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A decision by the International Football Association Board may very well lead to good technological sense at last prevailing in international soccer. (Credit: NMA NewsDirect/YouTube Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET) There's a retrograde little sports event happening in England this week called Wimbledon. The organizers still force players to wear predominantly white clothing. Yes, even on the practice courts. And yet, way back in 1980, Wimbledon began employing Cyclops technology to make service line calls. Meanwhile, soccer (or football, as most of the world knows it) contented itself with sad little men carrying flags, often somehow blind to balls crossing the goal line. But that perhaps will soon be no more. For the BBC reports that the International Football Association Board has finally decided that it should experiment with goal-line technology, starting in December at the slightly insignificant FIFA Club World Cup (not to be confused with the World Cup). You might wonder what had suddenly changed these crusty old men's minds. Embarrassment, that's what. Soccer's administrators have so often been caught with their technological pants around their pale, gout-threatened ankles that even they have begun to notice. Two recent examples come to mind. In the last World Cup, a shot from England's Frank Lampard against Germany was seen to be far over the goal line even by the most diehard of Teutons in Bavaria and yet not by the three officials (evidence embedded below). In the recently concluded Euro 2012, England was on the receiving end of myopic fortune when a shot from Ukraine's Marko Devic was over the line and yet an extra assistant official -- placed on the goal line for that very purpose -- still denied a clear goal. With copious amounts of yoke and albumen still smearing their cheeks, the International Football Association Board has approved not one, but two systems for testing. One approved system is Hawk-Eye, which has been in use for some time now in sports such as cricket and tennis -- though not always without controversy. The other system is GoalRef, which has already been tried out in a Danish Superliga game. Each system has its own technological approach. Hawk-Eye relies on six cameras, coupled with software that triangulates the precise position of the ball. GoalRef, on the other hand, simply shoves a microchip inside the ball. No, it doesn't make it rattle. Rather, thanks to low magnetic waves around the goal, it monitors for any change in the magnetic field on or behind the goal line. In each case, the process takes about a second and a signal is sent to one of the officials. Those who truly adore football (it's a habit calling it that, please forgive) will be delighted to hear that the English Premier League -- known for its fast pace, English passion, and largely non-English players -- is reportedly keen to quickly sign up for one or both of these technologies. Moreover, if the Club World Cup experiment goes well, there is talk of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil enjoying goal-line technology. I understand that soccer is still a couple of years away from locating swift technology that can conclusively prove whether a player has actually been kicked, punched, gouged, pushed, or scythed, rather than simulating the results thereof. ||||| Story highlights Goal-line technology approved for use in football on Thursday Global governing body FIFA and IFAB unanimously agree on decision FIFA intends for goal-line technology to be used at December's Club World Cup Two systems, Hawk-Eye and GoalRef, approved by soccer's lawmakers Football's lawmakers have taken the historic step of unanimously approving goal-line technology systems for use in the sport. World soccer's global governing body FIFA and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) made the announcement following a meeting in Zurich on Thursday. FIFA intend for goal-line technology to be used at December's Club World Cup in Japan, and if successful it will also be implemented at the 2013 African Cup of Nations and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Two systems, designed by technology companies GoalRef and Hawk-Eye, have been approved after going through two phases of FIFA testing. FIFA president Sepp Blatter had previously opposed the move but said the turning point had been an incident at the 2010 World Cup involving a second round clash between England and Germany. JUST WATCHED Goal-line technology approved by FIFA Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Goal-line technology approved by FIFA 02:27 JUST WATCHED Euro 2012: Goodbye, Adiós and Ciao Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Euro 2012: Goodbye, Adiós and Ciao 03:58 JUST WATCHED Platini: Bayern, Chelsea worthy of final Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Platini: Bayern, Chelsea worthy of final 04:58 Blatter was present when midfielder Frank Lampard's shot bounced well over the goal-line but was not awarded by the officials in a match England went on to lose 4-1. "It is a real approach of modern times in football," he told reporters. "It is so important because the objective in football is to score goals. It's a help for the referee. "I'm happy, I'm pleased we are able to go forward. When it comes to high level competition and you have the technology and you don't use it something is wrong. "I have changed my attitude towards technology because of Lampard's kick in South Africa. That was the moment for me to say 'You are the president of FIFA and you cannot afford that in the next World Cup something similar will happen.'" The English Premier League welcomed the news, expressing its intention to bring in goal-line technology in the near future. "The Premier League has been a long-term advocate of goal line technology," read a statement on the organization's website. "We will engage in discussions with both Hawk-Eye and GoalRef in the near future with a view to introducing goal-line technology as soon as is practically possible." The IFAB is comprised of FIFA and the four UK-based football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is a body which decides on any proposed changes to the rules of soccer. The announcement follows Blatter's recent calls for goal-line technology to be introduced in reaction to an incident that occurred during Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. Co-hosts Ukraine saw a goal not given during a must-win group-stage match with England, when John Terry cleared Artim Milevskiy's shot after it looked to have crossed the line. Following the game on June 19, Blatter used his official Twitter account to declare: "After last night's match #GLT is no longer an alternative but a necessity." But his stance on the issue is at odds with Michel Platini, the president of European football's governing body UEFA. The UEFA chief told CNN in May: "I'm against the technology. If you say OK to goal-line technology, then it is offside technology, then penalty area technology, and we stop the football. "I want human people -- it's easy. I understand the fans because they want justice but with an additional referee we have the same justice." In addition to Milevskiy's "goal" at Euro 2012, England have been involved in one other high-profile goal-line controversies. In the 1966 World Cup final, England were awarded a goal against West Germany when Geoff Hurst's shot in extra-time rebounded off the underside of the crossbar. England went on to win the match 4-2 at Wembley. At the same meeting, FIFA also confirmed it would permit the wearing of headscarves during a trial period. As there was no medical risk to wearing headscarves when playing a game of football, it has decided to relent on a ban introduced in 2007. Soccer's governing body had prevented teams wearing the traditional headscarves -- which protect the modesty of Islamic girls and women -- for safety reasons and to prevent political or religious statements. ||||| Soccer gave its stamp of approval Thursday to goal-line technology and headscarves for female Muslim players. Jerome Valcke, FIFA General Secretary, answers questions at a press conference about goal-line technology in Zurich, Switzerland, Thursday July 5, 2012. Goal-line technology has been given the go-ahead... (Associated Press) FILE - In this June 19, 2012 filer, England's John Terry clears the ball away from his goal during the Euro 2012 soccer championship Group D match between England and Ukraine in Donetsk, Ukraine. UEFA... (Associated Press) Alex Horne, The Football Association, answers questions at a press conference about goal-line technology in Zurich, Switzerland, Thursday July 5, 2012. Goal-line technology has been given the go-ahead... (Associated Press) Jerome Valcke, FIFA General Secretary, answers questions at a press conference about goal-line technology in Zurich, Switzerland, Thursday July 5, 2012. Goal-line technology has been given the go-ahead... (Associated Press) FILE - In this June 19, 2012 filer, England's John Terry clears the ball away from his goal during the Euro 2012 soccer championship Group D match between England and Ukraine in Donetsk, Ukraine. UEFA... (Associated Press) Also adopted was a proposal for a five-referee system to officiate matches _ placing an additional assistant beside each goal. The three decisions will be "long-lasting and resonate throughout the world," said Patrick Nelson, chief executive of the Northern Ireland association. FIFA said it will introduce the goal-line mechanism at the seven-team Club World Cup in Japan in December, with plans to use it in Brazil at the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup. "We want to make sure that the systems at the World Cup work at 150 percent, not 90 percent," said Jerome Valcke said, secretary general for the governing body. FIFA will use both Hawk-Eye and GoalRef systems in Japan, after they won "unanimous" support from the International Football Association Board panel, Valcke said. The English Premier League is expected to adopt one of the systems _ which are likely will cost up to $250,000 per stadium _ during next season. The ruling on headscarves reversed a ban on the Islamic hijab that's been enforced in FIFA competitions since 2007. Soccer rules prohibit equipment that is dangerous or makes religious statements. The IFAB gave its OK after FIFA's medical committee decided two scarf designs do not threaten the safety of female players. The designs use quick-release velcro fasteners and magnets. FIFA Vice President Prince Ali of Jordan led a yearlong campaign to overturn the ban and allow Muslim women to play the game. Two Islamic countries make the headscarf mandatory for women in public _ Iran and Saudi Arabia. Last year, Iran forfeited qualifying matches for the Olympics because of the headscarf ban. FIFA President Sepp Blatter was a member of the IFAB panel that accepted test results showing the technology systems quickly and accurately judge when balls cross the goal line. The IFAB panel is made up of officials from FIFA and the four British soccer associations. Hawk-Eye is a British camera-based system already used in tennis and cricket. GoalRef is a Danish-German project using magnetic sensors to track a special ball. Thursday's decision was expected and completed Blatter's reversal on the matter. FIFA previously blocked using technology to help referees make decisions. Blatter's conversion came two years ago when he saw England denied a clear goal by midfielder Frank Lampard against Germany at the 2010 World Cup. Two days later, Blatter said FIFA must reopen the debate, though insisted it must involve only goal-line decisions. Video replay remains off limits for judgment calls, such as penalties or offside. Blatter achieved his goal against the wishes of UEFA President Michel Platini, who opposes giving match officials any hi-tech aids. Still, Platini's rival project which seeks to keep all technology out of decision-making also received support Thursday. The five-referee proposal, made by European soccer's ruling body, won IFAB approval after three years of trials in more than 1,000 matches. That decision came just two weeks after Platini's pet project suffered its biggest public failure, helping eliminate co-host Ukraine at the European Championship. A Hungarian refereeing team did not spot that a shot by Ukraine forward Marko Devic crossed the line before England defender John Terry hooked the ball clear. England won 1-0 and advanced to the quarterfinals. Neither goal-line technology nor the five-referee system is binding on leagues or competition organizers. Both are options to choose _ and pay for _ once IFAB approved the principle. Major League Soccer has said it wants to adopt goal-line systems. IFAB, a 126-year-old body, acts as guardian of soccer's rules. Six votes are needed to approve a change, with FIFA holding a four-vote bloc and the four British associations having one vote each.

– A big move in the world of soccer: The sport's governing body said today it will test two goal-line technologies at a tournament in December, reports CNN. One system uses multiple cameras and the other relies on a microchip inside the ball. Assuming all goes well, one should be in place for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Helping prompt the move was a notorious blown call in the 2010 World Cup, when a shot by England's Frank Lampard crossed the line but did not get awarded. "I have changed my attitude toward technology because of Lampard's kick in South Africa," says FIFA chief Sepp Blatter. "That was the moment for me to say, 'You are the president of FIFA and you cannot afford that in the next World Cup something similar will happen.'" What's more, the English Premier League is on board and plans to use one of the systems, too. (For the take of one happy and knowledgeable "football" fan, see Chris Matyszczyk's post at CNET.) Another new rule: FIFA will allow female Muslim players to wear headscarves, notes AP.

Slender Man makes an “appearance” at the University of Virginia — one of countless doctored shots that have made the Internet rounds since 2009. ( Bob Mical/Flickr He lurks in the background of gritty black-and-white photos — a gaunt, too-tall figure with skeletal limbs. Some say he lives in the woods and eats children, a kind of demon descended from eastern European myth. Some say he stalks human prey indiscriminately, wherever he can find it: in basements, outside half-open windows, along lonely streets late at night when only occasional headlights cut across the road. Some say he has no face. Others, that his face looks different to everyone who sees it. But whatever they say, everyone generally agrees on one point: that Slender Man, perhaps the Internet’s best and scariest legend, is indeed a legend — an invented character who can be traced back, quite linearly, to an obscure forum where in 2009 users Photoshopped old pictures and improvised a back story for their creations. Tragically — and chillingly — two 12-year-old girls in Waukesha, Wis., seem to have missed all of that. On Saturday, according to local news reports, the girls lured a friend into the woods and stabbed her 19 times in some kind of tribute to Slender Man. The girl they stabbed is hospitalized in stable condition. The perpetrators will be tried as adults. “Many people do not believe Slender Man is real,” one of the girls said, according to the criminal complaint. “[We] wanted to prove the skeptics wrong.” But as dozens of forum posts, newspaper articles and a handful of academic papers show, there’s nothing to prove. Slender Man is a fascinating case study in the creation and codification of Internet myth. And at the end of the day, that’s all it is: a myth. The invention of a “mythological” monster In the myth, Slender Man has many origins: Germany’s Black Forest. Ancient Egypt. Cave paintings in Brazil purportedly depict his movements. In real life, the story begins in the forums of Something Awful, a humor site for people who enjoy joking about things like Dungeons & Dragons, porn and 3-D printers. But the forums can take trickier turns — they’re well-known for tricky Photoshopping and general prankery. On June 8, 2009, a new forum thread invited users to “create paranormal images through Photoshop,” which many users did. But the creation of one user, Victor Surge, struck a particular chord: He posted two photos of children haunted by a tall, shadowy figure with tentacles for arms, along with blocks of ominous text: we didn’t want to go, we didn’t want to kill them, but its persistent silence and outstretched arms horrified and comforted us at the same time . . . 1983, photographer unknown, presumed dead. For weeks, Surge continued posting doctored photos, newspaper clippings and child’s drawings of Slender Man, gradually pulling other users into the myth. They contributed their own Photoshops and stories, drawing parallels to older legends and nudging the story along. By mid-June, the thread was solely devoted to developing the mythos of Slender Man, which now — at least according to one authoritative PDF — runs 194 pages long. Because Slender Man was developed collaboratively, by a community of anonymous contributors, that mythos is spotty and varied — much like a more organic urban legend would be. In some stories Slender Man has multiple arms, like tentacles, and in some he has no extra appendages, at all. Sometimes he seems to kill his victims themselves, in vague, mysterious ways that the faux news stories and police reports never seem to specify, before disemboweling them and bagging their organs. Other times, Slender Man somehow compels his victims to kill each other — a particularly grim plot line, given the recent attack in Wisconsin. In one of the faux news stories, a horse farmer named Ted Henderson shoots his wife in the chest at the Slender Man’s behest, only explaining the crime to his psychiatrist at a mental institution three years later. TED: Ran… ran inside… got gun… Tracy crying… Judi screaming… r…ran to them… He had them… was holding them… DAUTON: Who had them? TED: Skinny fella… suite… Looking at me… Judi screaming… shoot me… SHOOOT ME SHOOT MEEEE! “Tracy,” the couple’s six-year-old daughter, is never found. How a horror story becomes a legend That vagueness — the infinite mutability, the fuzzy details, the ability to adapt Slender Man to just about any time and place — is a large part of what pushed the story off the Something Awful forums and into the Internet mainstream. Slender Man gradually spread onto other niche forums, like 4chan’s paranormal board. From there, it would inspire a popular horror Web series called Marble Hornets, several indie video games and an untold trove of submemes and fan art, as well as earn prominent pages on Wikipedia and Creepypasta, a site dedicated to Internet horror stories. Creepypasta is, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the place where the Wisconsin girls first read the story of Slender Man. By 2011, the legend had become so deeply embedded in the Web — and so divorced from its blatantly fictional origins — that even its original creator, Victor Surge, couldn’t believe how much it had spread. “I didn’t expect it to move beyond the SA forums,” he said in an interview with the Web site Know Your Meme, later adding: An urban legend requires an audience ignorant of the origin of the legend. It needs unverifiable third and forth [sic] hand (or more) accounts to perpetuate the myth. On the Internet, anyone is privy to its origins as evidenced by the very public Somethingawful thread. But what is funny is that despite this, it still spread. Internet memes are finicky things and by making something at the right place and time it can swell into an ‘Internet Urban Legend’. That same year, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported an entire feature on “the Internet-concocted creature… scaring today’s teens silly.” Only two years had passed since Surge invented Slender Man, and its origins, the Tribune ruled, were already “difficult to pinpoint.” The Internet is ‘full of wicked things’ That obscurity is, of course, responsible in part for Slender Man’s scariness: It appears to eliminate the fourth wall entirely, making Slender Man less a ghost story and more a plausible entity. The further the myth gets from its origins, the easier it is to sift out truth from fiction. “The Blair Witch Project” used some of the same techniques. And yet the character’s appeal goes far deeper than that, says Shira Chess, an assistant professor of mass media arts at the University of Georgia and a scholar of the Slender Man myth. In fact, Chess is unsurprised that people, including teenagers, frequently buy into the Slender Man myth — in short, we’re hardwired to believe. “We tell ourselves stories because we (humans) are storytelling animals,” she wrote in an e-mail. “And, to that end, horror stories take on a specific significance and importance because they function metaphorically — the horror stories that are the best are often metaphors for other issues that affect our lives on both cultural and personal levels.” Slender Man, Chess says, is a metaphor for “helplessness, power differentials, and anonymous forces.” He’s an infinitely morphable stand-in for things we can neither understand nor control, universal fears that can drive people to great lengths — even, it would appear, very scary, cold-blooded lengths. For whatever reason, Slender Man does seem to have resonated particularly among teenagers; perhaps that’s the demographic most susceptible to scary stories, or perhaps they’re the people frequenting sites like Creepypasta most often. (Creepypasta, for its part, released a statement early this morning expressing its condolences over the Wisconsin incident — and reminding critics that the site exists to share scary fiction stories, not to encourage any actual, real-life scares.) But the girls in Wisconsin, at least according to statements they made to police, truly believed Slender Man was real: He teleported and read their minds, they claimed. He watched them and threatened to kill their families. “They hoped [their friend] would die,” Ellen Gabler wrote in the Journal-Sentinel, “and they would see Slender and know he existed.” But Slender doesn’t exist — at least not outside of the YouTube videos, wiki pages and horror forums that have grown up around him. Said Russell Jack, the police chief in Waukesha, “the Internet can be full of dark and wicked things.” ||||| Story highlights "Slenderman" character allegedly inspired 12-year-old girls to stab a classmate Slenderman was born in 2009 in an online forum for people who create fake supernatural images He's appeared in fan art, short stories, videos, video games on Web Police: Girls said the attack was meant to impress the fictitious bogeyman He's the Internet's own monster, a ghoul who lurks in its darkest corners and, like the Web itself, has mutated time and again to suit the dreams and desires of his devotees. He is Slenderman, a menacing, faceless specter in a dark suit -- sometimes portrayed with octopus-like tentacles -- known to haunt children and those who seek to expose him. He was born in 2009 in an online forum for people who enjoy creating fake supernatural images. To be clear, the origin story of the monstrous character (sometimes referred to as The Slender Man) in no way urged readers to kill to earn his favor. But Slenderman has undergone hundreds of permutations online in his five-year existence. In June 2009, a Photoshop contest for images that appeared to be paranormal was launched in a forum on the website Something Awful . According to Know Your Meme , a blog that chronicles Web culture, the goal of the contest was to create the images and then use them to fool, or "troll," other Web users by submitting them to paranormal websites. JUST WATCHED Cops: Online character inspired stabbing Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Cops: Online character inspired stabbing 01:47 JUST WATCHED Complaint: Suspects had multiple plots Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Complaint: Suspects had multiple plots 02:55 JUST WATCHED 12-year-old stabbing suspects arrested Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH 12-year-old stabbing suspects arrested 01:44 Site member Eric Knudsen (under the screen name "Victor Surge" ) submitted two images to the contest, both black-and-white images of children, one of which appeared to show a largely undefined figure lurking in the background. They were presented as being from 1984, and one included the text " 'We didn't want to go, we didn't want to kill them, but its persistent silence and outstretched arms horrified and comforted us at the same time...' -- 1983, photographer unknown, presumed dead." (Know Your Meme has documented these posts, although links to the original thread no longer work.) A day later, according to Know Your Meme, Knudsen added a third photo and a fictional doctor's account of a mass killing. And, from there, Slenderman's assault on the Internet began. "Some people joked in the thread, 'Wouldn't it be funny if some of these ended up on those paranormal websites or someone said these pictures look real,' " Knudsen said in an interview this year with WNYC's "TLDR" podcast. "But I don't think anyone really expected that to happen." Other Something Awful users began creating their own Slenderman stories. And they spread to other sites. Over the past five years, he's appeared in fan art, short stories, videos, video games and other media all over the Web. A Google search for "Slenderman" on Tuesday returned more than 4 million results. "Marble Hornets" is one of the most popular permutations. It's a video series on YouTube, presented in "Blair Witch Project"-like faux-documentary style, with nearly 380,000 subscribers. Slenderman has also been a popular subject of "creepypasta," a form of Web-based short fiction. A play on the term "copypasta," which itself is derived from the keyboard action "copy-paste," creepypasta is horror fiction written with the Web in mind and, often, done in a style that makes it appear like a news item or other piece of true crime. JUST WATCHED Police: 12-year-old stabbed by friends Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Police: 12-year-old stabbed by friends 02:15 JUST WATCHED Police: Suspects inspired by Internet Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Police: Suspects inspired by Internet 01:36 The girls accused in the Milwaukee stabbing told police they knew the character from the Creepypasta Wiki , a site that compiles such fiction. The site has issued a statement condemning the attack. "This is an isolated incident, and does (not) represent ... the Creepypasta community as a whole," the statement reads. "This wiki does not endorse or advocate for killing, worship, and otherwise replication of rituals of fictional works. There is a line of between fiction and reality, and it is up to you to realize where the line is. We are a literature site, not a satanic cult." Knudsen, too, has lamented losing control of his creation. "I feel like less of a creator and more of an administrator, in a lot of respects, or the manager," he told NPR in the interview from January. Knudsen, who could not be immediately reached for comment, has filed for a copyright on the character. "I feel like I'm Slenderman's manager, and he's out there doing his thing, and I need to just kind of watch him and take care of him." ||||| I guess I need to address this because it is now relevant. If you haven't heard already, two 12-year-old Wisconsin girls attempted to murder one of their classmates because they were inspired by the Slenderman mythology. I won't go much into details, so here is the article of the story. According to the story, the girls read about Slenderman here on this wiki, and of course the usual response lead to hostility and blaming towards the wiki by some "very concerned parents". Some calling for the censorship and shutdown of the wiki. Will these people succeed on their quest? Most likely not. These are the same people who think violent video games help create mass murderers, because it is convenient to blame and point fingers. Besides the backlash, this incident shows what happens when the line of fiction and reality ceases to exist. When a person truly believes that Internet short stories are cold hard facts. When a person attempts to replicate works of fiction to the point others are harmed. And for this, I'm going to make myself loud and clear: ALL WORKS PRESENTED ON THIS WIKI AND OTHER SITES (INCLUDING SLENDERMAN, JEFF THE KILLER, BEN, SONIC.EXE, ETC) ARE FICTIONAL STORIES AND CHARACTERS Of course, only a small minority of people (mostly newcomers) on the wiki (and the Internet) truly believe what they read here. And for most people, they will not attempt to replicate atrocities presented in some of the literature on the wiki. Something like this was bound to happen, considering the size of the Creepypasta community. All it takes is one person to do something insane and radical in the name of someone or something. This is an isolated incident, and does not represent or attribute the Creepypasta community as a whole. This wiki does not endorse or advocate for the killing, worship, and otherwise replication of rituals of fictional works. There is a line of between fiction and reality, and it is up to you to realize where the line is. We are a literature site, not a crazy satanic cult. For most of you reading this, you're probably thinking this is a no-brainier that stories here are mere fiction and know that they are just mere fiction. This blog addresses to newcomers and "die-hard believers", who will otherwise, likely to believe in these stories. Hopefully, the gruesome crime that happened in Wisconsin will not repeat itself again, and our hearts go out to the families affected by this crime. ||||| This past May, the country woke up to the news that two 12-year-old girls allegedly stabbed their friend to conjure up a mythological creature named Slender Man — a plan inspired by a story they read on a site called Creepypasta. Yes, that sentence is real. The 12-year-old suspects were charged as adults with first-degree attempted homicide, and could face up to 60 years in jail. We understand you might have some questions about this confusing and seemingly unbelievable case. So here's a brief explainer: What is Slender Man? What is a Slender man? Slender Man is a fictional urban legend or horror story that was first created on an internet forum in 2009. Slender Man (also spelled Slenderman or Slendy) actually started off as a photo manipulation, by a Something Awful forum user named Victor Surge. The creature known as Slender Man has no face, no hair, is very, very thin and wears a dark suit (above). From there, users began incorporating him into scary stories and urban legends, like Bloody Mary or other scary monsters you were probably told about as kids. Instead of being passed around by word of mouth, the stories of Slender Man are passed around in horror story forums like Creepypasta, and Reddit's No Sleep. From there Slender Man made his way to YouTube videos like this one: Like the variations on Bloody Mary and other urban legends, there is no strict Slender Man myth. This story portrays him kidnapping someone and whisking them away, sometimes he's jokingly portrayed like a Boogeyman-like creature, and this story paints a true, near-escape from a man that might be Slender Man. Creepy-what? Creepypasta. The name creepypasta doesn't seem very creepy or menacing. Its name comes from the days of email (like SPAM) when bite-sized horror stories were passed around from person to person. Nowadays, that's evolved into sites like Creepypasta.wikia and Reddit's No Sleep forum where people post some of the scariest stories they can think of. And some of those stories involve fictional creatures like Slender Man. Think of it as the way people share ghost stories in the age of the internet. But those stories aren't real. Yes. These stories are fiction. But that doesn't stop people on the forum from claiming they are real. For example in Reddit's No Sleep forum, there is a rule every story should be taken as real in order to keep the spirit of the forum intact. But there's really no difference between stories you find on those forums and those found-footage horror blockbusters. Faux authenticity isn't a pass for murder nor does it create murder. So these girls decided to kill someone to meet a fictional monster? Well, according to news reports, the girls said that they were sacrificing their friend so that they could be taken by Slender Man and whisked to a mansion where they could live with him. In a sense, they made up their own myth. The AP reports: The other girl told police they decided to kill her so they could become proxies of Slender Man, who would accept them and let them live with him in his mansion in the Nicolet National Forest. The other girl said she sees Slender Man in her dreams. She said he watches her and can read her mind and teleport. The girls allegedly tried to kill their friend during a game of hide-and-seek, and left her bleeding in the woods. The report adds that one of the girls said she had been planning this since December. What's happening to the people that told/are telling these Slender Man stories? Perhaps the most-telling or prescient perspective is from Slender Man's creator, a man named Eric Knudsen (a.k.a. Victor Surge). Earlier this year, Knudsen voiced that he felt like he lost ownership of his creation. "I feel like I'm Slenderman's manager, and he's out there doing his thing, and I need to just kind of watch him and take care of him," Knudsen had said in January. Knudsen has not spoken about the attempted murder yet. "In the 80s people would blame Freddy Krueger for their murders after the Nightmare on Elm Street series got popular. To see Slender reach that level though is both frighting and amazing." A thing to remember is that there are thousands of readers who read sites like Creepypasta.wikia every day and don't commit atrocities like these girls did. You could make the same analogy to television shows, video games, and movies. And you could also make the argument that these girls could have easily been inspired by movies like Saw or Hostel. The question of agency here is on those young girls. Creepypasta.wikia, the site where these girls allegedly found this Slender Man myth, has issued a warning about how the site is fiction and that they can't control the action of these girls: This is an isolated incident, and does not represent or attribute the Creepypasta community as a whole. This wiki does not endorse or advocate for the killing, worship, and otherwise replication of rituals of fictional works. There is a line of between fiction and reality, and it is up to you to realize where the line is. We are a literature site, not a crazy satanic cult. The strange pocket of the internet where these stories come from is now bracing for a meltdown and some harsh scrutiny from people reading Slender Man reports. Reddit has a forum specifically dedicated to the Slender Man. Some readers there have already expressed concern about the attention headed their way, while others tried to distance Slender Man from the girls' actions. "If they were insane enough to think they could become 'proxies' I'm almost certain they would do something similar to this eventually, with or without slenderman," a user explained. And one Reddit user equated the attempted murder and attention with the mainstream success of their creation." This isn't unheard of, in the 80s people would blame Freddy Krueger for their murders after the Nightmare on Elm Street series got popular. To see Slender reach that level though is both frighting and amazing," the user wrote. That conjures up some scenarios like copycat crimes, or some mainstream movies based on this crime. And there's something chilling about his or her observation — that this attempted murder is a form of mainstream success for Slender. What's happens next? On December 18, a Wisconsin deemed the two girls fit to stand trial. A joint preliminary hearing for both girlls is scheduled for February, WISN-tv reports.

