any rally that starts is going to be violent to the upside," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities.
Read MoreWhy the wild market reversal
Small-cap stocks and biotechs led the initial recovery. The major averages more than halved intraday losses, with the Nasdaq composite attempting gains as the close approached, but the late-day rally lost steam. The S&P 500 ended at its lowest level since April 2014.
"People who caught a free ride on the way up are getting out of it," said Jeremy Klein, chief market strategist at FBN Securities.
The major U.S. averages are down more than 9 percent for the year so far and are more than 10 percent below their 52-week intraday highs, in correction territory.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed about 250 points lower after earlier falling nearly 566 points with IBM contributing the most to declines. UnitedHealth contributed the most to gains.
The S&P 500 closed 1.17 percent lower, near 1,859, after earlier falling more than 3.5 percent through its October 2014 intraday low of 1,820 to hit its lowest since February 2014. Energy closed down nearly 3 percent after briefly dipping 6 percent.
The Russell 2000 closed about half a percent higher after falling 3.66 percent intraday. The Dow transports briefly turned higher before closing down about half a percent, still well off an earlier decline of more than 3.5 percent.
"The market's been hurt in the past two-and-a-half weeks by strong openings. That invites selling," said Bruce Bittles, chief investment strategist at RW Baird. "Today the market opened sharply down and that shows a lot of pessimism here and may help turn things around."
The Nasdaq composite closed mildly lower at its lowest since October 2014 after attempting to recover from an intraday decline of more than 3.5 percent. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) reversed a decline of more than 3 percent to end up 2.75 percent, but well off session highs of 4 percent gains.
"My guess is what you're seeing right now is some short covering," said Paul Yook, portfolio manager at BioShares Funds, adding "the outlook for the sector is actually really good."
Netflix ended mildly lower, while Apple closed a touch higher, both reversing sharp declines in intraday trade.
"Obviously you're going to have to bounce at some point. The biggest thing I've seen is the reversal in the biotech stocks," said Peter Coleman, head trader at Convergex.
"Once you start to get a lift off the lows you're always going to get short covering," he said, noting he remains a "little skeptical" the intraday recovery can hold.
About 11 stocks declined for every four advancers on the New York Stock Exchange, with an exchange volume of nearly 1.5 billion and a composite volume of nearly 6.4 billion in afternoon trade. Earlier, about 30 stocks declined for every advancer.
The number of new 52-week lows on the New York Stock Exchange (1,357) and Nasdaq (853) were the most on a single day since November 2008. ||||| Investors have noticed that the stock market has gone through a radical change in the past few months.
Veteran investor Mark D. Cook, who pointed out red flags a year ago, feels vindicated. Finally, stock prices confirmed what he saw in 2014: We’re in a bear market and about to go over the cliff, he says. Here is a chat I had with Cook over the weekend.
Why do you still believe we’re in a bear market?
First, the oil and gas situation is a huge problem, and it will continue. We’re not getting bounces. Instead, oil investors just want to sell. The second problem, and it’s just getting started, is China. China is like an athlete that twisted his ankle and needs time to heal. If the ankle doesn’t heal, it will get worse, and that’s what is happening right now.
Is there anything technical that you are looking at?
Yes. First, every rally in a bear market has no traction. In a bull market, rallies will hold for days or weeks. Now we’re getting sharp “one-day wonders” that fail. Every hope is dashed. That is a strong characteristic of a bear market. Second, the NYSE Tick is registering no institutional activity on the buy side. Every rally is a chance for mutual funds to lighten positions. And this is only January. Wait until people look at their January statements. Many will be shocked.
If this is a bear market, how will investors react in the months ahead?
There are four psychological stages that people go through during a bear market. Right now, investors know the market is struggling but most believe it will come back. In fact, many see this as a buying opportunity. Here are the four stages:
Stage 1: Denial
Right now, we’re in the denial stage. Anyone who is bullish is too stubborn to change his or her view. Many people have their head in the sand, and some may not even look at their January statements. Many believe the market will come back. Right now, many are still buying the dips, which does not work in a bear market. This is similar to what has happened to oil.
Stage 2: High Anxiety
In this stage, many investors are like a deer in the headlights. They are frozen and nervous but don’t do anything. They are told by brokers and financial experts to stay calm and don’t panic. We haven’t reached this stage yet.
Stage 3: Fear
In this stage, the rampant bulls finally realize they are in trouble. If they have bought stocks on margin, they might be getting calls from their broker to add money to losing positions. In this stage, they are watching in fear as their portfolio burns. They reluctantly start to take action as fear increases. Often they say to themselves, “When my stock gets back to even, I will sell.”
Stage 4: Panic
This is what I call the “uncle” stage. This is when panicked investors throw in the towel and take action. They want to get out of the market while they still have something left. At this stage, there is huge downside volume and double-digit declines on the indexes. At the end of Stage 4, many people vow to never buy stocks again. We are not even close to this stage yet. Typically, we hit bottom when investors capitulate after losses of 20% to 50% in their stock portfolios. ||||| U.S. stocks fell Wednesday, but ended well off their lows as investors waded back into the market to buy some of the year’s most beaten-up companies.
Stock-trading volume was heavy as the market swung back and forth, with 12.4 billion shares trading. It was the highest-volume session since August 24.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell... | – It might be the worst day yet in an already lousy year for the stock market: The Dow was down more than 500 points shortly after noon, a fall of about 3.3%, and the Nasdaq and S&P 500 were down similar percentages. The news comes after yet another bad day for Asian stocks, with Japan's Nikkei falling into bear territory—roughly defined as 20% below a recent high, reports the Wall Street Journal. One huge, familiar factor: Oil prices continue to fall, with the price of a barrel now under $27 a barrel. "Obviously we're in the throes of an environment where sentiment is not positive about risk assets, so it takes very little to put pressure ... pressure coming from falling oil prices continues to serve as a cues for equities to follow suit," a strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott tells CNBC. This MarketWatch piece suggests "the bear market in stocks has finally arrived" for US investors. |
Enlarge Warner Bros. Pictures Existing in a demolished world, Eli (Denzel Washington) keeps to himself. When he's challenged, his machete does the talking for him. ABOUT THE MOVIE ABOUT THE MOVIE The Book of Eli
* * out of four Stars: Denzel Washington , Mila Kunis,
Gary Oldman , Jennifer Beals, Malcolm McDowell, Tom Waits
Directors: Albert and Allen Hughes
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Rating: R for some brutal violence
and language
Running time: 1 hour, 57 minutes
Opens Friday nationwide Post-apocalyptic desolation is spreading like a contagion. MEET THE DIRECTORS: Allen and Albert Hughes open up GETTING BIBLICAL: Hollywood gets religion TRAILER: Get a read on 'The Book of Eli' FAITH AND REASON BLOG: Is every scripture-inspired script worthwhile? A month ago we had The Road, and a month before that it was 2012. The latest end-of-the-world movie is The Book of Eli, which looks as if it borrowed some of the ravaged landscape, battered clapboard houses and marauding extras from the world inhabited by Viggo Mortensen in The Road. Computer-generated images of toppled skyscrapers, severed freeways, decaying cars and rotting skeletons look numbingly familiar. But while devastation, disaster and brutality reign in all three movies, the difference here is the strident religious message. Poetic psalms uttered amid stylized violence are disconcerting. Religion and bloodshed, though linked through much of history, make queasy entertainment partners. An attractively grizzled Denzel Washington plays the enigmatic Eli, a true believer with quasi-mystical fighting skills. He walks the barren roads, fending off desperate highwaymen, with a leather-bound King James Bible stowed carefully in his ragged knapsack. Having received what he believes is divine revelation, Eli is on a mission to a place he refers to as "west." He tries to avoid confrontation but puts up a hellacious fight if challenged. Only Eli and a few others remember how things were before the war that destroyed their world. Young people have not been taught to read. One of the few literates with potent memories is Carnegie (Gary Oldman in over-the-top villainous mode), a venal, self-styled dictator of a re-populated ghost town. When Carnegie learns that Eli has the book he's seeking, he's determined to wrest it away, for nefarious purposes. Carnegie tries to manipulate his adopted daughter, Solara (Mila Kunis), as he controls her mother, Claudia (Jennifer Beals). The feisty Solara sees in Eli a way out of her oppressive existence. But Kunis seems miscast. Vacuous and far too glam, she looks as if she dropped in from a Ray-Ban commercial. In an interview, Washington once recounted a pivotal story from his youth. A patron at his mother's hair salon known locally for being able to predict the future told him he would speak to millions, in the way of a preacher. Washington, who produced the film, seems to have taken the words of this neighborhood fortuneteller to heart. But his monosyllabic performance falls short of moving us. He keeps to himself, either passively listening to music on earphones or aggressively carving off the hand of someone who crossed him. "You lay that hand on me again and you will not get it back," he informs a hooligan before applying his magical machete. So much for turning the other cheek. Despite his admiration for Scripture, Eli is vicious. He also is selective about on whom he bestows kindness. He endangers an elderly couple (Michael Gambon and Frances de la Tour) and is unmoved when they are slain. He'll protect Solara, a pretty young girl, but let her abused mother fend for herself. A didactic and humorless Western, Eli is too laborious for an action film and too brutal to be an inspirational tale. With its handsomely moody look, it seems more like an extended music video. Mostly, Eli is hampered by drab performances and a ponderous story. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more ||||| "The Book of Eli" plays out like the film version of a great graphic novel that no one ever got around to writing.
Its over-the-top violence is cartoonish at times, menacing at others - which is a good thing. And truly, if one must wander a barren, post-apocalyptic landscape with somebody, who better to wander with than Denzel Washington?
Washington is Eli, a man who has been walking for the 30 years since war laid waste to the planet. Survivors have long since turned desperate; imagine a cross between the worlds of "The Road" and "Mad Max" and you'll have an idea. It has gotten so grim that when strangers show up in a town, the first thing they're asked to do is hold out their hands, to see if they're steady. It seems that too much cannibalism leaves you with the shakes.
Along with the provisions Eli scrounges along the way, he carries, with great care, a book. To him, it's clearly more than that, though. It's a totem of sorts, and he guards it with his life.
There's much to guard it against, of course. But your run-of-the-mill roving savage is nothing compared with Carnegie (Gary Oldman). He runs the town that Eli finds himself in, and he wants the book, badly. He has, in fact, searched the world for it for years, sending bands of marauders out to find it. Its contents, he's convinced, are all he lacks to take over what's left of the world.
Eli, naturally, will have none of it. He hasn't guarded the book all this time to hand it over to a guy so obviously devious that he lacks only a handlebar mustache to twirl. So he leaves the town, albeit violently, with Solara (Mila Kunis) in tow; she's had enough of Carnegie's mistreatment of her and her mother, Claudia (Jennifer Beals). (Like some survivors of the war, Claudia was blinded; Carnegie isn't exactly the picture of compassion.)
A chase ensues, turning "The Book of Eli" into a mash-up of road trip action-adventure fare and that old reliable, the buddy movie.
The film is better when Eli is on his own, frankly; Kunis is a fine-enough actress, but this is Washington at his most tail-kicking, if occasionally comic-book, intense - brooding, silent until pushed too far. But Solara does give him someone to protect and, more importantly, someone to explain the book's contents and importance to (although most of the audience will have figured that out long before).
"The Book of Eli" is directed by the Hughes brothers, from a script by Gary Whitta. They bring the right touch to it, for the most part, though things get heavy-handed toward the end, when the message of the film is laid on a bit thick.
The fun here is in watching Washington, a sort of avenging angel, and Oldman, who has a ball with Carnegie's trumped-up accent and scheming. Throw in the stylized look of the ruined landscape and you have a most agreeable film.
One note: There is a bit of a twist, not obvious (at least not to me), which I pass along solely to heighten your observation of the film's details. It's more fun that way.
Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: goodyk. ||||| The clouds are gray, the scorched earth is gray, and the age-old nuclear ash falling from the sky is gray. If you look closely at Denzel Washington, as he saunters in slow motion through a bombed-out hotel lobby full of rotten-toothed ruffians, you can see that his hair and beard are flecked with gray as well. Is it just our imagination, or is the aridly desolate post-apocalyptic road movie showing its age? In the last 35 years or so, there have been an awful lot of them, going back to A Boy and His Dog (1976) and, of course, The Road Warrior (1982) the greatest of all futuristic wasteland thrillers and, most recently, The Road. I'm not sure if anyone was clamoring for another one of these films just now, but one thing is certain: We don't need The Book of Eli, a ponderous dystopian bummer that might be described as The Road Warrior without car chases, or The Road without humanity.
What's left? A lot of wide-open barren desert space shot from music-video angles (think the Red Hot Chili Peppers' ''Give It Away''). The directors, Allen and Albert Hughes, do their best to make the landscape threatening by filling it with a token sprinkle of homicidal bikers and cannibals, plus Gary Oldman as an evil ringleader whose scariest aspect is his harshly photographed skin. Roving through it all is Washington's Eli, a monosyllabic lone gunslinger in a signature outfit of sunglasses, kaffiyeh, and knapsack packed with lethal blade. He's a mystical avenger who has been wandering through the wilderness for 30 years, toting a leather-bound King James Bible from which he plucks ominous quotes. He makes apocalyptic prophecy sound like a rerun.
I'd be willing to forgive The Book of Eli its portentous sins if it had kick-ass action scenes, and every so often Eli does slice and dice the stuffing out of half a dozen hooligans at once, or he presides over a gun battle in which the bullets clatter and echo with full-metal zing. But those are just about the only scenes in the movie that have a pulse. At their best, the Hughes brothers have been brilliant directors: Their first film, the 1993 mind-of-a-gangbanger classic Menace II Society (made when they were just 20), established them as visceral and psychological prodigies, and the criminally underrated From Hell (2001) was a gothic-shock serial-killer mystery that featured Johnny Depp in one of his finest performances. (Had he been the mainstream superstar he is today back when the film was released, it might have been a sensation.) The Book of Eli is the first Hughes brothers movie that feels stripped of drama, imagination, sensibility. Some may find the film worth sitting through simply for its final ''Whoa!'' of a twist, but the Hughes brothers direct most of it as if they were glorified end-of-the-world set decorators. The Book of Eli is like a movie based on a graphic novel you don't want to read. D
See all of this week's reviews ||||| 1. Nowhere Boy Sam Taylor-Wood's portrait of the young John Lennon (Aaron Johnston) is a touching coming-of-age tale. 2. My Father My Lord An astonishingly sure first feature from Israeli David Volach, set deep within an ultra-Orthodox family in Jerusalem. 3. Sherlock Holmes Robert Downey Jr is a kick-ass super sleuth and Jude Law a terrific Watson in Guy Ritchie's spectacular reboot of the Victorian detective series. 4. Avatar Avatar's $300 budget was money well spent. 5. Where the Wild Things Are Captures both the darkness and innocence of childhood — just don’t take the kids.
Critics' Choice
Andrew O'Hagan
What a performance for Andy Serkis. His Ian Dury comes across as a profoundly human piece of work
Henry Hitchings
The cast's physical feats are so accomplished that one can lose sight of the risks they involve
Bruce Dessau
A lot of comedians have emerged to challenge Connolly for the mainstream stand-up crown, but the Big Yin is holding on like an ageing prizefighter
Reader reviews
Simon, LDN
As a bafta member I have seen this film three times. And it is brilliant on many levels.
Nicky, London
Bring us a new show Cirque, we've seen this one before!
Nihal, Watford
As a long time hip hop fan, I have no hesitation in stating that Soweto Kinch is better than 90% of the 'full time' rappers | – The Book of Eli is almost certainly the best post-apocalypic Christian action movie you'll see this year, say critics, although many were put off by the preaching. The directors scored with the casting—Denzel Washington as a grizzled gunslinger protecting the world's last Bible—the fight scenes and the explosions, Derek Malcolm of the Evening Standard writes in a spoiler-laden review. But the message is overkill. "The result is like The Road rewritten by Sarah Palin for the greater good of Alaska and mankind." Bill Goodykoontz of the Arizona Republic was more tolerant, with the over-the-top violence putting him in mind of the film version of a never-written graphic novel. "If one must wander a barren, post-apocalyptic landscape with somebody," he asks, "who better to wander with than Denzel Washington?" Claudia Puig at USA Today agrees about Washington, but finds poetic psalms uttered amid stylized violence disconcerting. Religion and bloodshed." she writes, "make queasy entertainment partners." And Owen Glieberman of Entertainment Weekly thinks the post-apocalyptic road movie genre, now about 35 years old, is showing its age. Eli is a "ponderous dystopian bummer that might be described as The Road Warrior without car chases, or The Road without humanity," he writes. |
PLEASANTON -- Two sisters facing charges they endangered infants' lives by binding them too tightly in swaddling blankets at a Livermore preschool are both expecting babies of their own, family members said Thursday after a court hearing.
Sisters Nazila Sharaf, 35, and Lida Sharaf, 33, appeared in a Pleasanton courtroom Thursday afternoon, a day after they were arrested at their homes in Dublin and Mountain House on felony child abuse charges. Both women let their thick hair fall in front of their faces to avoid being seen in court and were wearing large, red jumpsuits that concealed their pregnant bellies.
"They are greatly embarrassed ... mortified by where they are," said Timothy Rien, the sisters' defense attorney. "They are obviously shaken by the condition they're in."
The sisters were arraigned on three counts of felony child abuse and neglect and four counts of misdemeanor child abuse and neglect, stemming from an investigation by Livermore police into their care of infants at Universal Preschool LLC, at 1040 Florence Road. A plea hearing was scheduled for Monday.
Ferdinand Benitez, who is the father of a 22-month-old son with Lida Sharaf, confirmed reports from jail officials that both women are pregnant. Lida Sharaf's second child is due in July, and Nazila Sharaf is 4½ months pregnant and also has a son, who celebrated his 9th birthday the day of his mother's arraignment, Benitez said after the hearing at the Gale-Schenone Hall of Justice in Pleasanton.
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Both women are in protective custody at Santa Rita Jail, officials said. Bail was originally set at $700,000 for each woman but was reduced to $340,000 during Thursday's court proceedings.
"There is a fight ahead in this case," Rien said. "First is the fight over bail, and then there's a fight over the charges themselves."
A dozen family members and friends showed up to support the pair, while several parents and others attended the hearing to show their outrage about the alleged abuse at the preschool.
Hank Dedrick, who belongs to the Alameda County chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse, attended the hearing with two other members to show support for the victims' families.
"We support them from womb to tomb," Dedrick said. "As far as I'm concerned, if you hurt a child like that you completely destroy their soul."
Although swaddling is a common technique used to lull newborns to sleep, the Sharafs allegedly put seven babies in danger at the day care center by binding the infants' bodies so tightly they had trouble breathing and couldn't move their arms and legs, police said.
The Sharaf sisters maintain that they in no way intended to hurt the babies with their swaddling methods, Rien said.
"Their contention is that it is not abuse," Rien said. "But nobody is going to take away from a parent their concern for their child when they are in someone else's care."
Doctors examined all of the children who were at the day care center, and none showed signs of injury related to the alleged abuse, Officer Steve Goard said.
State officials closed the Livermore facility on March 15 and are seeking to permanently revoke the women's license.
Investigators said that both Nazila and Lida Sharaf are suspected of tying blankets around seven infants between the ages of 7 months and 11 months so tightly they restricted the babies' ability to breathe and move their arms and legs. The women secured the wrapped blankets with heavy-duty knots for a "lengthy" period of time, Goard said.
Police also learned that the women sometimes threw blankets over the children's faces while the infants had their arms and legs bound, rendering the babies virtually incapable of rescuing themselves if they needed air. Perhaps most disturbingly, Goard said, is that of the seven children identified in the case, both Sharafs knew that three of the babies had upper respiratory conditions.
"They basically restrained these children, almost like a boa constrictor," Goard said. "All of these children could have died in the process of binding these extremities."
A police statement released Wednesday also suggested that Nazila Sharaf had grabbed the arms of at least three infants out of frustration and carried them across the room by their extremities, which could have caused a broken arm, torn ligament or spinal fracture. Police also said that the Sharafs would crank the heat in the room up to 75 to 80 degrees under the assumption that it would cause them to become sleepy.
Thirty parents of 19 infants were interviewed during the investigation, police said.
The investigation began on March 15, after the Department of Social Services requested their assistance in closing the center. Social Services reported multiple licensing violations discovered during an unannounced visit March 12, including inappropriate swaddling techniques.
Swaddling is a common technique used on newborns where a caregiver wraps the infant in a blanket in a snug yet comfortable way to reassure them and help them fall asleep, officials said in reference to pediatric experts. The technique, which is prohibited by state licensing, is usually intended for newborns between 1 month and 2 months old.
Lida Sharaf had previously operated another child care facility, Discovery Child Development Center. In 2010, the state Department of Social Services shut that facility down for a similar swaddling offense, according to department spokesman Michael Weston.
Lida Sharaf agreed to sell her facility and give up her rights as a licensee at that time, Weston said. In return, the department agreed to allow her to continue to work and be a presence at a child care facility, so long as she was not the licensee or the owner.
In 2011, Nazila Sharaf received a license as the owner of Universal Preschool, which reopened at the same location with Lida as an employee.
No criminal action was taken at that time, as that case was not submitted to law enforcement, Goard said.
Investigators found at the school that there was a large distance between the door and the back room where the babies would sleep in their cribs, and that the sisters could easily tell when someone was coming and make modifications to the sleeping arrangements, Goard said.
Other violations discovered during Social Services' visit to Universal Preschool in March included an infant sleeping in a car seat and another in a high chair, and finding that there were more children at the center than the license allowed.
When officials arrived to serve the shutdown order, they also found a person caring for children who had not had a background check performed.
The state's complaint also accuses Lida Sharaf of asking a Social Services inspector to conceal evidence or not report the violations. In addition to a temporary suspension order against the facility, Social Services issued bans against the Sharafs from working at any state-licensed child care facilities, Weston said. The women filed an appeal to the ban, which will likely trail the criminal proceedings.
Contact Erin Ivie at eivie@bayareanewsgroup.com. Follow her at Twitter.com/erin_ivie. ||||| Two sisters in Northern California facing charges that they endangered infants' lives by binding them too tightly in swaddling blankets have pleaded not guilty.
The Oakland Tribune (http://bit.ly/11T42tt0 ) reports that Nazila and Lida Sharaf entered their pleas Monday in Alameda County Superior Court.
The sisters have been released from custody after posting $340,000 bail each. They are each charged with three counts of felony child abuse and neglect and four counts of misdemeanor child abuse and neglect.
Authorities say the women wrapped seven babies up like boa constrictors at their Livermore preschool, impairing the children's ability to move and breathe.
Their attorney says the women did not intend to hurt the babies.
Both sisters are pregnant and expecting their second child. ||||| Universal Preschool, formerly known as Sunnyside Infant and Preschool Center, in Livermore
Two sisters facing charges that they endangered infants' lives by binding them too tightly in swaddling blankets have pleaded not guilty in Alameda County Superior Court.
Nazila and Lida Sharaf entered their pleas Monday and then were released from custody after posting $340,000 bail each. They are each charged with three counts of felony child abuse and neglect and four counts of misdemeanor child abuse and neglect.
They were arrested last week at their homes Wednesday in Dublin and Mountain House after being accused of wrapping infants in swaddling clothes -- a tactic used to lull newborns to sleep, the news source reported -- so tightly that the babies had "trouble breathing."
Bathroom Baby Case in Pictures
The sisters say their "swaddling methods" are sound. Doctors found no signs of injuries, but evidence enough to charge them with three counts of felony child abuse and four counts of misdemeanor child abuse and neglect exist, according to prosecutors.
At Universal Preschool LLC at 1040 Florence Road in Livermore, the sisters reportedly threw blankets over infants' faces and used "heavy-duty knots" to swaddle the infants, the news source reported. They're in jail at Santa Rita Jail on $340,000 bail.
Baby Born Under Napa Bridge
MORE: Sisters Arrested for Allegedly Binding Babies During Naptime
Turns out that Lida Sharaf lost a license to operate a preschool in 2010 on a similar swaddling offense, investigators said.
The school, of which Nazila Sharaf was the owner, is now closed, following a surprise March 12 investigation that revealed improper swaddling. Parents of 19 infants spoke with police during an investigation.
Meanwhile, family members who showed up outside a courtroom last week said the sisters are both mothers-to-be themselves. Lida Sharaf has a 22-month old son and is due in July for a second child, while Nazila Sharaf has a nine-year old son and is 4 1/2 months pregnant.
"Both women let their thick hair fall in front of their faces to avoid being seen in court and were wearing large, red jumpsuits that concealed their pregnant bellies," the Oakland Tribune reported.
Copyright NBC Owned Television Stations | – Two sisters who run a day care in California have posted a total of $680,000 bail on charges that they endangered the lives of infants under their care, reports NBC Bay Area. The case is drawing national attention for the unusual nature of the charges—Nazila and Lida Sharaf are accused of wrapping the babies too tightly in swaddling blankets. They have pleaded not guilty to felony charges of child abuse. "They basically restrained these children, almost like a boa constrictor," a police officer tells the Bay Area News Group. "All of these children could have died in the process of binding these extremities." The investigation began after social services officials received complaints, though doctors who examined the infants found no sign of injuries. Lida Sharaf lost a license to run a preschool in 2010 on similar swaddling charges. Both sisters are mothers themselves, and both are pregnant, notes AP. |
Oscar Pistorius during his trial. (Reuters)
Oscar Pistorius is expected to be released in August from a prison in South Africa after serving 10 months of his five-year sentence for culpable homicide in the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
“Oscar will be released on parole by the end of August,” a family member who requested anonymity told Reuters.
Corrections officials did not comment, but Pistorius was eligible for release under “correctional supervision” after serving a sixth of his sentence.
Pistorius, the South African sprinter who became a national hero for triumphing over the amputation of his legs as a baby, shot Steenkamp, a 29-year-old law school graduate and model, through a locked door in his bathroom on Valentine’s Day 2013. Although prosecutors pushed for a murder conviction, Pistorius claimed that he mistakenly believed an intruder was in the house when he fired his gun.
After a 10-month trial, he was convicted of the lesser charge, a decision the state is appealing. In a case to be heard in November, prosecutors will seek a murder conviction. If successful, Pistorius would face a minimum of 15 years in prison.
Pistorius has been incarcerated at the Pretoria Central Prison since his conviction last fall and is expected to be released Aug. 21. ||||| Serving time: Pistorius was sentenced to five years for culpable homicide
Disgraced sprinter Oscar Pistorius will be freed from prison in August, it has been reported.
The athlete was sentenced to five years in jail last year for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home in South Africa on Valentine's Day 2013.
The Paralympian claimed the killing was a tragic mishap after he mistook her for an intruder.
But the double amputee was found guilty of culpable homicide by a judge.
He is eligible for release from prison to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest in August.
And a family member has confirmed they expect Pistorius to leave jail in a matter of weeks.
According to ENCA News, Pistorius was seen by a parole board last week and a date has been set for August 21.
The family of Reeva Steenkamp reacted with dismay, saying Pistorius' ten months in prison is "simply not enough" of a punishment for his crime.
In a statement they said: "We have forgiven Mr Pistorius even though he took the life of our precious daughter Reeva.
"Our lives will never be the same again as live with the sadness of her death every day.
"Reeva had so much to offer this world and we were all robbed of her life when she was killed.
"As her family, we do not seek to avenge her death and we do not want Mr Pistorius to suffer; that will not bring her back to us.
"However a person found guilty of a crime must be held accountable for their actions.
"Statistics show that our society is under continuous attack form criminals and murderers.
"Incarceration of 10 months for taking a life is simply not enough.
"We fear that this will not send out the proper message and serve as the deterrent it should."
But in a separate development, South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal set a date for prosecutors to appeal the runner's conviction for manslaughter.
Getty Tragic: Reeva Steenkamp died after being shot through a toilet door
The state believes Pistorius should have been convicted of murder and they will challenge the ruling in November.
If successful, the Blade Runner could be locked up for life.
Supreme Court of Appeal registrar Paul Myburgh said that chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel and defence lawyer Barry Roux have met with the president of the court.
The Pistorius legal team claim the 28-year-old is so desperate to get his life back on track he wants to work with disadvantaged youngsters when released.
A source said: “He is managing in jail, he’s isolated but hanging in and praying to keep up his strength.
“He is keen to become involved in assisting children in whatever opportunity comes up. His legal team are trying to help with this and sort a job.”
Pistorius has been held in a single cell at the notorious Kgosi Mumpuru prison, in Pretoria, over fears he will face attacks from violent inmates.
After a six-month trial last year the Paralympian - known as the Blade Runner - was found not guilty of murder but guilty of culpable homicide.
He was handed a five-year jail term but will serve just a sixth of that under South African laws.
His solicitor, Barry Roux, who represented him throughout his legal fight, said: “[Oscar] walks free in August and then has ten months on parole.
“The parole conditions will be at their discretion, don’t drink, go to church, no drugs, he’ll have a psychological programme, an anger management course.
“They will set the parameters and he will keep to them.” He added: “He will leave prison in three months time and wherever he goes he will be Oscar Pistorius.
Reuters
“There is no way a man as famous as him can change his name.
“Anyway, How can you change your name, it’s running away. Why would you want to change your name, it’s disowning what happened. He will have to lift his head, and take it on the chin."
Earlier this year images emerged of Pistorius playing football with Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir in a concrete courtyard.
The two-minute clip, which shows Pistorius practising penalty shoot-outs with the notorious underworld figure on trial for kidnapping, sparked condemnation from South African prison authorities.
But Mr Roux defended the footage, claiming it was a misrepresentation of how Pistorius was being treated in prison.
VIEW GALLERY
He said: Mr Roux said: “Oscar is in a single cell, we had to make the choice between the devil and the deep blue sea.
“Do you put him in a cell with inmates, with all the horrible associated risks of attacks and tormenting, or in a single cell with the loneliness and isolation?
“At least this way he is protected. His cell is three metres by two metres. Life is lonely.
“He spends 18 hours-a-day in isolation seven days a week. He has one hour a day for physical exercise.
“People completely misunderstood when they saw a photo of him playing soccer with the notorious Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir.
“The man is also in the hospital section and he had his hour of exercise at the same time one day, so they kicked a ball around for a few minutes.
“That’s all it was, its not like Oscar has a life of leisure and football.”
Reuters
Mr Roux also revealed Pistorius had rejected a string of Hollywood film offers and book deals - despite being broke.
He said: “All Oscar has to his name is the shirt on his back and his underpants.
“Oscar has spent all his money. I was not paid for the last two months, but I just could not ‘walk away’, I couldn’t morally do that.
“Oscar was left with nothing, he is totally and utterly penniless, I mean zero. The shirt on his back and his underpants. That’s all he has.
“The case has cost him at least two million Rand. He sold his brand new Audi, all his art, his watches, even his guns I believe.
“He has never discussed the book or movie offers but they have poured in. He has in fact declined the book offers and Hollywood options every time, and he has been right to decline.” | – Oscar Pistorius is "so desperate to get his life back on track" that he already has a plan to work with disadvantaged youth when he gets out of prison, the Daily Mirror reports. Which could be soon: The South African commissioner of correctional services says the Paralympian will likely be freed on probation Aug. 21 from the Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria, the BBC notes. Pistorius' release, recommended by a prison committee for good behavior, would come 10 months into his five-year sentence if the parole board approves, the AP reports; the BBC adds that under South African law, he's eligible for probation after serving one-sixth of his sentence (which would be 10 months) and would be kept under "correctional supervision," or house arrest, during his probation period. Reeva Steenkamp's family isn't pleased with the news. "As her family, we do not seek to avenge her death and we do not want Mr. Pistorius to suffer; that will not bring her back to us," they said in a statement, per the Mirror. "However, a person found guilty of a crime must be held accountable for their actions. … Incarceration of 10 months for taking a life is simply not enough. We fear that this will not send out the proper message and serve as the deterrent it should." His freedom may be short-lived, however: In November, prosecutors will appeal his murder acquittal in court, which could net Pistorius a minimum of 15 years if convicted, the Washington Post reports. (Wonder how his book is coming along.) |
ROME |
ROME (Reuters) - The captain of the wrecked cruise liner Costa Concordia apologized on Tuesday for the accident in which as many as 32 people died and said he had been distracted when the vast ship struck the rock which holed it.
In his first full television interview since the accident on January 13, Francesco Schettino acknowledged his responsibility as captain and said he thought constantly about the victims of the disaster.
"When there's an accident, it's not just the ship that's identified or the company," he told Italy's Canale 5 television, speaking calmly but with a pronounced tic in one eye. "The captain is identified and so it's normal that I should apologize as a representative of this system," he said.