– Two 12-year-old girls who allegedly stabbed their friend in the woods of Waukesha, Wis., offered a chilling explanation for their actions: They'd been driven by "Slender Man," a mythical figure who's made the rounds on the Internet since 2009. But there are no deep, mysterious roots to this legend: The Washington Post delves into "the complete, terrifying history ... of the Internet meme," finding that a little digging reveals exactly who made it up and when. It all started with a forum on humor site Something Awful asking users to "create paranormal images through Photoshop." That resulted in Slender Man, the creation of one Victor Surge, aka Eric Knudsen, who offered disturbing stories of a guy with tentacles. Knudsen is now seeking a copyright on the story, CNN reports. As Vox describes Slender Man, he's got "no face, no hair, is very, very thin and wears a dark suit." Other users began making up stories of their own as the legend migrated to other websites, including YouTube, Wikipedia, and "creepypasta" sites for scary online fiction, where the girls apparently read about it. Creepypasta Wiki has distanced itself from the attack, whose victim is reportedly in stable condition: "This wiki does not endorse or advocate for the killing, worship, and otherwise replication of rituals of fictional works. There is a line ... between fiction and reality, and it is up to you to realize where the line is. We are a literature site, not a crazy satanic cult."

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Fire Department says two bodies have been found in the wreckage of a small plane that crashed into Lake Pontchartrain just north of the New Orleans Lakefront Airport Saturday night. Spokesman Gregory Davis said the Cessna was pulled from the water Tuesday morning by a crane and the aircraft was placed on a barge. He said the bodies of the pilot and one passenger were in the plane's cabin.The passenger was identified as Reginald Hillard Jr., 25, by family members. The pilot has yet to be identified. "They said that he was in the plane. I still didn't believe it," said Reginald Hillard Sr., of Baton Rouge, who was at the lakefront. Hillard Sr. was told of the official identification minutes after the plane was pulled from the water three days after the crash. Relatives said Reginald was afraid of flying, but put aside his fears when his girlfriend, Brianna Davis, surprised him with an aerial tour of the city. A family member said Reginald was able to unbuckle Davis from her seat and push her out of the aircraft after it hit the water. Davis was able to get out of the sinking plane and was rescued by a nearby boater. "The couple had hired the aircraft to take them on a night time flight around the city of New Orleans," said Lakefront Airport Director Ben Morris. "They did that, they were coming back in, and again, it appears they hit a little rain shower, a very significant rain shower, a rainstorm. They were making their approach to the airport, and at that point, they disappeared off the radar." "It's a very sad thing because she did tell us that she and her boyfriend were holding hands when she slipped out of the aircraft," Morris said. Family members were at the site as the plane was pulled from the water and lifted onto the barge. Divers located the plane just 1,000 feet short of the Lakefront Airport runway Sunday. A crane mounted on a barge was brought in Monday evening to lift the plane out of the water. ||||| The wreckage from a plane crash in Lake Pontchartrain over the weekend was recovered Tuesday morning. Equipment was moved into place to retrieve the wreckage of the small plane that crashed into the lake just north of the New Orleans Lakefront Airport. Show Transcript Hide Transcript HOUR. BACKUP. GINA: RIGHT NOW CREWS ARE FROM LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. IT WENT DOWN AS IT WAS APPROACHING THE RUNWAY AT THE LAKEFRONT AIRPORT OVER THE WEEKEND. CHARLES: TWO OF THE THREE PEOPLE ON BOARD THE PLANE ARE STILL MISSING THIS MORNING. IS LIVE THIS MORNING FROM THE LAKEFRONT. REPORTER LET ME SHOW YOU BEHIND ME. THEY ARE GOING TO ASSIST AND THE RECOVERY EFFORT THIS MORNING. DIVERS ARE GOING INTO THE WATER TO ATTACH FUSELAGE. INVESTIGATORS WITH THE FEDERAL AVIATION COMMISSION WILL EXAMINE THE PLANE. . ONLY ONE WOMAN SURVIVED. THE AIRPORT DIRECTOR TELLS US PASSENGERS WERE A COUPLE FROM BATON ROUGE. AS EXPERIENCED AND WELL RESPECTED. >> WHEN THE PLANE HIT THE WATER, REPORTER: THEY DID TELL ME THAT THE WOMAN WHO SURVIVE IS DOING WELL THIS MORNING. The crash site was about 1,000 yards west of the airport's north-south runway. VIEW: Photos from scene Fire Department officials said divers were sent down to the plane Tuesday to attach cables and cranes will lift the wreckage out of the water. A woman survived Saturday night's crash, but two men were killed. Crews cut apart the plane to remove the bodies. Family members tell WDSU that the passenger in the plane is Reginald Hillard Jr. Hillard's girlfriend, Brianna Davis, was the surviving passenger. She was released from the hospital on Saturday night. The name of the pilot, who is from Thibodaux, has not been released. WDSU reporter Jennifer Crockett said when crews opened up the aircraft, the pilot was found buckled into his seat. Hillard had been pushed to the back. The airport director, Ben Morris, said Monday that the plane hit a rainstorm around the time of the crash. Morris said the couple chartered the plane for an aerial tour of the city. Additional details have not been released by investigators. Keep up with local news, weather and current events with the WDSU app here. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here to sign up! ||||| Relatives of a man who was killed in a plane crash last weekend on the lakefront are calling him a hero for what he did moments before his death. Crews returned to Lake Pontchartrain Tuesday to retrieve the wreckage of a small aircraft that crashed into the waters north of the New Orleans Lakefront Airport. The crash was reported just before 9 p.m. Saturday when New Orleans police said a Cessna aircraft went down in the lake with people still on board. One of the passengers, Brianna Davis, was the surviving passenger. She was picked up by a private yacht and taken to a hospital. Several authorities began a search for the two men who were also on board. The bodies were removed from the aircraft when it was cut open Tuesday. Family members identified the other passenger as Reginald Hillard Jr., who they said is a hero for pushing his girlfriend, Davis, out of the plane before it crashed. "He's the hero. He was a hero living. You know, he died that way," said Yolanda White, Hillard's cousin. "This was his first plane flight ever. First time he flew on a plane. And it was a surprise from his girlfriend Brianna." The couple posed for pictures on the plane before the unfortunate crash. Davis told Hillard's family that he pushed her out of the plane and that's what saved her. Hillard was a Baton Rouge rapper, a tattoo artist and a father of three. He was afraid to fly, but didn't want to pass up the experience to see New Orleans from the sky, his family told WDSU reporter Jennifer Crockett. "She surprised him and he took the challenge," White said. Davis is the sole survivor of the crash. Officials said the pilot, who was not identified, was experienced but didn't call for help. His body was found buckled into his seat. The airport director, Ben Morris, said that the plane hit a rainstorm around the time of the crash. Police said crashes have happened in the same spot before. "They gave us the signal that there were two bodies in there, so we knew it was his and the pilot's," White said. Hillard's family said their faith is helping them find peace. "He loved his life and he lived it to the fullest. And this is God's will," said Anthony Coleman, Hillard's cousin. "There isn't (anything) we can do about it, but accept it." Federal officials are investigating the crash to determine the cause. Keep up with local news, weather and current events with the WDSU app here. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here to sign up!

– On Tuesday, a New Orleans family received the confirmation they were dreading: One of two bodies pulled from a plane that went down in Lake Pontchartrain was that of Reginald Hillard Jr., 25. "They said that he was in the plane. I still didn't believe it," his father tells WWLTV. The family is telling a second story, though: one of heroism. They say Hillard saved the life of his girlfriend—the only one of the three aboard to survive the Saturday night flight—by pushing her from the plane. The details are a bit fluid: A family member tells WWLTV Hillard unbuckled Brianna Davis' seatbelt and pushed her out after the Cessna entered the water; relatives tell WDSU he pushed her from the plane before it crashed. Either way, Davis did enter the lake and was retrieved by a passing yacht and taken to the hospital. The flight, an aerial evening tour of the city, was a birthday surprise Davis arranged for Hillard. WDSU reports the father of three was scared to fly and had never been on a plane, but "he took the challenge," says his cousin. "He's the hero." WDSU reports the plane went down about half a mile from the New Orleans Lakefront Airport, whose director, Ben Morris, says, "It's a very sad thing because she did tell us that she and her boyfriend were holding hands when she slipped out of the aircraft." Morris says the plane hit a rainstorm; the pilot, whose body was found still in his seat, did not request any help. (A plane's parachute helped save the life of a former Walmart CEO in 2015.)

Hours after a failed rocket launch criticized abroad as a covert test of missile technology, North Korea's new leader underlined the country's "military first" policy with a budget that allocates a sizable chunk of funding to defense spending. Military members attend a mass meeting of North Korea's ruling party at a stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Saturday, April 14, 2012. North Korea will mark the 100-year birth anniversary of the late... (Associated Press) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, walks past reflections of North Korean military officers clapping during a mass meeting of North Korea's ruling party at a stadium in Pyongyang, on Saturday April 14,... (Associated Press) A crowd of North Korean military members clap in a stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, during a mass meeting called North Korea's ruling party on Saturday, April 14, 2012. North Korea will mark the 100th... (Associated Press) A North Korean female soldier adjusts her hair during a mass meeting of North Korea's ruling party at a stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Saturday April 14, 2012. North Korea will mark the 100-year... (Associated Press) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left waves as North Korean military officers clap in a stadium in Pyongyang during a mass meeting called by the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling party on Saturday... (Associated Press) North Korean military members attend a mass meeting of North Korea's ruling party at a stadium in Pyongyang on Saturday April 14, 2012. North Korea will mark the 100-year birth anniversary of the late... (Associated Press) North Korea's legislature also formalized Kim Jong Un's leadership of the country and promoted a host of younger military officials to the powerful National Defense Commission, state-run media reported Saturday, in a strong indication that the "military first" rule of the late Kim Jong Il will continue under his young son. Still, Premier Choe Yong Rim told legislators the nation's top priority is to build up the economy and improve the people's standard of living, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly convened Friday for a special one-day session to ratify appointments and promotions, discuss this year's budget and to make constitutional amendments to formalize Kim Jong Un's leadership of the country. Hours earlier, in a precursor to the gathering, North Korea defied the U.S. and others by firing a long-range rocket that space officials said was mounted with an observational satellite despite warnings against pushing ahead with the provocative launch. In a rare admission, North Korea announced on state TV that the bid was a failure, with the satellite failing to reach orbit. International condemnation was swift, including the suspension of U.S. food aid, and there are concerns that the North's next move could be even more provocative: a nuclear test. The U.N. Security Council denounced the launch as a violation of resolutions that prohibit North Korea from developing its nuclear and missile programs. The council imposed sanctions on North Korea after its first nuclear test in 2006 and stepped up sanctions after its second in 2009. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the launch "deplorable" and urged North Korea "not to undertake any further provocative actions that will heighten tension in the region," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said. President Barack Obama said North Korea's failed rocket launch shows the country is wasting money on rockets that "don't work" while its people go hungry. He said the U.S. will work with other nations to "further isolate" North Korea. North Korea spent an estimated $850 million to build the rocket and a new west coast launch pad, South Korea's Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik said at a parliamentary hearing Friday. The World Food Program says at least 6 million North Koreans _ a quarter of the population _ need outside food aid to supplement diminishing state-supplied rations. North Korea had trumpeted the launch of its Kwangmyongsong, or Bright Shining Star, satellite as a civilian scientific achievement and a gift for late North Korea founder Kim Il Sung _ Kim Jong Un's grandfather _ in the run-up to celebrations marking his 100th birthday Sunday. Space official Ryu Kum Chol told reporters earlier in the week that the satellite was designed to send back data about weather conditions and conduct landscape surveys to help pinpoint natural resources. However, experts say the Unha-3 carrier is the same type of prohibited rocket that would be used to strike the U.S. and other targets with a long-range missile. On Saturday, South Korea's Navy deployed about 10 warships to scour the Yellow Sea in search of rocket debris, a Defense Ministry official said. He refused to provide further details and asked not to be named because the sensitive mission was still under way. U.S. Navy minesweepers and other ships are expected to join the search, which could offer evidence of what went wrong and provide details about North Korea's rocket technology. In Pyongyang, meanwhile, Kim Jong Un was made first secretary of the National Defense Commission, a post formally making him the nation's leader. Joining him on the commission were three new, relatively younger, officials in the first major reshuffle of the body since Kim, who is believed to be in his late 20s, took power four months ago following his father's death. The legislature also approved setting aside 15.8 percent of the budget for defense _ roughly the same amount as the past two years, confirmation that resources will continue to be pumped into the military under Kim Jong Un. However, the premier said the focus will rest on improving the economy. "This year the Cabinet will concentrate all efforts on light industry and agriculture and lay a solid foundation for building an economic power," Choe told legislators, according to KCNA. The appointments follow key changes in the makeup of the leadership of the ruling Workers' Party on Wednesday. On Saturday, tens of thousands _ soldiers, party officials and ordinary citizens being honored for doing exceptional work this year _ gathered at Kim Il Sung Stadium for a rally in honor of Kim Il Sung's 100th birthday. They closed by chanting "Kim Jong Un, defend him to the death," as Kim watched and waved from a viewing platform. ___ Associated Press writer Sam Kim in Seoul, South Korea; Robert Burns, Matthew Pennington and Wendy Benjaminson in Washington; and Edith Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. ||||| On reflection, not the most auspicious date for a crucial rocket launch, supposed to show the world that North Korea is now a great and prosperous nation – their official slogan, despite mass malnutrition – boasting world-class space technology. The Kim regime has never lacked chutzpah. It must have known this was high-risk. After all, two earlier rockets – identical to a Taepodong ICBM, hence the world's concern – in 1998 and 2009 flew far, but failed to put satellites in orbit as Pyongyang claimed. Another missile in 2006 exploded 40 seconds after launch. Yesterday's did a bit better: it lasted 90 seconds. At least this time the regime told its people, which is progress. Admissions of failure are rare indeed in Pyongyang, and this one could not have been worse timed. The centenary of North Korea's founding 'Great Leader' Kim Il-sung – born 15 April 1912, just as the Titanic sank – has seen giant new statues unveiled of him and his son, the late 'Dear Leader' Kim Jong-il. This is a backdrop to anointing the third and latest Kim. Back-to-back meetings of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and the Supreme People's Assembly (the rubber-stamp parliament) have seen the young Kim Jong-un festooned with titles: WPK first secretary, chairman of the Central Military Commission, chairman of the National Defence Commission and so on. Egg on face, and loss of face, were definitely not part of this coronation script. The fear now must be that Kim will feel obliged to find some other explosive way to show the world he is not to be trifled with. Spy satellites had already detected fresh digging at North Korea's main nuclear site. Twice before, in 2006 and 2009, missile tests were followed within months by nuclear tests: an even more serious menace. This could well be third time unlucky. * Aidan Foster-Carter is Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Sociology and Modern Korea, Leeds University ||||| Disasters are a regular part of rocket science, as demonstrated by the American experience with its Vanguard program. That slim rocket was meant to launch the nation’s first satellite into orbit. But starting in August 1957, four static firings of its engines failed. Pressure soared as Moscow successfully sent its first satellite into orbit that October. Reporters descended on Cape Canaveral, Fla. On Dec. 6, the countdown reached zero, and Vanguard lifted off the launching pad. It rose four feet before settling back in a churning ball of smoke and fire. The Vanguard satellite fell clear and “came comfortably to rest nearby, chirping innocently,” according to “The Heavens and the Earth,” a history of the early days of the American space program. Early the following year, the United States was able to launch a satellite with a different rocket, and less than three months later, finally managed a successful Vanguard launch. Advertisement Continue reading the main story If the United States can learn from failure, maybe North Korea can, too. It needs to, after 14 years of failures in the development of rockets powerful enough to loft a satellite — particularly when its secretive leadership encourages its impoverished people to indulge in grandiose expectations. Photo In interviews, aerospace experts said major setbacks are a normal part of rocket programs and can produce crucial information for engineers struggling to identify problems and make improvements.

– If at first you don't succeed, bomb, bomb again. In the wake of its failed rocket launch, North Korea is doubling down on its "military-first" policy, promoting 20-something Kim Jong Un to first secretary of the powerful National Defense Commission—that officially makes him the country's leader, reports the AP. In a special session yesterday, North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly also promoted several younger leaders in the National Defense Commission and dedicated 15.8% of the national budget to the military—about the same as the last two years. As for what went wrong with the missile: Despite using similar designs as Iran, which successfully put a satellite into orbit in 2009, North Korea continues to struggle with its missiles, suggesting quality control problems, says the New York Times. “Their overall design seems to make sense,” said one scientist. “But mundane sorts of things might get in the way, such as welding.” In the meantime, the South Korean navy sent about 10 ships into the Yellow Sea to look for debris from the North's rocket, reports the AP. Korea expert Aidan Foster-Carter notes in the Telegraph that North Korea's last two missile tests were soon followed by nuclear tests. "This could well be third time unlucky."

CHRIS BROWN has an unhappy lady on his hands — and it’s not his girlfriend. A source close to Rihanna tells us the danger-loving Barbadian beauty is “pissed” at her ex for continuing to date 23-year-old petite model Karrueche Tran. The source says Rihanna, 24, doesn’t necessarily want to get back together with Brown, she just doesn’t want him dating Tran. “It’s infuriating RiRi that he’s still with her,” says the insider. A second source concurs, adding that Brown, 23, never told Rihanna “or anyone else” he would split from his girlfriend. Rihanna’s spokeswoman replied with what currently ranks as our No. 7 most-favorite smart-a-- publicist response of the year: “Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.” Perhaps if her clients weren’t so shallow, she might not be so bored. GOOD THINGS HAPPEN to Miley Cyrus when she shows off her banging bod. A source in the Sunshine State says the newly engaged 19-year-old checked into the Delano in South Beach on Monday to work on her upcoming album. Instead of hitting the studio, however, Cyrus slipped into a Giejo bikini and hit the pool with longtime pal Cheyne Thomas, who was in the entourage that checked in with the former Disney star. Our source says Giejo designer Gabrielle Sabharwal also happened to be at the Delano, finalizing plans for the Miami Swim Week debut this month. She spotted Cyrus and sent more bikinis up to her suite for backup. Cyrus’ fiancé, actor Liam Hemsworth is not in Miami, but our source says Miley just saw him in New Orleans, where he’s shooting “Empire State.” BIG ANG RAIOLA is getting a big head. The “Mob Wives” star swanned into the Old Homestead Steakhouse on Friday and didn’t exactly enchant the wait staff. A spy overheard staffers at the venerable Meatpacking District eatery complaining that Raiola was more than 90 minutes late for her reservation and that her handlers insisted no one could be seated at the tables surrounding her perch on the second floor of the eatery. We also hear her beefy bodyguards blocked fans from taking pictures and even kept the wait staff at bay, gruffly telling them they would be summoned when Raiola was ready to order. Our insider adds that the reality star had a camera crew shooting for her VH1 spinoff, “Big Ang,” and lived up to her name by ordering the steakhouse’s signature porterhouse for two. An Old Homestead rep denied our story. “Big Ang was no problem at all,” he insisted, adding, “You would have thought Jagger or McCartney walked in. The place went crazy.” CONNOR CRUISE entertained a much younger demographic on Tuesday night than he usually does. The 17-year-old deejay was on hand to see the Friars Club present his dad, Tom Cruise, with the Entertainment Icon Award at the Waldorf-Astoria, and did double-duty as a baby-sitter for stepsister Suri. A source at the ceremony tells us Papa Cruise brought 5-year-old Suri as his date, but relied on Connor to keep the kid entertained with “with toys and books,” including one favorite, “Hello Kitty.” Our insider says Suri was well behaved, but did “negotiate” with dad to get some of the Godiva chocolates placed at each table setting. (Godiva sponsored the event.) We hear Tom let her indulge “only after she ate her dinner.” MIRI BEN-ARI will pick up an award and put on a show at the Big Vision Awards at SoHo hotspot W.i.P. on Thursday. R&B legend Roberta Flack will present the Grammy-winning Israeli violinist and producer with one of the awards, which celebrate “big thinkers who have found success by creating their own paths.” The “Hip Hop Violinist,” as the beautiful Ben-Ari is known, also will perform at the soiree, which will be presented by Big Vision Empty Wallet. National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences exec director Jacqueline Gonzalez, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Whit Stillman, Broadway producer Ken Davenport and radio host Matt Pinfield also will be honored. Contact Gatecrasher: Frank DiGiacomo: [email protected] Carson Griffith: [email protected] Adam Caparell: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter: @NYDNGatecrasher ||||| But if this is true, sounds like her back is against the wall on this one! Rihanna's friends, loved ones, music industry peeps and more are urging the singer to enter rehab. Jay-Z isn't too happy about her partylicious, wild ways either! Those closest to RiRi believe her GORGEOUS looks and talented work are being affected by her lifestyle choices. Uh Oh… A source says the Jiggaman even threatened to DROP her from the label. The insider says: "Rihanna has been out of control for months. She was supposed to catch a flight back to the UK last week [for a work obligation], but she ended up missing it, which was the final straw for management. She's not happy, but she now feels she has no choice." We're not positive this is 100% true, but if it is — hanging with Breezy probably won't help her either! [Image via WENN.] Tags: chris brown, friends, jay z, partying, rehab, rihanna, ultimatum ||||| Chris Brown Injured In BAR FIGHT with Drake's Entourage Chris Brown Injured In Bar Fight With Drake's Entourage [Updated with Photos] Breaking News Drake's rep just issued a statement about the incident, insisting Drizzy wasn't involved in the brawl at all ... the beef was between CB and another rapper named Meek Mill.A witness who was inside the club tells TMZ ... Chris Brown did NOT send any bottles over to Drake's table, despite several reports to the contrary.We're told both Brown and Drake had been hanging out in the VIP section ... when Drake began pointing and yelling at Brown.Brown began yelling back ... and that's when members of both entourages rushed in and began shoving each other.With tensions running high, someone threw a bottle -- which set the whole thing off ... and the shoving turned to punches.We're told club security rushed in to break up the fight ... and called police for backup. Brown and Drake left the scene by the time cops showed up ... but several members of their entourages remained at the club. Multiple members of both crews required medical assistance.We're told the club suffered some serious damage in the fight -- including busted up tables, broken mirrors, shattered lighting and glass scratches all over the floors.sustained a nasty gash on his chin -- apparently a wound from a bottle attack -- after his entourage allegedly clashed with's crew in a NYC nightclub brawl.TMZ has confirmed with the NYPD that the two singers' crews got into a fight at WIP nightclub -- 5 people were injured in the melee.NYPD arrived on the scene after receiving a call between 4 and 5am. Chris and Drake were not present when cops arrived. A picture of Chris Brown's Transformers-themed SUV taken after the fight has surfaced -- with what appears to be blood splattered on the back.

– Chris Brown and Drake reportedly started fighting over Rihanna last night, and it ended up with their respective entourages in a nightclub brawl. Five people were injured in the New York City fight, TMZ reports. Brown tweeted a picture of his chin—apparently slashed after someone threw a bottle at him—along with the message, "How u party wit rich n**** that hate? Lol... Throwing bottles like girls? #shameonya!." Both have since been removed, but TMZ has the photo, and the Huffington Post has more charming tweets from Brown including, "N*ggas throwing bottles! Y'all n*ggaz weak!" In related news, Brown and Rihanna continued their practice of showing up at the same places Monday night, when both were at another New York City club. Rihanna had another guy with her, but Brown "looked over at her from his table across the way," a source tells People. The New York Post goes further, claiming Rihanna basically followed Brown around the city and adding that the two appeared to be texting each other at the club. The Daily News adds that Rihanna is "pissed" Brown insists on continuing to date Karrueche Tran, according to sources. And in yet another sign that Rihanna is falling apart, Perez Hilton reports that her friends—including Jay-Z—are encouraging her to go to rehab after "out of control" partying.

Prince William and Prince Harry tell how they are still haunted by regret over a “desperately rushed” last phone call with their mother, who died 20 years ago this year, in a new documentary, Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, to be broadcast on Monday evening. William and Harry, who were 15 and 12 when Princess Diana died, say in the new interview to mark 20 years since their mother's death that they were on holiday at the Queen’s house in Balmoral, Scotland, when they were called to the phone. “At the time Harry and I were running around minding our own business, you know, playing with our cousins and having a very good time,” William says. Prince Harry adds: “As a kid I never enjoyed speaking to my parents on the phone. And we spent far too much time speaking on the phone rather than speaking to each other, because of just the way the situation was. “And the phone rang and off he [William] went to go and speak to her for five minutes.” William then says: “And I think Harry and I were just in a desperate rush to say goodbye, you know, see you later and we’re going to go off. If I’d known now obviously what was going to happen I wouldn’t have been so blasé about it and everything else. But that phone call sticks in my mind quite, quite heavily.” Harry says: “It was her speaking from Paris. I can’t really necessarily remember what I said, but all I do remember is regretting for the rest of my life how short the phone call was. “And if I’d known that that was the last time I was going to speak to my mother the things I would have said to her. “Looking back on it now, it’s incredibly hard. I have to deal with that for the rest of my life, not knowing that that was the last time I was going to speak to my mum, and how differently that conversation would have panned out if I’d had even the slightest inkling that her life was going to be taken that night.” The Princes were taking part in the documentary, due to be broadcast on ITV in the UK and on HBO in the U.S. on Monday, which is full of warm and wonderful insights about Diana as a mother. Recalling Diana’s sense of humor, Harry comments: “Our mother was a total kid through and through. “All I can hear is her laugh in my head.” Get The Beast In Your Inbox! Daily Digest Start and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast. Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't). By clicking “Subscribe,” you agree to have read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Subscribe Thank You! You are now subscribed to the Daily Digest and Cheat Sheet. We will not share your email with anyone for any reason. He adds: “One of her mottos to me was, 'You can be as naughty as you want, just don’t get caught.' “She was one of the naughtiest parents. She would come and watch us play football and smuggle sweets into our socks.” William says he keeps the memory of his mother alive for his children by “constantly talking about granny Diana.” “She’d be a lovely grandmother, she’d absolutely love it, she’d love the children to bits,” he said. There were inevitably somber and shocking moments in the film as well. Prince William reveals the depth of his antipathy towards the paparazzi in the program, recalling that photographers once spat at his mother to try to elicit a reaction. He says: “If you are the Princess of Wales and you’re a mother, I don’t believe being chased by 30 guys on motorbikes who block your path, who spit at you to get a reaction from you and make a woman cry in public to get a photograph, I don’t believe that is appropriate. “I sadly remember most of the time she ever cried about anything was to do with press intrusion. Harry and I, we had to live through that.” ||||| Story highlights Prince William says he was in a hurry to get off the phone to go play "I do remember ... regretting for the rest of my life how short the phone call was," Harry says (CNN) Prince William and Prince Harry have spoken of their regret at the brevity of their final phone call with their mother, Princess Diana, just hours before her 1997 death in a car crash in Paris. In a new documentary set to release on Monday by ITV in Great Britain and HBO in the United States, Prince Harry recalls how quickly he got off the phone with his mother. The two brothers were at Balmoral Castle in Scotland when Diana called from Paris. "I can't necessarily remember what I said, but all I do remember is regretting for the rest of my life how short the phone call was," Harry told ITV. Diana, Princess of Wales, on holiday with Prince Harry. "If I'd known that that was the last time I was going to speak to my mother, the things I would have said to her," he said. "Looking back at it now -- it's incredibly hard. I have to deal with that for the rest of my life: not knowing that it was the last time I'd speak to my mum, how differently that conversation would have panned out if I'd had even the slightest inkling that her life was going to be taken that night." Read More

– Hours before her death in a Paris car crash, Princess Diana called her young sons to say hello, interrupting Princes William and Harry from horsing around with their cousins—a call they quickly ended with no inkling her life was about to be cut short. "Harry and I were just in a desperate rush to say goodbye, you know, see you later and we’re going to go off," says William in a new documentary that marks the 20th anniversary of Diana's death. "If I’d known now obviously what was going to happen I wouldn’t have been so blasé about it and everything else. But that phone call sticks in my mind quite, quite heavily." Adds Harry: "I can't necessarily remember what I said, but all I do remember is regretting for the rest of my life how short the phone call was." Other highlights from "Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy," per CNN and the Daily Beast: Harry: "Our mother was a total kid through and through. All I can hear is her laugh in my head. One of her mottos to me was, 'You can be as naughty as you want, just don’t get caught.' She was one of the naughtiest parents. She would come and watch us play football and smuggle sweets into our socks." William: "There's not many days that go by that I don't think of her. Her 20th anniversary year feels like a good time to ... remember, you know, all the good things about her and hopefully provide maybe a different side to her that others haven't seen before." William on that time mom surprised him with a bunch of supermodels at the house: "Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell (were) waiting at the top of the stairs. I was probably 12 or 13-year-old boy who had posters of them on his wall. And I went bright red and didn't quite know what to say and sort of fumbled, and I think I pretty much fell down the stairs on the way up." The documentary is set to air on ITV on Monday.

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas food distributor has recalled nearly 100,000 pounds (45,360 kilograms) of precooked sausage products that might contain metal. The recall was announced Wednesday by Armour Eckrich Meats in Junction City. The Food Safety and Inspection Service says the recall includes more than 8,000 cases of 16.6-ounce (460-gram) packages of "Eckrich Smok-y Cheddar Breakfast sausage, Naturally Hardwood Smoked." The labels have the case or UPC code and a "27815 17984" with a use-by date of Aug. 17. The products also have the number "EST. 3JC" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were distributed in Kansas, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The fully-cooked pork, turkey and beef breakfast sausage were produced and packaged from April 26 to April 28. No injuries from consuming the meat have been reported. ||||| WASHINGTON, May 24, 2017– Armour Eckrich Meats, LLC, a Junction City, Kan. establishment, is recalling approximately 90,978 pounds of ready-to-eat sausage products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically pieces of metal, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The food service fully-cooked pork, turkey and beef breakfast sausage items were produced and packaged from April 26 through April 28, 2017. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF Only)] 8,769 cases of 16.6 oz. vacuumed packages containing “ECKRICH SMOK-Y CHEDDAR BREAKFAST SAUSAGE, NATURALLY HARDWOOD SMOKED” on the label, case code/ UPC number “27815 17984,” and a Use By date of “08/17/17.” The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 3JC” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to distribution centers in Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The problem was discovered on May 15, 2017 when Armour Eckrich Meats, Inc. was notified by another FSIS-regulated establishment that pieces of metal were embedded in a fully cooked sausage product produced by Armour Eckrich Meats, Inc. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. Consumers with questions about the recall can call 1 (877) 933-4625. Media with questions about the recall can contact Kassi Belz, vice president of public relations for the Dalton Agency, at (904) 398-5222. Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.

– On the heels of a recall on hot dogs that contained metal shards, a Kansas food distributor has recalled nearly 100,000 pounds of precooked sausage products for the same reason, reports the AP. The recall was announced Wednesday by Armour-Eckrich Meats in Junction City. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service says the recall includes more than 8,000 cases of 16.6-ounce packages of "Eckrich Smok-Y Cheddar Breakfast Sausage, Naturally Hardwood Smoked." The labels have the case and UPC code "27815 17984," with a use-by date of Aug. 17. The products also have the number "EST. 3JC" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were distributed in Kansas, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. The fully cooked pork, turkey, and beef breakfast sausages were produced and packaged from April 26 to April 28. No injuries have been reported.

After quitting her national Democratic Party leadership role amid furor over thousands of leaked emails, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz now faces the political battle of her lifetime back home in South Florida. Wasserman Schultz resigned as Democratic National Committee chairwoman Sunday, strengthening the hand of her primary opponent, Tim Canova — who saw a huge fundraising boost and national media attention following her decision. While the Weston congresswoman spent Monday morning getting heckled by protesters in Philadelphia at her first public appearance since her resignation, Canova was in the district giving interviews to local TV stations, Univision and The Daily Beast — and meeting with constituents. “I have not left the district in eight months,” Canova told the Miami Herald on Sunday. “That’s not going to change between now and Aug. 30. I don’t think there’s going to be a great need for me to go up to Philly and chase the spotlight. We’re making friends on the ground every day.” $20 for 365 Days of Unlimited Digital Access Last chance to take advantage of our best offer of the year! Act now! On Friday, the website Wikileaks published more than 19,000 DNC emails, some of them showing the party favored Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. It also showed that DNC staffers who were not working on Wasserman Schultz’s campaign were closely monitoring media coverage and campaign appearances of Canova, a first-time candidate and Nova Southeastern University professor. Canova’s campaign is “seriously considering” filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, campaign manager Richard Bell said. The emails show that the DNC tracked Canova’s news play and speaking engagements, including what is referred to as an “Alaska Counter Event” in the emails. Canova, as well as Sanders’ wife, Jane, were scheduled to speak via Skype to Alaska Democrats on the same evening that Wasserman Schultz was going to speak to an Alaska Democratic event. “This is all the FB post has so we need the state party to do some digging,” DNC communications director Luis Miranda wrote in one email. We’re making friends on the ground every day. Tim Canova, Democratic candidate for Congress Even before Wasserman Schultz’s tenure as chairwoman came to its disastrous end, Canova drew national attention for his prolific fundraising, clever campaign tactics and endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders. Canova launched his campaign in January and has cultivated a broad following by echoing many of Sanders’ themes, such as a call for campaign finance reform. He bashed Wasserman Schultz for taking money from big banks, siding with the payday lending industry and opposing a 2014 Florida constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana. The amendment ultimately failed. The dire Wasserman Schultz headlines has helped even more money pour in: nearly $100,000 since she resigned, Canova’s campaign said. But the same question about Canova persists after Wasserman Schultz’s DNC resignation as it did before it: Can he parlay national attention into district votes on Election Day? No public polls have been released gauging opinion in the Miami-Dade/Broward district. Canova’s campaign said it hasn’t conducted internal polls. Wasserman Schultz’s campaign has ignored questions about polling. Voting by mail begins this month in the Aug. 30 primary. Longtime Democrats who have supported Wasserman Schultz said primary voters will make up their mind based on the “Debbie” they have seen and heard in their own backyard — not the one on the national stage. “When you go into the heart of her congressional district and really all over South Florida people know Debbie and she is loved,” said Christian Ulvert, a Democratic campaign consultant who isn’t working for Wasserman Schultz but supports her. “I don’t see a world where Debbie’s longtime constituents don’t stand with her again. It is very hard to erase her two decades of elected services. When you go into Broward, everybody is talking about Debbie, Debbie, Debbie.” The last time she faced a primary was a six-way race in 1992 for the state House. She first won a seat in Congress in 2004. Since then, she’s easily swatted away Republican challengers with little effort. In past elections, Democrats in the district have had no option but to vote for her. When you go into the heart of her congressional district and really all over South Florida people know Debbie and she is loved. Democratic campaign consultant Christian Ulvert Facing a primary this year, she’s stepped up her local appearances. She recently held a news conference to bash Canova, and a free barbecue at the Old Davie Schoolhouse. So far, she has ignored Canova’s request for a debate. “She’s been dodging debates for the past three months now,” Canova told Fox News on Monday, “and she can’t say, she is too busy, I think.” Wasserman Schultz raised about $3.1 million through June while Canova raised about $2.3 million. His campaign said Monday he has now raised more than $2.5 million. Vice President Joe Biden will host a fundraiser for the congresswoman at the Cruz Building in Coconut Grove on Aug. 5, said Fort Lauderdale lawyer Mike Moskowitz. A previous Biden fundraiser had been canceled because of the Orlando shooting. There had been rumors for months long before the WikiLeaks that Wasserman Schultz would step aside as chairwoman this year before election day. Those rumors subsided somewhat after President Obama said he had her back while visiting Florida. “This might have been a possibility before, but after the leaks it baked it into cake,” said Mitch Ceasar, a Florida superdelegate who serves on the executive board of the Democratic National Committee and chaired the Broward Democrats for about 20 years. Democratic activists from Wasserman Schultz’s district passionately defended her in Philadelphia on Monday, telling every reporter who would listen that she has been a dependable workhorse. They cited her long roots working in the district, including on behalf of the gay community Activist Elaine Geller of Hollywood recalled that Wasserman Schultz helped her family sign up for Obamacare when Geller’s daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. “She’s just warm and loving,” Geller said, conceding that those personality traits might not be as obvious on the national stage. “I don’t think that maybe you can really translate that, how warm someone is.” Canova, she added, also lives in Hollywood. “I have never seen Tim. As a community activist, I’ve never met the man,” she said. “It’s one thing to stand up and give a speech. It’s another to really know the community — and he doesn’t.” ||||| HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - For the first time in more than 20 years, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., has a primary opponent who has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt. Local 10 News spoke with Tim Canova to talk about leaked emails and why he can't get Wasserman Schultz to debate him. Canova has been dragged into the national spotlight over the controversial Democratic National Committee emails that were leaked, which some argue show favoritism toward Hillary Clinton. Canova said even his name has popped up dozens of times. "She was using DNC resources to monitor what my campaign was doing (and) how it was doing," he said. Canova, who is running for public office for the first time, is talking to his attorneys because he thinks there could be federal election law violations. The law professor is the congresswoman’s first primary opponent in more than two decades. "It's a spectacle," Canova said. "It's sad that this is what's become of Wasserman Schultz's career." Canova questions her success as DNC chair and thinks her national role has affected District 23. Other than Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Canova claims Wasserman Schultz has the highest absentee rate in 2015. "She won't debate me. She won't acknowledge me. She doesn't want me to speak anywhere," he said. Local 10 News contacted Wasserman Schultz's camp to get answers on Canova's consistent attempt to set up a debate, but has yet to receive a response. "She believes in political power," Canova said. "She believes in her own career advancement, but democracy means we should have open debates." Wasserman Schultz recently told Local 10 News that Canova has done absolutely nothing for the district. In downtown Hollywood, where Canova's headquarters are located, some folks said they still support her despite what's happening in Philadelphia. "In all honesty, she was working as a Democratic chairperson and she was looking out for the best for the Democrats," Bill McGrath said. Like Sanders, Canova said his money contributions from voters have been small -- typically less than $17. So far, he has raised more than $2.5 million. Copyright 2016 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

– Debbie Wasserman Schultz may have been at the center of the Democratic Party's so-called civil war, but she now faces what the Miami Herald labels "the political battle of her lifetime." On Aug. 30, the Democratic National Committee chairwoman, who will leave her post after the party convention, will go up against a strong primary opponent in South Florida, who's benefited from her recent struggles. Tim Canova has Bernie Sanders' strong endorsement, and he's not only raised a reported $100,000 since Wasserman Schultz announced her resignation, but he's also used the Democratic National Convention to taunt her. "I have not left the district in eight months," he said Sunday. "That's not going to change between now and Aug. 30. I don't think there's going to be a great need for me to go up to Philly and chase the spotlight. We're making friends on the ground every day." The primary isn't the only hurdle Wasserman Schultz may need to clear. Canova's camp is considering filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission based on leaked emails that suggest the DNC was tracking Canova's campaign. In one email, DNC communications director Luis Miranda wrote "we need the state party to do some digging" in reference to a speech Canova was to give to Democrats in Alaska. "She was using DNC resources to monitor what my campaign was doing [and] how it was doing," Canova tells ABC 10. "It's sad that this is what's become of Wasserman Schultz's career." No polls have focused on the Miami-Dade/Broward district, but one supporter says Wasserman Schultz is "loved" there. "I don't see a world where Debbie's longtime constituents don't stand with her again." (We know how Sanders would vote.)

The Kindle Voyage, which has been my personal Kindle for the last several years, is no more, supplanted by the Kindle Oasis. May it rest in peace. So if you don’t want to spend $250 on an Oasis, and the $129 Paperwhite doesn’t check all of your boxes, you should buy a Voyage from this Woot closeout while you still can. ||||| GOP bills to further limit abortions make gains at Capitol PHOENIX – The state House on Monday approved and forwarded to the Senate two bills that would further limit abortion in Arizona. HB 2416, sponsored by Rep. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, would require doctors to perform an ultrasound at least one hour before an abortion and point out the fetus’ extremities and offer the woman an opportunity to listen to the heartbeat and take a photo home. It would also change the definition of abortion to include abortion by pill and would bar doctors from using telemedicine to administer abortion by pill remotely. HB 2384, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Glendale, would ban public funding or tax credits from being used to provide, pay for, promote, provide coverage of or provide referrals for abortions. It also would ban state universities and community colleges from using state funding or tuition money to train students to perform abortions. Both bills passed with a 40-18 vote mostly along party lines, with all Republicans and Democrats Catherine Miranda of Phoenix and Anna Tovar of Tolleson voting in support. Tovar and Miranda didn’t explain their votes. Rep. Matt Heinz, D-Tucson, a hospital doctor, spoke out against both measures, at one point even suggesting that the Legislature place an outright ban on abortion and let the courts decide rather than waste time considering abortion bills instead of the state’s suffering budget. Lesko said she introduced her bill to close a loophole that is allowing taxpayer dollars to fund abortions through the Working Poor Tax Credit despite a state ban on using public money for the procedure. That tax credit is an individual income tax credit that Arizonans can contribute to groups that provide assistance to the working poor. Democrats argued that voluntary tax donations in Arizona aren’t considered by the courts to be taxpayer money. “If organizations want to continue to qualify for donations through the Working Poor Tax Credit, then they can’t refer, promote or provide abortions,” Lesko said. “They have the choice.” Rep. Karen Fann, R-Prescott, said Arizonans “do not want the abortion industry receiving any tax benefits for their life-ending work.” Heinz said the bill would cause the University of Arizona College of Medicine to lose accreditation for its obstetrics and gynecology program because the measure would no longer allow schools to use state funding or student tuition dollars to teach abortion procedures. “Two hundred residents who are currently actively training will actually have to leave,” Heinz said. “Their training will be forfeited and it will be like the program never existed.” Lesko said she met with the bill’s stakeholders after they expressed concern and it was amended in the Health and Human Services Committee, but Heinz said he was still hearing from concerned Arizonans during the Monday afternoon meeting. Lesko said that health centers would still be able to distribute literature about all options for a pregnant woman without being considered as promoting abortion. Officials from Planned Parenthood Arizona have said that its abortion services are self-funded, so it would be family planning and other medical services for the working poor that would be affected by the donation limits rather than abortions. Democrats introduced amendments on both bills but none passed. Yee said her bill aims to protect women’s health and safety. “It’s about making sure they have the information at hand to make an informed decision,” she said, and seeing an ultrasound or hearing a heartbeat “allows them to consider the real impact of abortion.” The bill would also change the definition of abortion to include abortion by pill, placing facilities offering that option under the same accreditation requirements as facilities that perform surgical abortions, and ban the use of telemedicine to perform abortion by pill. Democrat Katie Hobbs of Phoenix said offering ultrasounds before abortions is already standard practice. “The one-hour time frame is arbitrary, not necessary and attempts to micromanage patient care,” she said. Several Democrats also opposed the bill’s provision to change the definition of abortion to include abortion by pill, saying it would restrict access for women seeking that type of procedure. Hobbs said limiting access would make Arizona “return to the days of illegal, back-alley abortions where there are no standards of care and no concern for the safety of the women obtaining these procedures.” Planned Parenthood Arizona officials have said Yee’s bill would force it to limit services in some areas and that its abortions services are self funded, so family planning and medical services are what would be affected by the limits on tax credits. Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said abortion by pill shouldn’t be regarded as an easy or safe option. “This is not like taking an aspirin; this is a potentially dangerous procedure,” he said. “The women who receive this procedure have the same rights that the women who deserve full surgical procedures should have.”

– The Arizona State Senate is considering two bills that would further limit abortions, including one that could force the University of Arizona to shut down its obstetrics and gynecology program. HB 2384 includes a ban on using state funding or tuition money for abortion training at state universities and community colleges. One Democratic state representative, who is also a hospital doctor, explained that if the University of Arizona is no longer allowed to teach abortion procedures, the OB-GYN program would lose its accreditation. “Two hundred residents who are currently actively training will actually have to leave,” he tells Cronkite News Service. “Their training will be forfeited and it will be like the program never existed.” (Jezebel explains that abortion training is required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.) The state House also approved a bill that would require doctors to perform an ultrasound before an abortion, pointing out the fetus and offering the woman a chance to listen to its heartbeat. Both bills head to the state Senate.

CLOSE Radio Shack is using Twitter to highlight its final days as a brand. Time A man walks past a RadioShack storefront in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York (Photo: Drew Angerer, Getty Images) Electronics retailer RadioShack has closed more than 1,000 stores since Memorial Day weekend and has become a virtual goner, saying it will only have 70 company-owned stores remaining by Thursday. The chain held a giant liquidation sale over the weekend "before we close the stores for good," it said in a statement. Also remaining are about 500 dealer-owned stores. Related: The meltdown of what was once one of America's best-known chains represents a strange turn of events considering it was only in March that parent General Wireless Operations filed for bankruptcy protection and proposed closing only about 200 RadioShack stores. But at the time, General Wireless left the door open to closing more — though few observers expected the numbers to top 1,000 soon. Now, the remaining company-owned stores will include only seven states, with the greatest concentration in New York, Pennsylvania and RadioShack's native Texas. In its heyday, Fort Worth-based RadioShack had 7,300 stores and could claim that it had a store within three miles of 95% of all American households. It was a regular stop for consumers for all nature of electronics — from stereos to walkie talkies. It also became a regular stop for incidental items like cables or antennae to hook up a TV set, batteries for toys or transistor radios or early laptop computers like the TRS-80. But like so many other retailers, it has become a victim of the Internet. Now, when people need electronic gear, more than ever they turn to online retailers. RadioShack began in Boston in 1921. As for the RadioShack authorized dealers, many appear similar to the company owned stores, having stocked RadioShack-branded merchandise. Others differ by carrying items that wouldn't be found in the company-owned stores. Here are the 70 company-owned stores that will be left: COLORADO COLO SPRINGS-SOUTHGATE COLORADO SPRINGS CO BOULDER-MARSHALL PLAZA, BOULDER CO AURORA-PEORIA ST AURORA CO GOLDEN-GOLDEN RD, GOLDEN CO DENVER-16TH STREET MALL, DENVER CO MARYLAND FREDERICK FSK MALL, FREDERICK MD BETHESDA-MONTGOMERY MALL, BETHESDA MD NEW JERSEY TOMS RIVER-TOMS RIVER SC, TOMS RIVER NJ W ORANGE-ESSEX GREEN, WEST ORANGE NJ KEARNY-PASSAIC AVE., KEARNY NJ MASSACHUSETTS CAMBRIDGE-MASS AVE CAMBRIDGE MA QUINCY-QUINCY AVE., QUINCY MA GLOUCESTER-CAPE ANN, GLOUCESTER MA GREAT BARRINGTON-PLAZA GRT BARRINGTON MA FALMOUTH-MAIN ST., FALMOUTH MA WILMINGTON-PLAZA WILMINGTON MA SWAMPSCOTT-MALL, SWAMPSCOTT MA NEW YORK WATERTOWN-NICHOLS, WATERTOWN NY FRANKLIN SQ-FRANKLIN AVE FRANKLIN SQUARE NY WEBSTER-PLAZA, WEBSTER NY FOREST HILLS-CONTINENTAL FOREST HILLS NY LOCKPORT-TRANSIT RD LOCKPORT NY KINGSTON-KINGSTON PLAZA KINGSTON NY NEW YORK WASH CRT, NEW YORK NY HUDSON-FAIRVIEW, HUDSON NY YONKERS-CENTRAL PARK YONKERS NY NECA-UNION RD W SENECA NY BRIDGEHAMPTON-COMMONS BRIDGEHAMPTON NY QUEENSBURY-ROUTE, QUEENSBURY NY RENSSELAER-COUNTY PLAZA, RENSSELAER NY BAY SHORE-SUNRISE HWY, BAY SHORE NY NEW YORK-23RD ST, NEW YORK NY BUFFALO-DELAWARE, BUFFALO NY NORTHPORT-FORT SALONGA, NORTHPORT NY SUNNYSIDE-QUEENS SUNNYSIDE NY CARMEL-PUTNAM, CARMEL NY SCHENECTADY-BALLTOWN RD SCHENECTADY NY BROOKLYN-MANHATTAN, BROOKLYN NY NEW PALTZ-NEW PALTZ PLZ NEW PALTZ NY PENNSYLVANIA NEW HOPE LOGAN SQ NEW HOPE PA WASHINGTON STRABANE SQ WASHINGTON PA ASTORIA-BROADWAY SC ASTORIA NY LANGHORNE-OXFORD LANGHORNE PA LATROBE-LATROBE SHOP CTR LATROBE PA DU BOIS-COMMONS DR DU BOIS PA RED LION-CAPE HORN RD, RED LION PA WEST CHESTER-PAOLI PIKE WEST CHESTER PA KING OF PRUSSIA-PLAZA KING OF PRUSSIA PA CLARKS SUMMIT-ABINGTON1 CLARKS SUMMIT PA BALA CYNWYD-E CITY AVE, BALA CYNWYD PA DOYLESTOWN-MAIN ST., DOYLESTOWN PA ELIZABETHTOWN-KMART, ELIZABETHTOWN PA ARDMORE-LANCASTER, ARDMORE PA ALLENTOWN-TILGHMAN, ALLENTOWN PA PHILA-CHESTNUT, PHILADELPHIA PA YORK-LOUCKS, YORK PA PAOLI-LANCASTER AVE, PAOLI PA TEXAS KERRVILLE-MAIN ST KERRVILLE TX WEATHERFORD-S MAIN WEATHERFORD TX PASADENA-SPENCER, PASADENA TX THE WOODLANDS-SAWDUST, THE WOODLANDS TX HOUSTON-THE PARK, HOUSTON TX NEW BRAUNFELS-S WALNUT NEW BRAUNFELS TX CONROE-TOWN CENTER N, CONROE TX KATY-MKT AT VILLAGE CTR, KATY TX SAN ANTONIO-CNTRYSD PLAZA SAN ANTONIO TX WACO-W WACO DR WACO TX MAGNOLIA-WESTWOOD VILLAGE, MAGNOLIA TX SPRING-STUEBNER SPRING TX TOMBALL-FM 2920 RD TOMBALL TX Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2rrta0c ||||| RadioShack has been in the retail business for almost 100 years. The end isn’t nearly as promising as the beginning. Over the Memorial Day weekend, RadioShack—which filed for bankruptcy twice in two years—closed over 1,000 stores, leaving just 70 corporate locations and 500 dealer stores in operation across the U.S. Throughout the weekend, the consumer electronics retailer announced a liquidation sale that played out on social media. Social media represents a new plot twist for America’s dying retailers: How do you toast a brand’s final days when the world is watching? RadioShack opted for unadulterated bleakness. The company’s social media handle on Twitter shared photos that depicted the sale of store fixtures, $25 grab bags stuffed with items pieced at $5 apiece, and deeply discounted printers. Here are some tweets that highlighted the carnage. Stop by your local #radioshack and make an offer on our retail fixtures! Talk to a store manager for pricing details https://t.co/WEnRMIYF77 pic.twitter.com/H2W5IgEznK — RadioShack (@RadioShack) May 30, 2017 Everything must go! Last minute deals on all of our supplies and equipment are available at select locations! https://t.co/WEnRMIYF77 pic.twitter.com/NQhNTuoF9y — RadioShack (@RadioShack) May 28, 2017 RadioShack, which generated nearly $6.3 billion in revenue at the company’s peak in 1996, saw sales sputter to under $3.5 billion less than two decades later as it failed to respond to the migration of consumer spending to online channels like Amazon.com (amzn). Electronics were one of the earliest consumer product categories to sell strongly online, resulting in price transparency that made it hard for physical retailers to compete. Best Buy (bby) has done a better job innovating to stay competitive, partly because it has focused on services to help it differentiate from the crowd. But RadioShack, which operated over 7,300 stores at the company’s peak, will now only have 570 stores in total after the Memorial Day weekend closures. The press release it issued ahead of the weekend was equally bleak: “We all remember coming into RadioShack whether it was for the battery-of-the-month, new walkie-talkies, or to check out the newest RC toy cars. Many of these nostalgic items will be up for auction over the next 30 days.” RadioShack isn’t the only well-known name that’s been stung by the shift in consumer spending on online rivals. Payless, Wet Seal and The Limited are among the names that have sought court protection in 2017. Hundreds of stores are shuttering this year. Not all of those retailers are employing the same social media strategy that RadioShack is using as it announced a fire sale. Take the example of apparel retailer American Apparel. Here is a recent tweet from that company. Happy Memorial Day from Downtown Los Angeles #AmericanApparel pic.twitter.com/xBexsMp7Rf — American Apparel (@americanapparel) May 29, 2017 What American Apparel doesn’t really signal in the company’s social media tweets: It closed the company’s U.S. store fleet earlier this year, as well as the company’s L.A. headquarters. Gildan Activewear (gil) paid $88 million for the brand and some manufacturing equipment, but not the physical stores. But on Twitter (twtr), American Apparel is keen to tout fashion, not store fixtures. The chain has published tweets that highlighted deep discounts—touting an 80% sale in late March and a promotion for $3 kids gear a few weeks earlier. But all the tweets were accompanied by rosy images of slender models looking stylish. Bankruptcy is a humble process for any retailer, but American Apparel proves it doesn’t always have to look as depressing as RadioShack’s demise.

– As we all headed back to work after the Memorial Day weekend, little did we know that our options for purchasing germanium diodes, walkie-talkies, and electrolytic capacitors were starting to cruelly be yanked away. RadioShack has shuttered more than 1,000 of its storefronts since the holiday weekend and says it will have only 72 company-owned locations by Thursday, though USA Today was given a list that showed just 70, mostly in New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. There will still be 500 or so dealer-owned stores that carry RadioShack-branded products. It's an anticlimactic fadeaway for a chain that used to be one of the most well-known and ubiquitous electronics retailers in the country—it once boasted more than 7,000 stores—and it was done in by online shopping, filing for bankruptcy twice within a two-year span, per USA Today. Fortune laments the online "carnage" that played out on Twitter as RadioShack offered a massive liquidation sale over the weekend, in which it opted for "unadulterated bleakness" as it tried to answer a question spurred by today's social media: "How do you toast a brand's final days when the world is watching?" Tweets included photos of empty store display equipment now up for purchase, as well as products with hugely slashed prices and "grab-bag" events. "This could be your last chance to shop at #radioshack. See if a location near you is closing forever!" read one of the store's posts. A press release offered a similarly poignant announcement: "Many … nostalgic items will be up for auction over the next 30 days." (So much for Nick Cannon helping transform the retailer into the "must visit electronics destination.")