Schettino, who is charged with multiple manslaughter, causing the accident and abandoning his ship, was speaking after being freed from house arrest last week.
The Naples-born captain admitted to failing to act decisively enough once it became clear the 144,500 tonne vessel had come too close to the island of Giglio off the Tuscan coast where it ran aground.
"This was a banal accident in which there was a breakdown in the interaction between human beings and it created misunderstandings and it's for this that there's so much rage," he said. "It was as though there was a blackout in everyone's heads and in the instruments."
"I blame myself for being distracted," he said but added the actual sailing of the ship was under the command of another officer at the time.
"At that moment, I went up to the deck and ordered the ship to be put on manual navigation and I didn't have command, that's to say being in charge of sailing the ship, that was the officer," he said.
Investigators have severely criticized Schettino's handling of the disaster, accusing him of bringing the 290 meter-long vessel too close to shore, delaying evacuation and losing control of the operation during which he abandoned ship before all the 4,200 passengers and crew had left the ship.
Schettino, who has been held up to abuse and ridicule following the accident, has always acknowledged making mistakes but has said he as not the only one who should be blamed for the tragedy.
A pre-trial hearing was held in March and investigations also target several other officers and officials of the ships owner, Costa Cruises a unit of the world's largest cruise operator Carnival Corp.
(Reporting By James Mackenzie; Editing by Andrew Heavens) ||||| Costa Concordia captain 'sorry' for sinking
Francesco Schettino broke down when asked about the youngest victim of the disaster
The captain of Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia, which ran aground killing more than 30 people in January, has said he is sorry for the disaster.
In an interview on Italian TV, Francesco Schettino said he thought constantly about the victims.
But he insisted others should also share the blame, saying the ship had been under the command of another officer at the time.
Mr Schettino denies charges including manslaughter and causing a shipwreck.
The ship struck rocks and capsized near the island of Giglio, off the coast of Tuscany.
An Italian judge recently lifted Mr Schettino's house arrest, but said he must not leave his hometown, near Naples, while the investigation continues.
"When there's an accident, it is not just the ship that is identified or the company, the captain is identified and so it's normal that I should apologise as a representative of this system," he told Italy's Canale 5 television.
The BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome says that Mr Schettino appeared tense.
He said he blamed himself for being "distracted" but said he had not been on the bridge when the ship ran aground.
The Costa Concordia capsized off the coast of Giglio
"At that moment, I went up to the deck and ordered the ship to be put on manual navigation and I didn't have command, that's to say being in charge of sailing the ship, that was the officer," he said.
Following the accident there was speculation that the captain had sailed too close to the island because he was trying to show off his seamanship skills to a young woman on the ship's bridge.
Mr Schettino denied this, and also denied that the woman had been his lover.
When asked about the youngest passenger who died - a five-year-old girl - he could not answer and broke down.
In a letter published recently in Italy's La Corriere della Sera newspaper, Mr Schettino argued that he had saved many lives by steering the stricken vessel into shallow water.
In a phone call recorded during the rescue operation, a local port authority chief Gregorio de Falco can be heard chastising the captain and telling him to get back on board the ship to help stranded passengers.
Mr Schettino was arrested shortly afterwards. | – The captain who was "distracted" when the Costa Concordia sailed smack into a rock finally took to TV yesterday to at last say sorry, though it doesn't sound like the passion quotient was too high. "When there's an accident, it's not just the ship that's identified or the company," said Francesco Schettino according to Reuters, which took note of his "pronounced tic" in one eye. "The captain is identified and so it's normal that I should apologize as a representative of this system." And while he did fault the fact that he was distracted, he pointed out that another officer was sailing the ship at the time of the incident. More not-exactly-heart-wrenching comments: "This was a banal accident in which there was a breakdown in the interaction between human beings ... It was as though there was a blackout in everyone's heads and in the instruments." The BBC notes that he did get choked up at one point, though: When asked about the 5-year-old who was among the more than 30 who died, he was unable to speak. Schettino was released from house arrest last week, but faces multiple manslaughter charges. |
JERUSALEM — New archaeological tests have confirmed that the site many Christians believe to be the tomb of Jesus Christ dates back 1,700 years to A.D. 325, the same era when the Romans first identified the place as holy.
With invasions, fires and even earthquakes occurring at Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre over the centuries, historians had questioned whether the tomb had been destroyed or moved.
To date the tomb, known as the Holy Edicule, conservators from the National Technical University of Athens looked at radioactive elements in the architectural glue that fit it together. They also used ground-penetrating radar and laser scanning.
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The tomb is the size of a coat closet, and was open for just 60 hours while restoration work was also carried out.
The results of the tests were first reported Tuesday by National Geographic.
"Scientists and archaeologists are very excited about this because, what it does is, it corroborates our historical accounts," said National Geographic archaeology writer Kristin Romey, who was on site during the nine-month renovation project.
Experts believe the site was identified around A.D. 325 A.D., when the Roman emperor Constantine the Great came to the city with his team to locate places associated with the life of Jesus.
A holy fire ceremony is held at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on April 15. Atef Safadi / EPA file
The Romans are said to have torn down a temple in Jerusalem where they found the cave that they believed to be his burial site. They then built a shrine and a church around that site.
Three different Christian denominations — Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox — share custody over the church, and there have been turf wars and brawls in the past over the management of the site.
Even the restoration took decades to settle. In 1959, the various denominations agreed to conserve the edicule, but it took until 2016 to actually agree on a plan for the restoration, National Geographic archaeologist-in-residence Fredrik Hiebert said.
The same Greek team that restored the Acropolis in Athens was chosen to carry out the project.
Archaeologists believe there may be more surprises to come at the site.
“There is so much information in the data that was collected by the restorers during the conservation project,” Hiebert said. “There are many, many stories still to be told.” ||||| Over the centuries, Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre has suffered violent attacks, fires, and earthquakes. It was totally destroyed in 1009 and subsequently rebuilt, leading modern scholars to question whether it could possibly be the site identified as the burial place of Christ by a delegation sent from Rome some 17 centuries ago.
Now the results of scientific tests provided to National Geographic appear to confirm that the remains of a limestone cave enshrined within the church are remnants of the tomb located by the ancient Romans.
Mortar sampled from between the original limestone surface of the tomb and a marble slab that covers it has been dated to around A.D. 345. According to historical accounts, the tomb was discovered by the Romans and enshrined around 326.
View Images A restorer removes debris beneath a broken marble slab to expose the original rock surface of what is considered the burial place of Jesus. Photograph by Oded Balilty, AP for National Geographic
Until now, the earliest architectural evidence found in and around the tomb complex dated to the Crusader period, making it no older than 1,000 years.
While it is archaeologically impossible to say that the tomb is the burial site of an individual Jew known as Jesus of Nazareth, who according to New Testament accounts was crucified in Jerusalem in 30 or 33, new dating results put the original construction of today's tomb complex securely in the time of Constantine, Rome's first Christian emperor.
The tomb was opened for the first time in centuries in October 2016, when the shrine that encloses the tomb, known as the Edicule, underwent a significant restoration by an interdisciplinary team from the National Technical University of Athens.
Several samples of mortar from different locations within the Edicule were taken at that time for dating, and the results were recently provided to National Geographic by Chief Scientific Supervisor Antonia Moropoulou, who directed the Edicule restoration project.
When Constantine's representatives arrived in Jerusalem around 325 to locate the tomb, they were allegedly pointed to a Roman temple built some 200 years earlier. The Roman temple was razed and excavations beneath it revealed a tomb hewn from a limestone cave. The top of the cave was sheared off to expose the interior of the tomb, and the Edicule was built around it.
A feature of the tomb is a long shelf, or "burial bed," which according to tradition was where the body of Jesus Christ was laid out following crucifixion. Such shelves and niches, hewn from limestone caves, are a common feature in tombs of wealthy 1st-century Jerusalem Jews.
The marble cladding that covers the "burial bed" is believed to have been installed in 1555 at the latest, and most likely was present since the mid-1300s, according to pilgrim accounts.
When the tomb was opened on the night of October 26, 2016, scientists were surprised by what they found beneath the marble cladding: an older, broken marble slab incised with a cross, resting directly atop the original limestone surface of the "burial bed."
Some researchers speculated that this older slab may have been laid down in the Crusader period, while others offered an earlier date, suggesting that it may have already been in place and broken when the church was destroyed in 1009. No one, however, was ready to claim that this might be the first physical evidence for the earliest Roman shrine on the site.
Is This Really The Tomb Of Christ? Scholars discuss whether the tomb of Christ is actually the tomb of Christ and how it would have looked.
The new test results, which reveal the lower slab was most likely mortared in place in the mid-fourth century under the orders of Emperor Constantine, come as a welcome surprise to those who study the history of the sacred monument.
"Obviously that date is spot-on for whatever Constantine did," says archaeologist Martin Biddle, who published a seminal study on the history of the tomb in 1999. "That's very remarkable."
During their year-long restoration of the Edicule, the scientists were also able to determine that a significant amount of the burial cave remains enclosed within the walls of the shrine. Mortar samples taken from remains of the southern wall of the cave were dated to 335 and 1570, which provide additional evidence for construction works from the Roman period, as well as a documented 16th-century restoration. Mortar taken from the tomb entrance has been dated to the 11th century and is consistent with the reconstruction of the Edicule following its destruction in 1009.
"It is interesting how [these] mortars not only provide evidence for the earliest shrine on the site, but also confirm the historical construction sequence of the Edicule," Moropoulou observes.
The mortar samples were independently dated at two separate labs using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), a technique that determines when quartz sediment was most recently exposed to light. The scientific results will be published by Moropoulou and her team in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
Secrets of Christ’s Tomb premieres Sunday December 3 at 9/8c on the National Geographic Channel. The immersive, 3-D exhibition " Tomb of Christ: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre Experience" is open at the National Geographic Museum in Washington D.C. through the fall of 2018. | – Millions of people flock to Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre each year. Many believe it to house the tomb of Jesus Christ, though scientists have thus far been unable to date the tomb to the time when the Romans built a church around it. Now, however, a new series of tests "corroborates our historical accounts" as a National Geographic writer puts it to NBC News. It's easiest to understand the significance by understanding the history: Around AD 325, experts believe Roman Emperor Constantine the Great arrived in Jerusalem on the hunt for places linked to Jesus; his team identified the cave that they believed Jesus was buried in and built a shrine (known as the Edicule) to enclose the tomb and then a church around it. That church was destroyed in 1009, recounts National Geographic. It was rebuilt, and all archaeological dating coincided with that rebuilding—proving it was at most about 1,000 years old. The tomb was opened for the first time in centuries in October 2016 to allow for the Edicule to be restored. A marble slab was discovered beneath marble cladding, and mortar samples taken from the slab dated to around AD 345. National Geographic's take: "While it is archaeologically impossible to say that the tomb is the burial site of an individual Jew known as Jesus of Nazareth ... [the] results put the original construction of today's tomb complex securely in the time of Constantine." (Scientists have issued a dire warning about the site.) |
When you think you've seen it all, you are always proven wrong.
The inhumanity of human's is unbearable at times.
A young (1-2 y/o) Golden was found as a stray and brought into the Lancaster Shelter with burns down his entire back. Our doctors believe that either lighter fluid or gasoline was poured down his entire back and he was purposely set on fire!!
He is being treated at AMC now for severe burns and we are hoping to stave off infection which is what we are most concerned about at this point. The nerves are actually "killed" by such deep burns so thankfully he is not really in pain since he was in the shelter for several days in this condition before we were able to secure his release.
We have named him Fergus - Irish for Powerful. And of course like all Golden's he is still loving and forgiving and just wanted to be held..
We are totally dependent upon you, our friends, for help with all of the vet bills. Any donations are always so very much appreciated so we can always be there when dogs like Fergus.
Bless you Barry Jacobs for waiting in line today for three hours and driving for another two and saving this baby....
(WE LATER FOUND OUT IT WAS NOT CAUSED BY FIRE, BUT WORSE, BY ACID BEING POURED ON HIM - DOWN THE LENGTH OF HIS BODY!!)
Help spread the word! Share Tweet 1.9k total shares total shares ||||| At least 7 dogs have been found, or brought to local shelters, with what appears to be chemical burns on their backs. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of a suspect in connection with apparent chemical attacks involving domestic dogs in the Antelope Valley and surrounding communities. (Photo courtesy of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department)
Los Angeles County officials hope a $25,000 reward will help solve the mystery of who is chemically burning dogs in the Antelope Valley.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Tuesday Supervisor Michael Antonovich’s request to offer a $25,000 reward for information about the dogs that leads to the perpetrator.
A golden retriever and at least six pit bulls were found in the past year in Lancaster, Palmdale and Rosamond in Kern County with chemical burns. A golden retriever, named Fergus, suffered from third-degree burns on its neck and back was brought to the Lancaster animal shelter Aug. 11 and subsequently turned over to the Animal Medical Center of Southern California in West Los Angeles.
The Sheriff’s Department and the county Department of Animal Care and Control are investigating a number of incidents of suspected animal cruelty. Investigators are trying to determine if the injuries are accidental or are intentional crimes.
The reward offer is contingent on providing information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible.
“We hope that the reward will encourage someone that may have heard something to step forward with information that may lead us to the person who committed these really depraved acts of cruelty,” Antonovich spokesman Tony Bell said.
Sheriff’s officials encouraged members of the public to report similar acts of animal cruelty.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has offered a $2,500 reward in this case. A GoFundMe page has also raised $25,000 as of Tuesday.
Anyone with information is asked to call investigator Rachel Montez-Kemp at L.A. County Animal Care and Control at 661-974-8096 or Deputy Daniel Gore at the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station at 661-940-3851 or 661-948-8466.
To provide information anonymously, call “Crime Stoppers” at 800-222-TIPS (8477), or text the letters TIPLA plus the tip to CRIMES (274637) or at http://lacrimestoppers.org. ||||| The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich ’s motion for the reward in connection with at least seven attacks since July on dogs in both L.A. and Kern counties. Dogs have been found with long burns on their back. Authorities believe they may be caused by a caustic chemical. Two of the dogs were so severely injured that they were euthanized. ||||| Crissie was brought to Lancaster shelter. She had chemical burns down her neck and back. Doggy Smiles Rescue saved her from the shelter. We now need funds to pay for her medical care.The burns went deep into her flesh. They are gaping open and bleeding.It has been two weeks since she came to the shelter.Please help us raise funds to help this loving girl. Even in her obvious pain, she is so sweet and such a love bug!Crissie deserves a chance to receive the best medical care. ||||| People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals offered a $2,500 reward Thursday for information leading to the person or people who severely burned a golden retriever, possibly with battery acid, in the Lancaster area.
“It takes a dangerous lack of empathy to pour acid on a dog and leave him for dead on the side of the road,” PETA Senior Director Colleen O’Brien said. “PETA is urging anyone with information about this case to come forward now before anyone else is hurt.”
The dog, who has been named “Fergus,” was brought to a Lancaster animal shelter Aug. 11 and subsequently turned over to the Animal Medical Center of Southern California in West Los Angeles for treatment, with the help of the Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue Group.
Fergus was apparently taken to the shelter by a good Samaritan who found the wounded animal suffering from severe burns on its head and back.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials have begun an investigation in hopes of finding the person or people responsible. Three other dogs have been found with similar injuries in recent weeks, at least two of them also in the Antelope Valley, although investigators have not officially linked the cases. Two of the other dogs have died.
Doctors at the Animal Medical Center said Fergus is making an almost miraculous recovery.
NBC4 reported Wednesday that one of its viewers had offered a $2,000 reward for information leading to the suspect or suspects.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich said he will ask his board colleagues on Sept. 1 to approve a $10,000 reward.
“With this reward, we hope to encourage the public to come forth with any information that will help us identify, apprehend and prosecute whomever is responsible for these depraved acts of cruelty,” he said.
A Gofundme page was set up by the Golden Retriever Rescue Group in hopes of raising $10,000 to cover the dog’s medical costs. As of midday Thursday, more than $19,000 had already been raised. Rescue Group officials said excess funds will be used to assist other dogs in the group’s care. | – Since July, at least seven dogs in and around Los Angeles County have been burned, likely with battery acid or another chemical—and now the county is offering a $25,000 reward for help finding the person or people behind the attacks. Two of the dogs (some of which have also been attacked in Kern County) were euthanized as a result of the attacks, the Los Angeles Times reports. Most of the injured animals have been pit bulls, but a golden retriever was also burned in the attacks, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. Authorities also released a photo of an injured cocker spaniel. "We hope that the reward will encourage someone that may have heard something to step forward with information that may lead us to the person who committed these really depraved acts of cruelty," says a spokesperson for LA County Supervisor Michael Antonovich. PETA is also offering a $2,500 reward, the Daily News reports. Money is being raised for at least two of the dogs online; their GoFundMe pages are here and here. (In happier news, these 100 dogs were saved from becoming dinner.) |
Nicki Minaj is all about giving back.
On Wednesday, the "MotorSport" rapper revealed on her Beats 1 Queen Radio show that she is donating $25,000 to former Cosby Show actor Geoffrey Owens after he was shamed for working at Trader Joe's. ET caught up with Minaj at the Daily Front Row Fashion Awards in NYC, where she explained why she wanted to help out the actor.
"Some people are on the internet and seeking attention, and he’s just the antithesis of that. So I felt like, 'Oh my God, could you imagine?'" she told ET during the event's red carpet. "We all have done jobs like that and I just thought, what if that were me? Or a family member and they were minding their own business, working to feed their family and somebody tried to humiliate them? I don’t like the way that feels."
Minaj, meanwhile, confirmed to ET that she was going to reach out to Owens, who is best known for playing Sondra Huxtable's doctor husband, Elvin Tibideaux, on The Cosby Show. "Tell him that I’m going to have my team contact him because I hope he doesn’t take it the wrong way," she said. "I just want to help him in any way I can."
Gary Gershoff/WireImage
During her radio show, the rapper was upset someone would take a photo of the actor while he was "bagging groceries to feed his family."
"That man is now getting so many opportunities," Minaj expressed. "I personally want to donate on behalf of Queen Radio $25,000 to Geoffrey Owens. You know why? Imma tell you something. This man is a whole f**king legend in these streets."
Owens made headlines this week after a woman snapped photos of him while he was working at the grocery store. The pictures were later published by multiple outlets. The 57-year-old actor then appeared on Good Morning America to talk about the attention he had received after being shamed for having a job at Trader Joe's. Owens, however, also received a slew of positive and supportive messages from fans and fellow actors.
Tyler Perry even tweeted that he was offering Owens a role on one of his OWN shows. ET sat down with Owens this week, where the actor expressed his gratitude and thanked Perry for the offer.
"That was kind of cool. I mean, that kind of sounded like he was saying, 'Come work with me.' I'm so, like, skeptical. Like, really?" Owens told ET. "Are you actually saying come work with me? Because we've never worked together before. So, that's a very, very generous thing for him to say. And we'll see what happens with that. But, that's encouraging."
Owens has actually stopped working at Trader Joe's for now but is thankful for the outpouring love and support.
"When I quit, the guys at the store said, you know, 'Don't quit, let's keep it open, let's have it like an indefinite leave of absence,'" he shared. "OK, that's cool, that's great, but basically I left at that point because I felt like, just for my personal sake, my dignity and my emotional wellbeing, I didn't want to be in the store while I felt like people might be staking out the place as they did, actually. People came to the store and they were staking it out and stuff. I didn't feel like that was going to be good for my spiritual being, so I felt like I needed to at least temporarily step out, and I think that was the wise thing to do, actually."
For more on Owens, watch below.
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Woman Who Took Photo of Geoffrey Owens at Trader Joe's Says She Meant No Ill Will, Talks Intense Backlash
Keshia Knight Pulliam Surprises 'Cosby Show' Co-Star Geoffrey Owens During ET Interview -- Watch!
Geoffrey Owens Responds to Tyler Perry Offering Him a Job After Being Shamed for Bagging Groceries (Exclusive)
Related Gallery ||||| It's been a full week since the 'Cosby Show' star was shamed for working a traditional job, and while the experience was devastating, it has also been a blessing, he says.
The first person Geoffrey Owens contacted after discovering an article would be published in which he would be shamed for his job at Trader Joe's was his 19-year-old son — to apologize.
"He was the first person I thought of, and I texted, 'I am really sorry if this embarrasses you.' And he texted me back a beautiful response that made me cry. And I knew I was going to be OK," said the former Cosby Show star.
Granting an interview to The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday, exactly one week after a story about Owens working as a cashier in a New Jersey Trader Joe's appeared in The Daily Mail, the actor called the entire experience a "blessing," albeit a painful one.
"I don't want to be presumptuous and say because of my situation, we've started a change, but I think it is certainly less shameful to admit that we are all working people who do what we need to do," said the 57-year-old Owens, whose shaming incited a massive backlash toward those who took his picture and the few outlets that ran with the gossip.
"It was mean-spirited," he told THR. "I am a very private person, but I chose this life, so I accepted it. I didn't feel any impulse to lash out, but I was devastated. Fortunately, that didn't last very long when all the support came in."
And now, the jobs offers are also rolling in. Owens revealed that, even though he made it clear in previous interviews he was not looking for a handout just because of the situation, he has been offered, and is mulling over, a "whole handful" of television offers. "It's been a real generosity of spirit and a generosity of action where that is concerned," he said.
Owens said he knew the gossip piece was coming when he was contacted by the reporter a few days before it was published. So, he texted his son, talked to his wife, quit his job at Trader Joe's ("I felt like I had to leave the store") and prepared for the fallout.
"I imagined the worst-case scenario to brace myself, and it somehow managed to be worse than I expected," he said. "The pictures of me, the words that were used to describe me, were so demeaning. It was humiliating, acutely, for a very short time — and then there was this amazing rescue from the world."
Social media came alive with outrage when the gossip was posted. Stars immediately came to Owens' defense, many sharing their own stories of less-than-glamorous jobs they did between scripts to make ends meet. Others, including some old friends, reached out directly.
"Keshia Knight Pulliam, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Sabrina Le Beauf [all Cosby Show alum] have all been in touch and all have been lovely, as you would expect friends to be," said the actor.
As to whether he would go back to Trader Joe's if he needed to in the future, Owens didn't hesitate in answering: "Yes. They said, 'Don't consider it leaving, consider it an indeterminate leave of absence.' So they wanted to hold my place open in case I ever wanted to come back, which I thought was really cool." ||||| Geoffrey Owens is feeling the love.
The former Cosby Show actor expressed his gratitude for the amount of support he’s received after the world learned he was working at a Trader Joe’s grocery store between acting gigs.
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“It’s been surreal,” he said on Good Morning America. “It’s been nonstop contact and emails, phone calls, texts and interviews. It’s actually bizarre — a lot of fun though.”
Last week, the Daily Mail and Fox News published photos — snapped by a shopper — of Owens bagging groceries at a Trader Joe’s in New Jersey.
Robin Marchant/Getty; Robin Marchant/Getty
Owens, who worked at the grocery store for 15 months, first took the job because he wanted “flexibility” in order to stay in the entertainment business; he’s since quit over all the attention.
Following the photos going viral, filmmaker Tyler Perry offered Owens, 57, a job on an OWN drama.
Outpouring of support for "Cosby Show" actor: https://t.co/0wZJnpowI9 @ABonTV has Geoffrey Owens' message this morning pic.twitter.com/d8nXVC3YHH — Good Morning America (@GMA) September 5, 2018
“#GeoffreyOwens I’m about to start shootings OWN’s number one drama next week! Come join us!!!” Perry tweeted.
“I have so much respect for people who hustle between gigs,” he continued. “The measure of a true artist.”
#GeoffreyOwens I’m about to start shootings OWN’s number one drama next week! Come join us!!! I have so much respect for people who hustle between gigs. The measure of a true artist. — Tyler Perry (@tylerperry) September 4, 2018
Owens said he was touched by the offer.
“It’s certainly very generous of him,” said Ownes. “To even just put that out there is very encouraging.”
And while Owens, who played Elvin Tibideaux on The Cosby Show from 1985-92, said he was “really devastated” at first after the photos came out, he has now seen the humor in the situation.
“I never would have imagined this in my wildest dreams,” he said. “What’s a way to get publicity? Take a job at Trader Joe’s!” ||||| # GeoffreyOwens I’m about to start shootings OWN’s number one drama next week! Come join us!!! I have so much respect for people who hustle between gigs. The measure of a true artist. ||||| After a customer took a photo of Geoffrey Owens working at Trader Joe’s in New Jersey, the former Cosby Show star’s first thought was of his son, as he feared the 19-year-old would be humiliated when people found out his dad worked at a supermarket.
“My wife and I were together when we saw it,” Owens, 57, exclusively tells PEOPLE. “It made me think of my son. I texted my son and warned him about the story breaking. I actually apologized to him for embarrassing him, because I knew that he’s in school away from us. I knew his classmates would see it and he’d be humiliated and embarrassed. I apologized to him.”
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Adding, “Even before the wave of support rolled in within an hour or two, he sent me a beautiful text back about how proud he was of me. I cried, I just broke down. He felt the opposite of embarrassment. He was so proud that I had taken the job. It was beautiful.”
“With my wife’s support and my son’s reactions, all before the counter-reaction came in, I felt very supported and loved. Then, the encouragement from all over the world started to come in and that was unbelievable and overwhelming.”
Larry Busacca/Getty Images
Though the actor says the attention he’s been receiving since the photo was published by some tabloids has been overwhelming, he’s grateful for the support.
“It really hurt,” Owens says of the photo. “I felt really humiliated. From the time that I heard that the article might be done to the time it came out, I tried to envision the worse case scenario just to prepare myself and then it was just a little bit worse. If that was possible. They went out of their way to find the very worst picture of me, in the worst shirt and the worst posture. The words they used to describe me were so demeaning. It hurt.”
RELATED ARTICLES: Woman Who Took Geoffrey Owens’ Photo at Trader Joe’s Says She Didn’t Mean to Shame Him
But, Owens hasn’t allowed that hurt to hold him down.
“I’ve learned to never give up,” he says. “A lot of times I was on the verge of quitting the job at Trader Joe’s, but I didn’t because I couldn’t. But it was sufficiently awkward and uncomfortable to be in that kind of job recognized from time to time. For me to want to get out of it, I wanted to leave at times even though I was grateful for it as work. But if I had done that, none of this would’ve happened.
“It’s because I kind of hung in there and persevered that all of this amazing stuff has now happened. I am someone who generally does persevere, but this confirmed to me how important it is to just hang in there. I think that’s so important for so many people in my industry. You just have to hang on!”
Owens played Elvin Tibideaux on The Cosby Show from 1985 to 1992. He has since appeared on a number of shows, including Divorce, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Built to Last. ||||| 'Cosby' Star Geoffrey Owens Accepts Offer from Tyler Perry 10-Episode Run!!!
Geoffrey Owens Accepts Offer From Tyler Perry and Will Appear on 10 Episodes
EXCLUSIVE
Geoffrey Owens is about to get a hell of a lot of screen time thanks to Tyler Perry -- he's accepted the mega producer's offer for an acting gig -- and it's a big one!
Owens, who starred on "The Cosby Show," was recently photographed working as a cashier at Trader Joe's. Geoffrey was shamed by many for the cashier job and Tyler reached out via Twitter, saying, "I'm about to start shooting OWN's number one drama next week! Come join us!!!"
Sources familiar with the deal tell us joining Tyler is exactly what Geoffrey will do. We're told he's going to appear on Perry's hit, "The Haves and the Have Nots." Even bigger ... it's not a one shot deal. We're told he'll have a recurring role and appear on 10 episodes.
The show -- on it's 6th season -- shoots in Atlanta, and we're told Owens will fly there next week to begin filming.
As for his salary ... that's unclear, but working one job is always better than two. | – The swelling tide of well wishes for the Cosby Show actor who was job-shamed by multiple media outlets may have just turned into something more lucrative. Sources tell TMZ that Geoffrey Owens has accepted a job offer by filmmaker and producer Tyler Perry, who tweeted earlier this week that the 57-year-old actor should "join us" on OWN's The Haves and the Have Nots, which Perry writes for and directs. TMZ reports that Owens is said to be slotted into a recurring role and will appear on 10 episodes, and that he's set to fly to Atlanta next week to begin filming. Owens had previously spoken on Perry's offer, though he simply called it a "generous" one and didn't indicate whether he'd take it, per People. In fact, Owens tells the Hollywood Reporter he's considering "a whole handful" of TV offers. "It's been a real generosity of spirit and a generosity of action," he says. Owens, who has since spoken on the "honor of the working person and the dignity of work," says his first concern when the photo of him broke was his 19-year-old son, People notes. He says he texted his son, who's away at school, to warn him and to apologize for the embarrassment—but his son texted right back to say how proud he was of Owens. "I cried, I just broke down," Owens says. "It was beautiful." One other person is stepping up to do right by Owens: Nicki Minaj, who told Entertainment Tonight she wants to donate $25,000 to the actor. "Some people are on the internet and seeking attention, and he's just the antithesis of that," she says. She notes she's having her rep reach out to Owens' people so he "doesn't take it the wrong way." (The woman who took the Owens photo is now speaking.) |
NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are donating $25 million to the CDC Foundation to help address the Ebola epidemic.
The money will be used by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Ebola response effort in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and elsewhere in the world where Ebola is a threat, the foundation said Tuesday.
The grant follows a $9 million donation made by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen last month. Zuckerberg and Chan are making the grant from their fund at the nonprofit Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Also on Tuesday, the World Health Organization said West Africa could see up to 10,000 new Ebola cases a week within two months and confirmed that the death rate in the current outbreak is now 70 percent. The disease has killed more than 4,000 people, nearly all of them in West Africa. The WHO has called the outbreak "the most severe, acute health emergency seen in modern times."
"The most important step we can take is to stop Ebola at its source. The sooner the world comes together to help West Africa, the safer we all will be," said CDC Director Tom Frieden in a statement. ||||| DALLAS (AP) — They drew his blood, put tubes down his throat and wiped up his diarrhea. They analyzed his urine and wiped saliva from his lips, even after he had lost consciousness.
The emergency entrance to Texas Health Presbyterian hospital, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014, in Dallas, Texas. Hospital officials have said they are no longer accepting new patients at this time after a healthcare... (Associated Press)
FILE - This undated file image made available by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows the Ebola virus. A Texas health care worker who provided hospital care for Thomas Eric Duncan, who later died... (Associated Press)
Protect Environmental workers move disposal barrels to a staging area outside the apartment of a healthcare worker who treated Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan and tested positive for the disease, Monday,... (Associated Press)
About 70 staff members at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital were involved in the care of Thomas Eric Duncan after he was hospitalized, including a nurse now being treated for the same Ebola virus that killed the Liberian man who was visiting Dallas, according to medical records his family provided to The Associated Press.
The size of the medical team reflects the hospital's intense effort to save Duncan's life, but it also suggests that many other people could have been exposed to the virus during Duncan's time in an isolation unit.
On Monday, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the infection of the nurse means the agency must broaden the pool of people getting close monitoring. Authorities have said they do not know how 26-year-old nurse Nina Pham was infected, but they suspect some kind of breach in the hospital's protocol.
The medical records given to the AP offer clues, both to what happened and who was involved, but the hospital said the CDC does not have them.
A CDC spokeswoman said the agency reviewed the medical records with Duncan's care team and concluded that the documents were not helpful in identifying those who interacted directly with the patient.
"This is not something we can afford to experiment with. We need to get this right," said Ruth McDermott-Levy, who directs the Center for Global and Public Health in Villanova University's College of Nursing.
Until now, the CDC has been actively monitoring 48 people who might have had contact with Duncan after he fell ill with an infection but before he was put in isolation. The number included 10 people known to have contact and 38 who may have had contact, including people he was staying with and health care professionals who attended to him during an emergency room visit from which he was sent home. None is sick.
The CDC has not yet established a firm number of health care workers who had contact with Duncan.
"If this one individual was infected — and we don't know how — within the isolation unit, then it is possible that other individuals could have been infected as well," said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC. "We do not today have a number of such exposed people or potentially exposed health care workers. It's a relatively large number, we think in the end."
Caregivers who began treating Duncan after he tested positive for Ebola were following a "self-monitoring regimen" in which they were instructed to take their temperatures regularly and report any symptoms. But they were not considered at high risk. Pham went to the hospital Friday night after she took her temperature and found she had a fever.
Typically, the nurses, doctors and technicians caring for a contagious patient in isolation would be treating other people as well, and going home to their families after decontaminating themselves. The hospital has refused to answer questions about their specific duties.
The 1,400-plus pages of medical records show that nurses, doctors and other hospital employees wore face shields, double gowns, protective footwear and even hazmat suits to avoid touching any of Duncan's bodily fluids. Ebola spreads through direct contact with those fluids, usually blood, feces and vomit. The virus has also been detected in urine, semen and breast milk, and it may be in saliva and tears.
CDC officials said there were chinks in that protection at Texas Presbyterian, but they have not identified them and are investigating.
"Patient had large, extremely watery diarrhea," a nurse wrote in a report filed the day Duncan tested positive.
Another nurse noted that Duncan's urine was "darker in color with noted blood streaks."
It was unclear from the records released to the AP how many of the approximately 70 individuals involved in Duncan's care had direct contact with his body or fluids.
Dr. Aileen Marty, a World Health Organization doctor who recently returned to Florida International University after a month fighting Ebola in Nigeria, said no amount of protection is going to help if hospital workers do not put on and take off their protective layers carefully.
"The first thing in caring for someone with Ebola is to do everything in your power to never become a victim," she said.
And tracking all contacts, even within the medical setting, is complicated.
Generally, the first step in locating care providers for isolated infected patients is a personnel log on the door, "that should have everyone going in and out, signing in and out," said Dr. Lisa Esolen, Geisinger Health System's Medical Director of Health Services and Infection Prevention and Control. Medical records indicate the Dallas hospital had a log.
On the day before Duncan died, records indicate that at least nine caregivers entered and exited the room.
A spokesman for Texas Health Resources, the hospital's parent company, said the CDC probably has a log from the room door that would list everyone who got close to Duncan.
Dr. Christopher Ohl, who heads Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center's infectious-disease department and has worked with the CDC in the past, said the expanding monitoring "is an abundance of caution that's probably beyond what needs to be done" because medical caregivers will notice if they're getting a fever, and they're not contagious until that point.
"You start to know when you get those body aches and headaches, most people know that," he said. "It's not like you're surprised by it. Most people can figure out what to do when that happens."
___
Associated Press writers Maud Beelman and Jamie Stengle contributed to this report. ||||| The 33-year-old freelance cameraman who contracted Ebola in Liberia is fighting for his life at the University of Nebraska Medical Center this week. He’s also racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills.
According to a GoFundMe campaign launched Monday by his friends, Ashoka Mukpo’s medical bills could run in excess of $500,000.
The cost of the evacuation flight from Liberia to Omaha alone cost $150,000, not including the 40-person medical team that accompanied him on the flight, according to the campaign. Mukpo did have travelers’ insurance, but the policy excludes “catastrophic events or outbreaks,” and won’t pay for the treatment, the GoFundMe campaign says.
Related: 11 Ways to Fight Ebola and Other Diseases
Doctors at the Texas hospital who treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian national who became the first person to die of Ebola on U.S. soil, told Bloomberg that care can cost $1,000 per hour.
“We know that our original goal of $500,000 will likely not cover all of [Mukpo's] expenses, but we are doing all that we can to show our love and support,” friend Stephanie Federico writes on the GoFundMe campaign page.
So far, the campaign has received 206 donations, totaling just over $16,000.
Mukpo is reportedly in stable condition since returning to the states. On Thursday, he received a blood transfusion from Kent Brantley, the American doctor who recovered from the disease after treatment in Atlanta.
Update 10/15/2014: NBC has agreed to cover Mukpo's medical bills. Read more here.
Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: ||||| JOHANNESBURG (AP) — International aid organization Doctors Without Borders said that 16 of its staff members have been infected with Ebola and nine of them have died.
Speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg Tuesday, the head of Doctors Without Borders in South Africa Sharon Ekambaram said medical workers have received inadequate assistance from the international community. She said that while many pledges had been made publicly they have not improved the situation in the affected countries.
Juli Switala, a doctor working for the international aid organization who just returned from Sierra Leone, said the number of those who have died from Ebola is probably an underestimate because many families hide their sick and dying loved ones. More than 4,000 people have died from Ebola so far, according to the World Health Organization. ||||| Ashoka Mukpo is a 33 year-old freelance journalist and human rights advocate who worked in Liberia for 2 years with a local NGO focused on land development and workers’ rights. Ashoka is also a son, brother, uncle, fiance, friend and an inspiration to many.
While working in Liberia, Ashoka developed a strong connection to the people and their culture. Hearing of the Ebola crisis unfolding in this place where he was so warmly welcomed, he was compelled to return in order to report what was happening in Liberia.
Ashoka contracted Ebola while covering the outbreak. Ashoka quickly self-quarantined after feeling weak and achy, and a short time later he tested positive for the Ebola virus. Ashoka received care with MSF in Monrovia until he was transported back to the United States, where he is now recieving world class care at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
We, some of his close friends, wanted to help provide support and possibly relieve some worry by establishing this GoFundMe campaign. NBC has been incredibly kind and supportive of Ashoka and his family during this scary time. We have just learned that NBC has committed to covering Ashoka’s medical expenses, which is monumental, and will allow Ashoka and his family to focus on his recovery.
In light of this excellent news, we are updating the amount being sought for Ashoka to reflect other expenses related to his recovery. There is also an option to refund donations that were already made, if you specifically wanted to contribute to his medical expenses.
Donated funds will now be directed toward replacing all of Ashoka’s gear and possessions (which had to be destroyed due to Ebola contamination and include his Apple computers, Ipad, Iphone, Canon cameras, lenses and recording equipment, camping gear and clothing), covering his travel expenses and helping him to recover and rebuild his life. Due to the nature of the work he has chosen to do, he does not have any “back up” funds to help cover such expenses.
We have every reason to believe that with time Ashoka will make a full recovery, and we want to support his ability to return to his great work bringing attention to people in need around the world.
We also want to express our incredible gratitude for the concern, kindness, generosity and prayers that are being directed toward Ashoka and his family. Thank you so much.
||||| GENEVA (AP) — A World Health Organization official says the death rate in the current Ebola outbreak has increased to 70 percent.
WHO assistant director-general Dr. Bruce Aylward gave the figure during a news conference Tuesday.
Aylward said that the 70 percent death rate was "a high mortality disease" in any circumstance and that the U.N. health agency was still focused on trying to get sick people isolated and provide treatment as early as possible.
Previously, WHO had said the death rate was around 50 percent.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
A World Health Organization official says there could be up to 10,000 new cases of Ebola per week within two months.
WHO assistant director-general Dr. Bruce Aylward says if the response to the Ebola crisis isn't stepped up within 60 days, "a lot more people will die" and there will be a huge need on the ground to deal with the spiraling numbers of cases. He said WHO estimated there could up to 10,000 cases per week in two months.
Aylward said for the last four weeks, there have been about 1,000 new cases per week, though that figure includes suspected, confirmed and probable cases. He said WHO is aiming to have 70 percent of cases isolated within two months to reverse the outbreak.
WHO increased its Ebola death toll tally to 4,447, nearly all of them in West Africa, and the group said the number of probable and suspected cases was 8,914.
Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia have been hardest hit. Aylward said WHO was very concerned about the continued spread of Ebola in the three countries' capital cities —Freetown, Conakry and Monrovia. He noted that while certain areas were seeing cases decline, "that doesn't mean they will get to zero."
He said the agency was still focused on trying to treat Ebola patients, despite the huge demands on the broken health systems in West Africa.
"It would be horrifically unethical to say that we're just going to isolate people," he said, noting that new strategies like handing out protective equipment to families and setting up very basic clinics — without much treatment — was a priority. | – Recent news on the Ebola outbreak paints a bleak portrait of the disease by numbers: 70%: The current death rate from the disease, the World Health Organization again confirmed today. That's an increase from the initial 50% cited by WHO, the AP reports. 10,000: The number of new Ebola cases WHO says are possible each week, starting at some point in the next two months. In other words, the effort to grapple with the disease needs a big boost within 60 days, says an official. 9: The number of workers for another health organization, Doctors Without Borders, who have died fighting the outbreak, the AP reports. An additional seven have been infected. 70: The number of health workers at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who took care of the first US Ebola patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, who died of the virus. One of them is the nurse who's now suffering from the disease. $500,000: The potential cost of care for Ashoka Mukpo, a freelance cameraman who picked up Ebola in Liberia. His friends set up a crowdfunding campaign last week to help pay his bills, the Fiscal Times reports; you can contribute here. $32.6 billion: The possible economic toll the disease could take by the end of next year, the New York Times reports. The number comes from the World Bank and refers to a situation in which "the epidemic spreads into neighboring countries" around its center in West Africa. 4,447: The total number of deaths from the disease, per WHO, which says the total number of likely cases is 8,914. There's one non-grim number to add to the mix: $25 million, which is what Mark Zuckerberg and his wife are donating to the fight. |
Russian hackers who hit the White House infiltrated an unclassified computer system and apparently accessed details about President Obama's schedule.
While the White House previously sought to downplay the seriousness of the hack, which took place last year, the intruders were able to see information about the president that was not publicly available, CNN reported Tuesday.
Officials briefed on the investigation told CNN that the incident was connected to a Russian cyberattack that also breached the State Department's network.
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The breach of Obama’s schedule is notable because the White House maintains tight control over information about the president’s activities.While a general outline of the day’s events is available to the press, Obama takes many meetings and phone calls throughout the day that are not publicly disclosed.The president’s precise whereabouts are also not always known, and the press pool that covers Obama on a daily basis is restricted from accessing many parts of the White House building and grounds.Intimate knowledge of Obama’s activities would be seen as valuable to foreign intelligence agencies like Russia’s.Officials with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that Russian hackers were able to break into the White House system through their foothold within networks at the State Department.The intrusion began when hackers sent what is known as a "phishing" email from a State Department account, infecting a White House computer with malware, the investigators said.The State Department has been battling its own highly sophisticated cyber intrusion for months, though exactly which portions of its network remain breached is unclear.Private security experts had suspected there was a link between the State Department and White House break-ins.Russia is a key adversary of the United States in cyberspace, and is believed to have infiltrated most U.S. critical infrastructure, including installing malware in software that controls everything from oil and gas pipelines to wind turbines to nuclear power plants.The White House breach made headlines last year as a sign of hackers’ increasing access to the highest levels of the U.S. government.White House officials confirmed in October that its unclassified system had been breached. Computers and systems were not damaged, officials said, though some services were disrupted as cybersecurity experts sought to limit hackers’ activity in the months that followed.The “vast majority” of systems were back online as of late February, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said at the time.
—Last updated at 6 p.m. ||||| Washington (CNN) Russian hackers behind the damaging cyber intrusion of the State Department in recent months used that perch to penetrate sensitive parts of the White House computer system, according to U.S. officials briefed on the investigation.
While the White House has said the breach only affected an unclassified system, that description belies the seriousness of the intrusion. The hackers had access to sensitive information such as real-time non-public details of the president's schedule. While such information is not classified, it is still highly sensitive and prized by foreign intelligence agencies, U.S. officials say.
The White House in October said it noticed suspicious activity in the unclassified network that serves the executive office of the president. The system has been shut down periodically to allow for security upgrades.
The FBI, Secret Service and U.S. intelligence agencies are all involved in investigating the breach, which they consider among the most sophisticated attacks ever launched against U.S. government systems. The intrusion was routed through computers around the world, as hackers often do to hide their tracks, but investigators found tell-tale codes and other markers that they believe point to hackers working for the Russian government.
National Security Council spokesman Mark Stroh didn't confirm the Russian hack, but he did say that "any such activity is something we take very seriously."
"In this case, as we made clear at the time, we took immediate measures to evaluate and mitigate the activity," he said. "As has been our position, we are not going to comment on [this] article's attribution to specific actors."
Neither the U.S. State Department nor the Russian Embassy immediately responded to a request for comment.
Ben Rhodes, President Barack Obama's deputy national security adviser, said the White House's use of a separate system for classified information protected sensitive national security-related items from being obtained by hackers.
"We do not believe that our classified systems were compromised," Rhodes told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday.
"We're constantly updating our security measures on our unclassified system, but we're frankly told to act as if we need not put information that's sensitive on that system," he said. "In other words, if you're going to do something classified, you have to do it on one email system, one phone system. Frankly, you have to act as if information could be compromised if it's not on the classified system."
To get to the White House, the hackers first broke into the State Department, investigators believe.
The State Department computer system has been bedeviled by signs that despite efforts to lock them out, the Russian hackers have been able to reenter the system. One official says the Russian hackers have "owned" the State Department system for months and it is not clear the hackers have been fully eradicated from the system.
As in many hacks, investigators believe the White House intrusion began with a phishing email that was launched using a State Department email account that the hackers had taken over, according to the U.S. officials.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, in a speech at an FBI cyberconference in January, warned government officials and private businesses to teach employees what "spear phishing" looks like.
"So many times, the Chinese and others get access to our systems just by pretending to be someone else and then asking for access, and someone gives it to them," Clapper said.
The ferocity of the Russian intrusions in recent months caught U.S. officials by surprise, leading to a reassessment of the cybersecurity threat as the U.S. and Russia increasingly confront each other over issues ranging from the Russian aggression in Ukraine to the U.S. military operations in Syria.
Sen. Susan Collins said the revelations of the Russian hack "are troubling and further expose that our nation's defenses against cyber-attacks are dangerously inadequate." The Republican senator from Maine said the breach showed the need to pass legislation to encourage the government and private companies to bolster their cyber defenses.
The attacks on the State and White House systems is one reason why Clapper told a Senate hearing in February that the "Russian cyberthreat is more severe than we have previously assessed."
The revelations about the State Department hacks also come amid controversy over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server to conduct government business during her time in office. Critics say her private server likely was even less safe than the State system. The Russian breach is believed to have come after Clinton departed State.
But hackers have long made Clinton and her associates targets.
The website The Smoking Gun first reported in 2013 that a hacker known as Guccifer had broken into the AOL email of Sidney Blumenthal, a friend and advisor to the Clintons, and published emails Blumenthal sent to Hillary Clinton's private account. The emails included sensitive memos on foreign policy issues and were the first public revelation of the existence of Hillary Clinton's private email address now at the center of controversy: hdr22@clintonemail.com. The address is no longer in use. ||||| A new report says Russia was behind a hack of a White House computer network last year that exposed sensitive information about President Obama. Now, federal agencies are investigating the breach, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Plante.
The White House would not say who they think is responsible, but sources told CBS News it did come from Russia. The White House has two computer systems: one that handles classified information, the other non-classified information. The unclassified system is the one that was reportedly breached.
"There's always vulnerability," Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said at a press conference. "The fact is that's why we have a classified system because there's less risk in the classified system and that is secure. On the unclassified system we take regular actions to prevent vulnerabilities and to enhance security."
Rhodes did not provide specifics about reports that the Russians were behind that hack of the White House's unclassified system last year. That system contains non-public information, including Mr. Obama's sensitive, unpublished schedule.
The reported hack happened during a tense time between the White House and the Kremlin when Mr. Obama and Russian President Putin were at odds over Moscow's involvement in Ukraine.
"It is a demonstration that the Russians are willing to up the ante in the cyber games against the United States and they're willing to demonstrate their capabilities against the White House itself, the center of American power," CBS News senior national security analyst Juan Zarate.
Last October, officials confirmed suspicious cyber activity was detected on the White House computer network around the same time the State Department system was compromised. According to reports, that's how the hackers slipped into the White House system.
"The reality is that Russia, China and other competitive nation states have at their command, impressive and potentially detrimental cyber tools and they are willing to use them," Zarate said.
In February, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a Senate committee that the Russian cyber threat is more severe than previously assessed. ||||| Russian hackers penetrated the White House non-public, non-classified computer system for several months last year, forcing the White House to shut down the system for several days, U.S. officials said.
The hacked system is not used for classified information, but is used by the White House advance and press office, the general counsel’s office, and officials in the budget and legislative liaison offices.
One person briefed on the hacking said the Russian invaders were difficult to detect and difficult to remove from the White House computer network, and some believe the hackers could still be hiding inside the system tonight.
Ben Rhodes, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, declined to confirm the breach to CNN, which first reported it today.
“We’ve spoken to the fact that there was an event last year,” Rhodes said. “There’s always vulnerability and the fact is, that’s why we have a classified system, because there’s less risk on the classified system that is secure.”
The White House National Security Council released a statement saying it disclosed the malicious activity last year and said, “any such activity is something we take very seriously.”
The White House hack comes after the State Department struggled for months to evict hackers from its own non-classified systems, also suspected to be the work of Russian hackers. That hack prompted the State Department to shut down its unclassified email system in March.
US officials briefly referred to the White House cyberattack when they said last fall it was "connected" to the State Department hack. | – Russian hackers' apparent infiltration of the White House computer network in October wasn't exactly confidence-inspiring, even though it was the unclassified portion of the system that was breached. Now US officials say some of the unclassified information that made its way onto hackers' screens was related to President Obama's itineraries—not classified knowledge, but not exactly public knowledge, notes CNN. The Hill points out that although the press has access to "a general outline" of Obama's daily routine, there are still phone calls and meetings that aren't made public, and that foreign spies would apparently love to know about. Obama's exact location at any given point during the day is also often kept on the down-low, and certain parts of the White House are off-limits to the press, the Hill adds. Besides the White House scheduling and press offices, others who use the hacked system include the general counsel's office and the budget and legislative liaison offices, ABC News reports. The hackers are believed to have accessed the White House network by first hacking State Department files, according to investigators, which leads to the fear that hackers have gotten back into the State Department system. One official tells CNN that the hackers have "owned" the network "for months." "There's always vulnerability," Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes noted at a press conference, per CBS News. "The fact is that's why we have a classified system because there's less risk in the classified system, and that is secure." (The FBI is going after one Russian hacker in particular.) |
CLOSE Casual-dining restaurants have struggled as more customers have gravitated toward quick-service restaurants like Panera Bread or Chipotle Mexican Grill. USA TODAY
There are plans to shutter up to 160 Applebee's and IHOP locations, according to parent DineEquity. (Photo: Andrew Burton, Getty Images)
The parent company of Applebee's and IHOP plans to close up to 160 restaurants, vastly boosting the number of eateries from the two comfort-food chains that it plans to shutter.
Some 105 to 135 Applebee's restaurants will close, up from the 40 to 60 that parent DineEquity said would close in the first quarter. Also on the chopping block are an estimated 20 to 25 IHOP sites, up from about 18.
At the same time, the two chains now will open 125 restaurants globally between them in new locations, DineEquity said.
The casual-dining segment, where both chains are positioned, is experiencing increased troubles as more customers have gravitated to the quick-service restaurants like Panera Bread or Chipotle Mexican Grill, many of which market themselves as offering healthier and more upscale food.
Analysts say Applebee’s, in particular, has had a hard time.
Applebee’s "remains out-of-favor with casual-dining consumers....Sister concept IHOP may be feeling the effects of DineEquity’s struggles as well," said Instinet analyst Mark Kalinowski in a report released Friday.
But DineEquity officials say the painful job of closing restaurants will help in the long run.
"We are investing in the empowerment of our brands by improving overall franchisee financial health, closing underperforming restaurants and enhancing the supply chain," interim CEO Richard Dahl said in a statement.
He said Applebee's is in the middle if a "transitional year" and is "making the necessary investments for overall long-term brand health."
The company declined to release a list of locations that will be shuttered.
DineEquity reported net income of $20.9 million, or $1.18 a share, in the second quarter, a drop from $26.4 million, or $1.45 a share, compared to the same quarter last year.
Applebee's domestic system-wide comparable same-restaurant sales declined 6.2% in the second quarter of 2017, while IHOP's declined 2.6% during the same period, according to the company.
"IHOP remains on solid ground, despite soft sales this quarter. I am optimistic about the growth in both effective franchise restaurants and systemwide sales," Dahl said.
DineEquity reiterated its plan to open 20 to 30 Applebee’s, mostly abroad, and revised its plan to open 80 to 95 IHOP restaurants, mostly in the U.S. That's up from the 75 to 90 restaurants globally that it announced previously.
"Restaurant closures are a normal course of business in the industry and when you have a footprint as large as ours," Amy Mason, senior vice president for global communications and consumer insights, said. "They are either older locations in a lapsed trade area, where once vibrant retail, residential and traffic characteristics are no longer present; others are closed when they are underperforming with unsustainable economics. Closing these well-below average restaurants can have a positive brand benefit since guests are no longer experiencing a substandard experience."
On Thursday, the company also named Stephen Joyce, former CEO of Choice Hotels, as its new CEO. He replaces Julia Stewart, who resigned in February; she was at the helm when Applebee's as acquired in 2007.
DineEquity CFO Thomas Emrey resigned in March and no permanent replacement has been named.
The Glendale, Calif.-based company has 3,700-plus restaurants in 19 countries.
DineEquity stock was trading at $38.7, up $1.42 or 3.81%, in mid-afternoon trading.
Related:
Follow USA TODAY reporter Zlati Meyer on Twitter: @ZlatiMeyer
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2wMoRw5 ||||| On the IHOP side, DineEquity said closures could range between 20 and 25 restaurants, while the company expects to open 80 to 95 new locations, most of which will be in the U.S. That could mean 75 net openings for the chain. | – Fans of IHOP and Applebee's, take note: It's possible your hometown location will be closing, though it's also possible one will opening there soon. Parent company DineEquity announced a plan to close as many as 160 of the restaurants and to open up to 125 new ones, reports USA Today. The problem is that the company hasn't decided specifics yet in regard to locations. A safe bet when all is said and done: It will be harder to find an Applebee's in the US but easier to find an IHOP. The Los Angeles Times provides more details on that front: 105 to 135 Applebee's restaurants will close, and while that will be offset slightly by 20 to 30 openings, most of those openings will be outside the US. As for IHOP, 20 to 25 restaurants will close, but 80 to 95 will open, mostly in the US. DineEquity operates 1,968 Applebee's locations worldwide and 1,752 IHOP sites. |
A murder suspect being interviewed at the Jackson, Miss., police headquarters shot a detective Thursday and those who came to investigate the gunfire found both men dead, authorities said.
Law enforcement officers wait at the entrance to the Jackson Police Department Thursday, April, 4, 2013, after police say a murder suspect fatally shot detective Eric Smith inside the headquarters. The... (Associated Press)
Jackson, Miss. Assistant Chief Lee Vance, center left, comforts Chief Rebecca Coleman, center right, Thursday, April, 4, 2013, after detective Eric Smith was shot and killed inside the Jackson Police... (Associated Press)
In this 2008 image provided by the Jackson, Miss. Police, Detective Eric Smith, center, flanked by Chief Rebecca Coleman, left, and Assistant Chief Lee Vance accepts the Certificate of Commendation on... (Associated Press)
The suspect was being questioned on the third floor of the building when the shooting happened, said Police Chief Rebecca Coleman. Police did not release any details on the sequence of what happened.
The officer was identified as Det. Eric Smith, 40, who was assigned to the Robbery-Homicide Division and had been with the department since 1995.
Late Thursday, police identified the murder suspect as Jeremy Powell, 23. Both the detective and the suspect had been shot multiple times.
Police said Powell was in the process of being arrested in the killing Monday of Christopher Alexander. News outlets reported that the 20-year-old Alexander's body was found Monday near a Jackson street and he had been stabbed in the neck.
City police spokesman Chris Mims described Smith as "a decorated detective and well-respected law-enforcement person throughout the state of Mississippi."
"He was in the processing of questioning that suspect," Mims said of the detective. "Other officers in the police department heard gunshots ring out and when they went to the interview room, discovered that both the suspect and the detective were deceased."
The police headquarters was on lockdown Thursday night, Mims said.
Jackson City Councilman Chokwe Lumumba was in police headquarters with the mayor afterward and said Smith was shot by the suspect. He did not know how the suspect ended up dead.
"I understand there may have been more than one police officer in the room," Lumumba said outside the police building.
The headquarters was blocked off and surrounded by crime tape. Law enforcement and Jackson city officials rushed to the scene.
Mims said the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation, which is standard procedure.
"This is a very tragic situation," he said. "The entire city of Jackson and the Jackson Police Department family are all hurting. We are asking for the public's patience while we find out why this tragic incident happened and how it happened."
At least 30 Jackson Police and Hines County Sheriff's office vehicles were haphazardly parked across multiple, major downtown Jackson streets. Officers were visibly shaken, wiping their eyes, and Assistant Chief Lee Vance could be seen comforting Chief Rebecca Coleman at one point, putting his arm around her shoulder outside the building. A 2008 photo on the department's website shows a smiling, fit Smith, in a shirt and tie, accepting a certificate of commendation on behalf of a detective, with Coleman and Vance on each side of him.
Lumumba, who is a lawyer, said Smith was fairly new to being a homicide detective and that he first met Smith in the late 1990s. The then-officer had testified on some of Lumumba's cases.
"I had great respect for his work and his integrity," Lumumba said. He added that Smith's stepson had played basketball on an Amateur Athletic Union team that Lumumba worked with.
"Eric helped take young men all over the country," the councilman said. "He's a real man in every sense of the word."
Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. also addressed the officer's death.
"Detective Smith was an excellent officer in all respects," the mayor said. "I want everyone to keep the Smith family in their prayers and in their thoughts."
Lumumba said that Smith was married and had another son.
A monument outside police headquarters lists 14 officers killed in the line of duty _ before today.
____
Mohr reported from Brandon, Miss. AP writer Jackie Quinn reported from Washington. ||||| (CNN) -- A veteran detective and the murder suspect he was interviewing were killed Thursday in a shooting inside the Jackson, Mississippi, police headquarters.
Detective Eric Smith, 40, was talking with suspect Jeremy Powell, 23, when the shots were fired, Jackson police said.
Other law enforcement officers overheard the gunshots and rushed into the room, said a shaken Chris Mims, a spokesman for Mayor Harvey Johnson.
They found both people dead.
The incident occurred around 6 p.m. (7 p.m. ET). One hour later, the situation was contained, according to Othor Cain, a spokesman for the Hinds County Sheriff's Department,.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into what happened, Mims said.
Jackson, a city of about 175,000 residents, is the capital of Mississippi.
CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton contributed to this report. | – A murder suspect and the detective who was questioning him were both found dead at police headquarters in Jackson, Mississippi. As detective Eric Smith, 40, interviewed Jeremy Powell, 23, other officers heard gunshots. They entered the room to find the men dead, CNN reports. Police haven't offered a sequence of events in the shooting, the AP notes, though both men suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Powell was being questioned in the process of being arrested in the murder of Christopher Alexander, 20, who was stabbed in the neck. Smith had begun homicide work fairly recently, said a city councilman, who noted that "there may have been more than one police officer in the room." The effects of the shooting rippled through Jackson, with police cars parked across major streets and officers comforting each other, the AP notes. "The entire city of Jackson and the Jackson Police Department family are all hurting," said a police spokesman. |
Anticipating a month of heavy lobbying and television advertising by opponents, led by the pro-Israel group Aipac, the president and members of his team are leaning on Democrats to declare their backing for the agreement before they leave Washington to face their constituents.
Mr. Obama, who will decamp to Martha’s Vineyard this weekend for his own two-week vacation, will have limited personal contact with wavering lawmakers, but his team has been instructed to make the president and other senior administration officials available to any skeptic with an unanswered question or concern about the deal. “Anyone who wants a phone call will get one,” one official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to outline internal strategy.
Officials said that Mr. Obama’s address on Wednesday would be followed by a series of news media interviews that would be shown next week. And the administration plans to dispatch cabinet members, including Energy Secretary Ernest J. Moniz, the nuclear physicist who helped negotiate the accord, to travel the country outlining its provisions. Mr. Moniz will appear on Friday at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, officials said.
“We are confident that a sizable number of members of Congress will put politics aside and focus on what they believe is in the best interest of the United States and our national security, and if they do, a substantial number of those who follow that path will be supportive of the agreement,” said Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary. “There’s no denying that there is intense political pressure on both sides of this agreement,” he continued, adding that officials were hoping that lawmakers would “focus on the specific terms of the agreement.”
The effort gained some momentum Tuesday as three closely watched Democratic senators — Barbara Boxer of California, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Bill Nelson of Florida — declared their backing, along with a handful of House Democrats. Mr. Obama’s team is working with Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the minority leader, to build support to potentially sustain a presidential veto of legislation rejecting the accord. ||||| President Obama urged support for the Iran nuclear deal while speaking at American University in Washington. He outlined the deal and denounced critics' claims that the deal would open a pathway for Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. VPC
President Obama listens as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks during their meeting in the Oval Office at the White House Tuesday. (Photo: Susan Walsh, AP)
WASHINGTON — President Obama will deliver a crucial speech on the Iran nuclear agreement Wednesday, arguing that the congressional vote that could block the deal is "the most consequential foreign policy debate since the decision to go to war in Iraq," the White House said.
White House aides said Obama would "point out that the same people who supported war in Iraq are opposing diplomacy with Iran, and that it would be an historic mistake to squander this opportunity" to contain Iran's nuclear program.
The framing of that message appears to be a direct appeal to congressional Democrats; while some opposed the Iraq War, others came to regret their votes to authorize it. Obama will need their votes to get the one-thirds vote necessary to sustain a veto.
Since the Iran deal isn't a treaty, it doesn't need congressional approval, but can be rejected with a two-thirds vote of both chambers. On Tuesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee formally introduced a resolution to do just that, and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy promised a September vote once the House returns from its summer recess.
The deal, two years in the making, would relax sanctions against Iran in exchange for a promise not to develop nuclear weapons and inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Critics, including every major Republican presidential candidate, say Iran cannot be trusted and that the economic benefits of the deal will only strengthen Iran's ability to threaten Israel and foment extremism throughout the Middle East.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged Obama to "avoid tired, obviously untrue talking points about this being some choice between a bad deal and war."
"Of course it isn't," McConnell said Wednesday. "He knows it isn't. He himself has said that 'a bad deal is worse than no deal.'"
Obama made a special appeal to the Jewish community Tuesday, meeting at the White House with about two-dozen leaders of Jewish groups that span the religious and ideological spectrum, including the conservative American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the liberal J Street, and leaders of reform and orthodox congregations.
The president is trying to counter a determined lobbying campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who continued his months-long effort to scuttle the deal by appealing to American Jews in a webcast Tuesday. "I don’t oppose this deal because I want war,” he told them. "I oppose this deal because I want to prevent war.”
Wednesday's speech, at American University in Washington, is already drawing historical parallels. It's the same place President Kennedy gave his 1963 speech proposing a nuclear test ban treaty with the Soviet Union at the apex of the Cold War.
The White House seemed to be encouraging those comparisons — to a point. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said both Kennedy and Obama "entered into a diplomatic agreement with an adversary of the United States that did succeed in advancing the national security interests of the United States."
But unlike Kennedy, Earnest said, Obama did not have to make any concessions about its own defense. "There’s no impact from this nuclear agreement on the United States and either our nuclear programs or our military programs," Earnest said Tuesday.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1SML4mR ||||| President Obama lashed out at critics of the Iran nuclear deal on Wednesday, saying many of those who backed the U.S. invasion of Iraq now want to reject the Iran accord and put the Middle East on the path toward another war.
Obama also said that if Congress rejects the deal, it will undermine America’s standing in global diplomacy, leaving the United States isolated and putting Israel in even greater peril.
While calling the nuclear accord with Iran “the strongest nonproliferation agreement ever negotiated,” Obama also seemed to turn the vote on the deal into a referendum on the U.S. invasion of Iraq a dozen years ago, a decision he portrayed as the product of a “mind-set characterized by a preference for military action over diplomacy.”
Obama said that when he first ran for president, he believed “that America didn’t just have to end that war. We had to end the mind-set that got us there in the first place.” He added that “now, more than ever, we need clear thinking in our foreign policy.”
It was the president’s sharpest attack yet on opponents of the Iran nuclear deal, which he sees as a defining achievement amid an often rocky foreign policy record.
President Obama hammered critics of the nuclear deal negotiated with Iran, saying Republicans in the Congress who oppose it are making “common cause” with Iranian hard-liners. (AP)
[How the Obama White House runs foreign policy]
In a two-hour White House meeting Tuesday night with Jewish American groups, Obama seemed particularly bothered by a multimillion-dollar ad campaign aimed at stopping the deal. On Wednesday afternoon, the president used his Twitter account to say: “There’s no such thing as a ‘better deal.’ Walking away risks war.”
As he nears the end of his tenure, Obama has been arguing forcefully that diplomacy can yield benefits, even as his administration continues to use targeted strikes by drones and struggles to deal with civil war in Syria, the rise of the Islamic State and confrontation with Russia over Ukraine.
“I have not shied away from using force when necessary,” Obama said, noting he had authorized military actions in seven countries. “. . . I’ve had to make a lot of tough calls as president, but whether or not this deal is good for American security is not one of those calls. It’s not even close.”
Obama spoke from American University, the same venue used by President John F. Kennedy to promote efforts to reach a landmark nuclear test-ban treaty with Moscow at the height of the Cold War. Obama invoked that 1963 speech, saying Kennedy “rejected the prevailing attitude among some foreign policy circles that equated security with a perpetual war footing.”