Video (01:38) : With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss confronts President Snow in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends - including Gale, Finnick, and Peeta - Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games. Not since Slave Girl Leia converted her chains into weapons and strangled Jabba the Hutt has science fiction created a freedom-fighting heroine as striking as Katniss Everdeen. In “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2,” one character describes the popular young woman at the forefront of the citizens’ revolt as “mythic.” You said it. For four years now, Jennifer Lawrence has knocked the poignant role out of the park left, right and center. Playing the blue-collar huntress defending the population of dystopian Panem against its vicious, foppish tyrants, Lawrence plays viewers’ sympathies like a Wurlitzer pipe organ. She has led a film franchise whose casting decisions have been as impressive as its relatable themes, social commentary and ultra-realistic visual effects. Now with “Mockingjay — Part 2” we bid a regretful farewell to the series. The good news is that it closes in world-class style that most superhero movies would envy. It is a fitting finale for a series that has set a high-water mark for screen adaptations of young adult fiction. Unlike the first two films, which focused on Katniss and her friend Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) surviving the televised combat of the games, the final two follow the struggle between Panem’s corrupt leaders and their rebellious foes to gain the upper hand in media propaganda. Although the managers of the uprising want to keep her safe and ready to give the cause inspiring video publicity, Katniss joins in marathons of military warfare alongside her best friend, hunting partner and would-be lover Gale (Liam Hemsworth). Traumatized by the torture-induced brainwashing that crippled Peeta, Katniss wants nothing more than to bring her high-tech bow and arrows within striking distance of the nation’s despicable President Snow (Donald Sutherland, as before in chillingly evil form). The plot is minimalist but as the film moves forward to literal and symbolic fallen snow, the final showdown delivers a hearseload of thrills. Director Francis Lawrence creates tense, fierce excitement. In part, it comes from nerve-churning action. One extended scene puts Katniss and her commando troop in sewers overrun by flesh-eating zombies, the sort of shocking sequence that can give you a serious case of the creeps. There are even stronger jolts in a battle scene at the capitol that produces horrific civilian casualties. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) takes aim at toppling President Snow and his evil empire. But most of the thrills come from the outstanding character work as different cast members attempt to take charge of the unpredictable situation. The film unfolds in a dark side of life where absolute power corrupts absolutely, even among the leaders of a necessary uprising. It often feels designed as a horror-driven metaphor for America’s crumbing social order. Katniss rises from her shabby coal mining hometown to national stardom by climbing up the sort of televised elimination battles and beauty contests produced by Donald Trump — programs where she is sized up as just another expendable extra. The leadership ambitions of the revolution’s President Coin (quietly malevolent Julianne Moore) are just as Machiavellian as the tyrant she aims to replace. The film is not just a good, exciting, emotionally involving story, but an allegory that fits inside our present cultural bubble. In an era of terror and waterboarding, this is a science fiction film about people under siege in their own War on Terror, showing how hard they would fight to stay alive. It’s a balanced nightmare, the fantasy that keeps on giving. If the film shortchanges us, it’s in terms of the all-star cast we would like to see longer. There’s just one rapid appearance by Stanley Tucci as a cynical broadcaster, two for Jeffrey Wright as an idealistic leader of the revolution, and a small handful for the late Philip Seymour Hoffman (who died during this production) as an ingenious strategist who served both camps. Hoffman deserves but doesn’t receive a salute in the opening of the end credits, like Paul Walker had in the latest “Fast and Furious” film. But there is much to admire in this film and the entire series, reaching beyond YA blockbusters like “Divergent” and “The Maze Runner” through deep messages, important themes and the transformation of a gifted actress into a worldwide star. ||||| Another so-called YA (Young Adult) motion picture property has reached its cinematic conclusion. Billed as “the next big thing” 3 1/2 years ago with the release of the first Hunger Games movie, the series has lived up to its hype. The movie adaptation of the final book of Suzanne Collins’ best-selling trilogy, Mockingjay, has been bifurcated and, although there’s little doubt this was a financially savvy move, the creative results are dubious. Mockingjay Part 1, released a year ago, was a disjointed, incomplete affair and, although Mockingjay Part 2 is more polished, the pace is uneven and there’s a sense that the series has hung around too long. In keeping with the tone of the source material, Mockingjay Part 2 is bleak. There’s nothing wrong with this - plenty of the best sci-fi movies have been dark. The problem is that, in addition to removing the light and hope, Mockingjay has robbed the series of its uniqueness. Suddenly, it feels like every other dystopian motion picture - and there are a lot of them out there. It’s impossible to distinguish large stretches of Mockingjay Part 2, with characters running around in subterranean tunnels being chased by zombie-like creatures, from similar segments of The Maze Runner movies or the Divergent series. They all blend together and that’s not a good thing for any of them. The earlier Hunger Games movies stood apart. No longer. And Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), reduced to an automaton as a result of PTSD, has become generic. Mockingjay Part 2 unsurprisingly begins where Part 1 ended. Katniss is recovering after nearly being choked to death by her former lover, the traumatized and brain-washed Peeta (Josh Hutcherson). Distressed about what has happened to Peeta, Katniss volunteers to be part of an assault on the Capitol. Her goal is to confront and assassinate President Snow (Donald Sutherland). The President of the Resistance, Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), is in favor of using Katniss for maximum political value, even if that means turning her into a martyr. Joined by allies like Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin), and Boggs (Mahershala Ali), Katniss makes a push for the Capitol but soon learns that her primary role may be as a decoy and media star. Despite some engaging battle scenes, Mockingjay Part 2 at times becomes repetitive. The attack on the Capitol is overlong, featuring a protracted sequence in tunnels and underground corridors. All this leads to an anticlimactic ending that, although it makes a strong political point about the moral ambiguity of war, is not cinematically satisfying. The “twist” at the end is neither surprising nor unexpected. Even those who haven’t read the book will see it coming. Another disappointment is the characterization of President Snow. The sneering, Machiavellian dictator who sought Katniss’s death throughout the first three films has been reduced to a feeble shadow of his former self. In Mockingjay Part 2, he’s almost to be pitied. His schemes are ineffective and his inevitable downfall is dramatically inert. Snow, who was unquestionably a villain “we loved to hate” in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire has devolved into a pathetic bad guy - someone it’s difficult to summon much feeling about one way or the other. If one of the expected pleasures of seeing Mockingjay Part 2 was to relish Snow’s inevitable downfall, the way in which the narrative unfolds cheats viewers of that. When one considers the amount of talent packed into the cast of Mockingjay Part 2, it should come as no surprise that the acting level is high. Oscar winners and nominees abound. Jennifer Lawrence is not as compelling or charismatic as she was in the first two Hunger Games installments, but that’s a result of how the character is written - Katniss has been transformed into a shell-shocked, revenge-driven Terminator. Josh Hutcherson does his best Manchurian Candidate impression but the chemistry he shared with Lawrence is missing. The Katniss-Peeta-Gale love triangle collapses into irrelevance. Many returnees from the previous installments (like Woody Harrelson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman in his final role, Stanley Tucci, and Julianne Moore) are accorded little screen time and no opportunity for development. Director Francis Lawrence, who did a good job with the action scenes in Catching Fire (he helmed all of the Hunger Games films except the first one), is unable to replicate his success here. There are a few suspenseful sequences - a notable one involving an oil-trap and one that evidences an Aliens influence - but many of the movie’s so-called “high octane” sequences are visually impressive but emotionally shallow. Several key deaths have little or no impact. At least it can be said that Mockingjay Part 2 ends the saga. All the individual storylines are wrapped up and there’s a nice little epilogue. There’s no doubting that this movie has high aspirations - it wants to depict war not as a rah-rah, video game experience but as something violent, desperate, and destructive. But the compromises it makes to attract a wide audience neuter the message. Mockingjay Part 2 never goes “all in” and, as a result, it fails to satisfy as either a traditional sci-fi adventure blockbuster or an exploration of the dark side of war. The Hunger Games movies began with much promise but after the pinnacle of Catching Fire, it has been a slog to the finish line. We’re finally there and I feel more exhausted than fulfilled. Hunger Games, The: Mockingjay Part 2 (United States, 2015)

– Katniss navigates a booby-trapped Capitol in the hope of assassinating evil President Snow in Mockingjay Part 2, the final installment of the Hunger Games series, based on Suzanne Collins' novels. Is it a fitting farewell? Here's what critics are saying: "The film is not just a good, exciting, emotionally involving story, but an allegory that fits inside our present cultural bubble. In an era of terror and waterboarding, this is a science fiction film about people under siege in their own War on Terror," writes Colin Covert at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "The plot is minimalist but … the final showdown delivers a hearseload of thrills" so that when the credits finally roll, it's "a regretful farewell." "The focus is overwhelmingly on Katniss … and it's to Jennifer Lawrence's immense credit," writes Tom Long at the Detroit News. "She can run about in super-hero mode then suddenly drop down five notches or strip herself bare emotionally. She has been the best possible Katniss," he raves. But Lawrence isn't all there is to enjoy. The film is "explosive, mostly true to the text, complex, and chock full of action." It "should more than satisfy the franchise's many fans." Sara Stewart is on an entirely different page. "It hurts to see the Girl on Fire go out on such a lukewarm note," she writes at the New York Post. Mockingjay Part 2 "manages to give us everything we've been waiting for and still underwhelm." Stewart is particularly perturbed that the final book was split into two films, as well as a major plot point that "is downplayed here to an extent that, I felt, betrayed or at least misread Collins' story." But at least "there's still the pleasure of watching Jennifer Lawrence." "I feel more exhausted than fulfilled," writes James Berardinelli at Reel Views. Mockingjay Part 2 is "more polished" than Part 1, but "the pace is uneven and there's a sense that the series has hung around too long." It "feels like every other dystopian motion picture" and though "an anticlimactic ending … makes a strong political point about the moral ambiguity of war," it's "not cinematically satisfying." Though "all the individual story lines are wrapped up and there's a nice little epilogue."

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A Vatican magazine denounced widespread exploitation of nuns for cheap or free labor in the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, saying the male hierarchy should stop treating them like lowly servants. Pope Francis greets a group of nuns during the general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican December 20, 2017. REUTERS/Max Rossi The article in the monthly “Women, Church, World”, remarkable for an official Vatican publication, described the drudgery of nuns who do work such as cooking, cleaning and waiting on tables for cardinals, bishops and priests. The article, based on the comments of several unnamed nuns, described how some work in the residences of “men of the Church, waking at dawn to prepare breakfast and going to sleep once dinner is served, the house is in order and the laundry cleaned and ironed”. It said their remuneration was “random and often modest”. In many cases, the nuns, who take vows of poverty, receive no pay because they are members of female religious orders and are sent to the residences of male Church officials as part of their assignments. In the past, most of the nuns working as domestic help in male-run residences or institutions such as seminaries were local nationals. But in recent years, many have come from Africa, Asia and other parts of the developing world. The author of the article wrote that what most saddened one of the nuns she talked to was that “they are rarely invited to sit at the table they serve” and made to eat in the kitchen by themselves. One nun said she knew of fellow sisters who had PhDs in subjects such as theology and had been, with no explanation, ordered to do domestic work or other chores that had “no relationship to their intellectual formation”. The experiences of such nuns, the article said, could be transformed “into a richness for the whole Church, if the male hierarchy sees it as an occasion for a true reflection on power (in the Church)”. The magazine, a monthly supplement to the Vatican daily newspaper Osservatore Romano, is written by women journalists and academics. Only a handful of women hold senior positions in the Vatican hierarchy, including Barbara Jatta, who last year became the first woman to head the Vatican Museums. Several nuns have senior roles in Vatican departments that look after religious issues. Unlike his predecessors, Pope Francis lives in a Vatican guest house which is run like a hotel and takes his meals in the main dining room which is staffed by paid waiters. By contrast, the late Pope John Paul, who reigned from 1978 to 2005, had a team of five Polish nuns who ran his household in the papal apartments in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. The household of former Pope Benedict, who resigned in 2013 was looked after by about eight female members of a lay Catholic organization known as Memores Domini. The entire March edition of the magazine is dedicated to the theme of women and work. ||||| Though convents also depend on the money generated by the sisters living there, many nuns, unlike priests, are not paid, or are poorly paid, when they attend conferences or when they preach, she said. But the article, “The (Nearly) Free Work of Sisters,” noted that it was not just a question of money. A bigger problem, the article pointed out, is that many sisters say that while male vocations are valued, the work of women is not. “Behind all this is still the unfortunate idea that women are worth less than men, and above all that the priest is everything while sisters are nothing in the church,” Sister Paule said in the article. The article confirmed that while women have been clamoring to have a greater role in the decision making of the male-centric Catholic Church, the road is still steep. Still, some efforts are underway to address the problem. The annual Voices of Faith conference, which aims to showcase the “underutilized potential of women to exercise leadership at all levels of the Catholic Church” will take place on March 8. And a “Manifesto of Women for the Church,” also published in the March issue of Women Church World, calls for giving women “roles that are coherent with our competences and capacities.” The document has circulated on social media and is being shared by women who are active in church institutions and parishes throughout Italy. Pope Francis, who is said to read the magazine, has raised the matter of women’s roles in the church before, but his concerns have yet to be translated into concrete changes. ||||| Lucetta Scaraffia, editor in chief of "Donne, Chiesa, Mondo" (Women, Church, World), poses for portraits in her house in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018. The March edition of "Women, Church, World" _ the... (Associated Press) Lucetta Scaraffia, editor in chief of "Donne, Chiesa, Mondo" (Women, Church, World), poses for portraits in her house in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018. The March edition of "Women, Church, World" _ the monthly magazine of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano _ is denouncing how nuns are treated... (Associated Press) VATICAN CITY (AP) — A Vatican magazine has denounced how nuns are often treated like indentured servants by cardinals and bishops, for whom they cook and clean for next to no pay. The March edition of "Women Church World," the monthly women's magazine of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, hit newsstands Thursday. Its expose on the underpaid labor and unappreciated intellect of religious sisters confirmed that the magazine is increasingly becoming the imprint of the Catholic Church's #MeToo movement. "Some of them serve in the homes of bishops or cardinals, others work in the kitchens of church institutions or teach. Some of them, serving the men of the church, get up in the morning to make breakfast, and go to sleep after dinner is served, the house cleaned and the laundry washed and ironed," reads one of the lead articles. A nun identified only as Sister Marie describes how sisters serve clergy but "are rarely invited to sit at the tables they serve." While such servitude is common knowledge, it is remarkable that an official Vatican publication would dare put such words to paper and publicly denounce how the church systematically exploits its own nuns. But that pluck has begun to define "Women Church World," which launched six years ago as a monthly insert in L'Osservatore Romano and is now a stand-alone magazine distributed for free online and alongside the printed newspaper in Italian, Spanish, French and English. "Until now, no one has had the courage to denounce these things," the magazine's editor, Lucetta Scaraffia, told The Associated Press. "We try to give a voice to those who don't have the courage to say these words" publicly. "Inside the church, women are exploited," she said in a recent interview. While Pope Francis has told Scaraffia he appreciates and reads the magazine, it is by no means beloved within the deeply patriarchal Vatican system. Recent issues have raised eyebrows, including the March 2016 edition on "Women who preach," which appeared to advocate allowing lay women to deliver homilies at Mass. One of the authors had to publish a subsequent clarification saying he didn't mean to suggest a change to existing doctrine or practice. Other recent issues have explored the symbolic power of women's bodies and "rape as torture." Scaraffia, a Catholic feminist and professor of history at Rome's La Sapienza university, sees the magazine as a necessary tool to push the envelope on issues that matter to half the members of the Catholic Church. The fact that a women's supplement to L'Osservatore Romano is even necessary is indicative of what she's up against. L'Osservatore is the official newspaper of the Vatican, publishing official papal decrees and speeches and maintaining an editorial line that reflects the priorities of the Holy See. The March issue of its women's magazine is dedicated to "Women and Work," and explores many issues that are in some ways correlated to the #MeToo movement, including the gender pay gap, the lack of women in leadership positions, and the "Ni Una Menos" movement to combat feminicide and violence against women, often by spurned lovers. During his recent trip to Peru, Francis denounced feminicide and gender-based crimes that have turned his home continent, Latin America, into the most violent place on Earth for women. He also has frequently called for dignified work — and dignified pay — for all. And in a recent prologue to a book on women's issues, Francis acknowledged that he was concerned that in many cases, women's work in the church "sometimes is more servitude than true service." The March edition of "Women Church World" drives that home, with a lead article "The (nearly) free work of sisters," by French journalist Marie-Lucile Kubacki, the Rome correspondent for the La Vie magazine of the Le Monde group. Kubacki noted that sisters often work for prelates or church institutions without contracts. When one falls sick, she is simply sent back to her congregation which sends another in her place. Other sisters, meanwhile, show remarkable intellectual gifts and earn advanced degrees, but aren't allowed to put them to use because the collective nature of religious communities often discourages personal advancement, another nun, Sister Paule, told the magazine. "Behind all this is the unfortunate idea that women are worth less than men, and above all that priests are everything in the church while sisters are nothing," Sister Paul said. Sister Marie noted that many nuns from Africa, Asia or Latin America who come to study in Rome hail from poor families, whose extended care is often paid for by their congregations. As a result, they feel they can't complain about their work conditions, she said. "This all creates in them a strong interior rebellion," Sister Marie reported. "These sisters feel indebted, tied down, and so they keep quiet." Scaraffia said she wanted to give these sisters a voice, even though she counts herself among the church's exploited. Neither Scaraffia nor the eight-member editorial staff of Women Church World is paid. The magazine, funded by a grant from the Italian postal service Poste Italiane, pays contributors for their articles, but it is published each month thanks to the free labor of its editorial staff.

– In a move that both the AP and Reuters call "remarkable," an official Vatican magazine run by women is directly criticizing the Catholic Church for its treatment of nuns in its March issue. "Until now, no one has had the courage to denounce these things," says Lucetta Scaraffia, editor of Women's Church World. "We try to give a voice to those who don't have the courage to say these words publicly." In an article written by French journalist Marie-Lucile Kubacki called "The (Nearly) Free Work of Sisters," nuns going by pseudonyms say their lives of service more often resemble indentured servitude, the New York Times reports. They describe days of cooking and cleaning—waking before, and going to bed after, the cardinals, bishops, and priests they serve—for pay that is "random and often modest," when they're paid at all. The nuns say that beyond the money, the problem is their work isn't valued. One nun says they "are seen as volunteers to have available at one's calling," and that leads to abuse. Another says they cook for and wait on the clergy but "are rarely invited to sit at the tables they serve," and that's what hurts her the most. One nun talks about sisters with PhDs in theology and other subjects who are nonetheless assigned to domestic work. One sister says the problem is that the church still operates on the idea "that the priest is everything while sisters are nothing." The AP states that Women's Church World "is increasingly becoming the imprint of the Catholic Church's #MeToo movement." The March issue, centered on "Women and Work," also looks at the gender pay gap, lack of women in leadership roles, and more.

The college that Jane Sanders once ran, Burlington College, is closing on May 27. | Getty Education Real estate deal brokered by Bernie Sanders' wife sinks Vermont college Sen. Bernie Sanders’ wife made a big-ticket purchase during her tenure as head of a small, private college in Vermont — and, in the end, the institution got burned. Burlington College, which Jane Sanders ran from 2004 to 2011, will close its doors on May 27 due to financial and accrediting problems, it was announced Monday. The college has about 70 students. Story Continued Below Jane Sanders’ tenure as president of the tiny school in Burlington, Vt., saw it make a bold real estate purchase to replace its cramped quarters: Sanders spearheaded a deal to buy 33 acres along Lake Champlain, in hopes that the scenic property would help the college attract new students and donors. To pay for the prime lakefront land, the college used $10 million in bonds and loans, according to reports by the Burlington Free Press. But the large expenditure didn’t pan out, Sanders resigned the following year, and her successors could not save the college from financial ruin. When asked at a press conference Monday afternoon whether the land deal was a mistake, college President Carol Moore said: “We can’t Monday-morning quarterback.” Neither Sanders nor the college has said why she left, but she reportedly got a $200,000 severance package. And last year, the college sold most of the lakefront property in a desperate bid to stave off its mounting money woes. It kept 6 acres and the main building where classes are held. The college’s board of trustees voted Friday to close after it was notified that a $1 million line of credit would not be renewed, Moore said. College officials had succeeded in lowering debt on the campus property from more than $11 million to slightly greater than $2.2 million, but the additional line of credit was essential to continue operating said Coralee Holm, the college’s dean of operations and advancement. “We have explored multiple, multiple options — just about anything we could think of,” Moore said. “This is a great loss to the higher ed community, so we did explore many other options. But in the final analysis, none of them came through.” Burlington College, which was established in 1972 and prided itself on creating progressive programs that emphasized individual learning, had accrediting problems to go along with its financial woes, with the latter influencing the former to a significant degree. The college was put on probation two years ago by its accreditor, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. And Burlington College board Chairman Yves Bradley recently said the accreditor notified trustees that it was going to revoke the school’s accreditation in January, according to a report . The college was also on the Education Department’s list of colleges that are subject to extra scrutiny — known as “heightened cash monitoring” — as recently as March 1, for issues relating to “financial responsibility." Bernie Sanders has campaigned heavily on college campuses in his quest for the Democratic nomination for president, and he's been fueled by his ability to gain the support of young voters. The independent from the Green Mountain State has pushed a sweeping proposal that would reshape higher education by making tuition at public colleges and universities free and lowering rates for new and existing student loans. The Sanders campaign did not respond to a call from POLITICO seeking comment. Michael Stratford contributed to this report. ||||| Burlington College, a tiny Vermont liberal arts school once led by Jane Sanders, the wife of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, said it is shutting down because of financial problems associated with a property acquisition she oversaw. In a formal statement announcing its closure, the school cited the “crushing weight” of debt it took on in a 2010 purchase of more than 30 acres from the local Catholic archdiocese. Mrs. Sanders was the college’s president at the time of the $10 million deal. ...

– Monday was a very sad day for Burlington College in Vermont: The tiny liberal arts institution announced that it's closing this month under the "crushing weight of debt" of a land deal from Jane Sanders' time in charge, reports the Burlington Free Press. Bernie Sanders' wife, who ran the private college from 2004 to 2011, tried to boost enrollment in 2010 by buying 32 acres of land along Lake Champlain for a new campus. The land, including a 77,000-square-foot main building, was being sold by a Roman Catholic diocese that needed cash after being sued by abuse victims. But the college, which has around 70 students, was unable to attract enough new students to justify the $10 million purchase and ended up in deep financial trouble even after selling all but 8 acres of the land, Politico reports. "I believe the vision was enrollment would grow, which it did, but not at the level that would have allowed us to manage the financial debt we had incurred," Dean of Operations Coralee Holm told reporters on Monday. "So here we are." Neither Holm nor college President Carol Moore criticized Sanders, who reportedly received a $200,000 severance package, for her role in the college's financial problems. The Wall Street Journal notes that Burlington College, like many small colleges, had serious financial woes long before Sanders took charge. "I thought it was going to happen for some time," says the school's former chair of the film and media department. "It's a very, very, very small college without an endowment."

However, our review of the government’s claims about the role that NSA “bulk” surveillance of phone and email communications records has had in keeping the United States safe from terrorism shows that these claims are overblown and even misleading. An in-depth analysis of 225 individuals recruited by al-Qaeda or a like-minded group or inspired by al-Qaeda’s ideology, and charged in the United States with an act of terrorism since 9/11, demonstrates that traditional investigative methods, such as the use of informants, tips from local communities, and targeted intelligence operations, provided the initial impetus for investigations in the majority of cases, while the contribution of NSA’s bulk surveillance programs to these cases was minimal. Indeed, the controversial bulk collection of American telephone metadata, which includes the telephone numbers that originate and receive calls, as well as the time and date of those calls but not their content, under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act, appears to have played an identifiable role in initiating, at most, 1.8 percent of these cases. NSA programs involving the surveillance of non-U.S. persons outside of the United States under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act played a role in 4.4 percent of the terrorism cases we examined, and NSA surveillance under an unidentified authority played a role in 1.3 percent of the cases we examined. Regular FISA warrants not issued in connection with Section 215 or Section 702, which are the traditional means for investigating foreign persons, were used in at least 48 (21 percent) of the cases we looked at, although it’s unclear whether these warrants played an initiating role or were used at a later point in the investigation. (Click on the link to go to a database of all 225 individuals, complete with additional details about them and the government’s investigations of these cases: http://natsec.newamerica.net/nsa/analysis ). Surveillance of American phone metadata has had no discernible impact on preventing acts of terrorism and only the most marginal of impacts on preventing terrorist-related activity, such as fundraising for a terrorist group. Furthermore, our examination of the role of the database of U.S. citizens’ telephone metadata in the single plot the government uses to justify the importance of the program – that of Basaaly Moalin, a San Diego cabdriver who in 2007 and 2008 provided $8,500 to al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia – calls into question the necessity of the Section 215 bulk collection program. According to the government, the database of American phone metadata allows intelligence authorities to quickly circumvent the traditional burden of proof associated with criminal warrants, thus allowing them to “connect the dots” faster and prevent future 9/11-scale attacks. Yet in the Moalin case, after using the NSA’s phone database to link a number in Somalia to Moalin, the FBI waited two months to begin an investigation and wiretap his phone. Although it’s unclear why there was a delay between the NSA tip and the FBI wiretapping, court documents show there was a two-month period in which the FBI was not monitoring Moalin’s calls, despite official statements that the bureau had Moalin’s phone number and had identified him. , This undercuts the government’s theory that the database of Americans’ telephone metadata is necessary to expedite the investigative process, since it clearly didn’t expedite the process in the single case the government uses to extol its virtues. Additionally, a careful review of three of the key terrorism cases the government has cited to defend NSA bulk surveillance programs reveals that government officials have exaggerated the role of the NSA in the cases against David Coleman Headley and Najibullah Zazi, and the significance of the threat posed by a notional plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange. In 28 percent of the cases we reviewed, court records and public reporting do not identify which specific methods initiated the investigation. These cases, involving 62 individuals, may have been initiated by an undercover informant, an undercover officer, a family member tip, other traditional law enforcement methods, CIA- or FBI-generated intelligence, NSA surveillance of some kind, or any number of other methods. In 23 of these 62 cases (37 percent), an informant was used. However, we were unable to determine whether the informant initiated the investigation or was used after the investigation was initiated as a result of the use of some other investigative means. Some of these cases may also be too recent to have developed a public record large enough to identify which investigative tools were used. We have also identified three additional plots that the government has not publicly claimed as NSA successes, but in which court records and public reporting suggest the NSA had a role. However, it is not clear whether any of those three cases involved bulk surveillance programs. to read the full report. Finally, the overall problem for U.S. counterterrorism officials is not that they need vaster amounts of information from the bulk surveillance programs, but that they don’t sufficiently understand or widely share the information they already possess that was derived from conventional law enforcement and intelligence techniques. This was true for two of the 9/11 hijackers who were known to be in the United States before the attacks on New York and Washington, as well as with the case of Chicago resident David Coleman Headley, who helped plan the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and it is the unfortunate pattern we have also seen in several other significant terrorism cases. Click here to read the full report. On June 5, 2013, the Guardian broke the first story in what would become a flood of revelations regarding the extent and nature of the NSA’s surveillance programs. Facing an uproar over the threat such programs posed to privacy, the Obama administration scrambled to defend them as legal and essential to U.S. national security and counterterrorism. Two weeks after the first leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden were published, President Obama defended the NSA surveillance programs during a visit to Berlin, saying: “We know of at least 50 threats that have been averted because of this information not just in the United States, but, in some cases, threats here in Germany. So lives have been saved.” Gen. Keith Alexander, the director of the NSA, testified before Congress that: “the information gathered from these programs provided the U.S. government with critical leads to help prevent over 50 potential terrorist events in more than 20 countries around the world.” Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said on the House floor in July that “54 times [the NSA programs] stopped and thwarted terrorist attacks both here and in Europe – saving real lives.” ||||| A in-depth analysis of 227 individuals recruited by al Qaida or like-minded groups, and charged in the U.S. with an act of terrorism since 9/11, shows the contribution of NSA's bulk surveillance programs to these cases was minimal, and that traditional investigative methods were more helpful. Click here to read our full report, "Do NSA's Bulk Surveillance Programs Stop Terrorists?" You may also click on the selected NSA-related plots below or browse all terror plots detailed on the site. ||||| President Barack Obama on Friday will try to put the ongoing surveillance controversy behind him, laying out reforms to U.S. intelligence-gathering activities aimed at reassuring Americans that his administration will right the balance between civil liberties and national security. But Obama’s powers have significant limits. Text Size - + reset Obama defends NSA call-tracking database Many of the key reforms he’s expected to endorse — including changes to the National Security Agency’s practice of gathering information on telephone calls made to, from or within the U.S. — will require congressional action. Like the public — and seemingly the president himself — lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are divided on what needs fixing and how to do it. “If he punts the ball 16 blocks, all hell’s liable to break loose on the Hill,” said former NSA Director Michael Hayden. “There will be people who will be voting against it because Obama’s reform plan doesn’t go far enough and people voting against it because it doesn’t defend us enough and other people voting against it because it outsources espionage.” It’s another challenge for a White House eager to clear the decks for issues that aides want to highlight in Obama’s State of the Union address later this month, such as income inequality and immigration. (Also on POLITICO: Iran nuclear clock to start Jan. 20) The snooping saga has been a loser for Obama in nearly every respect. Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who leaked a trove of top-secret documents detailing the surveillance, is still camping out in Russia. The activities angered the international community. And disclosures that widespread and intrusive surveillance continued into Obama’s presidency undercut his reputation as a reformer who would end over-the-top anti-terrorism practices and civil liberties violations many liberals — including Obama and Vice President Joe Biden — denounced under President George W. Bush. As commander in chief, Obama could abandon certain surveillance practices altogether. For instance, he could simply shut down the so-called 215 program to collect telephone data in the U.S. so it can be used to trace potential contacts of terrorism suspects. But the president has said he’s considering replacing that program with a private-sector-based arrangement that provides the government with similar information on a case-by-case basis. That would require Congress to step in, officials said. There’s “going to probably have to be some statutory — and very likely some court — involvement in order to set up the legal framework to achieve that,” outgoing NSA Deputy Director Chris Inglis told NPR News last week. “But that’s not abandoning the program. That’s implementing it a different way.” (Also on POLITICO: Egypt's not listening to Hagel) Obama does have unilateral authority to impose dramatic reforms overseas, since surveillance of foreigners abroad is essentially unconstrained by U.S. law. And the White House has signaled that much of Friday’s address will be aimed at the international audience. Obama has personally fielded the complaints of foreign leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was livid over reports that the NSA had effectively tapped her personal mobile phone. Administration officials say Obama is likely to embrace many of the recommendations put forward last month by an outside panel he set up to dig into the issue: the President’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies. The committee urged ending the NSA’s program that has collected information on billions, perhaps even trillions, of U.S. telephone calls. A federal judge ruled last month that the metadata program — aimed at running down leads about potential terrorist plots — was most likely unconstitutional, but other judges have concluded that the effort is lawful. The panel urged that much of the same data be stored at the phone companies and available to the government on a case-by-case basis with individual court warrants, something likely to require Congress to impose new requirements on the firms. The review group also recommended assigning a public advocate to the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, so judges could hear from an attorney advocating for privacy rights and other constitutional protections for Americans whose data is swept up in surveillance programs. And the panel urged changing the way judges on the court are appointed, so the chief justice no longer has the sole power to make such picks. Those changes, too, would need legislation. (PHOTOS: 15 great quotes on NSA spying) All five review group members are set to publicly promote their plans at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday. “There are a few big things you really need Congress to do. If you want to change the appointment mechanism for the [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court] or do any kind of structural reform of the FISC, you need it. If you want to continue the metadata program in some form, but reform it in any way, you need an act of Congress,” said Ben Wittes of the Brookings Institution. Some technical aspects of the call-tracking program could be achieved through updating mundane regulations the Federal Communications Commission imposes on telephone companies’ retention of billing records. But Obama lacks the power to simply order that body to make such changes. The review group’s report hinted at a more cooperative solution, suggesting “it would be in the interests of the [telecom] providers and the government to agree on a voluntary system” to replace the current bulk collection of phone data by the NSA. However, those companies and technology firms are now extremely skittish about appearing in any way to be collaborating with the government on programs at least some Americans and many foreigners regard as a huge violation of privacy. Another challenge for Obama will be explaining how such a private-sector-based system would work and why he thinks it’s feasible. Experts who’ve consulted with the NSA on the subject believe it could take one to two years to set up the interconnections that would allow queries of call data held by various companies to ping pong back and forth in a rapid way. As a result, many analysts expect Obama to announce plans to move toward keeping the data in the private sector but to be vague about the mechanics — just as the review group was. “On 215, he can adopt a direction he wants to go and then it will take time to say how,” former Justice Department attorney Carrie Cordero said. “It would be reasonable for him to hold off on providing details on precisely how the changes will be implemented.” ||||| An analysis of 225 terrorism cases inside the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has concluded that the bulk collection of phone records by the National Security Agency “has had no discernible impact on preventing acts of terrorism.” In the majority of cases, traditional law enforcement and investigative methods provided the tip or evidence to initiate the case, according to the study by the New America Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit group. The study, to be released Monday, corroborates the findings of a White House-appointed review group, which said last month that the NSA counterterrorism program “was not essential to preventing attacks” and that much of the evidence it did turn up “could readily have been obtained in a timely manner using conventional [court] orders.” Under the program, the NSA amasses the metadata — records of phone numbers dialed and call lengths and times — of virtually every American. Analysts may search the data only with reasonable suspicion that a number is linked to a terrorist group. The content of calls is not collected. The new study comes as President Obama is deliberating over the future of the NSA’s bulk collection program. Since it was disclosed in June, the program has prompted intense debate over its legality, utility and privacy impact. Senior administration officials have defended the program as one tool that complements others in building a more complete picture of a terrorist plot or network. And they say it has been valuable in knocking down rumors of a plot and in determining that potential threats against the United States are nonexistent. Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. calls that the “peace of mind” metric. In an opinion piece published after the release of the review group’s report, Michael Morell, a former acting CIA director and a member of the panel, said the program “needs to be successful only once to be invaluable.” The researchers at the New America Foundation found that the program provided evidence to initiate only one case, involving a San Diego cabdriver, Basaaly ­Moalin, who was convicted of sending money to a terrorist group in Somalia. Three co-conspirators were also convicted. The cases involved no threat of attack against the United States. “The overall problem for U.S. counterterrorism officials is not that they need vaster amounts of information from the bulk surveillance programs, but that they don’t sufficiently understand or widely share the information they already possess that was derived from conventional law enforcement and intelligence techniques,” said the report, whose principal author is Peter Bergen, director of the foundation’s National Security Program and an expert on terrorism. In at least 48 instances, traditional surveillance warrants obtained from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court were used to obtain evidence through intercepts of phone calls and e-mails, said the researchers, whose results are in an online database. More than half of the cases were initiated as a result of traditional investigative tools. The most common was a community or family tip to the authorities. Other methods included the use of informants, a suspicious-activity report filed by a business or community member to the FBI, or information turned up in investigations of non-terrorism cases. But Richard Clarke, a member of the White House review panel and a former White House counterterrorism adviser, said he thinks the NSA can use traditional methods — such as obtaining a court order — to obtain data as part of counterterrorism investigations. “Although we might be safer if the government had ready access to a massive storehouse of information about every detail of our lives, the impact of such a program on the quality of life and on individual freedom would simply be too great,” the group’s report said. Said Clarke: “Even if NSA had solved every one of the [terrorist] cases based on” the phone collection, “we would still have proposed the changes.” Supporters of the NSA program said it’s important for the agency to maintain the database of phone records so that analysts can query it quickly. One phone company executive concurred that the private sector can’t “mine” records the same way as the NSA because their databases aren’t as comprehensive. “So if they call us at 3 o’clock in the morning and said, ‘We got a big issue and we need something in an hour,’ we couldn’t do that,” said the executive, who was not authorized to speak on the record and spoke on the condition of anonymity. “But if they say, ‘Give it to us in the next two weeks,’ yes, we could probably do that.” According to the New America Foundation, after the NSA shared Moalin’s number with the FBI, the bureau waited two months to begin an investigation and wiretap his phone.