Instead, Obama said, Kennedy sought “a practical and attainable peace, a peace based not on a sudden revolution in human nature but on a gradual evolution in human institutions, on a series of concrete actions and effective agreements.”
But many observers felt that Obama’s speech was more caustic and partisan than Kennedy’s. “Walk away from this agreement and you will get a better deal — for Iran,” he said to critics.
Here are key moments from President Obama's speech at American University on Aug. 5, addressing the international deal on Iran's nuclear program that Congress is considering. (AP)
At one point, Obama brushed aside comments by Iranian hard-liners who he said do not reflect what all Iranians believe and are the “most comfortable with the status quo.” The president added: “It’s those hard-liners chanting ‘Death to America’ who have been most opposed to the deal. They’re making common cause with the Republican caucus.”
Later, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called on Obama “to retract his bizarre and preposterous comments” and said that Democrats who have already stated their opposition would be “insulted” by them.
Obama did not shy away from engaging foes of the Iran deal and linking them to the decision to invade Iraq.
“The single greatest beneficiary in the region of that war was the Islamic Republic of Iran, which saw its strategic position strengthened by the removal of its long-standing enemy, Saddam Hussein,” Obama added. He also noted that when President George W. Bush took office, Iran did not possess any centrifuges, the machines needed to produce nuclear bomb material, while when Obama took office Iran already had installed several thousand.
Even some supporters of the nuclear deal were put off by Obama’s argument. Many critics of the agreement were proponents of war in Iraq, but that does not make them warmongers, said Robert Einhorn, an arms-control and nonproliferation analyst with the Brookings Institution.
“I think it will offend more than convert,” said Aaron David Miller, a vice president at the Wilson Center and a former Middle East negotiator at the State Department. Miller supports the agreement but said Obama’s speech “paints those who are not reckless critics of this agreement with a large brush.”
Others who have met directly with Obama said they were impressed by the resolve with which he is making his case. They argue that the president has no choice but to fight against fierce criticism from Republican rivals and some Jewish groups opposed to the deal.
Obama has been irked by ad campaigns against the deal, including one comparing him to Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister leading up to World War II, who has been widely blamed with not standing up to Adolf Hitler.
Alexandra Stanton, a board member at J Street, a group that supports the deal, said Obama “has a right to combat what he thinks are campaigns against him laden with non-facts and offensive statements. He has a right to call that out, a right to say he’s concerned about it and that he finds it objectionable.”
Obama appears to have made inroads with some Senate Democrats. On Wednesday, Sens. Chris Murphy (Conn.) and Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, announced their support. On Tuesday, Sens. Barbara Boxer (Calif.), Timothy M. Kaine (Va.) and Bill Nelson (Fla.) backed the plan.
But the president has been less successful in wooing opponents among influential Jewish American groups.
“He feels the arguments that have been deployed against the deal are inaccurate and it’s his job to set the record straight,” said Jason Isaacson, who is the director of government and international affairs at the American Jewish Committee and attended the meeting with Obama.
Although Isaacson called Obama “a forceful salesman,” the American Jewish Committee announced Wednesday that it would oppose the nuclear deal.
Republicans also criticized how Obama has framed the debate.
“Does anybody in America believe that if we turn down this deal, this president is going to engage in war with Iran?” asked Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.). “That’s one of those straw men that demeans the debate.”
The heart of Obama’s address sought to hammer home the administration’s views that the alternative to the deal is conflict.
“I say this not to be provocative,” Obama said. “I am stating a fact. . . . The choice we face is ultimately between diplomacy and some form of war, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not three months from now, but soon.”
[Both sides court every vote in Congress]
Obama and other top administration officials, including Secretary of State John F. Kerry, have framed the Iran deal as a last chance to roll back Iran’s nuclear ambitions and, in particular, the scope of its ability to enrich uranium. In exchange, international sanctions on Iran would be eased.
Speaking directly to lawmakers opposing the deal, Obama said rejection would cost more than missing a chance to curb Iran’s nuclear program.
“We will have lost something more precious,” he said, “America’s credibility as a leader of diplomacy, America’s credibility as an anchor of the international system.”
Obama emphasized that every nation that has weighed in on the deal has backed it — except Israel, which fears for its own security and whose prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been among the most vocal critics.
“I do not doubt his sincerity, but I believe he is wrong,” Obama said.
The West and its allies fear that Iran’s nuclear fuel facilities could one day be expanded to make weapons-grade material. Iran insists it does not seek nuclear arms but demands that it retain the capacity to make its own fuel for peaceful reactors.
Under the deal reached last month, U.N. inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency would have “unprecedented” access to Iranian nuclear sites, Kerry has told lawmakers. But some critics have questioned provisions that require advance notice — and possible negotiations with Iran — to inspect other areas of possible nuclear-related activity. The procedure could delay inspectors by up to 24 days.
Obama retorted that once an area of suspicion is identified, it would be watched “continuously” until inspectors can get to it and that they would get in even if Iran objects.
Obama also addressed complaints that lifting economic pressures on Iran could end up funding Iran’s military and its proxies in the region, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“If we are serious about confronting Iran’s destabilizing activities, it is hard to imagine a worse approach than blocking this deal,” he said. “Instead, we need to check the behavior that we are concerned about directly, by helping our allies in the region strengthen their own capabilities.”
The Iran pact faces widespread opposition in Congress — even among some Democrats — before the Sept. 17 deadline to vote. If Congress votes for a bill rejecting the deal, Obama has promised to veto it, setting up the key showdown over whether opponents could muster enough votes to secure an override.
“Shut out the noise,” he urged lawmakers. “Consider the stakes.”
Brian Murphy, Carol Morello, Karoun Demirjian and Mike DeBonis contributed to this report. ||||| Returning to the theme that launched his first White House bid, President Barack Obama pitched his Iran nuclear deal Wednesday by urging Congress not to repeat its mistake of approving the 2003 Iraq War.
“Congressional rejection of this deal leaves any U.S. administration that is absolutely committed to preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon with one option — another war in the Middle East,” Obama warned.
Story Continued Below
In tones that alternated between impassioned, incredulous and mocking of the Iran deal’s critics, Obama offered his strongest — and most political — argument yet for the agreement struck on July 14. Departing from the substance of the deal, Obama spent several minutes focusing on the track record of its opponents.
“The same people who argued for the war in Iraq are now making the case against the Iran deal,” Obama told an audience at American University. He said those critics exaggerate threats, obscure the true costs of war, and prefer military action over diplomacy.
Obama’s target audience: the few dozen undecided House and Senate Democrats who control the fate of the deal in Congress. A day before the first Republican presidential debate, Obama was also speaking to an American public with mixed views on Iran, but which overwhelmingly thinks the Iraq War was a mistake.
More than at anytime in his presidency, Obama reverted to arguments he made repeatedly early in his first presidential bid. Some former aides said the speech brought back memories of Obama’s insurgent primary campaign in Iowa in late 2007.
“When I ran for President eight years ago as a candidate who had opposed the decision to go to war in Iraq, I said that America didn’t just have to end that war — we had to end the mindset that got us there in the first place,” Obama said.
Obama argued that opponents of the deal, who insist that it is too weak, are stuck in the mindset of Washington “conventional wisdom” and a cavalier attitude toward the unpredictable consequences of war. He urged members of Congress, who are expected to vote on the deal in September, to “worry less about being labeled weak [and] worry more about getting it right.”
Unmentioned in Obama’s speech was Hillary Clinton’s 2002 vote to authorize force in Iraq, which likely allowed Obama to derail her path to the 2008 Democratic nomination. Nor did he mention identical votes by two other members of his administration who were then in the Senate: Secretary of State John Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden. Several other influential Democrats who backed the war remain in Congress, including New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer.
Obama did not single out any critics, though his voice rose in frustration when he described opposition to the Iran deal “in many cases offered by the same people who seem to have a compunction with being repeatedly wrong, led to a war that did more to strengthen Iran and more to isolate the United States than anything we have done in the decade since.”
The argument drew a quick and angry rebuke from two prominent Iraq War backers who are also fierce critics of the pact. Obama’s address was “another example of his reliance on endless strawmen to divert attention from his failed policies,” said Republican Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham in a joint statement.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker also blasted the speech to POLITICO, calling it “partisan” and misleading.
The idea that war is the only alternative to the deal is a “straw man,” Corker said. “Our military officials that have sat with the administration all the way through this have said: Never ever has there been any discussion about the fact if this deal falls apart there will be military action. Never.”
In a statement, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce noted that, in Senate testimony last week, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said the U.S. military had “a range of options” for confronting Iran short of war.
Corker suggested that Obama’s emphasis on the undesirability of bombing Iran — which he said would set back its program only a few years with other dangerous consequences — has undermined America’s leverage.
“This president is not going to carry out military action against Iran. Iran knows that,” Corker said.
Obama took care to note that he has ordered military action in seven countries and sent tens of thousands of U.S. troops into battle, nearly all of them in Afghanistan during his first term.
Obama also infuriated some Republicans by arguing that they had made “common cause” with Iranian hard-liners opposed to the deal who chant “Death to America” at public rallies. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a statement calling the comment “bizarre” and “offensive,” and said it “goes way over the line of civil discourse.”
The assault on critics of the Iran deal book-ended a speech that mainly reiterated Obama’s previous arguments on behalf of the agreement, under which Iran will accept limits on its nuclear program for 10 to 15 years, and in some areas longer, in return for an end to economic sanctions.
Obama repeated his argument that the deal represented the best effort of diplomacy and that a stronger alternative is not plausible.
“Those who say we can just walk away from this deal and maintain sanctions are selling a fantasy,” Obama argued, one of several instances where he belittled his critics’ arguments. White House officials say Obama has been frustrated with what he considers unserious critiques of the nuclear pact from Republicans.
Elsewhere in the speech, for instance, Obama mocked “lobbyists and pundits [who] were suddenly transformed into armchair nuclear scientists,” second-guessing credentialed experts like Energy Secretary Earnest Moniz.
”I’ve had to make a lot of tough calls as president. But whether this deal is good for American security is not a tough call. It’s not even close,” Obama said.
If the deal fails, he argued, “the alternatives to a military option will have been exhausted,” and America will be headed toward “another war in the Middle East” with what he called unpredictable consequences.
“If we’ve learned anything from the last decade, it’s that wars in general — and wars in the Middle East in particular — are anything but simple,” Obama said.
Congress can vote to disapprove the deal and prevent Obama from suspending tough U.S. sanctions on Iran, which could bring down the entire agreement. Obama would veto such a measure, and Congress would need a two-thirds vote in each chamber to override it.
Despite a fierce lobbying campaign by opponents of the deal and the government of Israel, the agreement seems likely to survive. But the relentlessness of the administration’s sales pitch — including Obama’s powerful language Wednesday — indicates that the White House is not taking that outcome for granted.
Obama opened his address by recalling a historic speech 52 years earlier at the same location by President John F. Kennedy, who argued for negotiating with the Soviet Union in the name of world peace. “Strength, in his view, included powerful armed forces and a willingness to stand up for our values around the world,” Obama said. “But he rejected the prevailing attitude among some foreign policy circles that equated security with a perpetual war footing.”
The speech opened on a lighter note when Obama, who arrived nearly 40 minutes late, explained the reason for his tardiness: “I apologize for the slight delay,” he said with a grin. “Even presidents have problems with toner.”
Burgess Everett contributed to this report. | – President Obama today began his campaign to convince Congress to back his Iran nuclear deal with a major speech in which he characterized the upcoming vote as one about war or peace. If the deal falls through, opponents can expect a likely outcome, he said at American University: “Another war in the Middle East.” Obama added that “I am not saying this to be provocative,” reports the Washington Post. “I am stating a fact ... the choice we have is some kind of war, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not in three months, but soon.” In the speech, Obama also drew a parallel with the vote to authorize the Iraq war. “Many of the same people who made the case for war with Iraq” oppose the Iran deal, he said. They need to “worry less about being labeled weak [and] worry more about getting it right," because that war "did more to strengthen Iran and more to isolate the United States than anything we have done in the decade since," reports Politico. The Iraq message seems to be aimed at Democrats who voted in favor of the war and now regret it, because Obama will need their votes to sustain any veto, reports USA Today. The speech kicks off "a campaign of private entreaties and public advocacy over the next several weeks" to win approval of the deal, notes the New York Times. |
A defining moment of the “old” John McCain—as many Americans, even some of his friends, have begun to refer to him as he was before his run for the Presidency in 2008—took place in February, 2000, during his first bid for the White House, when he was challenging George W. Bush for the Republican nomination in the South Carolina primary. McCain had recently upset Bush in New Hampshire and was in a buoyant mood, vowing that, like “Luke Skywalker fighting the Death Star,” he would not only defeat Bush but reform a party corrupted by “big money” and, as he later put it, “agents of intolerance.”
Within days, sordid attacks began to appear: flyers on car windows claiming that McCain, who had adopted an orphan from Bangladesh, actually had fathered a black child; recorded phone messages, or robo-calls, spreading rumors that McCain’s wife, Cindy, who had once been addicted to prescription painkillers, was a junkie; and lies, propagated by an obscure group of Vietnam veterans, suggesting that McCain had become a traitor while serving in Vietnam.
McCain’s response was decisive: he pulled from television his negative advertisements, and announced to supporters, “If we don’t prevail, my friends, we know that we have taken the honorable way.” On the evening of the primary, McCain and his family watched the returns in a hotel suite in Charleston. As the polls came in, showing that he had lost by more than ten points, Cindy wept. “How could they believe all that about you?” she said of the public.
McCain, after embracing his wife and children, headed down to a ballroom to deliver his concession speech. “I will not take the low road to the highest office in this land,” he said. “I want the Presidency in the best way—not the worst way. The American people deserve to be treated with respect by those who seek to lead the nation. And I promise you: you will have my respect until my last day on earth. The greatest blessing of my life was to have been born an American, and I will never . . . dishonor the nation I love or myself by letting ambition overcome principle. Never. Never. Never.”
In the final weeks of the 2008 campaign, it became clear that John McCain might lose more than the Presidency. On October 6th, slipping steeply in the polls, he held a rally in Albuquerque. Rather than speak off the cuff, as he preferred, he kept his eyes on a teleprompter. During the 2000 race, McCain was known as the “happy warrior,” but now his tone was harsh. Angrily waving a finger, McCain portrayed his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, as a shadowy figure who never seemed to reveal his true identity. McCain noted that Obama’s campaign recently had to “return thirty-three thousand dollars in illegal foreign funds from Palestinian donors.” McCain urged the audience to wonder, “Who is the real Barack Obama?”
Before he even finished the speech, he and his aides had begun their now notorious campaign—sometimes in public, sometimes sub rosa—to supply insinuating answers to this question. Ads appeared accusing Obama, who had served on the boards of two charities with William Ayers, a founder of the Weather Underground, of being allied with a “terrorist.” Voters received flyers featuring a mug shot of Ayers and the words “Terrorist. Radical. Friend of Obama.” Then came the same kind of robo-calls that had savaged McCain in 2000, and that he had once denounced as messages of “hate.” McCain even hired one of the same firms that Bush used in 2000. The messages warned, among other things, that Obama had tried to stop doctors from caring “for babies born alive after surviving attempted abortions.” Meanwhile, McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, charged that Obama was “palling around with terrorists.” Other surrogates claimed that Obama was “anti-American,” a “guy of the street” who “used cocaine,” and had “friends that bombed the Pentagon.” According to Newsweek, Michelle Obama asked an aide, “Why would they try to make people hate us?”
Early on, McCain vowed that he wanted “the most positive kind of campaign.” But even though he sometimes seemed uncomfortable, shifting in his chair or looking away from the camera, he was at the heart of those personal attacks—demanding that Obama confess his relationship to a “washed-up terrorist,” and proclaiming that Obama would “lose a war in order to win a political campaign.”
As the rallies of McCain and Palin grew angrier—at the mention of Obama’s name, supporters yelled “Traitor!,” “Kill him!,” and “Off with his head!”—McCain seemed startled by what he had helped unleash. When, at one rally, a woman called Obama an untrustworthy “Arab,” McCain turned ashen and stammered, “No, Ma’am. He’s a decent family man.” Afterward, Ray LaHood, a Republican congressman from Illinois, who earlier had condemned the campaign’s inflammatory rhetoric, told me, “That’s the John McCain I know.”
Obama and his supporters decried McCain’s tactics. Yet some of the strongest criticism came from people whom McCain revered or who had long revered him. And it was not merely about strategy—the backbiting that always consumes losing campaigns. It was about the very nature of John McCain. In their eyes, at least, their hero was losing not only an election but his reputation—or, as one prominent backer put it, “his soul.”
William G. Milliken, a moderate three-term Republican governor of Michigan, was part of the unusual coalition that had made McCain an almost singular figure in American politics. Although for most of his career McCain’s voting record was consistently conservative, he was far more popular with centrist Republicans, independents, and many Democrats than he was with the Party’s base. His appeal was rooted less in ideology than in character: he presented himself as a figure who would never pander or betray his convictions. When he fell short of his principles, as in the 1989 Keating Five scandal—the Senate Ethics Committee found that he “exercised poor judgment” in helping a major donor—his willingness to lacerate himself in public only reinforced this impression for many. ||||| George W. Bush’s bombastic return to the world stage has reminded me of my favourite Bush anecdote, which for various reasons we couldn’t publish at the time. Some of the witnesses still dine out on it.
The venue was the Oval Office. A group of British dignitaries, including Gordon Brown, were paying a visit. It was at the height of the 2008 presidential election campaign, not long after Bush publicly endorsed John McCain as his successor.
Naturally the election came up in conversation. Trying to be even-handed and polite, the Brits said something diplomatic about McCain’s campaign, expecting Bush to express some warm words of support for the Republican candidate.
Not a chance. “I probably won’t even vote for the guy,” Bush told the group, according to two people present.“I had to endorse him. But I’d have endorsed Obama if they’d asked me.”
Endorse Obama? Cue dumbfounded look from British officials, followed by some awkward remarks about the Washington weather. Even Gordon Brown’s poker face gave way to a flash of astonishment.
To be fair, this wasn’t completely unexpected. The degree of enmity between Bush and McCain — particularly following their legendarily dirty fight in the 2000 South Carolina primary — is hard to exaggerate.
Indeed Bush is far from kind to McCain in the parts of his new book that relate his “complex relationship” with the Arizona senator. I’ve yet to see a copy, so I don’t know whether he mentions how he voted. But it might be worth asking. He was certainly wavering. | – George Bush's stop-the-presses revelations just won't stop, though the latest comes by way of a dusty anecdote that's finally seeing the light of day. Alex Barker, writing for the Financial Times reveals that in an Oval Office meeting with Gordon Brown and other British dignitaries during the 2008 campaign season, John McCain came up in conversation. Bush reportedly told the group (according to two who were there): "I probably won’t even vote for the guy. I had to endorse him. But I’d have endorsed Obama if they’d asked me." Barker recounts the "flash of astonishment" that befell the British crew, but says the alleged comments weren't "completely unexpected," considering the lack of love between Bush and McCain (he points to their dirty fight in the 2000 South Carolina primary). |
Recently, the Catholic Church — and even the Pope himself — have been coming under increasing criticism for failing to appropriately discipline church officials who had sexually abused thousands of children. On March 24th, the New York Times characterized “Pope Benedict XVI’s latest apology for the emerging global scandal of child abuse by predatory priests,” as inadequate, noting that Benedict “ made no mention of the need to discipline diocesan leaders most responsible for shielding hundreds of priests from criminal penalties by moving them from parish to parish to continue their crimes.”
The Catholic League responded the op-ed by running an ad in the New York Times criticizing the paper for its editorial and blaming the scandal on homosexuality:
The argument itself is confusing and contradictory. If “homosexuality does not cause predatory behavior” then why is is the “pedophilia crisis” a “homosexual crisis”? Most of the molesters were also over the age 30 but the Catholic League does not rename the “pedophilia crisis” an “older man crisis” or an “white older man” crisis or anything of the sort. But all this misses the point. What the Catholic League is trying to do is imply that there is a connection between homosexuality and molestation, just like segregationists once accused African Americans of raping white women, and Jews were accused of murdering Christian babies.
In reality, pedophilia has little to do with the gender of the child or the orientation of the molester; pedophiles are attracted to youth and control. “Accessibility is more the factor in who a pedophile abuses,” psychotherapist Joe Kort writes. “This may explain the high incidence of children molested in church communities and fraternal organizations, where the pedophile may more easily have access to children.”
Last night on Larry King Live, Catholic League President Bill Donohue tried to dismiss this argument by claiming that “it’s not a pedophilia” because “most of the victims were post pubescent,” as old as 12 or 13 years of age. Anything older than that is the fault of gays. ||||| VATICAN CITY — A top Vatican official issued a detailed defense of Pope Benedict XVI ’s handling of sexual abuse cases and extensively criticized The New York Times’s coverage, both in its news and editorial pages, as unfair to the pope and the church.
In a rare interview and a 2,400-word statement posted Wednesday on the Vatican Web site, the official, Cardinal William J. Levada, an American who heads the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, praised Pope Benedict for vigorously investigating and prosecuting sexual abuse cases. He said The Times’s coverage had been “deficient by any reasonable standards of fairness.”
Cardinal Levada singled out several Times reporters and columnists for criticism, focusing particularly on an article describing failed efforts by Wisconsin church officials to persuade the Vatican to defrock a priest who had abused as many as 200 deaf boys from 1950 to 1974. The pope, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office when the case was referred there, in 1996.
He said the article wrongly “attributed the failure to accomplish this dismissal to Pope Benedict, instead of diocesan decisions at the time.” On Wednesday, the archbishop of Milwaukee said the pope should not be held responsible for mistakes that were made in Wisconsin, according to The Associated Press.
The Times article drew on documents obtained from lawyers suing the church that showed that Vatican officials had at first ordered a secret canonical trial, then asked the archdiocese to suspend it after the priest pleaded for leniency to Cardinal Ratzinger. Wisconsin church officials protested the suspension, but followed it. The priest, the Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy, died a few months later.
News coverage of the abuse has clearly touched a nerve in the Vatican. As the church grapples with abuse cases that have come to light in several European countries, Benedict has come under scrutiny for how he and his subordinates handled sexual abuse allegations against priests while he served as an archbishop in Germany as well as when he was the Vatican’s top doctrinal enforcer.
In 1980, when the pope was archbishop of Munich and Freising, he approved the transfer of a priest who had abused boys to therapy and was copied in on a memo saying that the priest had been allowed to resume pastoral duties shortly after his therapy began. The priest was later convicted of molesting other boys.
“This is different, because it’s the pope and because it’s a pope who is most self evidently beyond accusation, particularly in this area,” said a senior Vatican official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.
Cardinal Levada said he believed that “the evidence is clear” that Father Murphy represented an “egregious case” and deserved to be defrocked.
But he also said he was not second-guessing the decision to suspend the trial. He said a canonical trial would be “useless if the priest were dying.” “Have you ever been to a trial? Do you know how long they take?” he said. “If the man had had a miraculous recovery and doctors said he’d live another 10 years, I’m sure a letter would say fine, ‘Start the trial.’ ”
Sitting in a receiving room at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with a view of Saint Peter’s out the window and an oil portrait of Cardinal Ratzinger on the wall, Cardinal Levada expressed pain at the case of Father Murphy.
“I think the evidence is clear from the documents that he was a serial abuser of children, helpless children often times, he had no respect for the sacrament of confession, even using that to accomplish his abuse,” he said. “It’s one of the saddest and the most egregious cases I’ve seen.”
At that point a canon lawyer who sat in on the interview but declined to speak on the record intervened about the nuances of the unfinished trial, effectively deflecting questions about why it had been suspended.
Cardinal Levada said that although Father Murphy never faced judgment in a criminal or canonical court, the priest had not evaded it altogether.
“As a believer,” he wrote in his statement, “I have no doubt that Murphy will face the One who judges both the living and the dead.”
Cardinal Levada said Benedict had played a “very significant role” as the “architect” of the Vatican’s 2001 norms that sent sexual abuse cases directly to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and streamlined procedures for bishops to report sexual abuse cases. Those norms ushered in a flood of abuse trials, many of which are still unresolved.
Daniel J. Wakin contributed reporting. | – The Vatican defended Pope Benedict's handling of long-ago abuse cases, lashed out at the New York Times for coverage “deficient by any reasonable standards of fairness,” and said the pontiff actually deserved praise instead of condemnation. “We owe Pope Benedict a great debt of gratitude for introducing the procedures that have helped the Church to take action in the face of the scandal of priestly sexual abuse of minors,” wrote a cardinal in a statement on the Vatican website. In Think Progress, meanwhile, Igor Volsky takes the Catholic League to task for calling the problem a "homosexual crisis" instead of a "pedophilia crisis" in a full-page ad. "What the Catholic League is trying to do is imply that there is a connection between homosexuality and molestation, just like segregationists once accused African Americans of raping white women, and Jews were accused of murdering Christian babies." |
SUTHERLIN, Ore. (AP) — Police say a 37-year-old man was far from lovin' it when workers at a McDonald's restaurant in Oregon refused to make him 30 double cheeseburgers and tried to destroy the golden arches.
The News-Review reports that police arrested Jedediah Ezekiel Fulton on March 16 on suspicion of second-degree disorderly conduct, second-degree criminal trespass, second-degree criminal mischief and harassment.
Authorities say Fulton became upset when the fast food restaurant in the western Oregon town of Sutherlin declined to make his order. Police say he destroyed a banner and then attacked the arches.
The Sutherlin Police Department says he also grabbed a person's shirt and that a witness afraid for that person's life pulled out a gun.
It's not clear from online records if Fulton has an attorney.
___
Information from: The News-Review, http://www.nrtoday.com ||||| Close Get email notifications on Saphara Harrell daily!
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Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. | – Police say a 37-year-old man was far from lovin' it when workers at a McDonald's restaurant in Oregon refused to make him 30 double cheeseburgers and tried to destroy the golden arches, the AP reports. The News-Review reports that police arrested Jedediah Ezekiel Fulton earlier this month on suspicion of second-degree disorderly conduct, second-degree criminal trespass, second-degree criminal mischief, and harassment. Authorities say Fulton became upset when the fast food restaurant in the western Oregon town of Sutherlin declined to make his order. Police say he destroyed a banner and then attacked the arches. The Sutherlin Police Department says he also grabbed a person's shirt and that a witness afraid for that person's life pulled out a gun. It's not clear from online records if Fulton has an attorney. |
Dr. William Strampel, the former boss of Larry Nassar at Michigan State University, has been arrested.
Strampel, 70, is listed as an inmate in Ingham County jail, according to an inmate search on the county's website. No charges are listed. MSU spokeswoman Emily Gerkin Guerrant confirmed Strampel had been arrested, but could provide no other details. Michigan State Police directed calls to the attorney general's office, where a spokesperson did not confirm the arrest.
Strampel, the former dean of the MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine, is facing revocation of his tenure by interim MSU President John Engler, the first step in terminating his employment. The move is in response to Strampel's failure to monitor and enforce clinical practice guidelines put in place for Nassar following a 2014 sexual harassment investigation.
His arrest comes the day before a press conference from Bill Forsyth, an investigator hired by Michigan's Attorney General Bill Schuette to investigate MSU's handling of the Nassar scandal.
Nassar, a prominent sports medicine doctor at the university, is in prison for possession of child pornography charges and was sentenced on charges that he sexually assaulted multiple women, often under the guise of medical treatment. More than 150 women and girls, including Olympic gymnasts, spoke at Nassar's sentencing hearings in Ingham and Eaton counties, saying he sexually assaulted them - the vast majority patients.
Larry Nassar sentenced to 40 to 175 years for sexually assaulting patients
Many said they had told coaches, trainers and even police about the assaults, but nothing was done.
It was Strampel who, after a 2014 Title IX complaint and police report lodged by Amanda Thomashow, sent an email putting Nassar back to work with a series of conditions, including having another person in the room when he was performing procedures in sensitive areas and using gloves.
According to statements from Nassar's more direct supervisors in a March 2017 police report, Strampel did not make Nassar's colleagues aware of the conditions.
After Strampel put Nassar back in place, 20 more women say they were molested by him.
In all the university employed Nassar for almost two years while he was under investigation by other authorities. ||||| The former boss of convicted sexual abuser Larry Nassar was arrested Monday in Michigan.
William Strampel, who served as the dean of Michigan State's osteopathic medical school for most of Nassar's time with the university, was listed as an inmate at Ingham County Jail on Monday night. No specific charges were posted Monday night, and a message left with a spokesman for the state police was not immediately returned.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon.
Attorney John C. Manly, who represents more than 150 survivors of Nassar's abuse, issued a statement Monday.
"Our clients are encouraged by the Attorney General's action today," Manly said in the statement. "It demonstrates that he is serious about investigating the systemic misconduct at MSU that led to the largest child sex abuse scandal in history and holding the responsible parties accountable."
ESPN has obtained copies of former university-conducted performance reviews for Strampel during his time as Michigan State's dean that contained several complaints about his habit of making inappropriate remarks of a sexual nature in professional settings. The reviews include surveys in which respondents paint a picture of Strampel as a capable fundraiser and decisive administrator, but someone who "rules with fear" and regularly interjected sexual innuendo and comments about the appearance of women into conversations with students and co-workers.
According to one respondent, Strampel's discussions about his own sexual history and inappropriate comments were "well known and bring down the respect and reputation of the Osteopathic college. I do not think this is a new issue, instead I think it is something that the College has chosen to ignore, for what reason I dare not imagine and cannot fathom."
Strampel was a focal point for the attorney general's ongoing investigation into whether any other individuals who worked at Michigan State should be held accountable for allowing Nassar to sexually abuse his patients for nearly two decades as a doctor on the university's campus. Strampel stepped down from his role as dean last December citing medical problems. The university took initial steps in February to have him fired, a process that can take several months or longer.
"Interim President John Engler has felt like this is someone who doesn't carry forth the values of the university going forward, and this conduct is not going to be tolerated," university spokeswoman Emily Guerrant said Monday night.
Nassar pleaded guilty to state charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct as well as federal child pornography charges. He admitted in court that he used his position as a prominent doctor at Michigan State and within the USA Gymnastics organization to abuse women who came to see him for injuries. Nassar is serving a 60-year sentence for his federal crimes and was sentenced to up to 175 years in state prison for the sexual assault crimes.
Strampel came to Michigan State in the late 1990s and was promoted to his position as dean in 2002. He told police last spring that he had little or no interaction with Nassar before 2014, when a recently graduated student lodged a complaint that Nassar touched her inappropriately during an appointment at the MSU Sports Medicine clinic.
That complaint, filed by Amanda Thomashow, led to an investigation into Nassar's conduct by university police and the school's Title IX department. Michigan State's Title IX office cleared Nassar of wrongdoing in the summer of 2014, telling Thomashow that she didn't understand the "nuanced difference" between sexual assault and a legitimate medical procedure. The panel of four experts that helped the office reach that conclusion included Nassar's colleagues and one woman described as his protégé and close friend.
Strampel told police that he believed the Title IX decision showed Nassar was "cleared of all charges," so he allowed him to resume seeing patients on Michigan State's campus in late July 2014. Nassar remained under police investigation for the same incident until December 2015. Several women say they were abused by Nassar during that time frame.
When he returned to the clinic in 2014, Nassar and Strampel agreed to a new set of guidelines to use when he was treating patients in sensitive areas. The guidelines included that Nassar should explain fully what he was doing before touching patients near their genitalia or other private areas, that he should avoid skin-to-skin contact whenever possible, and that a chaperone should be present during any such treatment.
Strampel told police he didn't think it was necessary to follow up to make sure Nassar was following the protocol, and he did not inform other employees at the clinic about the new rules. Strampel fired Nassar in September 2016 when he learned that Nassar had been ignoring those guidelines for two years. More than a dozen women and girls say they were abused during that time.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Strampel told a group of medical school students in 2016 that he did not believe the accusations against Nassar. In a written statement obtained by ESPN, one of the students present at that meeting said Strampel told the students -- who were there to discuss a separate sexual assault issue concerning their classmates -- that he did not want to fire Nassar, but felt he had no choice.
Several survivors of Nassar's abuse have criticized Strampel for what they say was a flippant and insensitive response to more accusations against Nassar in 2016. Less than a month before Nassar was fired, Rachael Denhollander filed a police report alleging that the former doctor abused her. She also spoke to reporters from the Indianapolis Star for a story that would make her the first woman to publicly accuse Nassar of sexual assault.
Nassar alerted Strampel that reporters wanted to speak with him about the story. Strampel wished him luck and in an email told him, "I am on your side." After the article was published, Strampel shared it with others at Michigan State, referring to Denhollander's claims as "the cherry on the cake of my day."
"Is this the right way to handle disclosures of abuse on MSU's campus?" Denhollander asked during an impact statement she delivered in court last month.
The attorney general's office requested Strampel's work cellphone, computer and calendars among other documents, shortly after beginning its investigation of the university two months ago. Strampel is also a co-defendant in dozens of civil lawsuits related to Nassar's abuse. Strampel's attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but have previously declined requests for comment about his actions, saying that the firm does not comment on ongoing civil litigation. | – For the bulk of the time Larry Nassar worked for Michigan State University's osteopathic medical school, William Strampel was the dean of that school. Now, another shared experience for the men: Strampel, 70, was arrested Monday on charges that have not yet been made public. A press conference is scheduled for noon Tuesday, reports the Lansing State Journal. The attorney who represents scores of women who are suing MSU praised the Attorney General's action, saying "it demonstrates that he is serious about investigating the systemic misconduct at MSU that led to the largest child sex abuse scandal in history." Strampel stepped down in December citing medical issues; two months later the school initiated the process of firing him. ESPN details alleged grievances about Strampel that are unrelated to Nassar—per MSU performance reviews it viewed, he was accused of regularly making sex-related remarks—and also documents his timeline with Nassar. Though Strampel became dean in 2002, he says his only true interaction with Nassar began after a complaint was lodged against the doctor in 2014. No wrongdoing was uncovered by Michigan State's Title IX office, and so Strampel reinstated Nassar so long as he followed a new protocol that included stipulations like having a chaperone present during any treatment that occurred near a young patient's genitalia. Strampel says he did not verify Nassar was adhering to the rules, and fired him in 2016 after learning he wasn't. MLive reports 20 women accused Nassar of abusing them during that period. |
A heroic 11-year-old boy died after he jumped into a frozen Queens pond to save the life of his 12-year-old pal who had fallen through ice, authorities said.
The deadly accident happened as Anthony Perez, 11, and Juan Umpierrez, 12, were playing in Forest Park at about 4 p.m., officials said.
“He was on land, he only went out to the ice after the other kid fell through,” a law enforcement source told The Post.
“He [Perez] was able to push him [Umpierrez] out to safety, but he fell through ice and he couldn’t get out.”
Rescuers waded through the frigid, chest-high water — whacking a thin layer of ice with their hands — and plucked Perez from the pond, FDNY deputy chief George Healy said.
But when they got Perez to dry land, he wasn’t breathing — so paramedics performed CPR and rushed the youngster to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“He did help get him out, but he couldn’t save himself,” the law-enforcement source said.
Perez’s neighbors in Middle Village were shocked and saddened by the news — but not surprised Anthony was so quick to act.
“I’m going to call him a hero: He’s a hero,” said Carmen Rivera, 51, who lives downstairs from the Perez family.
“He’s friendly with a lot of people, not shy — he loves to help. He’s a nice little kid.”
Another neighbor, Leonardo Coraci, 41, also said Perez was well-liked.
“He’s a good kid, he’s a really great kid . . . it’s a shame something bad had to happen,” said Coraci, who said the pond was once a baseball field.
“It used to be a baseball field before it was a pond, and they actually had to change it into a stinking pond. They should have kept it as a baseball field. It stinks.
“He’ll be in my prayers and it’s a shame. He’s a good kid – a really good kid.”
The FDNY urged parents to warn kids about the dangers of playing on frozen bodies of water in the winter.
“We implore you: Tell your children, the ice is not safe,” Healy said at a press conference Tuesday. “It’s not gonna support your weight. And there can be tragic consequences.”
Some of the rescuers fell through the ice themselves while trying to save the boy, he added.
Two firefighters were also treated for hypothermia.
“The ice failed underneath them,” Healy said. “They were in chest-deep water. They had to physically break [the ice] with their hands.”
Days when temperatures reach just above freezing — like on Tuesday when the Big Apple hit 35 degrees — are the most dangerous, Healy said. ||||| "They were in about chest deep water wading through the water. At some point the ice did firm up," Healy said. "They had to physically with their hands break through the ice and chop the ice so they could get to the area they knew that the child would most likely be in, the opening in the ice." ||||| NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – An 11-year-old boy has died after being pulled from an icy pond Tuesday in Queens.
First responders were called to Forest Park in Woodhaven around 4:05 p.m. where they found the child unconscious in the water. He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
As CBS2’s Valerie Castro reported, the victim, identified as 11-year-old Anthony Perez McClean, grew up just minutes away from the pond that claimed his life as he tried to rescue a friend.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” neighbor Angela Vargas said. “Because he’s got a good heart that little boy. Not because I know he’s dead. I can’t do nothing about it.”
We implore parents – make sure your kids know the ice in the city of New York, on these lakes and ponds, is not safe –#FDNY Deputy Chief Healy from the scene at Forest Park #Queens, where a child was removed from the water after falling through the ice https://t.co/hRjTPmZLHn pic.twitter.com/6CD3T9EyaV — FDNY (@FDNY) February 6, 2018
Police sources told CBS2 McClean and a 12-year-old friend were near the pond when the older friend walked onto the ice and fell through. McClean walked out to save his friend and fell through the ice himself.
“It appears that the child went out about 50 feet before the ice let go underneath him and was plunged into the water,” FDNY Dep. Chief George Healy said.
Police sources said the friend ran home for help, but by the time firefighters arrived, McClean was already submerged and unconscious.
“They had to – physically with their hands – break through the ice and chop through the ice, so that they could get to the area where they knew the child would most likely be in by the opening in the ice,” said Healy. “They had to go underneath to get the child and remove him.”
Despite CPR efforts on the scene and on the way to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, McClean was pronounced dead.
“It’s a terrible tragedy,” said neighbor Leonardo Coraci. “He’s a good kid, always said ‘hello,’ always respectful.”
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries.
“There’s signs around all these lakes in the city. Again, we implore you to tell your children, make sure they’re aware,” Healy said. “Today, the temperature was well above freezing. The ice is not safe, it’s not going to support your weight, and it can have tragic consequences.” | – An 11-year-old boy is being called a hero after he died trying to save a friend from a frozen pond Tuesday in New York City. CBS New York reports 11-year-old Anthony Perez and a 12-year-old friend were walking in a park in Queens around 4pm when the friend ventured out onto a frozen pond only to fall through the ice about 50 feet from the shore. Police say Anthony rushed to help his friend and fell in, too. "[Anthony] was able to push him out to safety, but he fell through ice and he couldn’t get out,” a law enforcement source tells the New York Post. The friend immediately ran for help. But by the time firefighters and police officers arrived, Anthony had been underwater for about 30 minutes and wasn't breathing, the New York Daily News reports. Multiple rescuers fell through the ice while trying to get to Anthony. “They had to—physically with their hands—break through the ice and chop through the ice so that they could get to the area where they knew the child would most likely be,” CBS quotes FDNY Deputy Chief George Healy as saying. Rescuers provided CPR at the scene and on the way to the hospital, but Anthony was pronounced dead. Two firefighters had to be treated for hypothermia. A neighbor says it doesn't surprise her that Anthony risked his life to help his friend. "He’s got a good heart that little boy," Angela Vargas says. “I’m going to call him a hero: He’s a hero,” neighbor Carmen Rivera tells the Post. (In Utah, a deputy with no protective gear rescued a boy from a frozen pond.) |
These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| However, at Black Project, we have deep and serious issues with many of ABInBev's business strategies, mission, and overall ethics as they relate to craft beer in America. In Denver alone, we've seen several instances of highly aggressive, predatory, and what we consider to be unethical practices. We truly believe that ABInBev intends to systematically destroy American craft beer as we know it. We don't personally buy, seek, trade, or acquire any of their products for this reason, and we've been known to encourage our friends to do the same.
As some of you may know, and something many people have asked us about today, we have two collaboration beers with Wicked Weed currently in-progress; one beer at our facility and one at theirs. We also had plans, and were looking forward to attending, the Wicked Weed Funkatorium Invitational this July. We had a decision to make - to continue a business relationship with Wicked Weed now that they will be owned by ABInBev, or to cut ties and hopefully remain friends.
For us, the choice is clear. At this stage, we don't feel we are able to have a business relationship with Wicked Weed because that connection, ultimately, is one with ABInBev. Unfortunately, we don’t feel that having any connection with ABInBev is something we can do while still maintaining our mission, values, and core beliefs.
What this means is that we will not be able to lend our name to the unfinished collaboration beer currently aging in Asheville, NC. Additionally, the beer we brewed with Wicked Weed here at Black Project will be blended with other existing aged beer we have on hand to make something totally different which we will not consider a Wicked Weed collaboration. Finally, we will not be attending the Wicked Weed Funkatorium Invitational in July.
We wish the best to everyone at Wicked Weed and we are happy for their success. We know they will continue to make great beers and we hope to remain personal friends in the future.
Sincerely,
James Howat and Sarah Howat
Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales ||||| Craft beer drinkers, prepare for the hair on your presumably hipster-bearded faces to stand on end. You are being mocked, yet again, during the most widely watched TV event of the year, the Super Bowl. And yet again, it’s Budweiser dishing the disses.
The fact that you yourself probably mock the “King of Beers” and Bud drinkers on a regular basis may offer some degree of comfort. But that’s likely not enough to stop craft beer brewers and fans from being agitated by the latest craft beer-bashing Super Bowl ad from Budweiser.
Last year, there was considerable backlash to Bud’s Super Bowl commercial, which proclaimed Bud as “proudly a macro beer” and made fun of hipster types who enjoyed fancy, “fussed over” brews. Understandably, the craft beer world was outraged, and some even created parodies of the Bud commercial.
Even fellow beer giant MillerCoors issued a statement condemning the Budweiser Super Bowl commercial. “We believe each and every style of beer is worth fussing over,” the message from MillerCoors stated. “Quality isn’t something that belongs to a single style of beer or a single brewer.”
Read next: Big Beer’s 5-Point Plan to Crush the Craft Beer Revolution
A big reason people were upset with the ad is that Budweiser’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, is clearly infatuated with craft beer, and the message was hypocritical. The company has been buying up craft beer labels left and right, including brands like Breckenridge Brewery and Four Peaks very recently. What’s more, Anheuser-Busch InBev not only created one of America’s most popular faux indie “crafty” beers with the Shock Top label, but it is featuring Shock Top in a Super Bowl commercial this year for the first time ever.
Nonetheless, the Budweiser Super Bowl ads of this year and last mock craft beer. In fact, despite the fact that Shock Top is often served with an orange wedge—and the logo and tap handles even feature an orange—the Bud commercial this year points out that Budweiser is “Not a Fruit Cup,” while showing a grizzled old-timer at the bar flicking a fruit wedge off his pint of Bud.
This year’s Super Bowl ad features a pounding soundtrack and a series of proclamations pointing out what Budweiser isn’t. We learn in boldface CAPS that Budweiser is…
NOT SMALL
(Most craft brewers are small, indie operations, and presumably, small is bad?)
NOT SIPPED
(Sipping is for sissies who drink beer for the taste.)
NOT SOFT
(More subtle messaging that craft beer is for wusses.)
NOT A FRUIT CUP
(See above; also, if you haven’t gotten the message yet, Bud is macho, not fruity.)
NOT IMPORTED
(Considering that Anheuser-Busch InBev is not an U.S. company, Budweiser is not really an American brand either, but why point this out in a commercial seen by more than 100 million viewers? Side note: The 4,000 craft breweries in the U.S. aren’t imported either, and unlike Budweiser, they are, in fact, American-owned.)
NOT FOR EVERYONE
(Something we can all agree on!)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF711XAtrVg&w=640&h=390]
If the point of such an ad is to stir up some controversy in the beer world, Bud’s ad will probably succeed. Yet there’s probably another reason the commercial was created with such an anti-craft stance. It’s not supposed to win over craft beer drinkers by insulting them. That would never work.
Read next: Why Super Bowl Advertisers Are OK That the Commercials Don’t Boost Sales
Instead, the goal seems to be making Budweiser drinkers feel OK, perhaps even proud, that they are Budweiser drinkers. They aren’t trendy. They aren’t soft or small, or fruity. And apparently, they feel so insecure that they need for Budweiser to point all of this out. | – To a craft beer aficionado, the only sin worse than drinking a Bud would be if your favorite brewery sold out to the company that owns it. That's the situation that has fans of the Wicked Weed brewery now crying "treachery," per the Washington Post, which reports on the news that the Asheville, NC, institution has teamed up with Anheuser-Busch InBev "as a strategic partner." The reason for the move by Wicked Weed—which the Citizen-Times notes was founded in 2012 by Walt and Luke Dickinson and friends Ryan, Rick, and Denise Guthy—is, as Walt Dickinson explains, to stay competitive. A fellow craft brewery owner in Oregon backs him up, noting that his own brewery's acquisition by AB InBev offered him access to better ingredients and distribution. But the buyout has craft beer fans livid, especially after Budweiser's 2015 and 2016 Super Bowl ads that mocked craft beer drinkers. Wicked Weed's Facebook announcement was met with angry and sad emoji, with "very disappointed" and "disheartened" just a sampling of the negative comments. Some of Wicked Weed's distributors and partners aren't happy, either, with Denver's Black Project brewery cutting its ties to WW—not because it doesn't love the beer, but because it believes AB InBev has "unethical practices" and "intends to systematically destroy American craft beer as we know it." Other commenters on Wicked Weed's Facebook page say they will remain loyal fans. "At the end of the day, great beer will win," Walt Dickinson tells the Citizen-Times. (Walmart recently took heat on the craft beer front.) |
These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| from Wikipedia Aaron Hillel Swartz (November 8, 1986 – January 11, 2013) was an American computer programmer, writer, political organizer and Internet activist.Swartz was involved in the development of the web feed format RSS, the organization Creative Commons,[4] the website framework web.py and the social news site Reddit, in which he was an equal partner after its merger with his Infogami company. Swartz also focused on sociology, civic awareness and activism.[6][7] In 2010, he became a research fellow at Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Research Lab on Institutional Corruption, directed by Lawrence Lessig. He founded the online group Demand Progress, known for its campaign against the Stop Online Piracy Act. ||||| Watch your back, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter! Another 2012 Republican candidate’s attempt at making sweet music has appeared on the internet, and it’s a doozy– introducing Sunday Morning*, a gospel album recorded by former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain. Precious little is know about the 13-track album, which appeared on the internet today, but the soulful baritone crooning is certainly worth a listen.
Cain had certainly not mentioned anything about a past life as a gospel singer, but a few tracks off of Sunday Morning made their way online today via the Daily Caller. It’s mostly standard gospel fare and mostly slow tracks at that, with one standout single: “This is the Day,” a fast-paced track reminiscent of “Footloose” that certainly wins the prize for funnest danceable track on the album.
It is worth noting that it not yet 100% certain this is Herman Cain– Dave Weigel notes that the Cain campaign has yet to comment on the album, but “it’s real, it was published 15 years ago by GLC Music, Selah Sound Production & Melodic Praise Records, and it is not being distributed now by the Cain campaign.” With McCotter on guitar, Cain on vocals and maybe some keytar work by Jon Huntsman, we’ve got ourselves a band!
Below the Daily Caller’s song widget (Weigel found a couple of more in downloadable format). Really, give “This is the Day” a listen!:
*not to be confused with the Maroon 5 song of the same name.
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com | – Just when you thought the Republican presidential contest couldn’t get any stranger, we have breaking news: Herman Cain has a gospel album. That’s right, the Daily Caller today discovered an album online bearing the GOP hopeful's distinctive baritone. Cain's camp hasn’t commented, but Dave Weigel of Slate has confirmed that “it’s real, it was published 15 years ago … and it is not being distributed now by the Cain campaign.” The six-track offering is entitled Sunday Morning, and believe it or not, it’s actually pretty decent. “It’s mostly standard gospel fare,” says Frances Martel of Mediaite, but it has “one standout single: ‘This is the Day,’ a fast-paced track reminiscent of 'Footloose' that certainly wins the prize for funnest danceable track on the album. … Really, give ‘This is the Day’ a listen!” |
Steve Douglass and Dean Muskett were taking photos at Amarillo when they spotted the contrails of some mystery aircraft. What did they shot flying over Texas?
The images you can see in this post were taken in the afternoon of Mar. 10, 2014. Steve Douglass and Dean Muskett, along with other fellow photographers were at Amarillo International Airport when they saw the contrails of three high flying aircraft.
Even though the aircraft were barely visible at distance, the photographers pointed their lenses at the unidentified planes, and took several shots.
As Douglass recalls in his blog, it was only when they reviewed the images that they noticed that the aircraft were not B-2s as they initially thought: “At one point the aircraft had banked and the trailing edge was quite clear. It wasn’t straight but had a slight curve, the aircraft was almost boomerang shaped.”
Indeed, an inquiry to Whiteman Air Force Base has ruled out the possibility that a flight of three B-2s was flying over Texas on Mar. 10.
Stealth expert Bill Sweetman and the rest of the AW&ST team have investigated the mystery aircraft sighting, coming to the conclusion that the photos show something real.
Even if its shape loosely resembles that of an X-47B, the mystery aircraft seems to be larger than Navy’s new killer drone.
Obviously someone will argue that exposing three Black Aircraft in plain daylight is not that smart, especially if you want to keep the project classified.
Unless, you think the moment has arrived to show some potential resurgent enemy (Russia?) that you have an ace in the hole, as done some 30 years earlier with the F-117.
Image credit: Steve Douglass and Dean Muskett
Related articles ||||| It's difficult to determine, but a group of aviation enthusiasts say they caught a glimpse of a mystery aircraft earlier this month flying slowly across the Amarillo, Texas sky.
"We looked southwest and there they were," Steve Douglass, a journalist and member of the group, told FoxNews.com. "We thought they were B-2s, but when we studied our pictures, we ruled that out."
Douglass and his group, armed with cameras and binoculars, met on March 10 at the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport. The airport is a perfect venue because it offers expansive views of Texas' big sky and a steady stream of military air traffic. On a good day, the group can see various military jets, and even the elusive F-22 Raptor.
It was a clear day, and the group was alerted to three aircraft flying across the southwest skies. Douglass estimated that the planes got within 20 miles of the group and they started taking pictures with their 300mm zoom cameras. They looked at the photos, and saw that one appeared to be a silver-grey B-2 bomber.
The prospects of spotting a B-2 bomber was exciting, and Douglass said he got home to observe his photos when he noticed the aircraft in his picture had a smooth backside. The B-2 bomber has a distinct "W"-shaped back.
"The trailing edge is wrong," Douglass shouted, according to his March 28 blog post.
Few items provoke public interest like an unidentified flying object. These stories are often attached to other theories about hidden testing bases or alien life forms. But these images have prompted some interest in the industry.
"The photos tell us more about what the mysterious stranger isn't than what it is," Bill Sweetman writes in Aviation Week, which first reported on the story. The report said that Douglass picked up some apparently related voice signals, which would indicate the aircraft had a pilot. Editors at Aviation Week reportedly say the images appear to be "something real."
"If I had to guess, I'd say we took a picture of a stealthy transport aircraft," Douglass said.
Douglass writes that he reached out to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, which houses B-2s, to see if it flew any planes over Texas on that day and did not get a response.
Fox News' Edmund DeMarche contributed to this report | – Aviation enthusiasts spotted three mystery planes over Amarillo, Texas, earlier this month, and buzzed online about what they had seen, Fox News reports. Initially they thought B-2 Bombers had flown by on the afternoon of March 10, but the aircraft lacked the B-2's W-shaped back. They "loosely resembled" the Navy's new X-47B killer drone, but were too big, The Aviationist reports. Which leaves what, exactly? "If I had to guess, I'd say we took a picture of a stealthy transport aircraft," said one of the enthusiasts, Steve Douglass. He blogs in greater detail, saying the US military may be trotting out new planes (probably piloted) to make its enemies shiver or go broke trying to replicate them. This last happened when the world took note of the Air Force's F-117, and "the Soviet Union went bankrupt" seeking "ways to counter stealth," writes Douglass. "Ask yourself an important question—what's going on in the world right now?" he asks. "Who (has of late) has decided to roll back the clock to the good old days of the Cold War and MAD?" Another analyst looks at "gaps in the USAF's line-up" for answers, noting that the Air Force has sought a "penetrating, stand-in electronic attack" for its strike systems; see that analysis at Aviation Week. |
Gwyneth Paltrow may want to prepare herself for the worst. Despite her reported efforts to prevent Vanity Fair from doing an article about her, the influential pop culture magazine is moving forward with what many expect to be an epic takedown piece on the Oscar-winning actress.
"We started a story on her," editor-in-chief Graydon Carter told the Times of London on Sunday, Oct. 13. (Quotes via Radar Online.) "We have a very good writer and it'll run."
PHOTOS: Gwyneth Paltrow's most outrageous quotes
Carter's confirmation comes just a little over a month after the New York Times issued a report claiming that the 40-year-old Iron Man 3 star was feuding with the 100-year-old publication. The report alleged that the actress had written an email to her celebrity friends in which she asked that they not speak to the magazine if contacted about her.
PHOTOS: Gwyneth through the years
"Vanity Fair is threatening to put me on the cover of their magazine," Paltrow reportedly wrote in May of this year, per a witness who saw the email in question. "If you are asked for quotes or comments, please decline. Also, I recommend you all never do this magazine again."
The Times speculated at the time that Paltrow and other stars had taken issue with Vanity Fair's criticism of Hollywood; recent articles include a piece about the role of Scientology in Tom Cruise's love life, and a report about the behind-the-scenes problems that plagued Brad Pitt's World War Z.
PHOTOS: Gwyneth's celeb BFFs
Carter defended his magazine's coverage of those issues, however, and told the Times it was just business. "We wouldn't be doing our job if there wasn't a little bit of tension between Vanity Fair and its subjects," he said. "In any given week, I can expect to hear from a disgruntled subject in Hollywood, Washington, or on Wall Street. That's the nature of the beast."
PHOTOS: Celebrity feuds
He also told the Times of London that he felt more compelled to run the Paltrow piece after her alleged email went public. "Well, she sort of forced my hand," he explained.
"Some famous people believe that they live in a cone of celebrity that protects them," he was quoted as saying. "But it doesn't really exist anymore in L.A. unless they stay in." ||||| Gwyneth Paltrow is shaking in her (probably very expensive) boots. Despite her complaints and a very public email-campaign to her A-list BFFs, Vanity Fair Editor-in-Chief Graydon Carter has confirmed that his magazine is set to publish a blockbuster takedown piece revealing the true Paltrow once and for all.
“We started a story on her,” he told The Times of London in an interview published this weekend. “We have a very good writer and it’ll run.”
The GOOP queen had previously emailed friends warning them not to cooperate with the author of the piece, and further, never to work with Vanity Fair again. Apparently, her pleas fell on deaf ears, because BFF Jay Z is the November cover boy, and she’ll grace the mag herself soon enough.
In fact, Carter says, Paltrow’s tantrum has made him even more determined to publish the piece. He explained, “Well, she sort of forced my hand.”
PHOTOS: Gwyneth Paltrow Kisses Justin Bieber At The Bambi Awards
Despite its cushy reputation, Vanity Fair does not grant celebrities pre-publication approval of photos or text, Carter claims, explaining that publicists are “all p***ed off at us, but I can live with that.”
And if Paltrow, who recently moved back to L.A. from England, expects any differently, Carter says, she’s got a rude awakening coming to her.
“She’ll find Los Angeles very different and very difficult,” he says. “Some famous people believe that they live in a cone of celebrity that protects them … But it doesn’t really exist any more in L.A. unless they stay in.”
That has a lot to do with new 24/7 reality TV celebrities like the Kardashians, of whom Carter is no fan.
PHOTOS: Gwyneth Paltrow Goes Braless In Chicago
“Why are they ‘stars’?” he complains. “They are tabloid oddities who will disappear in ten minutes. I’m just weary of the phenomenon. And it’ll go away on its own.” ||||| First photographed for Vanity Fair’s 1995 Hollywood Issue at age 22, Gwyneth Paltrow has had five V.F. covers and appeared numerous times in the magazine. See our photo survey of the always regally attired GOOP goddess. | – Not besties: Gwyneth Paltrow and Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter. The latter has announced that his magazine will indeed go ahead with the story it started on Paltrow ... a story that Us Weekly calls an "epic takedown." Carter told the Times of London: "We have a very good writer and it'll run." This follows the news that Paltrow emailed her friends asking them to stay mum. What she is said to have written: "Vanity Fair is threatening to put me on the cover of their magazine. If you are asked for quotes or comments, please decline. Also, I recommend you all never do this magazine again." (Radar points out that one friend was unable to comply: Jay-Z will be on the November cover.) That email, says Carter, "sort of forced my hand." Paltrow hasn't always had such an icy relationship with the mag—she's been on its cover five times. See images here. |
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Close ||||| While taking her son Ethan to Egelston hospital on Monday, August 7th in order to have stitches removed resulting from a vicious dog attack on Christmas eve, Tracy suffered a stroke brought on by a large brain aneurysm. She lost consciousness in the lobby of Egelston and was rushed over to Emory for an emergency surgery to relieve pressure on the brain and stop the bleeding from the aneurysm. She is now stable and currently in a deep medically inducted coma but still shows signs of brain activity. The road too recovery is going to be very long. Prayers for Tracy and her family are greatly needed and appreciated during this difficult time. It was a miracle that she was already in the hospital when it occurred. The doctors believe that saved her life. We are praying for another miracle to happen and lead to a full recovery ||||| - Tracy Fain suffered a brain aneurysm and stroke last week. Sadly, she's now been declared brain dead. Her son, Ethan, was brutally attacked by two dogs on Christmas Eve. He was at the doctor getting his stitches out after a recent reconstructive surgery when his mother collapsed.
"I said ‘Here I am. I'm old, lived my life. Why couldn't I have went instead of her?’" Fain's mother Sandra Moore said.
Moore is heartbroken. Her world shattered into a million pieces the day she lost her daughter.
"I've just been so upset over it. I'm just about to give up myself," said Moore.
Just eight months ago, Fain's 7-year-old son was severely injured when he was mauled by a neighbor's dogs. He lost an ear in the attack.
Then, on August 7, Fain was at a post-op appointment with Ethan at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Egleston campus when she collapsed, suffering a brain aneurysm and massive stroke.
Family members clung to hope that Fain would make a full recovery, but she took a turn for the worse over the weekend. Moore was called to the hospital. She pleaded with her child to keep fighting.
"I just told her that she had to fight harder. That that baby needed her, how much I loved her, and how much we all needed her," said Moore.
Moore prayed for a miracle.
"I prayed all day going to the hospital, the day they said her brain started swelling again. I prayed all day, but it didn't work. It's in God's hands," said Moore. "I just wonder why? Just like my grandson, I wonder why never have the answers."
On Tuesday, doctors declared the wife and mother of two brain dead, a devastating blow for the family, coming just months after Ethan's incident and the sudden death of Fain's nephew in July.
"It's just unreal," said Moore. "I know I just don't know how much more we can take."
Anyone who wants to donate to the family's online account at https://www.gofundme.com/496vn2w. | – "It's just unreal," Sandra Moore tells Fox 5. "I just don't know how much more we can take." Moore's grandson, 7-year-old Ethan Fain, was mauled by two dogs who pulled him out of a tree and attacked him last Christmas Eve in Georgia. Ethan lost his right ear and suffered serious damage to his left ear; his injuries required 300 stitches, the New York Daily News reports. Now another tragedy has befallen the family. On Aug. 7, Ethan was with his mom, Tracy Dowdy Fain, at the hospital getting stitches from a reconstructive surgery removed, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Suddenly, Fain, who had complained of a headache, collapsed. Doctors found Fain suffered a brain aneurysm and stroke. Her daughter, Jessica Dowdy, says she wouldn't have survived if she wasn't already in a hospital when it happened. In the coming days, the swelling in Fain's brain got worse, and she was declared brain dead Tuesday. “Her body is still here, but her soul is gone,” Dowdy says. The family still hasn't told Ethan. “All he knows is mommy is sick and the doctors are trying to make her better like they made him better,” Dowdy says. A GoFundMe account has been set up for Fain, who also lost a nephew last month. |
An imaginative, cavern-style house in Malibu that looks like something out of "The Flintstones" has come on the market at $3.5 million. What a contrast then that the owners are seemingly ageless television personalityand his wife,, according to public records.The usual architectural retreat sits on a mountaintop within a nearly 23-acre site. Free-form walls punctuated with expanses of glass bring in ocean views.The one-bedroom, two-bathroom custom house, which has the interior ambience of a bright cave, has vaulted ceilings in the living and dining rooms, a fireplace and a wine cellar.Clark, 82, hosted "American Bandstand" for more than three decades starting in the '50s as well as game shows and "The Dick Clark Show" (1958-60). His "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" show marked its 40th anniversary this year. He started Dick Clark Productions in 1957 and sold it in 2007 for $175 million.Diane Carter of Coldwell Banker's Malibu Colony office is the listing agent, the Multiple Listing Service shows. ||||| The seed for Wide00014 was:
- Slash pages from every domain on the web:
-- a ranking of all URLs that have more than one incoming inter-domain link (rank was determined by number of incoming links using Wide00012 inter domain links)
-- up to a maximum of 100 most highly ranked URLs per domain
- Top ranked pages (up to a max of 100) from every linked-to domain using the Wide00012 inter-domain navigational link graph ||||| Trulia gives home buyers, sellers, owners and renters the inside scoop on properties, places and real estate professionals. Trulia has unique info on the areas people want to live that can’t be found anywhere else: users can learn about agents, neighborhoods, schools, crime and even ask the local community questions. Real estate professionals use Trulia to connect with millions of transaction-ready buyers and sellers each month via our hyper local advertising services, social recommendations and top-rated mobile apps. Trulia is headquartered in downtown San Francisco and is backed by Accel Partners and Sequoia Capital.
The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. | – Dick Clark has put his 23-acre mountaintop home in Malibu up for sale for $3.5 million, reports Forbes. This one seems to be drawing lots of attention because the home looks like it's straight out of the Flintstones, notes the Los Angeles Times, which says the interior has the "ambience of a bright cave." It's no joke, though: Those big expanses of glass make for 360-degree views of the ocean, the mountains, and even Los Angeles sunsets. For a slideshow, click here. |
When British Prime Minister David Cameron visits President Barack Obama this week, one detail may stay bottled up: the labels on the wines the White House pours at the state dinner tomorrow night.
For Obama’s first three state dinners, honoring the leaders of India, Mexico and China, the White House released the name, year and appellation of wines -- all-American -- paired with each course.
Part of a tradition observed by previous presidents, including George W. Bush, that disclosure stopped after Obama’s dinner last year for Chinese President Hu Jintao. One of the wines served on Jan. 19, 2011, was a top-rated 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington state that originally sold for $115 a bottle and went for as much as $399 by the time of the dinner. The price the White House paid per bottle was not made public.
At the next state dinner, on June 7, 2011, for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the menu made public by the White House didn’t include details on the wines.
“An American wine will be paired with each course,” stated a note at the bottom of the menu released by the White House. So went as well the menu released for the Korean State Dinner honoring President Lee Myung-Bak on Oct. 13, 2011.
Tyler Colman, who writes the Dr. Vino wine blog and teaches at New York University, said in an interview that the shift in menu protocol may reflect political considerations given the sluggish U.S. economy.
“They’re probably sensitive to displays of wealth at a time when the economy is not firing on all cylinders,” said Colman, whose blog had noted the absence of wines on the German state dinner menu the White House released.
No ‘Picnic’
Still, keeping the wine list under wraps undercuts promotion of U.S. winemakers at a time when markets in developing nations such as China have potential to be “really hot” for U.S. labels because of the rising middle- and upper- income classes, he said.
A state dinner “isn’t a picnic or casual get-together,” and it’s justifiable from diplomatic and trade standpoints for the White House to spend money to showcase fine American wines, Colman said.
Dorothy Gaiter, wine and food editor for the quarterly France Magazine and a former wine columnist for the Wall Street Journal, said Obama was private about his wine preferences before his election.
‘Good for America’
If the Obama White House has decided to stop publicizing which American wines are served at official events, she said, “I don’t understand this. It’s good for America.”
Rick Small is co-owner of the Woodward Canyon winery in Lowden, Washington, whose 2009 Chardonnay was among the wines poured for the German dinner.
He and his wife noticed the shift because they had gotten billing on the menu when their wine was served at a Clinton administration dinner. He said he didn’t know why the practice was changed and that it probably does help the industry overall to have U.S. wines publicized by name.
At the same time, Small said, it’s an honor to be chosen at all. “You’re not going to get pushy about it since they picked your wine,” he said.