– The NSA's controversial trove of phone metadata "has had no discernible impact on preventing acts of terrorism," a new analysis of 225 terrorism cases from the nonprofit New America Foundation has concluded. Most of the cases it looked at were cracked using old-fashioned investigative tools, like tip-offs from family or community members, or the use of informants, the Washington Post reports. Bulk surveillance had "only the most marginal of impacts," helping to initiate at most 1.8% of cases. The government argues that the NSA database allows it to respond rapidly. But in the main case it cites to defend the program—in which a man was convicted of sending money to Somali terrorists—the FBI waited two months to act on the NSA's tip. The report largely backs up President Obama's advisory panel. Obama will announce proposed reforms for the program Friday. But while he could stop the program on his own, he's expected to instead suggest a public-private hybrid program to replace it—which will require always elusive Congressional approval, Politico reports.

Photo The Republican debate stage will be noticeably smaller when the candidates gather in Charleston, S.C., on Thursday night for their first debate of the year. On Monday, Fox Business Network, the host of the debate, announced on “Lou Dobbs Tonight” the qualifiers for the main stage, and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and Carly Fiorina — who have both been slipping in recent polls — did not make the cut. The candidate lineup for the 9p ET @FoxBusiness #GOPDebate on Thursday, January 14th: pic.twitter.com/mKHykPBzdm — Fox News (@FoxNews) January 12, 2016 To qualify for the prime-time debate based on the network’s criteria, the candidates had to either have placed in the top six in national polls, based on an average of the five most recent national polls recognized by Fox News, or have placed within the top five based on the average of the five most recent state polls in Iowa or New Hampshire. Fox Business Network said that it used 17 polls to determine its final lineup. Being left off the main stage is a huge blow for Mr. Paul’s campaign. Once seen as the rising star in the Republican Party, Mr. Paul has struggled in the polls as his noninterventionist stance on foreign policy became a liability after the terrorist attacks in Paris in November. He has also seen his status as an outsider and anti-establishment candidate overtaken by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Donald J. Trump. Minutes before the announcement, Mr. Paul said in an interview with CNN that after being told he would not make the main debate, he informed the network that he would not participate in the undercard debate, reiterating a promise he had made last month. “I’ll be taking my campaign directly to New Hampshire and Iowa,” the senator told CNN. “I’m not going to be in South Carolina.” Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum were also left out of the prime time debate and were invited to the “under card” forum. Mrs. Fiorina saw her campaign surge in the polls after her strong performance in the first undercard debate, which was followed by another well-received performance in the second prime-time debate. But she struggled to translate her success in the debates into better polling numbers. ||||| "We will not participate in anything that's not first-tier," Rand Paul said, indicating that he will not participate in the undercard debate. | AP Photo Paul out of main debate, won’t join undercard Fiorina is also bumped off the main stage; Kasich remains. Rand Paul and Carly Fiorina have been booted to the undercard in Thursday night’s Republican primary debate as the number of main-stage candidates was cut to seven by stricter polling criteria. Paul, who is struggling to gain traction in the presidential race, immediately cried foul, and vowed to not participate in the event. Story Continued Below Fox Business Network, which will televise the sixth GOP presidential debate this week, announced the debate fields on Monday evening, after weeks of speculation that Paul would for the first time not make the cut for the primetime event. The seven candidates who will appear on the main stage in North Charleston, S.C., are Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, and John Kasich. Kasich qualified as a result of his strength in New Hampshire. Paul and Fiorina are set to join Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum in the undercard — if Paul decides to participate. The Kentucky senator told CNN Monday evening, just before the official announcement, that Fox Business had made "a mistake," and he wouldn't attend. "We will not participate in anything that's not first-tier," Paul said. His campaign confirmed to POLITICO that he will sit out Thursday's debate. His campaign elaborated in a statement that multiple polls showed him well within the network's criteria for qualifying, and contended that the margins of error in polls make them a poor tool for determining who makes the main stage. "To exclude candidates on faulty analysis is to disenfranchise the voter," the statement said. "Creating 'tiers' based on electoral results of real votes might make sense but creating 'tiers' on bad science is irresponsible." Regardless of whether he takes part in the undercard debate, the downgrade could be a crippling blow for Paul — who has insisted that he would remain in the race through the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses, even though he also faces a reelection campaign this year for his Senate seat. In an interview with POLITICO last week, Paul called for organizers to abolish the earlier undercard debate. "I’m not sure what the purpose is anymore, if there ever was one," Paul said. The Paul camp has fought hard to keep its candidate on the main stage, where he has appeared for the prior five debates. Earlier Monday, the campaign released a memo stating that “multiple national polls” have the Kentucky senator “in 5th or 6th place” — even though he’s in seventh place in the average nationally and in both early states. “By any reasonable criteria Senator Paul has a top-tier campaign and has qualified for the stage,” the memo said. But it was clear that Paul didn’t meet the criteria Fox Business had outlined prior to Monday’s qualification deadline. The network said it would average the five most recent polls nationally, and in both Iowa and New Hampshire. The top six candidates nationally would qualify – and if any other candidate appeared in the top five in either early state, they would be added. Paul was in seventh place nationally and in both early states, according to POLITICO’s calculations. Fox Business outlined specifically which polls were used in a subsequent statement to reporters, saying the outlet used "the most recent national and state polls from non-partisan, nationally-recognized organizations using standard methodological techniques." It’s the second time Paul has flirted with being demoted to the undercard. Paul was shoe-horned into the last debate by CNN, which tweaked its criteria “in the spirit of being as inclusive as possible” to include Paul on the main stage, even though his poll numbers didn’t meet the network’s criteria. And for the second debate back in September, CNN added criteria to benefit Fiorina after it became clear that Fiorina’s surge in the polls after her performance in the first undercard debate wouldn’t be sufficient to land her on the main stage for the second gathering. That was because CNN’s averages included a large number of polls conducted prior to the first debate. Fiorina had not been as vocal as Paul, however, about her own predicted downgrade for the upcoming debate. When Paul was on the verge of getting bumped down from the main stage last month, he said that he would make some kind of "announcement" if he was relegated to the lower debate. Paul aides, however, stressed that that did not mean he was dropping out. Still, Paul's repeated teetering on the edge of qualifying for the main stage is in stark contrast with the position from which he began the campaign, featured on the cover of Time magazine with the tagline "The Most Interesting Man In Politics." The actual campaign season has been harsher to Paul’s campaign, which has suffered from lackluster fundraising and equally disappointing polling. Paul raised just $2.5 million in the most recently reported quarter – a big drop from the $7 million he pulled in during the previous quarter. His libertarian message, already failing to strike a chord with voters, became sharply out of synch with the GOP primary electorate after the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif. Paul has maintained that most polls don't sufficiently show his campaign's momentum and shouldn’t be used to determine who gets into the debates. "I think if you have a national campaign, you've raised a significant amount of money, you're on the ballot, you've employed staff and you're actively campaigning, you've got to be in the debate,” Paul said last week.

– Fox Business Network says it analyzed no fewer than 17 polls before delivering some bad news to Carly Fiorina and Rand Paul: The candidates have been relegated to the undercard for Thursday night's GOP debate. To make the cut, candidates had to place either in the top six in national polls or in the top five in Iowa and New Hampshire, reports the New York Times. The main debate will feature Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump, with Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum taking part in the earlier debate at what has become known as the "kids' table." The demotion is a massive blow to both candidates, and Paul—who made the cut for the previous five GOP debates—is refusing to take part in the undercard debate, Politico reports. In a statement, his campaign said the polls were both wrong and flawed. "To exclude candidates on faulty analysis is to disenfranchise the voter," the statement said. "Creating 'tiers' based on electoral results of real votes might make sense but creating 'tiers' on bad science is irresponsible." There has been no comment yet from Fiorina, who was promoted to the main stage in September after a strong performance in the first undercard debate, Politico notes. (During the last undercard debate, Lindsey Graham and George Pataki had a lot to say about Donald Trump.)

Summary Large old trees are among the biggest organisms on Earth. They are keystone structures in forests, woodlands, savannas, agricultural landscapes, and urban areas, playing unique ecological roles not provided by younger, smaller trees. However, populations of large old trees are rapidly declining in many parts of the world, with serious implications for ecosystem integrity and biodiversity. ||||| World's biggest, oldest trees are dying: research (AFP) – Dec 7, 2012 SYDNEY — Scientists Friday warned of an alarming increase in the death rates of the largest living organisms on the planet, the giant, old trees that harbour and sustain countless birds and wildlife. Research by universities in Australia and the United States, published in Science, said ecosystems worldwide were in danger of losing forever their largest and oldest trees unless there were policy changes to better protect them. "It's a worldwide problem and appears to be happening in most types of forest," said David Lindenmayer from the Australian National University, the lead author of a study into the problem. "Just as large-bodied animals such as elephants, tigers, and cetaceans have declined drastically in many parts of the world, a growing body of evidence suggests that large old trees could be equally imperilled." Lindenmayer, along with colleagues from the James Cook University in Australia and Washington University in America, undertook their study after examining Swedish forestry records going back to the 1860s. They found alarming losses of big trees, ranging from 100 to 300 years old, at all latitudes in Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, South America, Latin America and Australia. The trees at risk included mountain ash in Australia, pine trees in America, California redwoods, and baobabs in Tanzania. The study showed that trees were not only dying en masse in forest fires, but were also perishing at 10 times the normal rate in non-fire years. The study said it appeared to be down to a combination of rapid climate change causing drought and high temperatures, as well as rampant logging and agricultural land clearing. "It is a very, very disturbing trend," said Bill Laurance of James Cook University. "We are talking about the loss of the biggest living organisms on the planet, of the largest flowering plants on the planet, of organisms that play a key role in regulating and enriching our world." Large old trees play critical ecological roles, providing nesting or sheltering cavities for up to 30 percent of all birds and animals in some ecosystems. They also store huge amounts of carbon, recycle soil nutrients, create rich patches for other life to thrive in, and influence the flow of water within landscapes. "Big trees supply abundant food for numerous animals in the form of fruits, flowers, foliage and nectar," said Laurance. "Their hollows offer nests and shelter for birds and animals... and their loss could mean extinction for such creatures." The scientists said policies and management practices must be put in place that intentionally grow such trees and reduce their mortality rates. "Targeted research is urgently needed to better understand the key threats to their existence and to devise strategies to counter them," they added. "Without such initiatives, these iconic organisms and the many species dependent on them could be greatly diminished or lost altogether." Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

– In what one researcher calls a "very, very disturbing trend," new research finds that the planet's oldest trees have started dying at 10 times the normal rate, a change that could greatly damage the planet's ecosystems and biodiversity. Researchers blame logging, development, drought, and climate change for the decline of 100- to 300-year-old trees, reports AFP, a new reality found at all latitudes on every continent that is home to them. "Just as large-bodied animals such as elephants, tigers, and cetaceans have declined drastically in many parts of the world, a growing body of evidence suggests that large old trees could be equally imperiled," said the study's lead author. Among the trees at risk: mountain ash in Australia, pine trees in America, California redwoods, and baobabs in Tanzania. And the decline endangers more than just the woods, as up to 30% of birds and animals in some areas find shelter in those large trees. "Their loss could mean extinction for such creatures," says the researcher.

A woman on the FBI's Top 10 Fugitives list, wanted for allegedly shooting and killing a 9-month-pregnant woman, was captured early this morning at a motel in Fayetteville, North Carolina, according to the FBI in Milwaukee. Shanika Minor was wanted for allegedly shooting and killing a pregnant woman after a confrontation on March 6, the FBI said. The victim was a neighbor of Minor's mother. The woman was due to give birth within the week, the FBI said, noting that the woman and her unborn child both died before emergency medical personnel arrived. After the shooting, Minor fled the scene and had not been seen since, the FBI said. Minor was apprehended early this morning at a motel near the airport in Fayetteville after someone called the FBI Public Access Line giving her possible location, the FBI said. She was taken into custody without incident and is being held the Cumberland County Detention Center, the FBI said. A reward of up to $100,000 was offered for any information leading directly to her arrest. An arrest warrant was first issued for Minor on March 9 charging her with first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree intentional homicide of an unborn child. A federal arrest warrant was issued on April 27 charging Minor with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. ||||| Shanika S. Minor, who was on the FBI’s “most wanted” fugitives list after being accused of killing a nine-months-pregnant Milwaukee woman and then fleeing, has been captured in North Carolina, authorities said Friday. The FBI placed the 24-year-old on its most wanted list earlier this week. She had been missing since the March 6 death of Tamecca Perry and her unborn child, authorities said. Minor was captured at a motel near the airport in Fayetteville, N.C., early Friday morning, the FBI office in Milwaukee announced. Shanika S. Minor is seen in an undated picture from the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List. (FBI handout via Reuters) Perry’s unborn child was due within the week of the shooting. The FBI said the incident began as an argument over loud music and perceived disrespect between two former high school classmates, then escalated into violence. According to the FBI, Minor is only the 10th woman to be on its top 10 fugitives list. The agency considered Minor “armed and extremely dangerous” and said that she may have had contact with people in Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, Ohio and Georgia. [FBI hunting for woman charged with killing an expectant mother and her unborn child] Someone had placed a call reporting the whereabouts of the fugitive, according to the FBI. “The caller said Minor was staying at a motel near the airport in Fayetteville, North Carolina.” That information was received at 1:28 a.m. on Friday by the Cumberland County Emergency Communications Center. “The caller was able to give a description of Minor to aid in identifying her” and said she was staying in room 122 of the Airport Inn, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said in a release. Deputies went to the room and “confronted” the woman inside, the office said. By 2:08 a.m., they determined the woman was, in fact, Minor. She was taken into custody without incident and is is currently being held at the Cumberland County Detention center, according to the FBI. “Milwaukee FBI [Special Agent in Charge] Robert Shields and Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn would like to thank the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office for their quick response and arrest of Shanika S. Minor and the public for their assistance in this investigation,” the FBI said in a release. The incident began on March 5, when Minor confronted Perry. Minor’s mother lived in the same duplex as Perry and had told Minor about the neighbor playing loud music at unreasonable hours, according to the FBI. Minor approached Perry on the sidewalk, brandishing a gun and challenging the woman to a fight, the FBI said. Minor’s mother ran to the scene and begged her daughter not to hurt the pregnant woman, the FBI said, but Minor fired the gun in the air and took off in a car. “Most people who witnessed the incident thought that was the end of it,” FBI special agent Chad Piontek said in a statement Then, in the early morning hours of March 6, Minor allegedly returned to the neighborhood and confronted Perry in the hallway near the back of the pregnant woman’s home. “Minor’s mother again ran to the scene, this time positioning herself between her daughter and the neighbor, trying to keep the peace,” the FBI said in a news release. “Witnesses said Minor reached over her mother’s shoulder and fired her gun, striking the woman in the chest.” Perry, fatally wounded, quickly retreated back inside of her home, where she died in front of her two children, the FBI said. Her unborn child, whom relatives told local media was a girl, died before paramedics arrived. Police issued an arrest warrant for Minor, charging her with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide — one for Perry’s death and one for her unborn child’s death. An emotional day for friends and family as they lay Tamecca Perry to rest today. More at 6: https://t.co/Sxz2KejuAz pic.twitter.com/UvJMEPN8vA — FOX6 News (@fox6now) March 16, 2016 “The brutal murder of a mother and her unborn child is reprehensible,” Robert Shields, FBI Milwaukee Division special agent, said in a statement this week. Hours after the FBI added Minor to its most wanted list, Perry’s mother pleaded for her daughter’s alleged killer to turn herself in to authorities. “Wherever you at Shanika, I would appreciate it if you would come,” Cynthia Freeman told Fox affiliate WITI. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I just want you to come forward.” She added: “I just want her caught so I can rest. I don’t sleep. I don’t eat. I really want to know the reason why she would pull a gun out and do what she did to my daughter.” [This post has been updated.] ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. / Updated By Erik Ortiz The Milwaukee woman recently added to the FBI's list of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives for the killing of an expectant mother and her unborn child was captured early Friday, authorities tweeted. Shanika S. Minor, 24, was nabbed in Fayetteville, North Carolina — two days after she became the subject of a large-scale effort to track her down. She is accused in the March 6 slaying of her mother’s 23-year-old pregnant neighbor, a former high school classmate. The victim was just five days away from her due date. The FBI said the women had earlier gotten into an argument over loud music. Minor then confronted the woman and shot her in the chest, the FBI said. Minor fled the scene and was believed to be receiving help from family or friends in another state. The FBI offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to her capture.

– Shanika Minor became just the 10th woman ever to make the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list when she was added this week for allegedly killing a pregnant woman and her unborn child, the Washington Post reports. On Friday, she was captured. Back in March, Minor's mother complained about her neighbor, 23-year-old Tamecca Perry, playing loud music. According to NBC News, Perry and Minor had gone to high school together. Minor confronted Perry outside her Milwaukee duplex, allegedly while holding a gun and challenging Perry—nine-months pregnant and due in five days—to fight. Police say Minor shot Perry despite Minor's own mother trying to shield the victim. Perry died in front of her two children. Her unborn child died with her. Minor, 24, hadn't been seen since the shooting, ABC News reports. Authorities believe she had family or friends helping her avoid capture. The FBI was offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to Minor's capture, and someone called early Friday with a tip that she was staying at a motel near the airport in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Minor was arrested without incident. She has been charged with intentional homicide, intentional homicide of an unborn child, and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. “The brutal murder of a mother and her unborn child is reprehensible,” the Post quotes a statement from the FBI as saying.