The White House declined to comment for this article or to make available Daniel Shanks, the usher who has managed wine selection since the Clinton administration, or social secretary Jeremy Bernard. First Lady Michelle Obama’s office referred questions to the White House press office.
No Disclosure
White House deputy press secretary Josh Earnest declined to disclose which wines were served at the German or Korean state dinners, identify wines from non-state dinners, make menus of past meals available for inspection or answer questions about the shift in practice.
Earnest also declined to say whether the White House would release the names of wines at the Cameron dinner.
The White House has promoted its release of other documents and data. On March 8, it announced a website, www.ethics.gov, to expand access to government databases tracking White House visitor records, lobbying disclosures and Federal Election Commission reports.
“From the day he took office, the president committed his administration to work towards unprecedented openness in government,” said the official statement announcing the site.
At the state dinner for Hu, the 2005 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley from Washington state, one of the wines poured that night, was $115 a bottle at release, the winery’s general manager, John Ware said in an interview.
Turning Point
The wine earned a rare 100-point rating from wine critic Robert Parker. By the time of the White House dinner, Ware said, it sold for $300-$350. It was listed for as much as $399 per bottle, according to wine websites.
Ware said the winery was approached by the White House and asked to choose which of its wines to serve. The price the winery charged the White House was “closer to the $115” than to $399, Ware said, while declining to name the price.
Afterward, he said, the winery’s profile in Asia got a “pretty significant” boost.
The White House selection drew derision.
The day after the Hu dinner, the anti-Obama website Gateway Pundit carried a posting entitled, “Sacrifice Is For the Little People... Obama White House Serves $399 Bottles of Wine at State Dinner.”
Comedian Stephen Colbert said that, given the U.S. debt held by China, the Hu dinner “should have been a sweatpants- potluck with box wine and a sleeve of Oreos.”
Social Secretaries
Other changes were taking place at the White House at the time. Between the Chinese and German state dinners, the White House changed social secretaries, hiring Bernard that February.
Since the start of his presidency, aides also have avoided endorsing specific brands such as which golf clubs Obama favors.
Not all wines served by the administration are shielded. At Vice President Joe Biden’s dinner last month for Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, the list included a 2010 Sauvignon Blanc and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Hall winery in California’s Napa Valley. The wines sell for $22.99 and $48.99 per bottle, respectively, on the wine.com website. Vintner Kathryn Hall was U.S. ambassador to Austria during the Clinton administration. She didn’t return calls for comment.
Wine has been regularly served at the Executive Residence since 1800, except from 1877-1881 under President Rutherford B. Hayes, Shanks wrote in 2007 for an article for the Journal of the White House Historical Association.
Kennedy and Nixon
In the 20th century, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were known for their familiarity with French wine. The policy of serving American wine took hold in Lyndon Johnson’s administration, according to an article in last month’s Wine Spectator. Ronald Reagan, a former actor and California governor, raised the profile of his home state’s wines.
Ulises Valdez, 42, of the Valdez Family Winery and Tasting Room in Cloverdale, California, said he is “still celebrating” having his 2008 Silver Eagle Vineyard Chardonnay served at the White House for the Mexico state dinner on May 19, 2010.
Valdez snuck into the U.S., from Mexico, as a teenager and found work picking grapes. He got amnesty during the Reagan administration. Today he owns a vineyard management company and the winery. “This is the beauty of the U.S. --if you’re a hard worker and good and honest you can do it,” he said.
White House menus can be a point of pride and business builder for individual vintners whose wines are chosen.
China Sales ‘Quadrupled’
Kerry Murphy, proprietor of DuMOL Wines in Orinda, California, whose wines have been served at the White House since 2002, said he’s become a collector. “God knows how many menus I have -- I love ’em,” he said.
“I’ve been blessed by the association,” Murphy said. “It sets the wine to high standards,” he said, because the White House “can buy whatever they want.”
His Chardonnays sell for $50-$60 per bottle.
After his 2008 Russian River Chardonnay was served at the Hu dinner, he said, “our sales in China quadrupled.”
“I think that has a lot to do just with exposure from that one dinner,” he said. ’’It makes me feel good because we’ve got some dollars coming back’’ to the U.S. from China. “That’s a patriotic thing in itself.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Margaret Talev in Washington at mtalev@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steven Komarow at skomarow1@bloomberg.net ||||| President Barack Obama is giving an enthusiastic visitor, British Prime Minister David Cameron, his first taste of college basketball _ and for Obama a chance to tap into a sports audience in Ohio, a state important to his re-election hopes.
President Barack Obama and Britain Prime Minister David Cameron attend the Mississippi Valley State game against Western Kentucky in a first round NCAA tournament basketball game, Tuesday, March 13, 2012,... (Associated Press)
President Barack Obama and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron greet fans as they arrive for the Mississippi Valley State versus Western Kentucky first round NCAA tournament basketball game, Tuesday,... (Associated Press)
President Barack Obama and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron eat hot dogs as they attend the Mississippi Valley State versus Western Kentucky in a first round NCAA tournament basketball game, Tuesday,... (Associated Press)
Obama, an avid basketball fan, on Tuesday took Cameron to Dayton on Air Force One for an NCAA basketball tournament game between Mississippi Valley State and Western Kentucky.
Obama's verdict on the game during a halftime interview on truTV was that "both teams are shooting terrible" in the low-scoring contest, but that maybe the teams were nervous.
Cameron said he was enjoying the fast-and-furious action in what marked the British leader's first college basketball game.
Cameron quipped that Obama was going to help him fill out his bracket.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
Basketball fan-in-chief President Barack Obama is giving British Prime Minister David Cameron a front-row seat to March Madness, taking his European partner to an election swing state for an NCAA tournament basketball game.
Amid cheers, the two leaders entered the University of Dayton Arena on Tuesday for a "First Four" matchup between Mississippi Valley State and Western Kentucky, a gesture of goodwill during Cameron's official visit to the United States and a way for an incumbent president to reach sports fans in an election year.
Adding to the heavy hoops flavor of the day, Obama announced his NCAA tournament bracket picks to ESPN, the sports network he watches on a daily basis. On Tuesday, the network teased Obama's selections by revealing his Final Four picks: Kentucky, Ohio State, Missouri and North Carolina.
It was the fourth straight year that Obama filled out an NCAA tournament bracket for ESPN. On the women's side, he selected Baylor, St. John's, Connecticut and Notre Dame to advance.
ESPN will reveal the president's full men's bracket Wednesday.
Cameron's sporting tastes run more toward tennis, cricket and soccer. Tuesday's was the first college basketball game he's seen.
The White House said the trip to the NCAA tournament game was intended to showcase the special relationship between the two key allies during Cameron's three-day visit. Obama and Cameron will discuss the upcoming NATO and G-8 summits on Wednesday, followed by a state dinner at the White House.
Obama and Cameron were scheduled to appear in a live halftime interview on truTV, which was airing the game, with sportscaster Clark Kellogg. Kellogg interviewed Obama at halftime of a Duke-Georgetown game in 2010 and spoke with the president later that year during a White House game of "HORSE" aired on CBS during the NCAA tournament.
Joining Obama at the game was Ohio's Republican Gov. John Kasich, who greeted Obama with a big handshake at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Kasich gave Obama two letters, which his office said were from the governor's twin daughters, who wanted to welcome the Democratic president to the state.
Still, other Republicans panned the trip, saying many Americans would prefer Obama to focus on more pressing issues.
"While showing off our amazing college basketball teams is great, many Americans struggling to find jobs, dealing with soaring gas prices, or concerned with our rising deficit and debt would probably like the president spend at least as much time dealing with those issues," said Sean Spicer, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee
Obama's quick trip to Ohio gives him a chance to connect with basketball fans and generate attention in Ohio, which he carried in the 2008 election and is considered one of the top toss-up states in 2012. The trip comes one week after Republican front-runner Mitt Romney captured Ohio's GOP primary.
It also lets Obama lavish praise and attention on Cameron at a time of weighty foreign policy challenges in Afghanistan, Iran and Syria. Britain has been an important U.S. ally in Afghanistan and the bombing campaign in Libya that led to the removal of Moammar Gadhafi.
Cameron is frequently spotted running near his official Downing Street residence, flanked by his security detail. But he's not much of a basketball fan; British Ambassador Peter Westmacott told reporters in Washington on Monday that Cameron was "busy briefing himself on March Madness."
Basketball has been a big part of Obama's life. At his Hawaii high school, Obama frequently carried a basketball along with his school books and bonded with his teammates on the court. His brother-in-law, Craig Robinson, played college basketball at Princeton and is now head coach at Oregon State.
The president regularly plays pickup basketball and keeps close tabs on his favorite NBA team, the Chicago Bulls. In a recent interview, the president said he gets League Pass on his iPad, letting him watch out-of-market NBA games on his tablet computer.
Obama kicked off the basketball season with a Veterans Day game between Michigan State and North Carolina on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson in November, enjoying a game on the aircraft carrier that took Osama bin Laden's body to a burial at sea after the U.S. raid that killed the al-Qaida leader.
The president said in an interview last month with journalist Bill Simmons that the "mythology of sports" is deeply embedded in the U.S., allowing viewers to discern who is winning and who is losing _ a principle that could easily be transferred to politics.
"People _ for all our differences politically, regionally, economically _ most folks understand sports. Probably because it's one of the few places where it's a true meritocracy," Obama said. "Ultimately, who's winning, who's losing, who's performing, who's not _ it's all laid out there."
___
Associated Press writer Anne Gearan contributed to this report.
___
Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas | – Last night, British PM David Cameron enjoyed his very first taste of March Madness, compliments of President Obama. At tonight's state dinner, he'll likely enjoy some American wine as well—but don't expect too many details about the winery, year, or appellation. That's because Obama put a stop to the tradition of revealing said info after his third state dinner ... following a brouhaha over the price tag. In honor of Hu Jintao's visit, the Chinese president was served a 2005 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington state that garnered a 100-point Robert Parker rating. The White House didn't say how much it paid per bottle, but it originally retailed for $115, and was selling for $300 and up by the time of the Jan. 19, 2011, dinner. So when Angela Merkel was honored at a state dinner in June, the released menu said nothing more than "an American wine will be paired with each course." Ditto for South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak's Oct. 13 menu. And while the move may ostensibly make sense ("they’re probably sensitive to displays of wealth at a time when the economy is not firing on all cylinders," says one wine expert), many argue the move hurts, instead of helps. Promoting top winemakers "is good for America," says one wine editor, and Bloomberg notes that state dinners provide a prime opportunity to show China and other new big wine importers what the US has to offer. To wit, Quilceda Creek saw a "pretty significant" uptick in Asia after Hu's dinner. |
Abu Dhabi: The record drop in oil prices from more than $110 per barrel in 2014 to less than $40 per barrel this year has forced the Saudi government to reform its economy and look beyond oil, analysts said on Monday.
“There is no doubt that low oil prices is the main reason why Saudi Arabia is undertaking reforms to diversify its economy. In the long run, the new measures announced by the government will benefit the economy,” said Edward Bell, commodity analyst from Emirates NBD.
As part of the new reforms announced on Monday, tourism will be encouraged and new industries will be set up.
“We have developed a case of oil addiction in Saudi Arabia,” Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman said in an interview to Al Arabiya Television. “I think by 2020, if oil stops we can survive,” he added.
The government is undertaking reforms as oil prices slump due to over production and weak demand.
In a landmark decision in December, the Saudi government cut subsidies and raised fuel prices by 50 per cent.
“Being dependent of just one source of income makes an economy incredible vulnerable to price shocks and makes forward planning very difficult,” said Ole Hansen, an analyst from Saxo Bank.
He said using the oil wealth to diversify is the only way forward for the economy to survive in the long term.
“A fast growing population and no history of paying tax and jobs making little or no meaning, requires changes in order to compete in the global market place.”
According to a report issued by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in December it may take many years for oil prices to recover and reach the level of more than $110 per barrel witnessed in June 2014,
The oil producers group expects the price of its basket of crudes to rise to $70 a barrel in 2020 and $95 a barrel in 2040.
Analysts predicted an average price of $40 in 2016 and $45 in 2017. Brent, the global benchmark was trading at less than $45 per barrel on Monday.
“The price of oil will bounce further as we move towards the end of 2016 and into 2017. Billions of dollars of capex cut will eventually change the focus in the market from oversupply to the potential lack of supply,” Hansen added.
In 2015, Saudi Arabia registered a budget deficit of 16 per cent of GDP and with government reforms announced December 2015, Saudi Arabia is expected to register a budget deficit of 13 per cent of GDP. ||||| RIYADH (Reuters) - The powerful young prince overseeing Saudi Arabia’s economy unveiled ambitious plans on Monday aimed at ending the kingdom’s “addiction” to oil and transforming it into a global investment power.
(L-R) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Saudi King Salman, and Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stand together after Saudi Arabia's cabinet agrees to implement a broad reform plan known as Vision 2030 in Riyadh, April 25, 2016. REUTERS/Saudi Press Agency/Handout via Reuters
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the world’s top oil exporter expects state oil company Saudi Aramco [SDABO.UL] to be valued at more than $2 trillion ahead of the sale of less than 5 percent of it through an initial public offering (IPO).
He added that the kingdom would raise the capital of its public investment fund to 7 trillion riyals ($2 trillion) from 600 billion riyals ($160 billion).
The plans also included changes that would alter the social structure of the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom by pushing for women to have a bigger economic role and by offering improved status to resident expatriates.
“We will not allow our country ever to be at the mercy of commodity price volatility or external markets,” Prince Mohammed said at his first news conference with international journalists, who were invited to a Riyadh palace for the event.
“We have developed a case of oil addiction in Saudi Arabia,” he had earlier told al-Arabiya television news channel.
His “Vision 2030” envisaged raising non-oil revenue to 600 billion riyals ($160 billion) by 2020 and 1 trillion riyals ($267 billion) by 2030 from 163.5 billion riyals ($43.6 billion) last year. But the plan gave few details on how this would be implemented, something that has bedevilled previous reforms.
The 31-year-old prince gave assured answers to questions on the plan, and appeared to pitch his comments to appeal across the Saudi social spectrum, and in particular to young people, who face unemployment and an economic downturn despite their country’s oil wealth.
Even before oil prices started to plunge in 2014, economists had regarded Riyadh’s fiscal policy and economic structure as being unsustainable, but reduced income from energy sales has made reform more urgent.
The plan appeared to lift sentiment on the Saudi stock market .TASI, where shares jumped by 2.5 percent in the heaviest trading for eight months, but it fell short of convincing skeptics that the kingdom can prosper in an era of cheap oil.
At the center of the plan is the restructuring of its Public Investment Fund (PIF), which Prince Mohammed said would become a hub for Saudi investment abroad, partly by raising money through selling shares in Aramco.
Asked where Riyadh would find the funds for a $2 trillion dollar fund after recent borrowing, he said it would come from transferring the ownership of Aramco to the PIF.
“We are speaking about more than $2 trillion. We expect the valuation to be more than $2 trillion. In addition to that there are other assets that will be added to the fund, and part of it is already added.
He said it could “turn into a global investment fund with a size of up to $3 trillion dollars”.
OPENING ARAMCO ACCOUNTS
The partial privatization of Aramco was also central to the plans, and Prince Mohammed said it would be transformed into an energy company that he expected to be valued at $2 trillion to $3 trillion, and that less than 5 percent of it would be listed on the stock market.
So big is the state oil company because of its rights to the kingdom’s crude reserves, that selling even 1 percent of its value would create the biggest initial public offering (IPO) on earth, he said.
He said other Aramco subsidiary companies would also be listed along with other publicly held companies, and added that one major benefit of privatization was that it would increase transparency and help limit corruption.
“People used to be unhappy that files and data of Aramco are undeclared, unclear and not transparent. Today they will be transparent. If Aramco gets IPO-ed that means it has to announce its statements of accounts,” he said.
Since the prince was appointed to oversee Saudi long-term planning through the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, Riyadh’s focus on reform has grown far more urgent and far more acute.
Prince Mohammed has enjoyed a dizzyingly rapid rise since his father became king 15 months ago, from being little known outside the ruling Al Saud family to become the driving force of Saudi plans to prepare for a future after oil.
In his rare press conference, he presented himself as a modernizing leader who seeks to shake Saudi Arabia out of its economic slumber and its reputation for opacity and rigid bureaucracy, showing an interest in topics including education, the public role of women, and football.
Saudi Arabia would prepare a new education curriculum, Prince Mohammed said. Despite previous reform attempts, the kingdom’s schools have long been seen as focused on religious teachings rather than preparing students for a role in a modern economy.
Under the plans, Saudi Arabia would produce or assemble half of its defense equipment internally in order to create job opportunities, he said, and Riyadh would make foreign investment easier.
The government ran a deficit of 367 billion riyals ($98 billion) or 15 per cent of gross domestic product in 2015, officials said, and this year’s budget plan aimed to cut that to 326 billion riyals ($87 billion).
His economic team has already announced efforts to curb wasteful government spending, to diversify revenue streams by introducing sales tax and privatizing state assets, and to make reforms in the education sector.
Such was the speculation among Saudis over the details of the plan that hashtags associated with it were the top two trending on Twitter on Monday in the country with the highest rate of social media use in the Middle East.
But ambitious targets, such as raising the private sector share in the economy to 60 percent from 40 percent, reducing unemployment to 7.6 percent from 11 percent and growing non-oil income to 1 trillion riyals ($267 billion) from 163 billion riyals ($44 billion) were not explained further.
PLANS
Some Saudis said they had hoped for more detail on crucial issues such as education reform. There were no further details of plans to increase revenue from tax or of any changes to the political structure of the absolute monarchy.
“For me as a Saudi, I am concerned by the education transformation plan,” said a Saudi entrepreneur. “If it is not at the top of the list, why not?”
However, the plan also envisaged increasing women’s participation in the workforce, something that has already grown quickly over the past five years, to 30 percent from 22 percent.
But he also said he did not believe Saudi society was ready to end its ban on women driving.
A green card system would also be launched within five years to enable expatriate Arabs and Muslims to live and work long-term in the country, Prince Mohammed said, in a major shift for the insular kingdom.
But the focus was on economic restructuring to help reduce oil dependence.
“I think by 2020, if oil stops we can survive,” Prince Mohammed said. “We need it, we need it, but I think in 2020 we can live without oil.”
Slideshow (6 Images)
Appealing to Saudi youth, he ended his news conference by promising them a new Saudi Arabia.
“The vision is not a dream, it’s a reality that will come true,” he said.
($1 = 3.7489 riyals) ||||| Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Most of Saudi Arabia's profits come from oil
The Saudi cabinet has approved sweeping economic reforms aimed at moving the country away from its dependence on oil profits.
Just over 70% of revenues came from oil last year but it has been hit by falling prices.
One part of the plan will see shares sold in state-owned oil giant Aramco to create a sovereign wealth fund.
Announcing the reforms, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described his country as being addicted to oil.
Saudis react on social media
The Vision 2030 plan, he told the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel, would ensure "we can live without oil by 2020".
Among the reforms he announced in his interview were:
Shares worth less than 5% of Aramco, a company he valued at up to $2.5tn (£1.7tn), will be sold
Some of the proceeds will go towards a sovereign wealth fund worth $2tn
A new visa system will allow expatriate Muslims and Arabs to work long term in Saudi Arabia
Steps will be taken to diversify the economy, including investment in mineral mining and expanding military production
Participation of women in the workforce to increase
Even just selling 1% of Aramco would create the biggest initial public offering in history, the prince said, outstripping blockbuster sales like Facebook and Alibaba.
The IMF called the Saudi plan an "ambitious, far-reaching effort" but warned implementation would be a challenge.
The cost of oil: analysis by Andrew Walker, BBC economics correspondent
Image copyright AP Image caption Saudi Arabia is the world's biggest crude exporter
Oil has made Saudi Arabia a major economic force. But it comes at a cost. The short-term problem is the volatile price of crude oil, which is now less than half what it was in mid-2014. Saudi Arabia has deep pockets.
It will not go running to the International Monetary Fund for financial help, something another oil exporter, Angola, has done. But the Saudi reserves are eroding and with almost three quarters of government revenue coming from oil, the price fall is making itself felt.
For the long term, international efforts to combat climate change create huge uncertainty about demand for oil in the future. Oil will not lose its dominance of the market for transport fuel in the next few years, but further ahead the outlook is unknown.
So Saudi Arabia needs to become less dependent on oil for government revenue and for the jobs and incomes of Saudi nationals.
Oil prices are still less than half the peak of $115 a barrel seen in June 2014. But the prince said the reforms would go ahead regardless of prices.
"The vision has nothing to do with crude prices," he said.
"If the oil price goes back up it would greatly support the vision but it does not need high prices. We can deal with the lowest prices possible."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Prince Mohammed says greater women's rights may not happen for a while
In an interview with Bloomberg last week, Prince Mohammed said taxes on luxury goods and sugary drinks could also be introduced. However, he said it was crucial that the programme would not leave the country's poor worse off.
The prince is second-in-line to the Saudi throne and also serves as defence minister.
Vast oil revenues have allowed the Saudi government to offer generous subsidies on utilities to its population. But some of these were cut last year in response to falling oil prices.
Over the weekend King Salman sacked the country's water minister amid outrage at rising utility prices. ||||| Saudi Arabia's cabinet has agreed on a broad-based economic reform plan, known as Vision 2030, revealing how the oil-reliant state plans to diversify its economy over the next 14 years.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the deputy crown prince, said on Monday that the country was building up its public investment fund to become a major player in global markets.
He said Saudi Arabia was restructuring its housing ministry to increase the supply of affordable housing, and creating a "green card" system within five years to give expatriates long-term residence.
WATCH: Oil economics - Behind the Saudi Aramco IPO
Salman al-Ansari, founder and president of the Washington DC-based Saudi American Public Relations Affairs Committee (SAPRAC), told Al Jazeera the green card system gives more rights to expatriates to invest in the country.
"Almost 10 million foreigners send their money back to their country. They can't invest in this country, so with this green card idea we are giving more rights to expats for investment or to buy houses," he said.
"That will create a big move for the Saudi economy. It is a visionary kind of move to not only help the Saudi economy and Saudi citizens but also to help the foreigners in the country."
Saudi Arabia will also sell shares in state oil giant Aramco and set up the world's largest wealth fund in line with the plan, Mohamed bin Salman said separately in an interview with the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news channel.
"We plan to sell less than 5 percent of Aramco. Aramco's size is very big. It is estimated at between $2 trillion and $2.5 trillion," he said.
"We plan to set up a $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund ... part of its assets will come from the sale of a small part of Aramco."
Saudi Arabia's economy has suffered over the past 12 months in line with the falling price of oil, with a $98bn budget deficit last year and an estimated deficit of $87bn this year. Its reserves decreased from $746bn in 2014 to $616bn today.
OPINION: Saudi Arabia - reform comes with social responsibility
"They have announced these kind of changes before. It is going to be very interesting to monitor the implementation of the new rules," Ahmed al-Ibrahim, an expert in Saudi affairs and security, told Al Jazeera.
"To implement some of these, you need the collaboration of society. For example, if you want to increase the empowerment of women, you need to liberalise your society," he said.
"In so many more ways, Saudi society needs to contribute to the government for the Vision 2030 to succeed."
The country has proven oil reserves of 267 billion barrels and potential reserves of up to 900 billion. | – Saudi Arabia's 30-year-old deputy crown prince is looking toward the future with his new "Vision 2030" plan—a plan that includes pulling the kingdom out of its overreliance on oil and leaning more on non-oil investment to transform it into a global power, Reuters reports. "We will not allow our country ever to be at the mercy of commodity price volatility or external markets," Prince Mohammed bin Salman told reporters gathered at a Riyadh palace Monday. Per Gulf News, he had earlier appeared in a televised al-Arabiya interview, noting, "We have developed a case of oil addiction in Saudi Arabia. … I think by 2020, if oil stops we can survive." Also part of his new blueprint: including women more in the economy and appealing to young people who face the prospect of not finding jobs. The BBC notes that more than 70% of the kingdom's revenue came from oil in 2015, but oil prices continue to plummet and Saudi Arabia's economy is suffering, per Al Jazeera. In broad terms, the prince would like to bring up its Public Investment Fund (PIF) capital to $2 trillion from $160 billion. Prince Mohammed says 5% of shares in the Aramco oil company would be sold to fund this $2 trillion nest (which he thinks could even rise to $3 trillion). Also part of the prince's game plan: setting up a "green card" system in five years' time to expedite Muslim and Arab expatriates' long-term residency, as well as boosting affordable housing and getting more women into the workforce. The founder of the DC-based Saudi American Public Relations Affairs Committee tells Al Jazeera this a "visionary move," but another Saudi expert says he's seen similar changes proposed before. "To implement some of these, you need the collaboration of society," he notes. "For example, if you want to increase the empowerment of women, you need to liberalize your society." (What the prince didn't bring up: The kingdom's possible ties to 9/11.) |
The retired King of the Belgians has been ordered to take a DNA paternity test by a Brussels court, raising the prospect of finally resolving whether he is the real father of Delphine Boël, a 50-year-old aristocrat artist.
King Albert II, who has refused to recognise Ms Boël as his daughter for more than a decade, must submit to the test within three months or be legally presumed to be the multi-media artist’s father.
An earlier court-ordered DNA test proved that Jacques Boël, scion of one of Belgium's richest industrial dynasties, was not her biological father. Since that 2013 test, Ms Boël, who has two children, has tried to prove that Albert is her father.
The former monarch, 83, abdicated in 2013 in favour of his son Philippe after 20 years on the throne. The decision also cost him his immunity to court judgments such as the paternity test, which would be a saliva test carried out on Albert, Ms Boël and her mother at a Brussels hospital.
Ms Boël's lawyers said in their statement that they were pleased with the "strong affirmation of the principle of acting in the interests of the child" as she seeks legal confirmation of her true identity. ||||| FILE PHOTO: Belgium's King Albert and Queen Paola attend a tribute to the victims of Brussels suicide attacks, at the royal palace in Brussels, Belgium, May 22, 2016. REUTERS/Fred Sierakowski/Pool/File Photo
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Brussels appeals court has ordered the retired king of Belgium to take a DNA paternity test, overturning an earlier ruling in a suit brought by 50-year-old artist Delphine Boel.
Under the judgment, reported by Boel’s lawyers on Monday, King Albert II must take the test within three months or risk being presumed to be her father — although his lawyers could seek to challenge the court’s legal argument.
The 84-year-old monarch, who in 2013 abdicated in favor of his son Philippe after 20 years on the throne, has contested Boel’s claim for more than a decade. Court-ordered DNA tests have proved that she is not the daughter of Jacques Boel, scion of one of Belgium’s richest industrial dynasties.
The court could not be reached, and there was no immediate comment from the royal house. Boel’s lawyers said in their statement that they were pleased with the “strong affirmation of the principle of acting in the interests of the child” as she seeks legal confirmation of her true identity.
That identity became a topic of public debate after the publication in 1999 of a biography of Queen Paola, Albert’s Italian wife, which alleged that he had had a long extra-marital relationship from which a daughter was born in the 1960s.
Albert, who has no formal public role, has acknowledged that he and Paola had marital difficulties. Their three children are all older than Boel. Next in line to the throne is 17-year-old Princess Elisabeth, daughter of Philippe and Queen Mathilde. | – Belgium's former king has to undergo a paternity test. Per the Telegraph, a mandate just handed down by a Brussels appeals court will force King Albert II, who gave up his crown in 2013 so his son Philippe could sit on the throne, to have his saliva tested to see if he's the father of 50-year-old multimedia artist Delphine Boel. The ex-monarch has denied for more than 10 years that he's Boel's dad, but a 1999 biography on Albert's wife, Queen Paola, tells a different story. That tome alleges Albert had a long-time affair with aristocrat Sybille de Selys Longchamps, a relationship that allegedly resulted in the birth of Boel in the late '60s; the affair reportedly ended in 1976, when Albert chose to stay with Paola so he wouldn't have to abdicate. Albert has admitted his marriage to Paola, which produced three children of their own (all older than Boel), wasn't always smooth, per Reuters. The man Boel grew up believing was her father, Jacques Boel, has already been determined via DNA testing to not be her biological father. The court order, which overturned an earlier ruling and can't be appealed, says Albert has three months to comply with the testing. If he refuses, he'll be legally deemed Boel's father. (Salvador Dali, you are NOT the father of this Spanish woman.) |
ianhawes Mark Hurd to Oracle. Say goodbye to R&D; at that company. Denafest ceoSteveJobs We're also taking the booth out of the Photo Booth icon because, frankly, no one uses those anymore either. My @ mint weekly financial statement is perfect for knowing how much money I had 12 days ago. FATJEW "I ain't saying she's a gold digger... but she did travel to California seeking fortune in the mid-19th century" (Kanye Old West) smashingmag We're giving away 5 lifetime memberships of icon sets from @ iconeden http://bit.ly/c2aLv2 ). To win one, just RT this msg! Just tried out Ping. Yup, its horrible. kaneshow Info on James Lee: Height:5-10, Weight:235, DOB: 06/01/1967. #Discovery enborra Which Apple Accounts Payable intern designed the iTunes 10 logo? Are we doing gradients again? 760-612-4309 appears to be the telephone number of the #Discovery hostage taker. Email: misterfifteen@hotmail.com kaneshow Picture of #Discovery hostage taker James Jay Lee of California. http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/885/jamesjaylee.gif James Lee, 24 yr old Asian male responsible for #Discovery hostage situation. MySpace is http://www.myspace.com/meowmeowaroundtheworld 760-612-4309 appears to be the telephone number of the #Discovery hostage taker. His email is misterfifteen@hotmail.com Breaking.. #Discovery More information on this guy's protests http://www.savetheplanetprotest.com/discovery.htm Ping really doesn't look that interesting... Apple keynote in 20 minutes. johnsheehan I don't know how anyone can get anything done without a desk and a mouse. KimZetter Sounds like suicide #sarcasm parislemon They're streaming it because all you goofy bloggers destroyed the wifi at WWDC. Now we won't need your commentary. MegHasken22 Way better than the other moms. more ||||| At a glance, the two websites look virtually indistinguishable. Both feature a photo of Donald Trump, in a suit and red tie, in front of a giant American flag. Both seemingly offer a chance for two to win dinner with Donald Trump.
One is at donaldjtrump.com; the other is at dinnerwithtrump.org.
Story Continued Below
The first belongs to Trump’s campaign. The second is a scheme run by Ian Hawes, a 25-year-old Maryland man who has no affiliation with Trump or his campaign and who has preyed on more than 20,000 unsuspecting donors, collecting more than $1 million in the process.
In just its first three weeks of operation, Hawes’ PAC spent more than $108,000 on Facebook ads, offering an opportunity to win “Dinner with Donald Trump” — and netted itself nearly $350,000 in donations, according to federal records.
The biggest chunk of the money raised — $133,000 — went to a company that Hawes founded and owns, CartSoft LLC. The purpose of the payments is described on federal records as “media” and “media purchasing,” though CartSoft’s website describes itself as an online payment-processing platform.
Since its launch, the PAC has collected more than $1 million, Hawes told POLITICO. It has reportedly spent $0 on behalf of Trump.
“I feel ripped off and taken advantage of. This is horrible. That was not my intent,” said Mary Pat Kulina, who owns a paper-shredding company in Maryland and gave $265 to Hawes’ group. Kulina thought she had given to Trump’s campaign until told otherwise by POLITICO. “This is robbery,” she said. “I want my money back and I want them to add up what they stole from people and give it to Donald Trump.”
Of the 156 donors who gave more than $200 to Hawes’ group in June — the threshold for names to be included in federal filings — POLITICO contacted dozens and spoke with 11. Everyone interviewed said they believed they had given to Trump’s campaign, not an unconnected PAC.
“I would say, unfortunately, that’s simply a matter of pure chance,” Hawes said in an interview defending his group and denying it is a scam.
Hours after POLITICO published this story, Trump’s campaign sent a letter to Hawes accusing him of “defrauding” his donors and asking him to cease-and-desist.
But the dinner scheme is just the beginning. By late July, Hawes — who in his Twitter bio calls himself a “registered genius, board certified hacker, and grape soda connoisseur” — had launched another website, crookedhillary2016.org, according to Internet domain registration records, and began promoting a contest to revoke her security clearance. The group’s Facebook page copies the “Crooked Hillary” logo that is used on Trump’s official LyingCrookedHillary.com site.
“We're raising $1 million dollars from small donors to fight Crooked Hillary's campaign of lies,” reads Hawes’ site. Hawes also registered imwithtrump.org in late June, records show, though that site remains dormant.
As of Sunday, Hawes’ group had raised $1.1 million from 21,253 donors, he said. More than 410,000 people had signed up for the dinner contest — giving him a massive email list he can leverage for more money for years to come.
Internet-based scam PACs are hardly new to 2016. In the past, some have made look-alike campaign sites and bought Google ads to lure unsuspecting donors. Facebook, with its vast audience and ability to target users by political ideology, has proved an alluring tool this cycle, and Trump, with legions of passionate fans, has become an appealing target. Facebook declined to comment for this story.
Because Hawes’ PAC has zero ties to Trump’s campaign, the dinner it is dangling won’t be very intimate. The fine print — in gray, size 8.5-font on a black background at the bottom of the website — discloses that this “dinner” actually amounts to the PAC buying two tickets “at a Sponsor-selected fundraising evening event held with Donald Trump and other attendees.”
David Easlick, a lawyer in Virginia, gave more than $1,000 to American Horizons PAC. “I assumed it was coming from Trump and we donated $1,000 because you might have a better chance than if you’d given $100,” Easlick said.
He asked with more than a hint of resignation, “Is it a fraud or something?”
Hawes’ site doesn’t initially ask for money. First, one can enter the dinner contest simply by providing an email address. But it quickly offers a chance to “double your chances” by donating, even though the fine print states, “Contributing will not improve chances of winning.”
One person, Jared Peavler of Indiana, posted screenshots of his correspondence with Hawes’ group on Facebook after he complained it was a scam. “I’d like to point out that it clearly states that contributing does NOT increase chances of winning both in the rules within the link and at the bottom of the email,” Peavler wrote, adding in all-caps, “EAT SHIT!”
An email signed by Hawes replied. “Monetary contributions don’t increase your chance of winning, but we do multiply your entries. We’re also a political action committee, so it’s our job to collect contributions. So you can eat your own shit.”
Peavler told POLITICO: “That was when I knew it was fake. Professionals don't allow themselves to be drawn into an unprofessional conversation like that.” (Hawes said he did not recall writing such an email and that his records did not show any such correspondence. “That’s not something we would say,” he said. “Pissing people off is not something that we’re trying to do.”)
Another donor, Jeanie Boro, an insurance broker in California, gave $1,015 to the group before she saw in the fine print that it wasn’t actually affiliated with Trump. “I thought it was very deceiving. I was very upset,” Boro said. She demanded and received a refund.
If people complain, Hawes said, “We’ll be happy to return your donations right away.” They had processed 110 refunds to date, he said. (Those who want their money back can email help@americanhorizons.org.)
American Horizons PAC, which Hawes registered with the Federal Election Commission on June 10, is actually the second incarnation of a “Dinner with Donald Trump” scheme — though both have ties to Hawes.
The top screen, bearing the Trump-Pence logo, is the official campaign "Dinner with Trump" fundraising raffle. The bottom screen is from a scam PAC. | Screengrabs
An earlier group called the Recover America PAC was created in late November and registered by Michael Williams, a friend of Hawes’, who listed the same website — dinnerwithtrump.org — that the current dinner-promoting PAC is using. The contact number provided to the FEC on that filing was affiliated online with a company called Glexia, where both Williams (CEO and president) and Hawes (executive vice president) are listed as employees. That first effort, however, never reported any further activity, despite three subsequent letters from FEC attorneys demanding additional paperwork.
Then, in June, Hawes revived the idea. The new PAC immediately began buying Facebook ads, starting with $750 per day on June 10 and building up to more than $15,000 on June 29. In three weeks, the group had raised $349,958.
Hawes took advantage of a vacuum left by a skeletal Trump operation that had failed to activate supporters online and protect its digital turf; Hawes noted he bought Facebook ads and solicited money via email before Trump ever did, and created the dinner contest first.
He said Trump’s campaign has never contacted the PAC to request that it stop using his name, even though the campaign did so to the FEC last fall about some other groups. The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
“I applaud anyone that wants to dig into our financials, but they’re looking at the wrong political organization,” Hawes said.
So far, his group’s biggest expenditure was to his company CartSoft. The next report is due in mid-October. Hawes declined to say what his personal cut has been.
“I don’t want to say the number is zero, because that’s not true,” he said, calling any CartSoft profits “a standard mark-up.”
FEC commissioner Ann Ravel declined to discuss any specific potential cases but said that, in general, the FEC is too powerless when it comes to combating fraud.
“That’s the frustration I have, that there’s very little recourse,” she said. “People give money thinking it’s going to go to a particular person or a particular cause, and it’s a consumer protection issue as far as I’m concerned.”
John McQueen, a funeral home owner in Florida, remembered seeing the ad in his Facebook feed. “I had planned to give a thousand bucks to his campaign, and when my wife saw it also on her Facebook feed she said, ‘Why not do this?’” he recalled.
He gave $1,015 in late June.
“Who really reads the fine print?” he lamented. “If he wants to refund me my thousand bucks, I’m happy to turn around and give it to Mr. Trump.”
Hawes’ PAC ended June with $88,197 cash on hand. It is not clear what activities he has planned on Trump’s behalf this fall. “We use the money that we collect in a way that we feel best creates value for the people who have donated to us,” he said.
Hawes’ most recent activity online was posting publicly on his personal Facebook page that he got engaged in mid-August “on the bow of the yacht overlooking Miami.”
“Couldn't be more perfect!” he wrote, as he posted pictures of himself sipping champagne with his fiancé and of her glittering oval engagement ring. | – More than $1 million has been raised in the name of Donald Trump by a PAC—but zero dollars appear to have gone to help the GOP nominee, and donors are furious with the "registered genius" and "grape soda connoisseur" behind the setup, Politico reports. Ian Hawes is the 25-year-old behind dinnerwithtrump.org, a site not affiliated with Trump's campaign and that offers an exciting opportunity, if you're a Trump fan: a chance to win tickets to a Trump "fundraising event," complete with flight and hotel stay. That contest site, in addition to other fundraising efforts Hawes has made—including nearly $110,000 in Facebook ads, per federal records—has so far brought in $1.1 million from more than 21,000 donors, Hawes says. The issue: Donors say they thought this fundraising effort was part of Trump's campaign, though the fine print on the site notes it's simply giving away two tickets to a "Sponsor-selected fundraising evening event" with Trump in attendance. "I feel ripped off and taken advantage of. … This is robbery," says one donor who ponied up $256 to Hawes' American Horizons PAC, thinking she was donating directly to Trump's camp. Hawes denies he's pulling one over on anyone, noting that interested parties can enter the dinner contest without donating—though Politico notes a "double your chances" promotion is offered via multiple entries if someone contributes—and that the PAC will refund donations to anyone who asks for one. Plus, he adds, Trump's campaign has never told him to cease and desist using Trump's name. The "dinner with the Donald" site isn't Hawes' only moneymaker scheme: He's also launched crookedhillary2016.org—"to fight Crooked Hillary's campaign of lies"—and has registered imwithtrump.org, though that's not live yet. (The real Trump was closing the fundraising gap with Clinton earlier this month.) |
A 6-year-old boy with autism is back with his family in Westchester County after he was found driving a motorized toy car on the Bronx River Parkway over the weekend.Officers found the boy on the mini ATV just after 7 p.m. Sunday in Mount Vernon."We just blocked it in, was like a box and he was right in the middle," said Ana Rubio, a Good Samaritan.Ana Rubio still gets emotional as she speaks about the little boy she held in her arms, along the Bronx River Parkway Sunday night."He was like, 'I need to go home, mom, mom,' all he kept saying was 'mom,'" Rubio said.Rubio didn't know the child but thank goodness she and several others including her husband, Joel, were there to help."The first guy who came in contact with the boy, he was almost shaking, he had goose bumps, saying, 'I almost hit the kid,'" said Joel Reyes, a Good Samaritan.The Good Samaritans are now being called angels.Investigators say several drivers slowed down to block the child from other traffic.They spotted the 6-year-old little boy, riding a toy ATV on the Bronx River Parkway, in the far right lane with cars whizzing by, going at least 45 mph."It seemed like the child wanted to continue driving, he was trying to merge on the middle lane of the highway," Rubio said.This twisted tale began roughly two miles from the parkway.Police say the little boy, who is autistic, was with his grandmother near a park on South 7th Avenue.He slipped away, got on his blue battery powered toy, and took off.Witnesses say the boy's mother showed up at the park and frantically start calling for her son."You saw kids going back and forth and I asked them 'Did you find him?' and they said 'No,'" said Genoveva Burgos, a witness.The boy was heading to the parkway, and it's a long journey for such a little guy.As his mother was reporting him missing, police began getting a ton of 911 calls about a boy on an ATV on the parkway.By then, Rubio and several others had safely gotten the 6-year-old to the side of the parkway."It seemed like he didn't know he was on a highway, he just wanted to go home," Rubio said.Then her heart skipped another beat."When he saw the police officer he was ready to run onto the highway but I grabbed him and hugged him and said, 'we're going to help you, the officer will take you home,'" Rubio said.The boy was taken to a hospital for observation and found to be OK. ||||| The Blue miniature battery-powered ATV that a 6-year-old autistic boy drove onto the northbound ramp of the Bronx River Parkway near Oak Street in Mount Vernon Sunday evening. The child was safely taken off the road after three motorists slowed their vehicles to surround and protect the boy from other vehicles that might not have seen him. (Photo: Westchester County police)
An autistic 6-year-old boy drove a miniature battery-powered ATV onto the Bronx River Parkway and was pulled over by good Samaritans on Sunday night, authorities said.
The trip started off in a city park around 7 p.m. when family members lost track of the boy, who rode off in the toy vehicle.
"They realized pretty quickly he was gone but couldn't lay eyes on him," Kieran O'Leary, spokesman for the Westchester County police, said of the Mount Vernon family.
Relatives reported the boy missing to Mount Vernon police.
At about 7:40 p.m., Westchester County police started receiving 911 calls about the unlicensed driver traveling in his vehicle — made popular by the toy brand Power Wheels — on the parkway.
He had driven to Oak Street, from a park about a mile away on South Seventh Avenue, and taken the ramp onto the northbound parkway, police said.
The young driver didn't make it very far.
Good Samaritan: 'You could barely see him driving by'
Three motorists slowed their vehicles to surround the boy and protect him from other vehicles that might not see him, O'Leary said. Someone was able to get out of their vehicle, and grab the boy and his ride off the parkway.
"These good Samaritans got him to the safety of the side of the road," the police spokesman said. Police officers arrived shortly after.
The child was taken to Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital for observation and found to be OK. He was reunited with his family.
The Blue miniature battery-powered ATV that a 6-year-old autistic boy drove onto the northbound ramp of the Bronx River Parkway near Oak Street in Mount Vernon Sunday evening. The child was safely taken off the road after three motorists slowed their vehicles to surround and protect the boy from other vehicles that might not have seen him. (Photo: Westchester County Police)
The incident is under investigation.
Twitter: @gshilly
Read or Share this story: http://lohud.us/1s3texI | – Drivers on the Bronx River Parkway were a little surprised to see a 6-year-old driving his miniature ATV beside them last night. The boy's mom was even more surprised to discover him missing. It started on a family trip to a park in Mount Vernon, New York, where the autistic boy rode off unnoticed at around 7pm, the Journal News reports. "They realized pretty quickly he was gone but couldn't lay eyes on him," a police spokesman said. Bystanders say the mother was frantically calling for her boy as kids ran back and forth looking for him, 7Online reports. Soon he had zoomed onto the northbound parkway and was even trying to merge into the middle lane, police and witnesses say. So drivers boxed him in and grabbed him just as police arrived. "He was like, 'I need to go home, mom, mom,' all he kept saying was 'mom,'" said Ana Rubio, one of the drivers. Another was said to be shaking with goosebumps, telling people, "I almost hit a kid." As for the boy, he seemingly "didn't know he was on a highway, he just wanted to go home," said Rubio. He was taken to a hospital first and "found to be OK," reports 7Online, but police are still investigating. (Read about an autistic boy allegedly kept in a cage.) |
It might hit you right in the feels, even as your eyes are rolling. To quote one of Forrest's truest pieces of wisdom: Maybe both is happening at the same time. ||||| The festival of green screen that is "Bitch Slap" is surely intended to be a fond tribute to any number of hot-women-in-peril movies. Think Zack Snyder meets Roger Corman. Meets Christopher Nolan. Seriously. But when it offers only scant humor (and costumes) and interminable girl-fighting, isn't that actually just another entry in the genre?There is a plot, for those who look beyond the belles and whistling, but it has something to do with buried treasure and the CIA and other stuff like that, in a structure borrowed from "Memento," so the less said, the better. This movie's raison d'être bursts forth in close-up after close-up lovingly caressing the assets of its actresses. And they are appropriately cast as the three stupefyingly sexed-up conspirators/combatants/abrupt make-out session participants.There are moments of enjoyment -- the oh-so-gratuitous water fight, the lusty sadism of the most unhinged of the three, and did I mention the abrupt make-out session? There's plenty not to enjoy as well, including a surfeit of fistfights. The target audience must be that awfully precise niche that never tires of women punching each other. The film also suffers from the lack of Zoë Bell; it's the latest film to underuse the most memorable aspect of Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" -- flinch and you'll miss her, but she does coordinate the stunts.Despite its obsession with décolletage, "Bitch Slap" is surprisingly puritanical (much teasing, no pleasing), substituting plentiful violence and a howlingly predictable "shock" ending for the payoff it promises.-- Michael OrdoñaMPAA rating: R for brutal violence, strong sexual content and language throughout, and brief drug use. Running time: 1 hour, 44 minutes. At the Landmark Nuart Theatre, West L.A.It can't be a good sign for a vampire movie when its most memorable trait is how desperate Chrysler's product placement appears.Sans teen angst or coifs, "Daybreakers" is set a decade after a vampire plague has swept the globe, the remaining human population no more than rapidly dwindling food stock. To grab life by the horns in the daytime, the well-heeled undead tool around in sunshield-bedecked Chryslers. Meanwhile, a crusading hematologist played by Ethan Hawke searches for a blood substitute to save the vampires from starvation -- and humans from extinction.Riding to the possible rescue in a modified muscle car is Willem Dafoe as a lapsed vampire whose re-humanizing could mean a cure, killing two bats with one stone. The corporate villains, led by Sam Neill, would rather cling to their upper-class status than address the problems. Hence, some chasing, some soul-searching, some excellent cranial explosions and spontaneous combustions (vampires apparently have hellacious allergies to splinters)."Daybreakers" may be harboring a message under the eruptions of gore: It depicts the exhaustion of resources by the powerful, who are even more addicted to profits and cars than blood. And the "cure," for the curious, can be rephrased as a Louis Brandeis commonplace for speaking political truths. Any higher intentions are brought crashing down by predictability, wooden characters, giggle-inducing attempts at scares (shrieking bats, anyone?) and cinematography so gloomy it should be checked for serotonin deficiency.This isn't the film to relieve our collective vampire fatigue. But perhaps it's nothing a spin in a brand-new Chrysler couldn't cure.-- Michael OrdoñaMPAA rating: R for strong bloody violence, language and brief nudity. Running time: 1 hour, 38 minutes. In general release.What happened to Matthew Broderick? Maybe the question, and even its answer, is now obvious, but when and why did he go from the very picture of reedy, goofy, energetic youthfulness in films such as "War Games" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" to the puffy, downbeat and browbeaten exemplar of unhappiness and bitter ennui that he has been in pretty much everything since "Election"? Is adulthood that dreary? Is there something else we should know?In "Wonderful World," Broderick plays Ben Singer, a once moderately successful performer of children's music who has retreated from the world, becoming a self-styled, self-hating curmudgeon. His ex-wife now lives in a huge mansion with her new husband, and Singer's teenage daughter rarely wants to see him. He works as a proofreader in a law office, making a long-term career of a job most people use as a temporary landing pad. His only solace comes from smoking pot and playing chess with his Senegalese roommate Ibou (Michael Kenneth Williams). When Ibou goes into a diabetic coma, Ben finds himself with a new roommate in Ibou's sister ( Sanaa Lathan).It's presumably just a quirk of timing that "Wonderful World" traffics in many of the same motions as 2007's "The Visitor," both films using immigrants to open the eyes of closed-off main characters. Yet where "The Visitor" had at least a passing interest in the underlying political ramifications of its crossed-cultures story line, in "Wonderful World" the focus is strictly on the personal, in getting this Singer to sing again.Josh Goldin, a longtime screenwriter whose credits include "Darkman" and "Out on a Limb" -- and whose wife is a writer at the L.A. Times -- makes his debut as a writer-director with "Wonderful World." The results of Goldin's dual efforts are promising but uneven. The story never fully blends the idea of Singer's rediscovery of his artistic voice -- and even something as simple as why he was a children's performer in the first place is never addressed -- with his personal renewal. Why can't he be a kids' singer onstage and a jerk offstage?Broderick's sad-sack misanthropy is often taken as a given -- one look at the guy and he seems miserable -- and so the film never quite explores the hidden corners of his character's psyche. In a brief scene in the backroom of a guitar shop, Broderick's character jams with musician Dan Zanes, genuine leader of the movement to make kids' music hip, and guitar legend James Burton, sideman for Elvis Presley, Gram Parsons and Elvis Costello.In those moments, there is a simple buoyancy, a lifting of burden, that the rest of the film never quite reclaims.-- Mark OlsenMPAA rating: R for language, some drug use and sexual content. Running time: 1 hour, 29 minutes. At the Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills. ||||| Matthew Broderick Hides Behind Beard in Wonderful World
Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick), once the third-biggest kids' musician in the country, is now the number-one grump of an unnamed city that's played by Shreveport, Louisiana, where writer-director Joshua Goldin's feature debut was shot, and which also doubles, later in the film, as Dakar, Senegal. More impoverished than the budget is Wonderful World's script, a shopworn tale of redemption in which the constantly outraged, pot-puffing misanthrope learns that "magic is everywhere." Alienating his legal-proofreader co-workers and even his 11-year-old daughter, Sandra (Jodelle Ferland), with his bilious indignation, Ben softens in the company of his Senegalese roommate and chess partner, Ibu (Michael K. Williams), who soon exits the movie in a diabetic coma, though his work in the rehabilitation of Ben's soul will be quickly picked up by his sister, Khadi (Sanaa Lathan). It's heartbreaking to see Lathan, an underemployed actress whose talents were last put to good use in 2006's Something Else, in such a ridiculous, impossible role, falling into bed with repugnant Ben and teaching Sandra West African dance. And Broderick looks as if he wants to hide permanently behind his three-day growth. | – Critics are not sold on Wonderful World, a creaky indie starring Matthew Broderick as a misanthropic children’s folksinger. Here’s what the critics are saying: World is “a checklist-indie that offers up clichés with gusto,” even flirting with Magical Negro stereotypes, writes Nick Schager of Slant. “Broderick mopes and grouses admirably,” but this treacle is still “pretty close to the bottom of the barrel.” Keith Uhlich of Time Out New York agrees, crediting the cast with giving a “committed, nearly convincing effort” in what’s ultimately “fey Indiewood bullcrap.” The script, a “shopworn tale of redemption,” is atrocious, writes Melissa Anderson of the Village Voice, and it’s heartbreaking to see talented female lead Sanaa Lathan in “such a ridiculous, implausible role." Broderick, meanwhile, “looks as if he wants to hide behind his three-day growth.” Indeed, Mark Olsen of the Los Angeles Times wonders what the heck happened to Broderick. “One looks at the guy and he seems miserable,” he writes. “Is adulthood that dreary? Is there something else we should know?” |
Sotheby's is holding an auction with up to $5 million of rock memorabilia, including one of Elvis Presley's favorite stage costumes. CNBC's Robert Frank reports.
"Once upon a time you dressed so fine, you threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?"
They are among the most famous words in music history. And now Bob Dylan's original handwritten lyrics to "Like a Rolling Stone"—scrawled on hotel stationary and filled with revisions and artistic doodles—are coming up for auction.
Sotheby's is selling the lyrics as part of its sale Tuesday, titled "A Rock & Roll History: Presley to Punk." The lyrics from the 1965 song, which the auction house's Richard Austin said influenced everyone from The Beatles to Bono, are the top lot and could fetch between $1 million and $2 million.
Read MoreWalt Whitman book sells for $305,000
"They are the holy grail of lyrics," Austin said. They also offer a window into Dylan's painstaking song-writing process. Starting at 20 pages, he whittled the words down over time to four pages—which themselves are filled with alternate rhymes and lyrics. ||||| Does Elvis Presley’s sweat cure the common cold? If it’s caked into a 40-year-old smudged piece of white fabric, does Elvis sweat turn lead into gold, water to wine?
No, it doesn’t. But is Elvis sweat still worth up to $200,000? The answer is yes, probably.
Once in a, ahem, blue moon, some incredible memorabilia rolls through town and shakes up the collectors’ world. A Sotheby’s auction Tuesday is one of those incredible events.
One of the items on sale is a special suit owned by Elvis Presley—that’s the King of Pop to you—that the aging star wore during his Las Vegas performances. Likely to fetch between $100,000 and $200,000, the suit has a green and blue peacock rendered in rhinestones and gold lame on the front and back, CNBC reports. As everyone knows, a bejeweled white jump suit is a nightmare to wash, so it still has Elvis Sweat Stains™ in the armpits.
Other items include Bob Dylan’s original handwritten lyrics to “Like A Rolling Stone,” corrections and all, which could sell for up to $2 million, and John Lennon’s piano, which was also played by Elton John and David Bowie and could go for $100,000 to $200,000. Also, there are some John Lennon drawings, and Jim Morrison’s Love Her Madly lyrics.
Rock fans, come one, come all. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. | – Would you pay $200,000 for an old white jumpsuit with sweat stains in the armpits? No? What if said jumpsuit (and sweat) belonged to none other than the King himself? One of Elvis Presley's suits—featuring, in addition to the sweat, a bejeweled peacock and worn during his Las Vegas performances—is going up for auction tomorrow at Sotheby's, where it's expected to fetch between $100,000 and $200,000, Time reports. Presley considered the blue and green peacock—adorned with rhinestones and gold lame and stretched across the front, back, and sides of the suit—to be good luck, CNBC reports. Why the sweat stains? The suit is understandably difficult to clean. Also up for grabs at the "A Rock & Roll History: Presley to Punk" auction: Bob Dylan's original handwritten "Like a Rolling Stone" lyrics on hotel stationery; a piano played by John Lennon, Elton John, and David Bowie; and Jimi Hendrix's infamous $1 contract. |
To help personalize content, tailor and measure ads, and provide a safer experience, we use cookies. By clicking or navigating the site, you agree to allow our collection of information on and off Facebook through cookies. Learn more, including about available controls: Cookies Policy ||||| The herded became the herders Monday when a woman fleeing police through a pasture was chased down by more than a dozen cows, leading her straight to officers and arrest, according to the Sanford Police Department.
A Seminole County Sheriff�s Office helicopter team captured video of the cows bucking trends and defying traditional roles to become the heroes in this tale of justice, not just mere namesakes.
The video shows Jennifer Anne Kaufman running through the field being chased by the cows, who worked together to corral the suspect.
Authorities said Kaufman, 46, was riding in a stolen Subaru SUV being pursued by officers when the vehicle crashed near the pasture after officers attempted to disable it with stop sticks. Kaufman and another occupant, Jamie Michael Young, fled into the pasture. A third occupant, Erin Thomas, 38, stayed with the vehicle. Young, 46, was chased down by a K9 unit, but Kaufman made it deeper.
Then, video shows, police got an animal assist.
"Actually, a large group of cows is following her for a good visual. It looks like they may attack her," the helicopter team can be heard saying. "She�s pretty far into the field now. If you see the large group of cows, they�re literally following her and chasing her."
The herd of cattle chased Kaufman right to a fence, where authorities were waiting on the other side.
Police said the Subaru was stolen out of Brevard County. A search of the vehicle yielded more than a gram of cocaine, a crack pipe, syringes and a metal spoon.
Kaufman was charged with petit theft, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, trespassing, resisting arrest and violation of probation. She is currently being held in Seminole County Jail.
This is a developing story. Stay with tampabay.com for updates.
Daniel Figueroa IV can be reached at [email protected] Follow @danuscripts | – It's one of the strangest and most spectacular lines ever uttered during a police chase: "If you see the large group of cows, they're literally following her and chasing her." You'll need to watch the video from Florida's Seminole County Sheriff's Office to appreciate it, but a small herd of cattle did indeed help police catch a suspect fleeing on foot through a pasture, reports TampaBay.com. Police say the woman had been in a stolen SUV being pursued by officers when the vehicle crashed near the pasture. One man who bolted from the SUV was quickly captured, but the woman made it further. "Actually, a large group of cows is following her for a good visual," says an officer in a helicopter. "It looks like they may attack her." The cows, more than a dozen in all, chased the woman to a fence, where she was promptly arrested. Jennifer Anne Kaufman, 46, faces charges of petit theft, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, trespassing, resisting arrest, and violation of probation. |
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Instant noodles are cheap, convenient, and tasty to many. Now for the bad news.
Researchers in South Korea, where instant noodle consumption is the highest in the world, studied 10,711 adults, a representative sample of the Korean population enrolled in a large survey of health and nutrition. They found two major dietary patterns — the “traditional diet,� of fish, rice and vegetables, and the “meat and fast-food� regimen, rich in meat and processed food, including instant noodles.
Neither diet as a whole was associated with metabolic syndrome — the constellation of symptoms that includes abdominal obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and blood sugar levels, which may increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
But the study, in the August issue of The Journal of Nutrition, found that independent of other factors, women who ate instant noodles at least twice a week were 68 percent more likely to have metabolic syndrome.
The effect was not apparent in men. According to the senior author, Dr. Frank B. Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard, this may be because women report their diet more accurately or because postmenopausal women are more sensitive to the dietary effect of carbohydrates, sodium and saturated fat.
In any case, Dr. Hu said, instant noodles are not part of a healthy diet. “Once or twice a month is not a problem,â€? he said. “But a few times a week really is.â€? ||||| SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Kim Min-koo has an easy reply to new American research that hits South Korea where it hurts — in the noodles. Drunk and hungry just after dawn, he rips the lid off a bowl of his beloved fast food, wobbling on his feet but still defiant over a report that links instant noodles to health hazards.
In this Aug. 19. 2014, customers eat "ramyeon" instant noodle at a ramyeon restaurant in Seoul, South Korea. Instant noodles are an essential, even passionate, part of life for many in South Korea and... (Associated Press)
In this Aug. 19. 2014 photo, a cook prepares "ramyeon" instant noodles for Han Seung-youn, left, during an interview at a ramyeon restaurant in Seoul, South Korea. Instant noodles are an essential, even... (Associated Press)
In this Aug. 18. 2014 photo, an employee fills in shelves with packages of "ramyeon" instant noodles at a shopping center in Seoul, South Korea. By value, instant noodles were the top-selling manufactured... (Associated Press)
In this Sunday, Aug. 17, 2014 photo, a child eats instant noodle at a train station in Beijing. China is the world’s largest instant noodle market, according to World Instant Noodles Association, although... (Associated Press)
In this Aug. 18. 2014 photo, customers pick up a package of "ramyeon" instant noodles in a basket at a shopping center in Seoul, South Korea. By value, instant noodles were the top-selling manufactured... (Associated Press)
In this Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014 photo, Japanese instant ramen noodle expert Masaya “Sokusekisai” Oyama, 55, slurps noodles at a shop and restaurant specialized only in varieties of instant noodles in Tokyo.... (Associated Press)
In this Sunday, Aug. 17, 2014 photo, a Chinese boy eats instant noodles at the waiting lounge of the south train station in Beijing. China is the world’s largest instant noodle market, according to World... (Associated Press)
In this Sunday, Aug. 17, 2014 photo, a woman and a man eat instant noodles as they wait for their train at a waiting lounge of the south train station in Beijing. China is the world’s largest instant... (Associated Press)
In this Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014 photo, Japanese instant ramen noodle expert Masaya “Sokusekisai” Oyama, 55, speaks at a shop and restaurant specialized only in varieties of instant noodles in Tokyo. Oyama... (Associated Press)
In this Sunday, Aug. 17, 2014 photo, a woman holds a plastic bag with a bowl of instant noodles and other snacks on her luggage at a waiting lounge of the south train station in Beijing. China is the... (Associated Press)
In this Monday, Aug. 18, 2014 photo, Japanese instant noodle lover Miyuki Ogata, a 33-year-old director for films and TV shows, eats an instant cup noodle in Tokyo. Instant noodles are a godsend for Ogata... (Associated Press)
"There's no way any study is going to stop me from eating this," says Kim, his red face beaded with sweat as he adds hot water to his noodles in a Seoul convenience store. His mouth waters, wooden chopsticks poised above the softening strands, his glasses fogged by steam. At last, he spears a slippery heap, lets forth a mighty, noodle-cooling blast of air and starts slurping.
"This is the best moment — the first bite," Kim, a freelance film editor who indulges about five times a week, says between gulps. "The taste, the smell, the chewiness — it's just perfect."
Instant noodles carry a broke college student aura in America, but they are an essential, even passionate, part of life for many in South Korea and across Asia. Hence the emotional heartburn caused by a Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital study in the United States that linked instant noodles consumption by South Koreans to some risks for heart disease.
The study has provoked feelings of wounded pride, mild guilt, stubborn resistance, even nationalism among South Koreans, who eat more instant noodles per capita than anyone in the world. Many of those interviewed vowed, like Kim, not to quit. Other noodle lovers offered up techniques they swore kept them healthy: taking Omega-3, adding vegetables, using less seasoning, avoiding the soup. Some dismissed the study because the hospital involved is based in cheeseburger-gobbling America.
The heated reaction is partly explained by the omnipresence here of instant noodles, which, for South Koreans, usually mean the spicy, salty "ramyeon" that costs less than a dollar a package. Individually-wrapped disposable bowls and cups are everywhere: Internet cafes, libraries, trains, ice-skating rinks. Even at the halfway point of a trail snaking up South Korea's highest mountain, hikers can refresh themselves with cup noodles.
Elderly South Koreans often feel deep nostalgia for instant noodles, which entered the local market in the 1960s as the country began clawing its way out of the poverty and destruction of the Korean War into what's now Asia's fourth-biggest economy. Many vividly remember their first taste of the once-exotic treat, and hard-drinking South Koreans consider instant noodles an ideal remedy for aching, alcohol-laden bellies and subsequent hangovers.
Some people won't leave the country without them, worried they'll have to eat inferior noodles abroad. What could be better at relieving homesickness than a salty shot of ramyeon?
"Ramyeon is like kimchi to Koreans," says Ko Dong-ryun, 36, an engineer from Seoul, referring to the spicy, fermented vegetable dish that graces most Korean meals. "The smell and taste create an instant sense of home."
Ko fills half his luggage with instant noodles for his international business travels, a lesson he learned after assuming on his first trip that three packages would suffice for six days. "Man, was I wrong. Since then, I always make sure I pack enough."
The U.S. study was based on South Korean surveys from 2007-2009 of more than 10,700 adults aged 19-64, about half of them women. It found that people who ate a diet rich in meat, soda and fried and fast foods, including instant noodles, were associated with an increase in abdominal obesity and LDL, or "bad," cholesterol. Eating instant noodles more than twice a week was associated with a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome, another heart risk factor, in women but not in men.
The study raises important questions, but can't prove that instant noodles are to blame rather than the overall diets of people who eat lots of them, cautions Alice Lichtenstein, director of the cardiovascular nutrition lab at Tufts University in Boston.
"What's jumping out is the sodium (intake) is higher in those who are consuming ramen noodles," she says. "What we don't know is whether it's coming from the ramen noodles or what they are consuming with the ramen noodles."
There's certainly a lot of sodium in those little cups. A serving of the top-selling instant ramyeon provides more than 90 percent of South Korea's recommended daily sodium intake.
Still, it's tough to expect much nutrition from a meal that costs around 80 cents, says Choi Yong-min, 44, marketing director for Paldo, a South Korean food company. "I can't say it's good for your health, but it is produced safely."
By value, instant noodles were the top-selling manufactured food in South Korea in 2012, the most recent year figures are available, with about 1.85 trillion won ($1.8 billion) worth sold, according to South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
China is the world's largest instant noodle market, according to the World Instant Noodles Association, although its per capita consumption pales next to South Korea's. The food is often a low-end option for Chinese people short of money, time or cooking facilities.
Japan, considered the spiritual home of instant noodles, boasts a dazzling array. Masaya "Instant" Oyama, 55, who says he eats more than 400 packages of instant noodles a year, rattles off a sampling: Hello Kitty instant noodles, polar bear instant noodles developed by a zoo, black squid ink instant noodles.