National parks in Alaska created a safety sticker to share steps for avoiding an unwelcome encounter with a bear. Avoiding an Encounter Following viewing etiquette is the first step to avoiding an encounter with a bear that could escalate into an attack. Keeping your distance and not surprising bears are some of the most important things you can do. Most bears will avoid humans if they hear them coming. Pay attention to your surroundings and make a special effort to be noticeable if you are in an area with known bear activity or a good food source, such as berry bushes. Bear Encounters Once a bear has noticed you and is paying attention to you, additional strategies can help prevent the situation from escalating. Identify yourself by talking calmly so the bear knows you are a human and not a prey animal. Remain still; stand your ground but slowly wave your arms. Help the bear recognize you as a human. It may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening. by talking calmly so the bear knows you are a human and not a prey animal. Remain still; stand your ground but slowly wave your arms. Help the bear recognize you as a human. It may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening. Stay calm and remember that most bears do not want to attack you; they usually just want to be left alone. Bears may bluff their way out of an encounter by charging and then turning away at the last second. Bears may also react defensively by woofing, yawning, salivating, growling, snapping their jaws, and laying their ears back. Continue to talk to the bear in low tones; this will help you stay calmer, and it won't be threatening to the bear. A scream or sudden movement may trigger an attack. Never imitate bear sounds or make a high-pitched squeal. and remember that most bears do not want to attack you; they usually just want to be left alone. Bears may bluff their way out of an encounter by charging and then turning away at the last second. Bears may also react defensively by woofing, yawning, salivating, growling, snapping their jaws, and laying their ears back. Continue to talk to the bear in low tones; this will help you stay calmer, and it won't be threatening to the bear. A scream or sudden movement may trigger an attack. Never imitate bear sounds or make a high-pitched squeal. Pick up small children immediately. immediately. Hike and travel in groups . Groups of people are usually noisier and smellier than a single person. Therefore, bears often become aware of groups of people at greater distances, and because of their cumulative size, groups are also intimidating to bears. . Groups of people are usually noisier and smellier than a single person. Therefore, bears often become aware of groups of people at greater distances, and because of their cumulative size, groups are also intimidating to bears. Make yourselves look as large as possible (for example, move to higher ground). (for example, move to higher ground). Do NOT allow the bear access to your food. Getting your food will only encourage the bear and make the problem worse for others. Getting your food will only encourage the bear and make the problem worse for others. Do NOT drop your pack as it can provide protection for your back and prevent a bear from accessing your food. as it can provide protection for your back and prevent a bear from accessing your food. If the bear is stationary, move away slowly and sideways ; this allows you to keep an eye on the bear and avoid tripping. Moving sideways is also non-threatening to bears. Do NOT run, but if the bear follows, stop and hold your ground. Bears can run as fast as a racehorse both uphill and down. Like dogs, they will chase fleeing animals. Do NOT climb a tree. Both grizzlies and black bears can climb trees. ; this allows you to keep an eye on the bear and avoid tripping. Moving sideways is also non-threatening to bears. Do NOT run, but if the bear follows, stop and hold your ground. Bears can run as fast as a racehorse both uphill and down. Like dogs, they will chase fleeing animals. Do NOT climb a tree. Both grizzlies and black bears can climb trees. Leave the area or take a detour. If this is impossible, wait until the bear moves away. Always leave the bear an escape route. the area or take a detour. If this is impossible, wait until the bear moves away. Always leave the bear an escape route. Be especially cautious if you see a female with cubs; never place yourself between a mother and her cub, and never attempt to approach them. The chances of an attack escalate greatly if she perceives you as a danger to her cubs. Bear Attacks Bear attacks are rare; most bears are only interested in protecting food, cubs, or their space. However, being mentally prepared can help you have the most effective reaction. Every situation is different, but below are guidelines on how brown bear attacks can differ from black bear attacks. Help protect others by reporting all bear incidents to a park ranger immediately. Above all, keep your distance from bears! Brown/Grizzly Bears: If you are attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, leave your pack on and PLAY DEAD . Lay flat on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck. Spread your legs to make it harder for the bear to turn you over. Remain still until the bear leaves the area. Fighting back usually increases the intensity of such attacks. However, if the attack persists, fight back vigorously. Use whatever you have at hand to hit the bear in the face. If you are attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, leave your pack on and . Lay flat on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck. Spread your legs to make it harder for the bear to turn you over. Remain still until the bear leaves the area. Fighting back usually increases the intensity of such attacks. However, if the attack persists, fight back vigorously. Use whatever you have at hand to hit the bear in the face. Black Bears: If you are attacked by a black bear, DO NOT PLAY DEAD. Try to escape to a secure place such as a car or building. If escape is not possible, try to fight back using any object available. Concentrate your kicks and blows on the bear's face and muzzle. If any bear attacks you in your tent, or stalks you and then attacks, do NOT play dead—fight back! This kind of attack is very rare, but can be serious because it often means the bear is looking for food and sees you as prey. Bear Pepper Spray Bear pepper spray can be an important thing to carry when exploring the back country. It is used defensively to stop an aggressive, charging, or attacking bear. Although it’s used in the same manner you would use mace on an attacking person, bear pepper spray and human pepper spray are not the same. Make sure you select an EPA approved product that is specifically designed to stop aggressive bears. It is not a repellent so do not apply to your body or equipment. Check with your national park to see if bear pepper spray is recommended or allowed for the activities you have planned. Learn more about selecting and using bear pepper spray in this introductory video or by visiting the Using Spray to Deter an Aggressive Bear page on Yellowstone's website. ||||| Sonny Pumphrey was in his driveway in the White Oak community Tuesday afternoon when he says a mother bear and her two cubs showed up. He says the cubs ran off but the mother bear reared up and attacked him. (Photo credit: WLOS Staff) A Haywood County man says he battled a bear outside his home and he has the scrapes and bruises to prove it. Sonny Pumphrey was in his driveway in the White Oak community Tuesday afternoon when he says a mother bear and her two cubs showed up. He says the cubs ran off but the mother bear reared up and attacked him. “She made a charging dead run at me. That sucker was eyeball-to-eyeball to me,” he said. Pumphrey says he punched the bear in the nose, but then she dropped down and bit his hip. “She kind of shook me a little bit, and I'm still ... I'm hitting her steady on the top of the head just as hard as I could swing, man, for dear life,” he said. “I just continue pounding and pounding and pounding and she’s continuing trying to bite me. And like I said, she got a hold of me and then shook me a little bit, then she let go and she took a swat at me. And when she took a swat at me she knocked me about eight feet over on the concrete.” Sonny's wife Betty heard the screams and rushed to his aid along with their little Yorkie, stunned at the sight of a large black bear in their driveway. “I saw her stand up and rear her paw back and all I seen was a mouthful of teeth,” she said. “And I just knew he was going to be gone.” The commotion scared the bear off and Betty called 911. Pumphrey is OK, but must endure a series of rabies shots after the attack. It was an unexpected and unusual attack. The Pumphreys know it could have been worse. “We have a lot to be thankful for because we were both very, very lucky,” Betty said. “I could have been dead. I could have been really cut up bad,” Sonny added. Wildlife officers tracked the bear but were unable to locate it. They say without too much food up high, bears are coming down to lower elevations. The Pumphreys advise people to be aware when they're outside. ||||| CTVNews.ca Staff A North Carolina man has survived a black bear attack outside his home by punching the animal in the nose. Sonny Pumphrey had a lucky escape on Tuesday afternoon when he went out to his driveway and discovered three bears in his yard. It appeared to be a mother and two cubs. But while the cubs ran off, the mom remained. "She made a charging, dead run at me,” Pumphrey told local television station WLOS. “That sucker was eyeball to eyeball to me." Stunned, Pumphrey reacted with reflex and started punching. “I hit her right dead on the point of the nose the first shot and when I did, she went down and started trying to bite me right here,” he said. “I just continue pounding and pounding and pounding and she's continuing trying to bite me. She got a hold of me and then shook me a little bit, then she let go and she took a swat at me and when she took a swat at me she knocked me about eight feet over on the concrete." Pumphrey’s wife Betty was inside their North Carolina home about to start dinner when she heard the commotion. Going to the front door with their Yorkshire Terrier, Betty was shocked to see a bear attacking her husband. "I seen her stand up and rared her paw back and all I seen was a mouthful of teeth,” she said. “I knew he was going to be gone." The dog started barking and with Pumphrey and Betty screaming, the bear ran off. Afraid it may return, Betty got a gun from the house and fired into the woods. Pumphrey suffered a bite to his hip and bruises. “We have a lot to be thankful for because we were both very, very lucky," Betty said. Pumphrey will have a series of rabies shots in the coming weeks, but admits he’s lucky to be alive. “I could have been dead. I could have been really cut up bad," he said. With files from WLOS

– When it is impossible to escape from an attacking black bear, the National Park Service advises hitting the animal in the face—and it was a strategy that may have saved the life of North Carolina man Sonny Pumphrey. The 78-year-old says he was in his driveway when a mother bear and two cubs showed up, CTV reports. He says the cubs ran off, but the mother reared up and then charged him. "She made a charging dead run at me. That sucker was eyeball-to-eyeball to me," the Haywood County man tells WLOS. He says he "hit her right dead on the point of the nose the first shot," but when he did, the bear dropped down and started trying to bite him on the hip. Pumphrey says he kept hitting the bear and she kept trying to bite him. "She got a hold of me and then shook me a little bit, then she let go and she took a swat at me," he says. "And when she took a swat at me she knocked me about eight feet over on the concrete." The bear ran off when Pumphrey's wife, Betty, and their Yorkshire terrier heard the noise and came outside to investigate. Pumphrey survived without serious injury, though he received a bite to the hip and will need to have rabies shots. "We have a lot to be thankful for because we were both very, very lucky," Betty Pumphrey says. (This woman was attacked by a bear less than a week after starting her "dream job.")

GoFundMe has verified that the funds raised will go directly to the intended recipient. What does verified mean? ||||| NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Waffle House where four people were fatally shot reopened Wednesday amid tears and solemn remembrance of the dead. The company announced it will donate a month of the restaurant's sales to help the wounded survivors and the families of the slain. Employees wore orange ribbons and hugged one another while a steady stream of customers came in to order food and show support. Waffle House supervisors brought in workers from Atlanta to help the store and provided grief counselors on site, according to CBS affiliate WTVF-TV. Among those killed when a man opened fire in the parking lot with an AR-15 rifle and stormed the restaurant early Sunday morning was an employee, Taurean Sanderlin, 29, and three customers. Four people were injured. Proceeds from the next 30 days of sales at the store will go to the families of the four who were killed and to the two who remain hospitalized, said Waffle House spokesman Pat Warner. Chuck Cordero witnessed Sunday's shooting when he came by on his break to say hello to Sanderlin. He returned to the restaurant Wednesday and spoke with WTVF-TV. "It's nice to see them getting back to how it was before this all happened. Not that we're trying to forget. I won't forget. I'll remember T [Sanderlin] forever," he said. "... I'm looking forward to seeing my friends come back. I'll be back tonight, I'll keep coming back." One of the employees who was working during the attack wept and knelt outside the restaurant before four white crosses bearing the pictures and names of the victims. WTVF-TV The woman, who still had scrapes on her face, said she could not speak. One of those who died in the carnage was Joe Perez, a 20-year-old customer from Nashville. His parents, who traveled to Nashville from Texas, signed the cross bearing their son's name and the three others. They also did not want to speak. WTVF-TV Also killed were Akilah DaSilva, a 23-year-old student at Middle Tennessee State University who was well known to independent musicians and record labels in town. DeEbony Groves, a 21-year-old student at Belmont University, also died in the attack. It was the employees who wanted to get the restaurant up and running, Warner said. "I think it's part of the healing process for them," Warner said. One of the first customers of the day bought about $8 worth of food but then left $100, Warner said. A steady stream of customers came, saying they wanted to help the victims. "I saw that they were reopening and that all incoming funds were going to the victims' families, and I was going like, 'OK. I should drop in and have something, and in some small way contribute,'" Michael Harrison said as he entered the restaurant. A man wearing nothing but a green jacket and brandishing an assault-style rifle attacked the restaurant just after 3 a.m., police say. Police credit restaurant patron James Shaw Jr. with disarming the gunman and averting more bloodshed. The gunman fled and led police on a massive manhunt that lasted more than 24 hours before he was captured. Police have identified the suspect as Travis Reinking, 29. He faces multiple criminal charges, including four counts of criminal homicide. A public defender listed as his attorney has not responded to an email seeking comment. Police say they still do not know of a motive for the crime. The onetime crane operator bounced between states and suffered from delusions, sometimes talking about plans to marry Taylor Swift, friends and relatives told authorities. He was detained by the Secret Service in July after he ventured in to a forbidden area on the White House grounds and demanded to meet President Trump. ||||| on behalf of James Shaw Community NEW YORK, NY Yashar Ali James Shaw Jr. put his life on the line when he took on the gunman who killed four people at a Nashville area Waffle House. Since that horrific shooting, he has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the victims and shown a level of humility that has inspired many of us. I normally don't get involved directly in these matters, but James' grace has inspired me to start this page to give him the support I feel he deserves. According to news reports, James has a four-year-old daughter. Perhaps this money can be used for her college fund or some other education related expense. But I'd be just as happy if James used some of this money to take his family on a nice vacation. Funds will be transferred directly to James Shaw Jr. through GoFundMe.

– Survivors of Sunday's shooting at a Tennessee Waffle House have another reason to thank the man who disarmed suspected shooter Travis Reinking. A GoFundMe page launched by James Shaw Jr. has raised more than $155,000 for families of victims, including the four people killed before Shaw was able to toss the shooter's gun over a counter, reports CNN. A separate GoFundMe page launched by journalist Yashar Ali has raised even more—almost $169,000 as of this writing—for Shaw, despite him brushing off the hero label. The Waffle House in Antioch is helping out, too. It says all proceeds from sales over the next 30 days will go to victims' families, per CBS News.

WASHINGTON - Democratic legislators called on President Donald Trump to take a tougher stance towards Russia following remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who suggested in an interview over the weekend that perhaps it was "Jews" who stood behind Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. To really understand Israel and its ties Putin's Russia - subscribe to Haaretz Putin said in an interview with NBC News that perhaps the people responsible for Russia's interference in the election "are not even Russian. Maybe they're Ukrainians, Tatars, Jews, just with Russian citizenship. Even that needs to be checked. Maybe they have dual citizenship. Or a Green Card." skip - Putin tells NBC: 'Jews' may be behind election meddling Putin tells NBC: 'Jews' may be behind election meddling - דלג Putin tells NBC: 'Jews' may be behind election meddling Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said in response to the interview: "Repulsive Putin remark deserves to be denounced, soundly and promptly, by world leaders. Why is Trump silent? Intolerance is intolerable." Meanwhile, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) said that the remarks highlighted Trump's refusal to sign into law the tough sanctions that the U.S. Congress approved against Russia last year in retaliation to its election meddling. FILE PHOTO: Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, listens at a Senate session Bloomberg Keep updated: Sign up to our newsletter Email * Please enter a valid email address Sign up Please wait… Thank you for signing up. We've got more newsletters we think you'll find interesting. Click here Oops. Something went wrong. Please try again later. Try again Thank you, The email address you have provided is already registered. Close "Putin suggests that Russian attacks on US elections may have been made by 'Jews, just with Russian citizenship.' This man is not our friend and the Trump administration needs to move on the sanctions Congress passed," Beyer said on Saturday. The American Jewish Committee took a more cautious approach, stating that "Putin suggesting that Russian Federation minorities, be they Ukrainian, Tatar, or Jewish, were behind U.S. election meddling is eerily reminiscent of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. He should clarify his comments at the earliest opportunity." Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, also criticized the Russian president for his controversial statement. "It is deeply disturbing to see the Russian president giving new life to classic anti-Semitic stereotypes that have plagued his country for hundreds of years, with a comment that sounds as if it was ripped from the pages of the 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion.'" "We live in a moment when anti-Semitic violence is on the rise and words can have profound consequences, particularly when spoken by public figures or elected officials like President Putin," Greenblatt continued. "We hope he swiftly clarifies his words before they cause further damage to those communities he has singled out. Concerned Americans A poll that was released last week, prior to Putin's statement, showed that a majority of Americans are worried about future Russian aggression against the U.S. Most are also not convinced that Trump is doing enough to address the problem. The poll was conducted by John McLaughlin, a veteran political pollster affiliated with the Republican party, who has advised Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu in the past. According to its results, 52% of the respondents were "not convinced" that Trump was doing enough to protect the U.S. and its allies from Russia, and want him to do more on the subject. Only 34.5% believe Trump is doing enough on the subject. The poll also showed that just over 60% of American are worried of more attacks by Russia against the United States and its allies, in light of Russia's conduct in recent years. 72% of the respondents said they believe Russia poses "a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States, our NATO allies in Europe, and our Mideast allies, such as Israel." The poll was ordered by Joel Rosenberg, an author and Evangelical activist residing in Jerusalem, who recently published a new political thriller on U.S-Russia relations calls "The Kremlin Conspiracy." The poll showed that even among Evangelical Christians, who are usually very highly supportive of Trump, no less than 39% said they are not convinced Trump understands the threat posed by Russia, while only 46% said they were convinced that he does. ||||| In this photo taken on Thursday, March 1, 2018, and released Saturday, March 10, 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, speaks during an interview with NBC News' Megyn Kelly, right, in Moscow's... (Associated Press) In this photo taken on Thursday, March 1, 2018, and released Saturday, March 10, 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, speaks during an interview with NBC News' Megyn Kelly, right, in Moscow's Kremlin, Russia. In the some times combative interview Putin denied the charge by U.S. intelligence... (Associated Press) MOSCOW (AP) — Vladimir Putin and his Russia look more invincible today than at any other time in his 18 years in power. Since he last faced election in 2012, Russians have invaded Ukraine, annexed Crimea, blanket-bombed Syria, been accused of meddling in the U.S. presidential election and claimed to have a scary new nuclear arsenal. "No one listened to us. You listen to us now," he said earlier this month, boasting about those weapons. Putin will overwhelmingly win re-election as president on March 18, again. So why bother holding a vote at all? He disdains democracy as messy and dangerous — yet he craves the legitimacy conferred by an election. He needs tangible evidence that Russians need him and his great-power vision more than they worry about the freedoms he has muffled, the endemic corruption he has failed to eradicate, the sanctions he invited by his actions in Crimea and Ukraine. "Any autocrat wants love," said analyst Andrei Kolesnikov of the Carnegie Moscow Center, and Putin gets that love "from high support in elections." Expected to win as much as 80 percent of the vote, Putin will further cement his authority over Russia, a czar-like figure with a democratic veneer. In 14 years as president and four years as prime minister of the world's largest country, Putin has transformed Russia's global image, consolidated power over its politics and economy, imprisoned opponents, offered asylum to Edward Snowden, quieted extremism in long-restive Chechnya, hosted phenomenally expensive Olympic Games and won the right to stage this year's World Cup. He's now 65, and he's not planning to leave anytime soon. For 19-year-old art history student Maria Pogodina, "Putin is all of my conscious life, and so it's clear I have a lot to say thank you for." Yet Pogodina worries about some of his policies as she prepares to vote and hopes to see a gradual transformation. "I am not talking about revolution, no way," the teenager said, summing up the stance of many Russians of all ages. "I hope and believe it won't happen and that we can avoid civil conflict." The election will confirm Putin's argument that to improve life in Russia, the country needs continuity more than it needs drastic change, independent media, political opposition, environmental activism or rights for homosexuals and other minorities. Russia will remain disproportionately dependent on oil prices, and its 144 million people will stay poorer than they should be — and many will remain convinced that the world is out to get them. Putin's most important mission in the next six years will be working out a plan for what happens when his next term expires in 2024: Will he anoint a friendly successor or invent a scheme that allows him to keep holding the reins? Today's all-powerful Putin bears little resemblance to the man who took his tentative first steps as president on the eve of the new millennium. Catapulted to power on Boris Yeltsin's surprise resignation as president, Putin walked into his new office Dec. 31, 1999, in a suit that seemed too big for his shoulders. His low-level KGB background made him seem shifty, and many Russians regarded him as little more than a puppet of the oligarchs then pulling the Kremlin's strings. Russia was still emerging from a tumultuous post-Soviet hangover. Contract killings dominated headlines, its army couldn't afford socks for its soldiers, and its budget was still dependent on foreign loans. Eighteen years later, Putin's friends run the economy and Russia's military is resurgent. An entire generation has never known a Russia without Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin in charge. And an increasing number of other leaders — President Donald Trump among them — are emulating his nationalist, besieged fortress mentality. The once-feisty Russian media has fallen silent. Kremlin propaganda now has a global audience, via far-reaching networks RT and Sputnik. Yet while Putin looks invulnerable on the surface, he has reason to worry. The Kremlin is lashing out at opposition leader Alexei Navalny's recent investigations of corruption, fearing they could spur public uproar. And the battle for succession threatens to cause damaging splits within Putin's inner circle. Meanwhile, Russia's disillusioned youth could turn against him. Some have joined Navalny's protests; others just won't bother to vote, quietly sapping his power. As Putin faces challenges at home, expect more Russian chest-thumping abroad. "The international environment is an instrument for him in managing those domestic challenges first and foremost," said Matthew Rojansky, director of the Kennan Institute in Washington. "He can declare something like a Syria intervention or something in the post-Soviet space." And a newly elected Putin is likely to continue the Cold War-like relationship with Trump's United States. Russia sees the investigation into alleged meddling in the U.S. election as concocted — but also as a sign that Russia is important again, and that Americans are obsessed with weakening Russia at all costs. "Does the U.S. treat Russia equally? Does it take Russia seriously? That's an enormously important benchmark" for Russians, Rojansky said. "They are not benchmarking themselves against China." Ever since a leading U.S. diplomat was recorded giving instructions to Ukrainian opposition figures, Russians have been convinced that Washington caused the Ukraine conflict by messing in Russia's backyard, and that America bears responsibility for the ensuing fighting. It has killed thousands and remains unresolved. Russia's annexation of Crimea prompted U.S. and European Union sanctions, sending Putin's popularity skyrocketing. Crimea is framed as Russia's biggest victory in the Putin era, a restoration of might and righting of historical wrongs. To drive the message home, the March 18 election is being held on the fourth anniversary of the takeover. The last time Putin faced voters, he also was guaranteed victory but was on shakier ground. A movement led by Navalny had brought masses to the streets of Moscow and other cities, as the educated middle class chafed at Putin's backward-looking vision. Since then, Navalny has been arrested repeatedly and is barred from running for president for criminal convictions that are seen as politically driven. Other opposition figures also have been sidelined, such as onetime billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who spent 10 years in prison for tax fraud charges seen as punishment for political ambitions. He now lives abroad. Meanwhile, Russia's problems persist. Putin has barely bothered with campaigning. When he does, he promises a brighter future, implicitly acknowledging a lackluster present. With around 20 million Russians currently living below the official poverty line of about $180 a month, he pledges higher wages and pensions. He wants better health care to boost life expectancy from 73, several years below European levels. Recent space launch failures have drawn attention to troubles with the struggling aerospace industry, once a pillar of Soviet pride, and he wants Russia to catch up on robotic technologies and artificial intelligence. "To put it mildly, Putin will have plenty to do in his next term," Kolesnikov said. Notably, he must ensure that his country can outlast him. Political scientist Dmitry Oreshkin asked, "sooner or later there will be no Putin, and at that point, what will we do with Russia?" ___ Charlton reported from Paris. Francesca Elba in Moscow also contributed.

– US leaders are hitting out at Vladimir Putin after statements he made appeared to some to be anti-Semitic. The Russian president was defending his government in an interview with NBC News' Megyn Kelly Saturday when he said Jews may have been behind 2016 election meddling. "Repulsive Putin remark deserves to be denounced, soundly and promptly, by world leaders," Sen. Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut wrote on Twitter following the interview, per the Washington Post. Blumenthal's sentiment was echoed widely by fellow Democrats in Congress, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, and others. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that some Democratic legislators have directly demanded that President Trump take a tougher stance on Russia following its leader's comments. Putin critics have also assailed the leader for his apparent implication that Russian Jews aren't true Russians. "Maybe they are not even Russians, but Ukrainians, Tatars or Jews, but with Russian citizenship, which should also be checked," Putin said, referring to whoever was behind the meddling. Putin went on to suggest a string of other possibilities behind the election disruption, including France or Germany or even America itself. "Maybe the US paid them for this," he said. "How can you know that? I do not know, either."

If you got painfully ill from eating at a fast food chain would you ever want to eat there again? The answer for at least one victim of the Chipotle E.coli epidemic was apparently along the lines of, "Please, sir, I want some more!" As nearly 100 customers sickened after eating at Chipotle last year have reached undisclosed financial settlements with the restaurant chain, one plaintiff's appetizing addendum has been made public: Coupons for free burritos. The 19-year-old woman had gotten sick, along with more than 500 other people, during a string of foodborne illness outbreaks in Chipotle restaurants across multiple states last year. Play Facebook Twitter Google Plus Embed Chipotle giving away even more free burritos 0:20 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog Her lawyer, Bill Marler, who has specialized in high-profile food-safety cases for decades, said the teen had racked up about $40,000 in medical bills when she was hospitalized with E.coli after eating at a Chipotle. Related: Chipotle Looks to Recover With Temporary Loyalty Program Marler said that while the claim was being resolved, the client said her love for Chipotle had never wavered even through her sickness, and she wondered if they'd throw in some free burritos as a part of the settlement. Chipotle agreed to send her "a couple dozen" free burrito coupons, Marler said. "I've been doing food poisoning cases since 1993," Marler said. "I have never had a client ask for that." And, he added, of the 96 people who he represented in the settlements with Chipotle, many said they had been back to eat at the chain. "It seems like they have a pretty strong base of support. I think in some respects it bodes well for their recovery," Marler said. Chipotle has had a hard time bouncing back from the E. coli, salmonella and norovirus outbreaks, despite introducing several promotions, but Marler said the company has done an admirable job of dealing with the issue — especially legally. "I have a pretty good sense of what is reasonable and fair. I would say that Chipotle was in the reasonable and fair range, or frankly, I would not have settled," Marler said. "Both parties wanted to get these things done." Related: Burrito Bummer: Chipotle Sales Fall Short Despite Free Food Chipotle still faces a federal criminal probe into food-safety measures and a civil lawsuit over allegations that it had misled investors, according to Reuters. ||||| Chipotle Mexican Grill settled nearly 100 legal cases brought by customers sickened in last year’s foodborne illness outbreak. Terms were not disclosed. Except for one: One client asked for “free-burrito” coupons as part of her settlement. “In 25 years of doing foodborne illness cases, I’ve never had a client ask for coupons for the restaurant they had gotten sick at,” said William Marler, an attorney with Seattle-based Marler Clark who represented 97 Chipotle customers. “In fact, some (clients) had gone back to the restaurant and they would call me and say, ‘Do you think it’s bad that I went back and got a burrito?’ ” Marler said Chipotle financially settled 96 cases between March and last week. One case is still pending because it is more complex. The cases were a mix of customers sickened from the E. coli, salmonella and norovirus outbreaks in cities nationwide, including Boston, Minneapolis and Simi Valley, Calif. Keith Srakocic, Associated Press In the resolved cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed contamination results through medical tests, Marler said. “Those cases get resolved because there’s nothing to argue about,” he said. “That makes it easier, to be candid, for Chipotle to look at them and say, ‘Wow. An independent entity confirmed it.’ ” Related Articles September 8, 2016 Google parent drones to test Chipotle burrito delivery at college campus September 6, 2016 Activist investor Bill Ackman takes 9.9% stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill August 31, 2016 PHOTOS: You can buy Chipotle founder Steve Ells’ house August 30, 2016 Chipotle’s latest ways woo customers: Kids eat free on Sundays, free sodas for students August 10, 2016 Chipotle ordered to pay $550,000 for discriminating against pregnant worker Marler said that he felt Chipotle was professional and fair. Personal injury settlements take into consideration wage loss, medical expenses and pain and suffering. Chris Arnold, spokesman for Denver-based Chipotle, confirmed that cases were settled over the last several months. “We opted to settle them simply because we thought it was the right thing to do for those customers,” Arnold said. According to a special Chipotle web page about its food safety incidents, 510 customers were sickened last year. The outbreaks began in August 2015, when 243 customers reported getting sick with norovirus after eating at the Chipotle in Simi Valley. In December, another 143 customers reported getting sick from norovirus after eating at a Boston Chipotle. In both cases, the illness was “likely caused by a Chipotle employee who worked while sick, in violation of strict policies designed to discourage this.” Salmonella cases cropped up at restaurants in Minnesota and Wisconsin, sickening 64 people in August 2015. Chipotle linked the illness to tomatoes served at 22 restaurants. And between October to November 2015, another 60 people reported getting sick with E. coli 026 in 11 states. Some 3,000 tests were conducted by a Chipotle food-safety partner, which found no E. coli in food or restaurant surfaces. But by the time the tests were done, the E. coli was likely already gone from restaurants because of the lag time of up to 10 days between contamination and the first symptoms. Chipotle responded with closing affected restaurants temporarily to clean the entire facility, and for part of one day on Feb. 8, it closed all restaurants to discuss food-safety changes with employees nationwide. Co-CEO Steve Ells also publicly apologized to customers and pledged to tighten the chain’s food-safety procedures. But that didn’t stop the lawsuits. Besides the consumer cases, the chain was being investigated for criminal violations. A federal lawsuit by Chipotle shareholders in August accused company executives of failing to implement quality-control measures to prevent and stop food-bourne illnesses. The company’s stock traded at $430.70 on Friday, down 1.3 percent, and lower than its 52-week high of $757 last October. Marler said he hasn’t heard of other sick-Chipotle customer cases. He believes that based on the restaurant’s loyal following, many customers went straight to Chipotle instead of a lawyer. You just don’t often find customers like his 19-year-old client who after recovering from being hospitalized for a few days told him, “the one thing I want is free burritos and I’m like what? She wanted me to ask for her because (she said) ‘I really love Chipotle and want to go back.’ ” And she wasn’t alone. While none of his other clients specifically asked for coupons, “a lot of them were getting them,” he said. “They have a following of especially 20-somethings that other restaurants don’t have,” Marler said. “It’s a little odd, but it probably says something positive about Chipotle.

– Chipotle customers are a surprisingly loyal bunch. NBC News reports a 19-year-old woman who racked up approximately $40,000 in medical bills after contracting E. coli from eating at the restaurant chain settled for an undisclosed sum—and dozens of free burritos. "In 25 years of doing food-borne illness cases, I’ve never had a client ask for coupons for the restaurant they had gotten sick at,” the woman's lawyer, Bill Marler, tells the Denver Post. He says his client maintained her love of Chipotle through her entire ordeal and requested free food as part of the settlement. She ended up with "a couple dozen" coupons for free burritos, Marler says. He says of the 96 Chipotle victims he's represented, many have already gone back to eat at the restaurant.