In Tokyo, 33-year-old Miyuki Ogata considers instant noodles a godsend because of her busy schedule and contempt for cooking. They also bring her back to the days when she was a poor student learning to become a filmmaker, and would buy two cup noodles at the 100 yen shop. Every time she eats a cup now, she is celebrating what she calls "that eternal hungry spirit."
In South Korea, it's all about speed, cost and flavor.
Thousands of convenience stores have corners devoted to noodles: Tear off the top, add hot water from a dispenser, wait a couple minutes and it's ready to eat, often at a nearby counter.
Some even skip the water, pounding on the package to break up the dry noodles, adding the seasoning, then shaking everything up.
"It's toasty, chewy, much better than most other snacks out there," Byon Sarah, 28, who owns a consulting company, says of a technique she discovered in middle school. "And the seasoning is so addictive — sweet, salty and spicy."
Cheap electric pots that boil water for instant noodles in one minute are popular with single people. Making an "instant" meal even faster, however, isn't always appreciated.
At the comic book store she runs in Seoul, Lim Eun-jung, 42, says she noticed a lot more belly fat about six months after she installed a fast-cooking instant noodle machine for customers.
"It's obvious that it's not good for my body," Lim says. "But I'm lazy, and ramyeon is the perfect fast food for lazy people."
___
AP journalists Youkyung Lee in Seoul, Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo, Didi Tang and Zhang Weiqun in Beijing, and AP Food Editor J.M. Hirsch in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this story.
___
Follow Foster Klug, AP's Seoul bureau chief, on Twitter at twitter.com/APklug. ||||| Abstract
The consumption of instant noodles is relatively high in Asian populations. It is unclear whether a higher intake of instant noodles is associated with cardiometabolic risk independent of overall dietary patterns. We therefore investigated the association using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV 2007–2009, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of the Korean population with a clustered, multistage, stratified, and rolling sampling design. A total of 10,711 adults (54.5% women) 19–64 y of age were analyzed, with adjustment for sampling design complexity. Diet was assessed by using a 63-item food-frequency questionnaire. We identified 2 major dietary patterns with the use of principal components analysis: the “traditional dietary pattern” (TP), rich in rice, fish, vegetables, fruit, and potatoes, and the “meat and fast-food pattern” (MP), with less rice intake but rich in meat, soda, fried food, and fast food including instant noodles. The highest MP quintile was associated with increased prevalence of abdominal obesity (OR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.90), LDL cholesterol ≥130 mg/dL (1.3 g/L) (OR: 1.57, 95% CI 1.26, 1.95), decreased prevalence of low HDL cholesterol (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.53, 0.80), and high triglycerides [≥150 mg/dL (1.5 g/L); OR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.57, 0.93]. The highest quintile for the TP was associated with decreased prevalence of elevated blood pressure (OR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.90) and marginally lower trends for abdominal obesity (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.98; P-trend = 0.06), but neither of the dietary patterns was associated with prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The consumption of instant noodles ≥2 times/wk was associated with a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome (OR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.10, 2.55) in women but not in men (OR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.58, 1.49; P-interaction = 0.04). The 2 major dietary patterns were associated with distinct cardiometabolic risk factors. The consumption of instant noodles was associated with increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome in women, independent of major dietary patterns. | – Think of this the next time you slurp a cheap cup of hot ramen noodles: It could be linked to heart disease, especially if you're a woman, the AP reports. A new American study of South Korea's ramen consumption examined the diets of 10,700 people aged 19 to 64. They found both healthy (fish and rice) and unhealthy (meat and fast food) diet trends, but neither was linked to metabolic syndrome and ultimately heart disease, the New York Times explains. When instant noodles were thrown in the mix, researchers saw trouble. Women who ate a cup of them more than twice a week saw a 68% jump in cardiometabolic syndrome. It didn't matter what else they ate. Some South Koreans are a little steamed—and defensive—about the study's findings. After all, South Koreans eat more ramen than anyone else; the sodium-rich 80-cent cup is found everywhere there, from comic book stores to libraries and train stations. One man tells the AP, while guzzling ramen: "There's no way any study is going to stop me from eating this." Love for the instant noodle spans generations—it reminds the elderly of post-Korean War recovery and for the young and busy, it's quick and cheap. For others, "the smell and taste create an instant sense of home," says one Seoul resident. (Here's how ramen got its start) |
The “safest” drug for relieving aches and pains, lowering fever and treating headaches in pregnancy may not be so safe after all, according to a new report — it may raise the risk of ADHD and similar disorders in their children.
Researchers found that pregnant women who frequently took acetaminophen, sold under the brand name Tylenol, were more likely to have children later diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and similar issues.
They say it doesn’t mean that pregnant women must never, ever take the drug, but they said women may want to avoid using it frequently until more studies have been done.
“We aren’t saying if you take one Tylenol once it will give your child hyperactivity,” said Dr. Beate Ritz, an epidemiologist at the University of California Los Angeles who worked on the study. "You should just avoid chronic or long-term use.”
Infections such as influenza in pregnancy are known to affect the brain development of babies — they’re linked to autism, for instance. It’s one of the many reasons pregnant women are urged to get flu shots.
So the researchers in this study were careful to ask women if they were taking the acetaminophen pills to reduce a fever to treat flu symptoms. Even when taking this into account, women who took acetaminophen were more likely to have children later diagnosed with ADHD.
The team used an ongoing Danish study of 64,000 children and their mothers, who were called up regularly during pregnancy and asked whether they had taken any painkillers at all. “All these women were asked had they taken any pain medications and fever medications, any medications,” Ritz said.
“We aren’t saying if you take one Tylenol once it will give your child hyperactivity. … You should just avoid chronic or long-term use.”
About half had taken acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, Ritz’s team reports Monday in the American Medical Association journal JAMA Pediatrics.
“They also reported what kind of disorders they had. But there are viral infections that the woman doesn’t even recognize. She just feels a little malaise.” That is why it is possible that it may not be the drug itself to blame, but some infection the women had, Ritz and other experts point out.
It’s also possible that women who feel pain more acutely, and take painkillers more often, may also have some sort of genetic predisposition that raises the risk of ADHD.
The researchers were not able to make a clear estimate of risk based on dose. But women who reported ever taking the drug had a 29 percent higher risk of having a child diagnosed with ADHD, and a 37 percent higher risk of a rarer diagnosis called hyperkinetic syndrome.
Still, the findings don't show a clear cause-and-effect.
“I don’t think one study alone is enough to say nobody should use acetaminophen in pregnancy,” said Dr. Jeff Chapa of Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, who was not involved in the study.
However, there are suspicions about acetaminophen. UCLA’s Dr. Jorn Olsen, who designed and led the study, had set it up because of lab studies suggesting that acetaminophen might have a hormone-like effect on the developing fetus.
And it’s not the first study to show something may happen in people, too. A study late last year showed that women who took acetaminophen frequently during pregnancy raised the risk of behavior problems in their children by 70 percent.
“Pregnancy is just a very sensitive period of time where the hormones are very important to development,” Ritz said.
And although acetaminophen is considered a very gentle drug, it is not harmless. Large doses can damage the liver and even kill. The Food and Drug Administration has asked drug companies to limit how much they put into products.
It wasn’t possible to compare acetaminophen to other painkillers and fever reducers, such as ibuprofen, because pregnant women so rarely took them, Ritz said.
Chapa raises another possibility. Maybe moms who favor acetaminophen for themselves also gave it to their children when they were very young and their brains were still developing. “Are those moms also more likely to give acetaminophen to their children after birth?” he asked.
“The immediate take-home message is that if you are taking a lot, maybe you shouldn’t.”
Kate Langley, a neuroscientist at Britain’s Cardiff University, notes that it’s likely that more than one thing is going on with kids who develop ADHD. “ADHD is a complex disorder so it means that there are lots of different risk factors and we know a bit about some of them but we don’t know a great deal,” said Langley, who helped write a commentary on the findings. “We know that there are genetic and environmental and possibly prenatal (factors) but we know that none of them on their own cause ADHD.”
ADHD diagnoses are on the rise. More than 1 in 10 children has been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although much of this is due to awareness and not a real increase in incidence, experts say.
Nonetheless, pregnant women need to weigh the risks, Ritz says.
“We make these tradeoffs all the time. We would not take a woman off antibiotics when she has a severe infection during pregnancy,” Ritz said.
“It’s the risk-benefit ratio. As much as we want to avoid every type of risk, it is not possible.”
In this case, she advised, it might be worth toughing out a headache.
“The immediate take-home message is that if you are taking a lot, maybe you shouldn’t, and really question whether you need to take it,” Chapa added. “And if you do that’s fine, but take a small quantity for a small duration. If you have chronic pain, maybe don’t take acetaminophen for it.”
McNeil Consumer Healthcare, which makes Tylenol, said pregnant and breastfeeding women whould consult their doctors before taking any medication.
"We are aware of the recent JAMA Pediatrics study; however, there are no prospective, randomized controlled studies demonstrating a causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and adverse effects on child development," the company said in a statement.
NBC News intern Nikita Japra and Medical Fellow Hayley Goldbach contributed to this story. ||||| Doctors frequently recommend acetaminophen, commonly found in over-the-counter pain relievers including Tylenol, to pregnant women for treating mild pain.
But a new study out of Denmark suggests the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy could be associated with ADHD-like behavioral problems in children.
“(Pregnant women) shouldn’t worry at this point,” says study author Dr. Beate Ritz, professor and chair of the epidemiology department at the University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health. “But if I were a woman who was pregnant ... I would try to avoid taking painkillers as much as I can until we know more about this.”
The study, published Monday in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics, analyzed data from more than 64,000 children enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort study between 1996 and 2002. Mothers in the cohort study reported on their children’s behavior, and the researchers looked at databases to determine how many prescriptions for ADHD drugs were written and how many children received a diagnosis of a severe form of ADHD called hyperkinetic disorder, or HKD.
The study authors concluded that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen may increase the risk of a child being diagnosed with HKD or being prescribed ADHD medications and “exhibiting ADHD-like behaviors." It's important to note that ADHD-like behaviors are not the same as having ADHD.
An accompanying editorial published in JAMA Pediatrics emphasizes that the study has found “an interesting observed association,” but that the researchers did not find that acetaminophen causes ADHD. The study authors agree that their results do not show a cause-and-effect relationship.
The data suggests that taking acetaminophen for longer periods and later in pregnancy is associated with higher risks, Ritz says. When women reported use for 20 weeks or more, their children had a 50% increased risk for receiving ADHD medication, according to the study.
Ritz says more than half of all mothers in the study reported some acetaminophen use while pregnant. The study measured how many weeks the mother reported taking any amount of acetaminophen but did not take the dosage into account.
“When used as directed, Tylenol has one of the most favorable safety profiles among over-the-counter pain relievers,” said McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the maker of Tylenol. “We are aware of the recent JAMA Pediatrics study; however, there are no prospective, randomized controlled studies demonstrating a causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and adverse effects on child development."
The study’s authors suggest that acetaminophen may increase the risk of ADHD by interfering with maternal hormones that are critical for fetal brain development, citing a previous study done using acetaminophen in rats and a study of acetaminophen and autism done with humans.
“The cited literature is not relevant to the human condition,” says Dr. Max Wiznitzer, pediatric neurologist and associate professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “I’m afraid that (women) will think, somehow, that they caused their child’s problem when the study does not tell us that. It tells us that they are linked but does not tell us how.”
“There are a lot of variables that still need to be considered, such as the fact that ADHD runs in families,” Wiznitzer says. Seventy to 80% of ADHD cases are hereditary, he says.
The study highlights the importance of not taking a drug’s safety during pregnancy for granted, the accompanying editorial points out.
“There are nonpharmacological ways to deal with pain,” says Dr. Jeffrey Chapa, head of maternal-fetal medicine at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital. Massages, baths and acupuncture are some alternatives he suggests to help relieve pain. “I think we have to focus a little bit more on that as opposed to just medications.” | – The bad news about acetaminophen just keeps on coming: A new study finds that use of the drug during pregnancy is linked to "ADHD-like behavioral problems" in children, CNN reports. The Danish study looked at data from more than 64,000 children and found that those who had prenatal exposure to acetaminophen had a 13% higher risk of exhibiting ADHD-like behaviors, a 29% higher risk of being prescribed ADHD medication, and a 37% higher risk of receiving a diagnosis of hyperkinetic disorder, a severe form of ADHD, USA Today reports. The risk increased the later in pregnancy the drug was taken and the longer it was taken. Women who used acetaminophen for 20 weeks or longer had a 50% higher chance of their children being prescribed ADHD medication. But the authors did not find a cause-and-effect relationship, and they note that "exhibiting ADHD-like behaviors" is not the same as actually having ADHD. Right now, doctors consider acetaminophen the "safest" pain reliever for pregnant women, NBC News reports; the study author says pregnant women "shouldn't worry at this point." What could account for the link? The authors think acetaminophen may interfere with key maternal hormones that impact fetal brain development. Another recent study also found that frequent acetaminophen use during pregnancy was linked with a 70% higher risk of behavioral problems in children. |
BOSTON (AP) — Survivors, first responders and family members of those killed came together Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing with solemn ceremonies.
The Richard family along with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick participate in a wreath laying ceremony to commemorate the one year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings,... (Associated Press)
A Boston Police honor guard is posted outside the Forum restaurant, the site of the second of two bombs that exploded near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, Tuesday, April 15, 2014 in Boston.... (Associated Press)
A law enforcement official searches a man near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, Tuesday, April 15, 2014, in Boston. Vice President Joe Biden is expected to be among the dignitaries Tuesday during... (Associated Press)
Heather McDade, of Boston, center, reacts while watching a tribute ceremony with others on an over-sized outdoor monitor, Monday, April 14, 2014, on Boylston Street, in Boston. The ceremony is being held... (Associated Press)
Heather McDade, of Boston, right, reacts while watching a tribute ceremony with others on an over-sized outdoor monitor, Monday, April 14, 2014, on Boylston Street, in Boston. The ceremony is being held... (Associated Press)
Honor Guard members line up in front of the Forum Restaurant in Copley Square, where a wreath laying ceremony was held to commemorate the one year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings, Tuesday,... (Associated Press)
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, left, along with the Richard family and family members of Lingzi Lu walk with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, second from right, as they attend ceremonies to commemorate the... (Associated Press)
Police on bikes cycle across the Boston Marathon finish line prior to a remembrance ceremony for family members and survivors of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing on Boylston Street in Boston, Tuesday,... (Associated Press)
People photograph a banner reading "Boston Strong" as it hangs at Rowes Wharf on the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings, Tuesday, April 15, 2014, in Boston. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes) (Associated Press)
A law enforcement official patrols the area with a dog near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, Tuesday, April 15, 2014, in Boston. Vice President Joe Biden is expected to be among the dignitaries... (Associated Press)
"This day will always be hard, but this place will always be strong," former Mayor Thomas Menino told an invitation-only audience of about 2,500 people gathered at the Hynes Convention Center, not far from the marathon finish line where three people died and more than 260 others were injured a year ago.
In Washington, President Barack Obama planned to observe the anniversary with a private moment of silence at the White House.
"Today, we recognize the incredible courage and leadership of so many Bostonians in the wake of unspeakable tragedy," Obama said in a statement. "And we offer our deepest gratitude to the courageous firefighters, police officers, medical professionals, runners and spectators who, in an instant, displayed the spirit Boston was built on — perseverance, freedom and love."
Obama said this year's race, scheduled for Monday, will "show the world the meaning of Boston Strong as a city chooses to run again."
Vice President Joe Biden was in Boston for the ceremony, and he said the courage shown by survivors and those who lost loved ones is an inspiration for other Americans dealing with loss and tragedy. He praised four survivors who spoke before he did and said that though he's not a Boston sports fan, Boston is an incredible city.
"We are Boston. We are America. We respond. We endure. We overcome. And we own the finish line," he concluded, to loud applause.
Earlier in the day, a wreath-laying ceremony drew the families of the three people killed — Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell and Lu Lingzi — as well as relatives of Massachusetts Institute of Technology police Officer Sean Collier, who was killed in the aftermath of the blasts.
Gov. Deval Patrick, Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley were among those who attended the morning ceremony held in a light rain as bagpipes played. O'Malley offered a prayer.
They were also honored at the Hynes center, where the survivors who spoke included newlywed Patrick Downes and dancer Adrianne Haslet-Davis, both of whom lost their lower left legs in the bombings.
"We should have never met this way, but we are so grateful for each other," Downes said, describing the sense of community that has developed among the survivors.
Carlos Arredondo, the cowboy hat-wearing spectator who was hailed as a hero for helping the wounded after the bombings, said he came to the tribute ceremony to support survivors and their families. Biden also mentioned him.
"You can see how the whole community gathered together to support them and remember," Arredondo told reporters before the program began.
Boston police Commissioner Williams Evans said the anniversary is an emotional day and brings back "some terrible memories."
"Hopefully, today brings the city and the families some sense of comfort and some healing," he said before ceremonies began.
Between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., a flag-raising ceremony and moment of silence will be held at the marathon finish line, to mark the time and place where two bombs exploded on April 15, 2013.
Authorities say two brothers planned and orchestrated the attack and later shot and killed Collier during an attempt to steal his gun. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, died following a shootout with police several days after the bombings. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 20, has pleaded not guilty to 30 federal charges and is awaiting trial. He faces the possibility of the death penalty.
The Tsarnaevs, ethnic Chechens who lived in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan and the Dagestan region of Russia, settled in Cambridge, outside Boston, more than a decade ago after moving to the U.S. as children with their family.
Prosecutors have said Dzhokhar Tsarnaev left a hand-scrawled confession condemning U.S. actions in Muslim countries on the inside wall of a boat he was found hiding in following the police shootout. ||||| (CNN) -- A moment of silence at the finish line, the tolling of church bells and a solemn flag-raising ceremony capped the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing on Tuesday.
Under a steady rain on Boylston Street, where two homemade bombs last April 15 marked the deadliest terrorist attack in the United States since 9/11, scores gathered in the personification of a slogan that captured the country: "Boston Strong."
After a stirring rendition of "God Bless America," ordinary people, bombing survivors, first responders and dignitaries -- including Vice President Joe Biden -- bowed their heads in a moment of silence, saw the American flag raised, and sang the national anthem shortly before 3 p.m. on the spot where explosions, carnage, screams and smoke interrupted one of the city's most joyous and popular events one year ago.
Earlier, thousands gathered to mark the anniversary of a horror that shook the nation.
"We would never wish the devastation and pain we have experienced on any of you," said Patrick Downes, who was among the many injured in the twin bombings at last year's Boston Marathon. "However, we do wish that all of you, at some point in your lives, feel as loved as we have felt this last year. It has been the most humbling experience of our lives. We hope you feel all the emotion we feel when we say 'thank you.'"
Downes was a newlywed at the time of the attack. He and his wife, Jessica Kensky, each lost a leg.
Before the crowd gathered Tuesday at the Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, he spoke of the three people killed in the blasts and a university police officer killed days later amid efforts to catch the suspects. He called them "guardian angels."
"Let's show them they live on in our bonds of family, friendship and community and in the infectious spirit we will feel on the third Monday in April for years to come." That's the date of the marathon.
After a string of speakers, Biden began his remarks by saying, "I've never witnessed a tribute like I heard today." To the survivors, he said, "My God, you have survived and you have soared. You are truly inspiring. I've never heard anything so beautiful as what all of you just said."
"So much has been taken from you, but you never, never have given up," he said.
"You have become the face of America's resolve for the whole world to see," Biden said, adding that people all around the world know the pride, courage, and resolve of Bostonians. "That's why the twisted, cowardly terrorists who acted here and in other places do what they do. They try to instill fear so that we will jettison what we value the most and what the world most values about us: an open society, our system of justice, our freedom of religion; our access to opportunity, the free flow of information and ideas."
The terrorists, Biden said, "wanted to make America afraid so that maybe, maybe, we'd begin to change our ways. That's the objective -- the very soul of who we are. They figured if they instill enough fear, we will change. And it infuriates them that we refuse to bend, refuse to change, refuse to yield to fear.
"You are Boston strong. But America is strong. ... That's what makes us so proud of this city and this state. What makes me so proud to be an American is that we have never, ever yielded to fear. Never."
At the marathon, "the whole world witnessed ordinary citizens doing extraordinary things" to help each other, the vice president said.
"America will never, ever, ever stand down," he said. "We are Boston. We are America. We respond, we endure, we overcome and we own the finish line."
'Boston strong'
"Next week, we will run again," said Tom Grilk, executive director of the Boston Athletic Association. "But on this day, in this place, in remembrance and resolve, we gather as citizens of Boston, Boston strong."
One year ago, "the very fabric of this community was tested to its core," he said, but the city "inspired."
"You are strong at this broken place," former Mayor Tom Menino told the crowd, adding, "the heartbeat of Boston is a mighty force."
To those who lost loved ones and to the many who were wounded, Menino said, "whatever you have to do to recover and carry on, know that the people of Boston and I will be right there by your side." Menino was mayor at the time of the attack.
On April 15, 2013, the Patriots' Day bombings killed three people, including an 8-year-old boy, and wounded at least 264 others. The city then underwent days of fear as the two identified suspects, the Tsarnaev brothers, were on the run. Police say they killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer in the process, and then Tamerlan Tsarnaev was run over by his younger brother, Dzhokhar, as they battled police. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to 30 counts and is scheduled to go on trial in November.
Obama: Boston will show it 'chooses to run again'
"A year ago, tragedy struck at the 117th Boston Marathon," President Obama said in a written statement Tuesday. "Four innocent people were killed that week, and hundreds more were wounded. Today, we remember Krystle Campbell, Lingzi Lu, Martin Richard, and Sean Collier. And we send our thoughts and prayers to those still struggling to recover...
"One year later, we also stand in awe of the men and women who continue to inspire us -- learning to stand, walk, dance and run again. With each new step our country is moved by the resilience of a community and a city. And when the sun rises over Boylston Street next Monday -- Patriot's Day -- hundreds of thousands will come together to show the world the meaning of Boston Strong as a city chooses to run again."
David Yepez, a teen who was wounded in the attack, followed Downes at Tuesday's ceremony. He hailed the first responders, doctors and others who helped in the wake of the bombings. "Thank you for your love, compassion and generosity," Yepez said. "You have touched our hearts in a way that, many times, our gratitude could only be expressed through our tears of joy."
Adrianne Haslet-Davis, a dancer who lost her left foot in the attack, told the crowd, "If anyone is wondering what they can do, what you can do, I would answer: Look around. People in your community need your support. They need your patience and they need your time. ... Let April 15 be a day when we all work together to make this world a better place."
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said, "We share the same fears, the same hopes, the same community," he said. "We are, in the end, one community."
He added that he hopes "as we remember the dead and encourage the injured, that we remember community. ... The power of love itself -- that's what community is."
A series of musical performances helped set a solemn but hopeful tone for the ceremony. The world-renowned Boston Pops orchestra performed, with singer Renese King singing both "America the Beautiful" and "For Good," a song from the musical "Wicked." The Boston Children's Chorus performed "Up to the Mountain."
A year after the bombings, families of the victims are struggling to come to terms with the loss.
"She had that special, I don't know what it is, that special thing about her," said Lillian Campbell, grandmother of bombing victim Krystle Campbell, 29. "And you felt happy around her because she was always laughing and bubbly. I loved her."
Some victims injured in the attack are showing their perseverance by planning to take part in this year's marathon, scheduled for Monday -- even victims who suffered severe injuries.
"Last year, I was on the ground at the finish line. This year, I'll be running across it," said Kevin White. "It kind of proves to people that evil isn't going to win." White, then 34, had shrapnel through his legs a year ago. His 71-year-old father, Bill, lost a leg.
Authorities have announced extensive security plans for this year's marathon, which is expected to bring in $176 million for the Boston area's economy.
Brothers Paul and J.P. Norden each lost a leg in the attack last year. On Tuesday, they began a trek: walking the entire 26.2-mile marathon route, along with family and good friends. "I feel so blessed," their mother, Liz, said in a Facebook post, adding that she couldn't be prouder.
Police investigate bags near finish line
Hours after Tuesday's anniversary event, a police bomb squad investigated two backpacks near the marathon finish line, cordoning off the area. They "disrupted and rendered safe" both bags, police spokesman David Estrada said. In a Twitter post, police said the detonations were "precautionary measures."
The bags were found around 6:50 p.m., police said. One bag was unattended, while the other one was worn by an individual.
A Boston police officer noticed a man walking down Boylston Street barefoot in the rain and wearing a backpack,
The officer asked him what was in the backpack. The man said there was a rice cooker in the backpack, Boston Police Superintendent Randy Halstead said.
"Training kicked in. We looked into the backpack, saw that it was what appeared to be a rice cooker, had the individual take the knapsack off, drop it on the street, and he was taken into custody," Halstead said.
Police spokesman Mike McCarthy said the man "got very vocal. He was yelling something."
The man, in his early 20s, has not been publicly identified.
He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and possession of a hoax device, Halstead said. The bag was inspected and deemed safe.
The second bag, which was abandoned, belonged to a media outlet, a law enforcement source said.
An FBI spokeswoman said the agency was assisting police.
Earlier Tuesday, police responded to a report of a possible pipe bomb near Boston's South Station. Investigators determined it wasn't an explosive, but rather a high-voltage fuse that didn't pose a threat, state officials said.
Authorities seemed to be bracing for the possibility of more bomb scares.
"To ease fears & concerns relating to backpacks," Boston Police said in a Twitter post Tuesday night that they were "discouraging their use" at this year's marathon.
CNN's Susan Candiotti, Haimy Assefa and Holly Yan contributed to this report. | – Boston paused today to mark the one-year anniversary of the marathon bombings, and President Obama was observing a moment of silence at the White House at 2:49pm Eastern. Some quotes from the Boston ceremony, via CNN and AP: Joe Biden: "You are Boston strong. But America is strong," said the VP. "That's what makes us so proud of this city and this state. What makes me so proud to be an American is that we have never, ever yielded to fear. Never." Survivor Patrick Downes: "We would never wish the devastation and pain we have experienced on any of you," said Downes, who lost a leg, as did his new wife. "However, we do wish that all of you, at some point in your lives, feel as loved as we have felt this last year. It has been the most humbling experience of our lives. We hope you feel all the emotion we feel when we say 'thank you.'" Ex-Mayor Thomas Menino: "This day will always be hard, but this place will always be strong." Tom Grilk, Boston Athletic Association: "Next week, we will run again. But on this day, in this place, in remembrance and resolve, we gather as citizens of Boston, Boston strong." |
Ringing Bells had in mid-February this year planned to deliver 25 lakh units of Freedom 251 before June 30. (source: IANS) Ringing Bells had in mid-February this year planned to deliver 25 lakh units of Freedom 251 before June 30. (source: IANS)
The world’s cheapest smartphone at Rs 251 (less than $4) is here, finally. Its makers, the Noida-based startup Ringing Bells Pvt Ltd, say they have made it possible despite allegations from various quarters that such a phone would not see the light of the day. Even an FIR was lodged against the company.
According to Ringing Bells’ Founder and CEO Mohit Goel — sitting comfortably in his Sector 62 office here, the company has been able to keep its promise to consumers.
“We are ready with nearly two lakh ‘Freedom 251’ handsets. We will start delivery from June 30,” Goel said, adding that once he is done with this first phase of delivery (of two lakh phones), he will open registration again for those who wish to buy the handset.
The company had in mid-February this year planned to deliver 25 lakh handsets before June 30. However, it received over seven crore registrations before its payment gateway crashed within three days.
“We learned from our mistakes and decided to go silent till we come out with the product. Now we have a 4-inch, dual-SIM phone ready for delivery. I feel vindicated,” he said in one breath.
According to Goel, he is facing a loss of Rs 140-Rs 150 per unit, but hopes to make profit on volumes. “We will have a loss, but I am happy that the dream of connecting rural and poor Indians as part of the ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives has been fulfilled with ‘Freedom 251’,” Goel said.
The 3G device has a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory and supports external memory cards of up to 32GB. No device was, however, given to IANS. Only a photograph was allowed to be taken.
The company has offered an 8MP primary camera with flash, a 3.2MP front camera for selfie and a 1,800 mAh battery. It runs on Android 5.1 (Lollipop). The phone is available in two colours — black and white — with centrally aligned rear camera and branding on the back panel. It has a speaker just alongside the branding.
The device displays the Indian Tricolour when you switch it on. The company has incorporated all the basic Google apps in the handset. “Our devices are completely ‘Make in India’ and were manufactured at our Haridwar-based manufacturing unit. We plan to sell two lakh devices every month,” he said.
The company is also planning to launch a 32-inch high-definition LED television — also called “Freedom” — in the first week of July.
“These will be the cheapest television sets in India and will be available for less than Rs 10,000. Within two days, the delivery would be made and we will sell them online,” Goel said, adding that the company currently has one lakh such pieces in stock.
In comparison, the cost of 32-inch HD LED TV sets normally begins from Rs 13,000.
Ringing Bells launched “Freedom 251” in February in the presence of veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi. It distributed some “prototypes” of the product to the media which turned out to be handsets from another domestic handset maker Adcom.
However, the company maintained that the device had been developed “with immense support” from the government.
“Our humble beginning to provide a high-tech gadget that will benefit all in the hinterland and bridge the huge gap that clearly exists between the metros and semi-urban/rural areas is in keeping with the government’s initiatives,” Ringing Bells President Ashok Chadha had earlier said.
Doubts were raised over Ringing Bells’ handset after some experts said no phone could be manufactured for less than Rs 2,000.
For all the latest Technology News, download Indian Express App ||||| We’re still not convinced it’s not an elaborate scam, but the Freedom 251 – known globally as the “$4 smartphone” – will begin shipping to customers soon. At least that’s what the CEO of the company that sells the device is promising.
When Ringing Bells, an obscure company based in Noida, announced it would sell a real smartphone for just Rs. 251, consumers and media were almost universally skeptical. And rightly so, seeing that the “prototype” Freedom 251 units that Ringing Bells showed to the press were actually Adcom Ikon 4 units disguised with corrector fluid…
Despite skepticism – and a police investigation – Ringing Bells pushed on with its plan and eventually gathered a whopping 70 million registrations for the device. The company said it would deliver the first 2.5 million units by the end of June.
CEO Mohit Goel told IANS that Ringing Bells will only be able to deliver a fraction of what it promised – about 200,000 units will ship out starting on June 30.
Goel said Ringing Bells would open a second phase of registrations for the Freedom 251 after it ships the first 200,000 units. It isn’t clear why the company needs another registration round, given the massive number of registrations it received back in February.
Despite not yet delivering on his initial promises, Goel considers that he already proved critics wrong:
“We learned from our mistakes and decided to go silent till we come out with the product. Now we have a 4-inch, dual-SIM phone ready for delivery. I feel vindicated,” he said.
Ringing Bell plans to sell around 200,000 Freedom 251 every month, despite taking a Rs. 140-150 loss per unit. The company said it would partner with third-party developers to preload apps on the device, and, rather counterintuitively, hopes that it would reduce its losses once it ramps up shipments.
Mohit Goel’s dreams go beyond giving away smartphones. The Ringing Bell CEO said the company would introduce the cheapest television sets in India next month. But they won’t be as cheap as the Freedom 251 – Ringing Bells’ HD LCD TV set will reportedly cost Rs. 10,000.
Has anyone here ordered the Freedom 251? Do you believe it’s actually real? | – Smartphones going for about $4 are said to be shipping this week in India, and the manufacturing company's head says he's pleased that they're finally coming out, even though the company will take a loss on each phone, the Guardian reports. Ringing Bells originally said it would ship 2.5 million units of its Freedom 251 phone—a 3G Android with a 4-inch screen, 8GB of storage, an 8MP main camera, and a 3.2MP selfie camera—by the end of June, per Android Authority, but now CEO Mohit Goel tells the Indian Express that's been dropped down to 200,000 shipped out by June 30, with more soon to come. There had been much skepticism over whether the phones actually existed. "We learned from our mistakes and decided to go silent till we [came] out with the product," Goel says. "Now we have a … dual-SIM phone ready for delivery. I feel vindicated." Talk of the phone has raised disbelieving eyebrows since it was announced: In February, Ars Technica called the whole deal "awfully shady," noting that initial previews of the phone showed an unattractive, cheap-looking unit that appeared to be another company's phone "rebranded" with white correcting fluid. The Guardian notes that Ringing Bells is losing about $2.20 per smartphone, but Goel tells the Express he hopes to recoup profits in volume. "We will have a loss, but I am happy that the dream of connecting rural and poor Indians as part of the 'Digital India' and 'Make in India' initiatives has been fulfilled with Freedom 251," he says. Also reportedly to be released from Ringing Bells within the next month or so: a 32-inch high-def LED TV that retails for less than $150. |
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