« Routes To Treatment, Ctd | Main | Oh Joy » That, it seems to me, was the core message of the president's speech on Libya. America is simply incapable of watching a slaughter take place - anywhere in the world - and not move to do what we can to prevent it. It is against our nature to let evil triumph in such a fashion. The Libyan example was particularly vital because a rare constellation of forces came together to make turning away even harder: European and Arab support for preventing mass murder; UN permission; America's "unique" capabilities; and an imminent massacre in Benghazi. Obama the Niebuhrian put the moral in realism. Yes, we could not do this everywhere all the time; but we could do this when we did; and that was good enough. There was some sleight of hand here. Citing the UN Resolution as an external reason for war - when the US lobbied hard for it - was a touch too neat. But essentially Obama was challenging those of us who opposed this decision to ask ourselves: well, what would you do? If the US had insisted on looking away, America would have seemed morally callous, even compared with the French. The mass graves of Benghazi would take their place alongside the horrors of Srebrenica. And the impact on Arab opinion, especially on the younger generation that is so key to the future, would be fatal to America's long term interests. I do not know whether the last is actually the case, or whether most young Arabs are understandably focused on the regimes they labor under rather than the murderous nutter in the North African desert. But secretary of state Clinton was in the region at the time and believed otherwise. And, yes, one appreciates that doing nothing represented a choice as well as doing something. And it too would have had unknowable consequences. Was I persuaded? Not completely. The major objection - what happens now? - was not answered affirmatively by the president. It was answered negatively: there would be no military effort at regime change, as in Iraq; NATO, not the US, would soon be leading the mission; and, er, it may last a while. It is way too soon to celebrate a new model of international cooperation; but it seems striking to me that the rationale Obama invoked was very much GHW Bush in Kuwait rather than GW Bush in Iraq. That left Saddam in power for more than a decade. And yet Obama spoke as if Qaddafi's days were obviously numbered. I sure hope they are. It wasn't Obama's finest oratory; but it was a very careful threading of a very small needle. That requires steady hands and calmer nerves than I possess. But this president emerges once again as a consolidator and adjuster of the past, not a revolutionary force for the future. And one hopes that the notion that he is not a subscriber to American exceptionalism is no longer seriously entertained. He clearly believes in that exceptionalism - and now will live with its onerous responsibilities. (Photo: Dennis Brack/Pool/Getty.) ||||| I knew pretty early on during tonight’s speech that President Obama had rejoined—or joined—the historical American foreign policy mainstream. It was when he mentioned Charlotte (the city, not the spider): At this point, the United States and the world faced a choice. Gaddafi declared that he would show “no mercy” to his own people. He compared them to rats, and threatened to go door to door to inflict punishment. In the past, we had seen him hang civilians in the streets, and kill over a thousand people in a single day. Now, we saw regime forces on the outskirts of the city. We knew that if we waited one more day, Benghazi – a city nearly the size of Charlotte – could suffer a massacre that would have reverberated across the region and stained the conscience of the world. When American presidents want to justify foreign interventions, and are worried the American people aren’t quite with them, they often reach for a strained analogy or comparison that will bring the situation abroad home to their fellow Americans watching on the tube. Obama’s awkward interjection explaining that Benghazi is “a city nearly the size of Charlotte” is a classic of the genre. As Obama said it, I recalled Reagan explaining Nicaragua was as near to Texas as Texas to Washington, D.C., or some such thing, and similar clunky and earnest attempts at homespun appeals by George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. I found this reassuring. As I found the rest of the speech. The president was unapologetic, freedom-agenda-embracing, and didn’t shrink from defending the use of force or from appealing to American values and interests. Furthermore, the president seems to understand we have to win in Libya. I think we will. ||||| Halperin’s Take: Six reasons why Obama’s Libya address was strong (even if it was a bit repetitive and didn’t address every future contingency): 1. He believed every word of it. Presidents always give better speeches when they help write their remarks and strike out any sentences that don’t match what is in their hearts. Go through Obama’s text, and you won’t find a single line that fails to reflect his views. 2. George W. Bush could have delivered every sentence. This doesn’t mean that Bush was an unambiguous success as a national security president–far from it. But Obama’s vision of how to engage the democracy moment in northern Africa and the Middle East is in the strong bipartisan tradition and current centrist positions of American foreign policy. 3. It explained how America must balance its interests, values, and military capacity. Obama exploded the false choice between those who say America should never intervene when the nation is not directly threatened and those who insist intervention in Libya leads logically to intervention in Syria, in further regional hotspots, and in areas of human oppression across the globe. With passion and meticulous detail, Obama justified why use of force was the right move for America in Libya, but not (for now) in other places. 4. He emphasized both unilateral action and coalition building. The right has accused Obama of being too beholden to international coalitions, and the nation is split between those who don’t want the US to ever subordinate its military to another country and those who think America shouldn’t act like an outlaw cowboy. In his speech, the president reaffirmed his work with partners around the world, but he also trumpeted the actions he has taken independently during the Libya crisis. 5. He looked the part. In delivery and tone, this was one of Obama’s best moments as commander-in-chief since he took office. He was calm yet forceful, verbally elegant yet conversational, and above all, tough. 6. He boxed in Republican detractors. GOPers who want to score political points on the president’s policy will have to work harder. Obama’s actions are still, of course, subject to criticism and analysis, but his case was so thorough and well reasoned he left little room for the kind of glib cheap shots that have passed for critique up until now. ||||| I’ll have more in tomorrow’s Morning Jolt, but I feel tonight a lot like the night of Obama’s speech announcing the Afghanistan surge to West Point. On paper, I agree with a lot of what Obama is saying. But he’s stringing together a lot of pretty-sounding phrases without really getting at the questions most skeptical Americans have: why intervene here and not in other places? Obama’s caught himself between his comments that clearly suggested regime change (Qaddafi must step down) and a strict adherence to a U.N. mandate that doesn’t include regime change. What is our goal? What do we do when America’s national interest and a United Nations rule conflict? And why are we worrying about what the U.N. says, anyway? Obama seems to be indicating we say publicly that we’re not pursuing regime change militarily but pursue it through non-military means, which seems like a fine (and perhaps odd) line. (If you’re trying to knock a brutal terror-sponsoring dictator out of power, knock him out of power! Don’t do it halfway!) Finally, what have we signed ourselves on to? Can we trust the Libyan rebels? What are we trying to replace Qaddafi with? In the end, Obama’s speech amounted to, “Look, I realize none of you understand my decision making, but at the end of the day, you can rest easy knowing I’m right.” He thinks he’s reassuring us.

– Last night, President Obama delivered the Libya speech that some have long been calling for. How did the world take it? A sampling of reactions: Jim Geraghty wasn't impressed with the way Obama's "pretty-sounding phrases" were strung together "without really getting at the questions most skeptical Americans have: why intervene here and not in other places?" Ultimately, he writes in the National Review, "Obama’s speech amounted to, 'Look, I realize none of you understand my decision making, but at the end of the day, you can rest easy knowing I’m right.'" Yes, Obama used some "sleight of hand," like "citing the UN Resolution as an external reason for war—when the US lobbied hard for it," writes Andrew Sullivan in the Atlantic. "But essentially Obama was challenging those of us who opposed this decision to ask ourselves: Well, what would you do?" Even so, Sullivan wasn't completely persuaded: "The major objection—what happens now?—was not answered affirmatively by the president." OK, so the address "didn't address every future contingency," Mark Halperin admits. But, writing in Time, he offers six reasons the speech was still "strong," including Obama "believed every word of it" and "George W. Bush could have delivered every sentence." The latter, of course, meaning that "Obama’s vision of how to engage the democracy moment in northern Africa and the Middle East is in the strong bipartisan tradition and current centrist positions of American foreign policy." William Kristol was reassured by the speech: "The president was unapologetic, freedom-agenda-embracing, and didn’t shrink from defending the use of force or from appealing to American values and interests," he writes in the Weekly Standard. "Furthermore, the president seems to understand we have to win in Libya. I think we will."

The myriad vulgarities of Donald Trump—examples of which are retailed daily on Web sites and front pages these days—are not news to those of us who have been living downwind of him for any period of time. I first encountered Trump more than 30 years ago. Back then he was a flashy go-getter from an outer borough eager to make his name in Manhattan real estate. Which he succeeded in doing in the only way he knew how: by putting his name in oversize type on anything he was associated with—buildings, yes, but also vodka, golf courses, starchy ties, and even a sham of a real-estate school. Most people who own private planes include their initials as part of the tail number. Not Trump. On his campaign jet, a Boeing 757, his name runs from the cockpit to the wings—in gold letters, 10 feet high. Like so many bullies, Trump has skin of gossamer. He thinks nothing of saying the most hurtful thing about someone else, but when he hears a whisper that runs counter to his own vainglorious self-image, he coils like a caged ferret. Just to drive him a little bit crazy, I took to referring to him as a “short-fingered vulgarian” in the pages of Spy magazine. That was more than a quarter of a century ago. To this day, I receive the occasional envelope from Trump. There is always a photo of him—generally a tear sheet from a magazine. On all of them he has circled his hand in gold Sharpie in a valiant effort to highlight the length of his fingers. I almost feel sorry for the poor fellow because, to me, the fingers still look abnormally stubby. The most recent offering arrived earlier this year, before his decision to go after the Republican presidential nomination. Like the other packages, this one included a circled hand and the words, also written in gold Sharpie: “See, not so short!” I sent the picture back by return mail with a note attached, saying, “Actually, quite short.” Which I can only assume gave him fits. If Trump is like a feral forest animal on the campaign trail, his Democratic counterpart is a razor clam with a sharp mind and a long memory. They are like matter and anti-matter and really could not be more un-alike. Trump says whatever he wants, takes advice from no one, and so far seems politically unaffected by any of his loathsome boasts and put-downs. Whatever one thinks of Hillary Clinton—and, goodness knows, everyone has an opinion—she knows a lot about government. But she seems to rarely say what she thinks and has surrounded herself with a secretive phalanx of control-freak viziers. At this point, as Vanity Fair’s Sarah Ellison points out, you’d need to apply the famous Turing Test to see if any authentic human “Hillary” can be distinguished from the machine version that has been in development for more than three decades. In “Fortress Hillary,” Ellison describes the tight-knit group of advisers and surrogates that has grown up around Clinton like a coral reef. It once consisted mainly of women, but now is about evenly split between the genders. Some of them, like Mandy Grunwald and Huma Abedin, have formed part of Clinton’s defensive shield for almost a quarter-century. Hillary Clinton has been embattled ever since she entered public life, sometimes for reasons of her own making (and sometimes not). The wall around her is now high and thick. As Ellison notes, this wall creates its own set of problems—it’s like the Maginot Line. The State Department e-mail scandal is Exhibit A—the Clintonian zest for prophylactic secrecy is the root cause of the issue that has mired her campaign in the muck of the recent past. The wall also keeps information from getting in. During the dark days of the Whitewater investigation, one adviser told Hillary to stop reading the newspapers—her aides would tell her what she needed to know. How isolated is Clinton? Most of us would find a single day of full-time Secret Service protection to be intolerable. Hillary, Ellison writes, has had it for 23 years. No other recent presidential candidate—not Obama, not Bush, not even Nixon—has been as inaccessible as Hillary has been from day one of her campaign. ||||| I can be every bit as petty and crude as you can, Donald! That’s why I should be president, and not you! (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) In recent days, Marco Rubio has been gamely experimenting with a new strategy: Attempting to outdo Donald Trump in his own carnivalesque reality TV arena. Rubio has suggested that Trump urinated in his pants backstage at last week’s debate, presumably meaning that Trump lost control of his bladder in a fit of terror over the Florida Senator’s withering attacks. Rubio has also ridiculed Trump’s “horrible spray tan.” Rubio has even mocked Trump’s “small hands,” though he has not gone so far as to give voice to the unstated implications of that barb and why they should, er, diminish Trump in the eyes of GOP primary voters. One Rubio adviser explained Rubio’s descent into the lowest of lowbrow Trumpian antics by claiming: “We came to the conclusion that if being a part of the circus is the price you have to pay in order for us to ultimately be able to talk about substantive policy, then that’s what we’re going to do.” Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio took aim at Donald Trump Feb. 28, criticizing his rival's "small hands" and "spray tan." (Marco Rubio) It turns out that this Rubio adviser, dispiritingly enough, may be on to something. Here are a couple of charts that illustrate the point. Democracy Corps, the polling firm run by veteran Dem pollster Stan Greenberg, today released an in depth study of Republican voter attitudes towards the 2016 campaign. There’s a ton to chew on in this study, which is based on a poll of 800 Republican voters nationwide. The poll tested how various attacks on Trump are perceived by Republican voters, and found this (click to enlarge): The most effective attacks on Trump are that he’s an “egomaniac and entertainer that cares more about gaining power and fame than helping the country.” The second most effective attacks are those raising doubts about whether he can be trusted to have his finger on the nuke button, and the third most effective attacks spotlight Trump’s penchant for saying “very disrespectful” things about women. Only 27 percent of Republicans say it raises doubts for them that Trump says he’d carry out mass deportations and and fewer still say it raises doubts for them that Trump denies climate change. The 46 percent of Republicans who say doubts are raised by Trump’s egomania and frivolity seems, if anything, low. But it turns out that number is substantially higher among moderates (click to enlarge): Fifty six percent of moderate Republicans find attacks on Trump’s egomania and lust for power to be troubling. Rubio is making an appeal to relatively moderate, college educated, and suburban Republican voters in the Super Tuesday states and beyond. You can bet that the Rubio campaign has focus groups and internal polling that also show that this is the most effective way to go after Trump. In the above poll, high percentages of moderates, it turns out, are also troubled by Trump’s policies and statements towards immigrants and Muslims. But one can’t help but notice that Rubio has not made a serious, sustained moral critique of those policies and statements a part of his arsenal of attacks against Trump. This is probably in part because he doesn’t want to alienate some of Trump’s less committed supporters, in hopes that he, rather than say Ted Cruz, might inherit them. But this also points to a broader problem Rubio faces, which is that he can’t go really hard at some of the very things that are enabling Trump to succeed. It’s difficult for Rubio to attack Trump as too far to the right on immigration, because Rubio’s own alleged softness on immigration is one of the reasons he may be struggling among GOP primary voters. It’s also hard for Rubio to fault some of Trump’s other substantive positions, such as they are, because it may be Trump’s very willingness to break with conservative orthodoxy on multiple fronts (he seems to envision some kind of government role in giving everyone health care; he opposes free trade deals; he won’t touch entitlements) that is helping him succeed. Rubio generally faults Trump as a phony conservative, and attacks Trump for not having specific plans, but he seems reluctant to get all that specific about the true policy implications of their ideological differences. As Brian Beutler explains, the apparent appeal of Trump’s ideological heterodoxy is precisely what makes it so hard for establishment Republicans to attack him. All of which means that joining Trump’s circus, as Rubio’s own adviser puts it above, really may be the only option for taking down Trump. And who knows: it’s still possible that it could work. Of course, as Jonathan Chait writes, there may well be a danger that this approach could end up diminishing Rubio, too. And it’s hard to see how anyone can beat Trump at this particular game, given that his talent for it seems pretty boundless. ||||| Trump nails Rubio: I have beautiful hands One of Marco Rubio’s latest barbs played right into Donald Trump’s “beautiful hands.” Trump has begun referring to the Florida senator as “Little Marco,” so Rubio went after the businessman’s “small hands.” “He’s like 6-2, which is why I don’t understand why his hands are the size of someone who is 5-2,” Rubio said at a rally in Roanoke, Virginia, on Sunday. “Have you seen his hands? You know what they say about men with small hands — you can’t trust them.” The billionaire responded to Rubio's remarks Tuesday at a rally in Columbus, Ohio. “Actually I’m 6-3, not 6-2 — but he said I had small hands. They’re not small, are they?” Trump asked, extending his hands for supporters to see. “I never heard — I never heard that one before. I’ve always had people say, ‘Donald, you have the most beautiful hands.’” Former GOP candidate and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker got into the action on Tuesday afternoon, tweeting a photo of his hand before signing dozens of bills into law. The tweet itself made no direct reference to any other candidate's hands. Photo of my hand before signing 58 bills into law today: pic.twitter.com/crM19dwjNi — Governor Walker (@GovWalker) March 1, 2016

– The size of Donald Trump's hands has been a thing for decades, stretching back to the days when Graydon Carter dubbed him a "short-fingered vulgarian" in Spy magazine. In his November editor's letter for Vanity Fair, Carter wrote that over the years, and as recently as last year, Trump would send him the occasional photo, "generally a tear sheet from a magazine. On all of them he has circled his hand in gold Sharpie in a valiant effort to highlight the length of his fingers." Those photos did little to convince Carter, and now Marco Rubio has apparently taken up the mantle. Politico quotes Rubio as saying the following on Sunday: "[Trump is] like 6-2, which is why I don't understand why his hands are the size of someone who is 5-2. Have you seen his hands? You know what they say about men with small hands—you can’t trust them." While in Ohio on Tuesday, Trump swung back, trotting out one of his favorite adjectives in the process: "Actually I’m 6-3, not 6-2—but he said I had small hands. ... I never heard—I never heard that one before. I've always had people say, 'Donald, you have the most beautiful hands.'" In noting Rubio's new tactic, the Washington Post writes he "may be on to something." It reports on recent polling that identified the type of attack that would be most likely to raise serious doubts about Trump among GOP voters. The winner: attacks framing Trump as an "egomaniac and entertainer that cares more about gaining power and fame than helping the country." More policy-minded attacks—think immigration, climate change, big oil—were far less effective. (See previous Trump-Rubio slams, including one about "wet pants," here. And John Oliver's tirade on Trump also addresses his hand size.)

On Sunday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company managed to meet a self-imposed deadline to produce 5,000 Model 3 cars in a week. The car maker had been under intense pressure to deliver on the sedan, something seen by analysts as integral to Tesla breaking into the mainstream. Tesla has repeatedly missed production targets and failed to reach profitability. Despite those factors, the company pulled out all the stops to produce 7000 cars in total last week. On Sunday, Musk sent an effusively worded communication to all employees, thanking them for their hard work, adding that the company became "a real car company" in the process. CNBC obtained a copy of the email Musk sent to Tesla staffers, which can be read in full below: From: Elon Musk To: Everybody Subj. 7000 Jul. 1, 12:37 PM We did it!! What an incredible job by an amazing team. Couldn’t be more proud to work with you. It is an honor. The level of dedication and creativity was mind-blowing. We either found a way or, by will and inventiveness, created entirely new solutions that were thought impossible. Intense in tents. Transporting entire production lines across the world in massive cargo planes. Whatever. It worked. Not only did we factory gate over 5000 Model 3’s, but we also achieved the S & X production target for a combined 7000 vehicle week! What’s more, with the widespread productivity gains throughout Tesla and the new production lines spooling up, we are on track to reach 6k/week for Model 3 next month. I think we just became a real car company … Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Elon ||||| Since then, Tesla has raced to iron out kinks in the assembly process, mainly by scrapping some complicated robotic machines that proved ill suited to certain tasks, and hiring hundreds of workers to replace them. On the factory floor, it’s a frantic race to reach Mr. Musk’s goals, one that has taken a toll on some employees. But if the gamble pays off, it will be a big step toward Tesla’s audacious ambitions: not just to be a mass-market automaker, but also to reinvent the way autos are made. “We believe in rapid evolution,” Mr. Musk said in an interview. “It’s like, find a way or make a way. If conventional thinking makes your mission impossible, then unconventional thinking is necessary.” And indeed, Mr. Musk is trying to do things that have never been done. General Motors, Nissan, BMW, Ford and others have produced electric cars, but have been unable to shrink costs enough to make them both affordable and profitable. Mr. Musk, in contrast, has promised investors and customers that Tesla will be able to produce the Model 3 in high volumes, sell versions for as little as $35,000 and ring up hefty profits. Once the Model 3 is rolling, Mr. Musk sees Tesla moving on to produce electric vehicles of all shapes and sizes — pickups, semitrailer trucks, and a fast and roomy car for families called the Model Y. The company’s mission, Mr. Musk has said on numerous occasions, is to lead the transition to emissions-free transportation and to change the world. A recent daylong tour of the Fremont plant revealed how Tesla is trying to break with standard auto-industry practices all along the Model 3 assembly lines. It is searching for ways to shorten the time that robots take to weld parts. It is even making seats, a component most car companies leave to specialized suppliers. And it is doing this while trying to root out bottlenecks and glitches in the manufacturing process. ||||| Tesla finally hit Elon Musk's production goal for the Model 3. The company said in a regulatory filing Monday that it produced 5,031 Model 3s in the last week of the second quarter. Tesla also raised its production target for the Model 3, its most accessibly priced electric car. The company said it expects to make 6,000 per week by late next month. The Model 3 had missed two ambitious production targets, but Musk had promised investors that the company would make 5,000 Model 3s per week by about this time of year. "The last 12 months were some of the most difficult in Tesla's history, and we are incredibly proud of the whole Tesla team," the company said in the filing. "It was not easy, but it was definitely worth it." Tesla said later in the day that its top engineer, Doug Field, was leaving the company after almost five years. Field took a leave of absence earlier this year. Musk has called him "one of the world's most talented engineering execs." A Tesla spokesperson said the company thanked Field "for his hard work over the years and for everything he has done for Tesla." The spokesperson did not say why he's leaving. The filing comes after Musk tweeted late Sunday that Tesla's team produced 7,000 cars in seven days. Tesla produced 1,913 Model S and Model X vehicles, it said in the filing. Musk wrote to Tesla staffers that Tesla had achieved its goals. "I think we just became a real car company...." he reportedly said in the memo. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment about the memo. 7000 cars, 7 days ♥️ Tesla Team ♥️ — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2018 Musk's promise was a major test for the company, and investors were anxiously watching the production outcome. Tesla stock opened sharply higher, but it drifted lower throughout the day and closed down 2.3%. One analyst, Efraim Levy of CFRA Research, wrote to clients that he does not believe the rate of 5,000 Model 3s per week is "operationally or financially sustainable." He said he does expect it to become sustainable over time. Related: Elon Musk vs. the world Tesla confirmed it expects to turn a profit in the third and fourth quarters. It has only reported two profitable quarters in eight years as a public company and is deep in debt. The company is facing questions about its balance sheet, and Musk has lashed out against critics in recent months. Musk continued to insist that he would hit the target of 5,000 Model 3s a week, and that it would give the company enough sales and profit to make it unnecessary to raise more cash. Clarification: This story has been updated to note the Model 3 is Tesla's most accessibly priced car.

– "I think we just became a real car company." So reads a celebratory email from Tesla CEO Elon Musk to employees after the company met a long-elusive production target of making 5,000 Model 3 sedans in a week, reports CNBC. In a regulatory filing, Tesla says it churned out 5,031 of the sedans—marketed as the company's entry to mass sales—in the last week of the second quarter, reports CNN. The milestone came after a series of well-publicized problems and Musk's own admission of a "production hell." Monday's news pleased investors, with the stock up 5%. In a lengthy story, meanwhile, the New York Times provides a look at the extremes Musk has gone to in order to ramp up production, including installing a third assembly line under a tent at its plant in Fremont, Calif. One nugget of the story getting attention is that Tesla's engineers did away with 300 of about 5,000 welds in the Model 3 underbody after concluding they were unnecessary. That involved reprogramming the robots assembling the underbodies to skip them. Musk also has hired hundreds of workers to replace robots who turned out to be inefficient at certain tasks, such as guiding bolts through holes as part of the rear brakes. "We believe in rapid evolution," Musk tells the Times in an interview—it took place at 3am Thursday, the only time the company said he'd be available. "It’s like, find a way or make a way. If conventional thinking makes your mission impossible, then unconventional thinking is necessary."

Musk tweeted on 7 August that he had ‘secured’ funding to take the company private, but so far no offer has been made Investors betting on a fall in Tesla’s share price have made $1.09bn since 7 August, when Tesla founder Elon Musk tweeted he had “secured” funding to take the troubled company private. The electric car company’s shares soared 11% to $379 after Musk’s so-called “Tesla tweet” that he had “funding secured” to buy out investors at $420 share. But that tweet – now the subject of legal action and a regulatory inquiry – so far has not led to an offer and Tesla’s stock has fallen 19% to $308 share. Tesla shares soar after Elon Musk floats plan to take company private Read more Musk has frequently clashed with Tesla’s short sellers – investors who bet on a company’s share price collapsing. The battle between Musk and short sellers has become increasing vituperative and personal. He has accused them of being saboteurs who “want the company to die”. As recently as mid-June, Musk predicted via Twitter that investors “have about three weeks before their short position explodes”. Arrayed against him are investors who have been willing to lose around $5bn since 2016 on their strong belief that Tesla cannot deliver on it promises. “What bothers me is not so much the personal stuff and the personal attacks. I’m used to that. It’s the willingness to say things that I think he knows are a stretch, to be polite,” investor Jim Chanos, founder of Kynikos Associates, who has been betting against Tesla for years, said in July. “I don’t think you get to tell people you’re going to make 20,000 Model 3s a week when you know that’s not going to be the case,” Chanos added, referring to the problems hampering production of the mass-market Model 3. According to S3, a financial technology and analytics firm, 33.4m Tesla shares worth $11.2bn worth, or more than a quarter of the company’s free float, are out on loan to investors betting that its share price will fall. To those investors, Tesla’s market capitalization, projected revenues and production capacity just don’t add up. “This has been one of the largest shorts in the US for several years,” says Ihor Dusaniwsky, managing director of predictive analytics as S3 Partners. “It’s become a battle of wills. The big players on the short side have a conviction that the stock is going to tumble to bankruptcy.” During the markets’ initial acceptance that Musk would be able to raise around $70bn to take Tesla private, the rise in stock added $6.4bn to Tesla’s market cap. That cost short sellers like Chanos around $1.3bn and triggered lawsuits. But stock in the company has fallen on reports that Securities and Exchange Commission officials are intensifying a probe into Tesla’s public statements and Tesla’s board made it clear it had scant knowledge of a Saudi Arabian pledge investment that Musk claimed to have received in a blog post last week and which he claimed “was just a matter of getting the process moving”. Elon Musk's tweets investigated for possibly breaking law: reports Read more On Friday, after the New York Times published an interview with Musk that sparked concerns over his health, Tesla’s stock dropped 9%, bringing Tesla down 19% from their pre-tweet level. On Monday, JP Morgan cut its December price target for Tesla back down to $195 per share. Analyst Ryan Brinkman explained to clients in a Monday note that their interpretation of events “leads us to believe that funding was not secured for a going private transaction, nor was there any formal proposal”. Needham analyst Rajvindra Gill said the real valuation of Tesla shares is “closer to $200”, or 30% lower than the $292 share price at the market’s opening on Monday, and 40% lower than on 6 August, the day before Musk’s now-infamous tweet. According to S3, that would bring short sellers up $3bn for the year but still down historically. “The big short sellers are strong and they’re not looking at their quarter-to-quarter returns. They have the pedigree to keep a position and not be forced out of it,” said Dusaniwsky. “They’re sure they’re right and don’t want to be proven wrong so they’re going to stay in as long as it takes.” In a letter to investors last week, UK hedge fund manager Crispin Odey, compared Musk’s recent behaviour to that of Donald Crowhurst, an amateur sailor who in 1968 set off on a solo voyage around the world but never returned. “Shorts like Tesla have been difficult to hold on to,” Odey wrote in the investors letter, according to Bloomberg. “However, Tesla feels like it is entering the final stage of its life.” ||||| If Elon Musk’s plan in announcing he was thinking of taking Tesla private was to get revenge against short sellers, it’s not exactly working out. Investors betting against the electric car company have actually made money since Musk’s now-infamous tweet — $1.2 billion, in fact. Most of that amount came the day after his emotional interview with the New York Times published, which drove Tesla’s stock down about 9 percent. Short sellers are investors who essentially bet against a company and make money when a stock’s price falls. Tesla is among the most shorted stocks in the history of the stock market — there were more than $13 billion worth of shares sold short at its August peak, according to Bloomberg — and it’s something that has incensed Musk for years. He claims that the high number of Tesla shorts gives people “incentive to attack the company” even when they’re wrong. Musk’s animus toward short sellers appears to be part of what prompted his surprise August 7 announcement via tweet that he was considering taking Tesla private. (In a pair of subsequent blog posts explaining the tweet, Musk laid out more of his rationale on privatizing, including his desire to avoid the harm he sees caused by shorts, and said he decided to make the Twitter announcement because the way to have “meaningful discussions with our largest shareholders was to be completely forthcoming with them about my desire to take the company private.”) Valued at $70 billion, it would be the largest corporate buyout ever. Shareholders could either to sell at 420 or hold shares & go private — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 7, 2018 The day of the announcement, Tesla’s share price jumped by about 11 percent, ticking up from less than $350 a share at the start of the day to about $387 by the end of it. (Musk had said he wanted to take Tesla private at $420 a share.) But since then, Tesla’s share price has drifted back down. On Friday, it fell by nearly 9 percent to $305.50. If Musk was motivated to make the privatization announcement to squeeze out short-sellers, it’s backfired. Financial and technology analytics firm S3 Analytics in a report on Friday estimated Tesla shorts are up $1.2 billion since Musk’s August 7 tweet, and $1 billion of that came on Friday alone, the day after Musk’s Times interview. In the interview, the South African-born entrepreneur described the “excruciating” past year of his life, including 120-hour workweeks and three to four days spent inside Tesla’s factories. “The worst is over from a Tesla operational standpoint,” he said. “But from a personal pain standpoint, the worst is yet to come.” The Securities and Exchange Commission has reportedly issued subpoenas investigating whether Tesla did indeed have the “funding secured” for its privatization, as Musk’s tweet asserted, and is also looking into whether the move was intended to harm short sellers. Even before the tweet, the SEC was reportedly probing whether Tesla misled investors about its Model 3 production issues. The Times also reported that Tesla’s board of directors is worried about Musk’s Ambien habit and that the company is trying to recruit a second-in-command to help Musk, who the publication said “alternated between laughter and tears” during the sit-down. This could be a temporary blip, but it might not be. A few days after his August 7 tweet, David Einhorn, the billionaire manager of fund Greenlight Capital, tweeted out a pair of shorts he believed Musk had sent him taunting him over his short position in Tesla. Apparel maker Chubbies was later revealed to be the actual sender, and Musk tweeted his approval of the move. I want to thank @elonmusk for the shorts. He is a man of his word! They did come with some manufacturing defects. #tesla pic.twitter.com/qsYfO8cbkp — David Einhorn (@davidein) August 10, 2018 Awesome — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 10, 2018 While Tesla shorts may have made money on Friday, they haven’t always been on the winning side of the stock. Musk’s privatization announcement cost short sellers $1.3 billion, according to S3. Although they’ve since more than recouped that initial loss after a $2.5 billion swing back in their favor, the firm estimates that long-term shorts have lost $5 billion on their bet since 2016. But they’re not backing down. Robert Chapman, a manager at Chapman Capital, told Bloomberg he doubled his short position after Musk’s August 7 tweet. “The more one learns about this situation, the more this appears to be a fakeover vs. takeover,” he said. Chris Brown, managing member at Aristides Capital, another Tesla shorter, was also emboldened. “It always ends poorly for companies when they’re trying to squeeze the shorts,” he told the publication. “The idea of a transaction itself is idiotic.” Both interviews were before Tesla’s Friday stock drop. Beyond the shorts, the reported SEC probes, and questions about going private, Tesla is also facing another and potentially more pressing issue: low cash reserves. Bloomberg reported in April that there is a “genuine risk” that the electric car company could run out of cash in 2018. (The story literally has a ticker counting Tesla’s cash burn as you read.) Analysts at Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, and Moody’s have all argued that Tesla is in deep financial trouble, despite Musk’s assertions that everything is fine. Tesla would need money to go private. But it also might need money just to stay afloat. As of June 30, Tesla has $2.2 billion in cash, which it says is “expected to grow” in the third quarter. That’s part of what the shorts are focusing on — and what’s got them in Musk’s head. He told the Times he was bracing for “at least a few months of extreme torture” from the shorts, “who are desperately pushing a narrative that will possibly result in Tesla’s destruction.” “They’re not dumb guys, but they’re not supersmart,” he said. “They’re okay. They’re smartish.”

– The SEC is investigating Elon Musk's now-famous tweet about taking Tesla private, and one reason is to see whether he set out to punish investors who were betting against his company, reports Vox. If so, he did not succeed. Though Tesla's share price rose from $350 to $387 the day of his Aug. 7 tweet, it has since fallen below the initial mark. (It was around $321 on Tuesday afternoon.) Both Vox and the Guardian estimate that short sellers have made more than $1 billion since the tweet. The latter newspaper also notes that Musk has a history of battling with short sellers, a battle that has become increasingly "vituperative and personal." For example, he approved of a taunting tweet, a pair of shorts, sent to one fund manager.

In this 2012 photo, Rear Adm. Ted “Twig” Branch, commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic, speaks to the crew aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Spec. 3rd Class Heath Zeigler) For more than two years, the Navy’s intelligence chief has been stuck with a major handicap: He’s not allowed to know any secrets. Vice Adm. Ted “Twig” Branch has been barred from reading, seeing or hearing classified information since November 2013, when the Navy learned from the Justice Department that his name had surfaced in a giant corruption investigation involving a foreign defense contractor and scores of Navy personnel. Worried that Branch was on the verge of being indicted, Navy leaders suspended his access to classified materials. They did the same to one of his deputies, Rear Adm. Bruce F. Loveless, the Navy’s director of intelligence operations. More than 800 days later, neither Branch nor Loveless has been charged. But neither has been cleared, either. Their access to classified information remains blocked. Although the Navy transferred Loveless to a slightly less sensitive post, it kept Branch in charge of its intelligence division. That has resulted in an awkward arrangement, akin to sending a warship into battle with its skipper stuck onshore. [Epic Navy bribery scandal shows how easy it can be to steal military secrets] Branch can’t meet with other senior U.S. intelligence leaders to discuss sensitive operations, or hear updates from his staff about secret missions or projects. It can be a chore just to set foot in colleagues’ offices; in keeping with regulations, they must conduct a sweep beforehand to make sure any classified documents are locked up. Some critics have questioned how smart it is for the Navy to retain an intelligence chief with such limitations, for so long, especially at a time when the Pentagon is confronted by crises in the Middle East, the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and other hotspots. “I have never heard of anything as asinine, bizarre or stupid in all my years,” Norman Polmar, a naval analyst and historian, said in an interview. In an op-ed in Navy Times last fall, Polmar urged Navy leaders to replace Branch and Loveless for the sake of national security. He cited complaints from several unnamed Navy officers that “intelligence management is being hampered at a moment of great turmoil.” Rear Adm. Bruce F. Loveless, left, and Vice Adm. Ted “Twig” Branch. (U.S. Navy via Associated Press) It’s a touchy subject for Navy brass, who have struggled to replace Branch. Twice in the past 14 months, they have taken steps to nominate a new intelligence chief — who must be confirmed by the Senate — but haven’t followed through. There’s no indication that a successor will be in place anytime soon. In a statement, Rear Adm. Dawn Cutler, the Navy’s chief spokeswoman, said the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation of Branch and Loveless “has not impacted the Navy’s ability to manage operations.” She said the two still perform managerial duties while their civilian and military deputies handle the classified aspects of their jobs. Branch and Loveless declined interview requests placed through the Navy. In addition to serving as chief of Navy intelligence, Branch holds the title of the Navy’s chief information officer, oversees the Navy’s 55,000-member Information Dominance Corps and is in charge of many cybersecurity programs. Privately, some Navy leaders acknowledged that dealing with the fallout from the Justice Department’s investigation has been a nightmare, and that they never anticipated the case would drag on so long. “We had the understanding that this was going to resolve itself pretty quickly,” said a senior Navy official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid antagonizing federal prosecutors. “We have no actionable information on Admiral Branch, good, bad or otherwise. All we know is that he’s wrapped up in this somehow.” “Until these things resolve themselves, we’re kind of frozen,” the senior official added. “Is it optimum? No, it’s not optimum. But it’s where we are.” Cigars and suckling pigs Branch has long been a star in the Navy’s officer corps. A fighter pilot by training, he has flown combat missions over Grenada, Lebanon, the Balkans and Iraq. He’s perhaps best known for his leading role in a 10-part PBS documentary, “Carrier,” an inside account of life aboard the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, which he commanded in 2005. In July 2013, he was promoted to become a three-star admiral and director of naval intelligence. But he would soon become hamstrung in the job. About the same time, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Justice Department were intensifying an investigation of Glenn Defense Marine Asia, a Singapore-based firm that had resupplied U.S. Navy vessels at Asian ports for a quarter century. The company’s chief executive, Leonard Glenn Francis, was lured to the United States in a sting operation and was arrested at a San Diego hotel. A large and charismatic man known as “Fat Leonard,” he was charged with running a bribery scheme and defrauding the Navy of more than $20 million. An undated company handout photo shows Leonard Glenn Francis, aka “Fat Leonard,” defense contractor who supplied U.S. Navy vessels in Asia for a quarter century. (Glenn Defense Marine Asia) Several Navy officials were arrested, including a senior NCIS agent who confessed to feeding inside information to Francis for years. As the case unfolded in federal court, prosecutors described in astonishing detail how Francis had bribed Navy officers with prostitutes, cash-stuffed envelopes, lavish hotel stays, spa treatments, and epicurean dinners featuring champagne, Cuban cigars, Kobe beef and Spanish suckling pigs. In exchange, prosecutors said, some Navy officials provided Francis with classified information and steered Navy vessels to ports he controlled so he could overcharge the U.S. government for fuel, food, water and other supplies. The investigation escalated quickly as federal agents traced Francis’s interactions with hundreds of Navy personnel over the previous decade. On Nov. 8, 2013, late on a Friday night, the Navy announced that Branch and Loveless had been swept up in the case. The Navy gave no details about what they were alleged to have done. Although the Navy said there was no evidence that either admiral had compromised military secrets, it suspended their access to classified material, saying the move was “prudent given the sensitive nature of their current duties.” ‘Good time on Leonard’s dime’ Little information about their predicament has surfaced since then. One year later, Branch issued a statement to the Navy Times in which he said investigators were examining work performed by Glenn Defense Marine Asia while he served as the commander of the Nimitz. He didn’t elaborate, but said he looked forward to the end of the inquiry “so that I can resume in full my service to the Navy and the country.” Justice Department officials declined to answer questions about their scrutiny of Branch or to discuss why the inquiry has taken so long. “This remains an active, ongoing investigation that covers conduct that spans more than a decade and involves a massive amount of evidence, multiple countries, tens of millions of dollars in fraud, and millions of dollars in bribes and gifts to scores of U.S. Navy officials,” Laura Duffy, the U.S. attorney in San Diego, said in a statement. [Three U.S. naval officers censured in ‘Fat Leonard’ corruption probe] A source close to the investigation said more than 100 Navy personnel and other people remain under investigation for potential criminal, financial or ethical violations. “The sheer number of people involved here is extraordinary,” the source said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing. A second source close to the investigation said that Branch met Francis 16 years ago, when Branch was the executive officer of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, and that the pair stayed in regular contact. The source said Francis has also known Loveless for many years, dating to his deployments in Asia as an intelligence officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk and as intelligence chief for the Navy’s 7th Fleet, based in Japan. Although it is against federal ethics regulations to accept gifts from contractors, the Justice Department is focusing on Navy personnel who in turn did Francis’s bidding by sharing inside information or enabling him to overcharge the government. “Some guys were just having a good time on Leonard’s dime,” the second source close to the investigation said. “Other guys were passing on classified information.” Prosecutors have suggested that more arrests are likely. Seven defendants, including Francis, have pleaded guilty so far in federal court. Federal corruption charges also are pending against a Navy commander and a senior Pentagon civilian. In addition, a former Navy contracting official living in Singapore was arrested there last month. The extent of the scandal has been deeply humiliating for the Navy. Last week, at the sentencing of an enlisted sailor who forked over military secrets in exchange for cash and electronic gadgets, Rear Adm. Jonathan A. Yuen, the chief of the Navy Supply Corps, said he was mortified by the revelations in court. “I do not have the words to express the depth of the betrayal,” Yuen testified. “No amount of money is worth betraying our nation, our Navy or our shipmates.” In addition to those facing criminal prosecution by the Justice Department, the Navy has been investigating an unspecified number of people suspected of violating military regulations. In February, for instance, the Navy officially censured three admirals for dining at “extravagant” banquets and accepting other gifts from Francis when they were assigned to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group a decade ago. [Powerful admiral punishes suspected whistleblowers, still gets promotion] Three stars or two stars With Loveless’s status in limbo, the Navy transferred him to another position in December 2014. As the corporate director for information dominance, he still works for Navy intelligence. But he deals primarily with issues that don’t require a security clearance, such as personnel and training, officials said. The Navy has twice taken steps to replace Branch as well, but for reasons that remain unclear, hasn’t gone through with it. In November 2014, the Navy prepared a nomination package for Rear Adm. Elizabeth Train to become the service’s intelligence head. But her promotion was put on hold after someone filed a complaint against her with the Navy inspector general. Rear Adm. Elizabeth L. Train. (U.S. Navy) Details of the complaint couldn’t be learned, but Pentagon officials said Train was cleared of wrongdoing by the inspector general. Her nomination was finally sent to the Senate Armed Services Committee in September. Nothing has happened since. Pentagon officials said that her nomination has been placed on the back burner and that she’s not scheduled for promotion until July, although they declined to explain why. Such a delay could work in Branch’s favor. If he remains in his current job until July, he will have enough service time to qualify to retire as a vice admiral. If forced to leave before then, it’s more likely that he would have to retire at a lower rank as a two-star admiral, with a smaller pension. The senior Navy official disputed that Branch’s rank and retirement eligibility was influencing the timetable to replace him. “That has not been a factor whatsoever,” the official said. Even if Branch were cleared of wrongdoing by the Justice Department and the Navy tomorrow, he would face a much longer wait to regain access to military secrets. Pentagon officials said his security clearance would have to be restored by a separate arm of the bureaucracy — the Defense Department’s Central Adjudication Facility — in a process that usually takes months. ||||| Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. 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– The intelligence chief for the US Navy is named Twig Branch, and he hasn't been allowed to see any major intelligence for more than two years. This isn't a lost chapter from the satirically bizarre Catch-22—it's the truth behind the scenes of a major military corruption investigation, the Washington Post reveals. Vice Adm. Ted Branch ("Twig" is his nickname) has been barred from accessing classified info since November 2013, which is when the Navy got wind from the Justice Department that Branch may be entwined with a case involving bribery of Navy officials by a Malaysian defense contractor. Deciding it was too risky to keep him abreast of the most top-secret info, the Navy stripped him—and one of his deputies, Rear Adm. Bruce F. Loveless—of that access in anticipation of his possible indictment. Meanwhile, the investigation drags on. While Loveless was moved to a lower-level position, Branch was kept in place—a move that has baffled military analysts. "I have never heard of anything as asinine, bizarre, or stupid in all my years," historian Norman Polmar tells the Post. (Polmar has begged the Navy to rethink this arrangement.) It does seem, at the very least, unwieldy: Not only is Branch barred from meeting with other top US intelligence officials about sensitive projects, he can't hear updates about them, either—and even strolling into a co-worker's office to say hi means that colleague has to "make sure any classified documents are locked up," per the Post. A Navy spokeswoman simply says that the bribery probe "has not impacted the Navy's ability to manage operations" and that Branch's sensitive tasks are managed by his deputies. (Read the entire odd story here.)

It would be foolish not to include Amazon on the list of potentially huge players in the tablet industry. While the company is still only selling simple Kindle e-readers, Amazon has quietly built all the tools it needs to compete against Apple and the other tablet makers with its own Android-based tablets. Let's review: Amazon just launched its Android app store today. It could easily end up better than Google's built-in Android Market. Why? Because Amazon cares about building a better storefront than Google. And because Amazon has better e-commerce tools and vision than just about anyone. Amazon's music store and video streaming service are as close to Apple's iTunes as it gets. That's one of the big problems with the Motorola Xoom, for example -- nice, big screen, but no legit source of movies to stream. Amazon tablets would have an answer. Amazon Prime members can stream unlimited movies and TV episodes from a small (but inevitably growing) library of content. That sounds like a great bonus feature for Amazon tablets. Amazon has a massive distribution vehicle... in Amazon.com. This could allow it to sell tablets at lower prices because it doesn't have to factor in a middle man. When we surveyed Business Insider readers about where they would go to buy a tablet, some 17% picked Amazon -- more than Best Buy. Amazon also has a growing field of Kindle retail partners, to complement web sales. We were surprised to see a Kindle display at Staples last night, but, yes, they sell the Kindle. Amazon builds good hardware. The new Kindle is no iPad, but it's definitely the best at what it's trying to be -- an e-reader. It's slim, lightweight, and attractive. And Amazon has sold more Kindles over the last several years than most companies have sold of any tablet-shaped devices. Amazon is ambitious and sees ahead of slower competitors. It was way ahead of the field with Amazon Web Services. We could see it making similarly smart, forward-thinking bets. The tablet market is far from figured out long-term. Amazon is already trying to hire more Android people. As Nick Bilton noticed at the New York Times, Amazon's Lab 126 division -- which makes the Kindle -- recently added at least five new jobs for developers with Android experience. We wouldn't be surprised if Amazon did something interesting in mobile advertising, either -- another marketplace in which to disrupt the incumbents like Google. Apple is clearly scared of Amazon. Why else would it sue over the term "app store?" So, where would Amazon fit into the market? Probably not at the high end -- it would be almost impossible to beat Apple in hardware or software quality, so Amazon probably won't try. But if it can design decent hardware, there's no reason Amazon couldn't compete with the likes of Motorola, HTC, and Samsung in the mid-level Android tablet market. Especially if it could offer better built-in entertainment services, a better built-in app store, and lower pricing. Related: How Amazon Saved The Kindle Get the latest Google stock price here. ||||| Amazon is making a 9 inch iPad clone and will start selling it in the third quarter of this year, WSJ reporters say on Twitter. The full story is here. In May, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos told Consumer Reports to "stay tuned" for just such an announcement. We're pretty sure Amazon will be a big player in the tablets market. Dan Frommer explained why, in March: While the company is still only selling simple Kindle e-readers, Amazon has quietly built all the tools it needs to compete against Apple and the other tablet makers with its own Android-based tablets. Let's review: Amazon just launched its Android app store today. It could easily end up better than Google's built-in Android Market. Why? Because Amazon cares about building a better storefront than Google. And because Amazon has better e-commerce tools and vision than just about anyone. Amazon's music store and video streaming service are as close to Apple's iTunes as it gets. That's one of the big problems with the Motorola Xoom, for example -- nice, big screen, but no legit source of movies to stream. Amazon tablets would have an answer. Amazon Prime members can stream unlimited movies and TV episodes from a small (but inevitably growing) library of content. That sounds like a great bonus feature for Amazon tablets. Amazon has a massive distribution vehicle... in Amazon.com. This could allow it to sell tablets at lower prices because it doesn't have to factor in a middle man. When we surveyed Business Insider readers about where they would go to buy a tablet, some 17% picked Amazon -- more than Best Buy. Amazon also has a growing field of Kindle retail partners, to complement web sales. We were surprised to see a Kindle display at Staples last night, but, yes, they sell the Kindle. Amazon builds good hardware. The new Kindle is no iPad, but it's definitely the best at what it's trying to be -- an e-reader. It's slim, lightweight, and attractive. And Amazon has sold more Kindles over the last several years than most companies have sold of any tablet-shaped devices. Amazon is ambitious and sees ahead of slower competitors. It was way ahead of the field with Amazon Web Services. We could see it making similarly smart, forward-thinking bets. The tablet market is far from figured out long-term. Amazon is already trying to hire more Android people. As Nick Bilton noticed at the New York Times, Amazon's Lab 126 division -- which makes the Kindle -- recently added at least five new jobs for developers with Android experience. We wouldn't be surprised if Amazon did something interesting in mobile advertising, either -- another marketplace in which to disrupt the incumbents like Google. Apple is clearly scared of Amazon. Why else would it sue over the term "app store?" So, where would Amazon fit into the market? Probably not at the high end -- it would be almost impossible to beat Apple in hardware or software quality, so Amazon probably won't try. But if it can design decent hardware, there's no reason Amazon couldn't compete with the likes of Motorola, HTC, and Samsung in the mid-level Android tablet market. Especially if it could offer better built-in entertainment services, a better built-in app store, and lower pricing. Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions. ||||| The Kindle isn't the only special plastic rectangle Amazon wants you to buy: the WSJ claims the book-and-deodorant-and-virtually-everything seller is readying its Android tablet by October. And that's besides the long-gestating touch Kindle. The proper tablet'll be a nine-incher, forego a camera, and plug straight into Amazon's media bank. But, the Amazondroid (keeping my fingers crossed for that name) won't supplant any of the Kindle's shine—at least not according to Amazon's plan. In fact, two new Kindles are on their way, according to the same Journal report. One will add a touchscreen, with the second being "an improved and cheaper adaptation of the current Kindle." They'll both still be black-and-white E-ink. This news isn't wholly surprising—we've had a pretty good idea for a while what an Amazon tablet would be like, that it would directly tap into Amazon's steadily expanding streaming and downloadable media offerings—perhaps with a freshly valuable all-you-can-eat Prime membership. But now we know how big it'll be. And that "roughly nine-inch screen" says a lot. It's not looking to simply be a better Nook Color, but a real tablet fighting the iPad and every other major slate thing out there. And maybe, just maybe, that fat, direct line to everything Amazon's got to offer will give us a reason to turn our heads away from iOS and iTunes. [WSJ] ||||| Amazon.com Inc. has battled Apple Inc. over digital books, digital music and mobile applications. Now the two companies are taking their clash to another front: the tablet market. Amazon plans to release a tablet computer by October, people familiar with the matter said, intensifying its rivalry with Apple's iPad. Amazon will launch a tablet by October, intensifying the rivalry with Apple and its iPad. WSJ reporter Stu Woo gives Lauren Rudser the details we know so far. Image courtesy of Getty Images. While Amazon has long offered digital content on its website, it has lacked much of the hardware to go with it. Now the Seattle company hopes customers will use its tablet to buy and rent that content, said people familiar with its thinking. An Amazon spokesman didn't respond to requests for comment. Amazon's looming entry into the tablet market, which Chief Executive Jeff Bezos has hinted at in his appearances this year, is the latest example of how technology companies, once focused on a particular segment of the industry, are increasingly jostling one another on multiple fronts. That trend is evident in the enterprise-technology arena, where onetime partners such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Oracle Corp. became enemies in markets including server computers, and it is now becoming evident in consumer technology. In recent years, Apple, Amazon and Google Inc. have found themselves competing in areas such as the mobile software market and digital content. The overlap stems from a race to tap into the young and growing field of selling digital goods, such as video, music and books, which are potentially vast markets as more consumers turn to downloads. Apple and Amazon have already had some bitter clashes. In March, Apple sued Amazon alleging the online retailer had violated the trademark on the name "App Store." Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs also has poked fun at Amazon's Kindle electronic-book reader, saying that few people read and that general-purpose devices like the iPad are superior to single-purpose ones. "Amazon and Apple are frenemies"—both friends and enemies—said Sarah Rotman Epps, a Forrester Research analyst. They "rely on each other as partners"—Amazon, for example, sells digital books via its Kindle app in Apple's iTunes Store—but "at the same time, they aggressively compete for customers' attention and dollars," she said. Amazon faces a tough road against Apple in the tablet market. Since introducing the iPad last year, Apple had sold 19.5 million of the devices as of the end of March. It is far and away the leader in the tablet market. The iPad has been bolstered by its connection to Apple's App Store, which sells videogames and other software, and Apple's iTunes store, where people can easily download music, videos and books. Apple officials didn't respond to a request for comment. Amazon's tablet will have a roughly nine-inch screen and will run on Google's Android platform, said people familiar with the device. Unlike the iPad, it won't have a camera, one of these people said. While the pricing and distribution of the device is unclear, the online retailer won't design the initial tablet itself. It also is outsourcing production to an Asian manufacturer, the people said. One of the people said the company is working on another model, of its own design, that could be released next year. The introduction of a tablet poses a conundrum for Amazon on how to keep from cannibalizing sales of its popular Kindle. Amazon has long said the Kindle is its best-selling device, though it has declined to disclose sales. A person familiar with Amazon's thinking said it still figuring out how to market the tablet computer. One issue is whether customers will want to buy both the tablet and Kindle, which is viewed as a dedicated-reading device for bookworms. But Amazon will be facing competitors other than Apple. Sony Corp. on Wednesday unveiled prototypes of a tablet and a wallet-shaped dual-screen portable device that will offer movies, apps, music, books and PlayStation games. Sony said the devices would be available later this year. Amazon plans to introduce two updated versions of its black-and-white Kindle in this year's third quarter, people familiar with the matter said. One of the new Kindles will have a touch screen, which current models don't have. Amazon is better-positioned than other companies to go up against Apple, said Ms. Epps, the Forrester analyst. Part of the reason is because Amazon already has a digital-content store with a significant selection and following. Amazon has heavily promoted its digital offerings this year. It launched a streaming video service in February. And in May, it undercut Apple's iTunes store by selling an album by pop singer Lady Gaga for 99 cents. Amazon is also in a position to offer a cheaper alternative to the iPad, said Ms. Epps. It could sell the tablet for a loss while hoping to make money on sales of movies, music and books. Customers are "looking for a cheaper alternative, and they're looking for a compelling experience, in terms of both content and shopping," which Amazon can offer, Ms. Epps said. Nonetheless, she noted that unlike Apple, which has its own retail stores, Amazon lacks a natural brick-and-mortar outlet to sell its products. In addition, Amazon's product may be less refined than the iPad, which is in its second generation. "I don't know whether Amazon will be able to compete with Apple head-to-head on hardware sophistication," she said. —Amir Efrati contributed to this article. Write to Stu Woo at [email protected] and Yukari Iwatani Kane at [email protected]

– Amazon will have a tablet computer of its own out by October to compete with the iPad, reports the Wall Street Journal. Insiders say the Android device will have a 9-inch screen but no camera. Amazon also plans two Kindle updates: One version will have a touch-screen and the other will be an improved (and cheaper) version of the current model. Some quick reaction: Sam Biddle, Gizmodo: Not a huge surprise, but the 9-inch screen "says a lot," he writes. "It's not looking to simply be a better Nook Color, but a real tablet fighting the iPad and every other major slate thing out there." Click for the full column. Nicholas Carlson, Fast Company: "We're pretty sure Amazon will be a big player in the tablets market," he writes, referencing this earlier story.

A mother whose newborn son was mistakenly turned over by maternity ward staff to another mother and breast-fed has sued the Minneapolis hospital. Tammy Van Dyke, of Apple Valley, sued Allina Health System's Abbott Northwestern Hospital late last week. The suit said the Dec. 5, 2012, mix-up led to "unnecessary medical treatment, tests and expenses, and severe mental injury and emotional pain and suffering." In response, Abbott acknowledged the mistake, saying it appears the staff failed to follow procedure of matching codes on the infants' and mothers' identification bands. Two months later, Abbott instituted a new procedure using higher-tech identification bands to avoid further mix-ups. "We began using electronic identification bands for the mother and infant that must be matched when returning the infant to the mother," said Michelle Smith, who oversees Abbott's Mother Baby Center. "This helps us to assure that the identity of the infant and mother are matched each time." The new system displays a green light to tell the nurse that the mother and baby match. Allina spokeswoman Gloria O'Connell said Tuesday she's unaware of any such mix-up occurring at Abbott since the electronic bands started being used. Van Dyke gave birth to son Cody Stepp on Dec. 3, 2012, and the boy was handed over to another mother in the center and breast-fed, the suit said. Cody was wearing three hospital ID bracelets with the proper identification on his ankle, according to his mother. A few days after the late-night mistake, Van Dyke said that Cody and the other woman, who had given birth to twins, were given blood tests to make sure they were not exposed to any infectious diseases, such as hepatitis or HIV, that can be transmitted through breast milk. All the tests were negative, she said — but Cody had retesting scheduled every three months for a year. The suit seeks more than $50,000 and whatever other compensation a court might find proper for Van Dyke. Her attorney, Wayne Jagow, declined to discuss specific facts of the case, but said they decided to sue after negotiations for a settlement failed. "My client had no desire to bring herself into the limelight again by starting a lawsuit, but really had no choice as our statute of limitations was up," Jagow said in an e-mail. "We had attempted to get some sort of dialogue going with Abbott/Allina over the last year to handle this quietly and they simply refused." Jagow also said Van Dyke was not told of any changes to procedures to prevent this from happening to other families. "This has always been her primary concern," he said. ||||| A newborn baby will have to undergo a year of medical tests for HIV and hepatitis because he was accidentally put in the wrong bassinet by a Minneapolis hospital and then breastfed by the wrong mother. The mix-up happened Wednesday in Abbott Northwestern Hospital when Tammy Van Dyke's little boy Cody was accidentally switched to the wrong bassinet in the nursery. "You put your baby in the nursery, not even 48-hours old, and you think they're safe," Van Dyke told ABC News today. "I'm holding it together. I'm just in disbelief, and it was like I was in a dream, a bad dream, and I couldn't get it to stop." Van Dyke was told two hours after the switch happened, just hours before she was going to take Cody home. The infant had to undergo blood testing for HIV and hepatitis immediately following the switch. "It was horrible," Van Dyke said. "Two nurses had to go in through veins in his tiny little arms." Although the tests came back negative, Abbott Northwestern Hospital told Van Dyke her newborn son would have to undergo blood testing every three months for a year. Hospital spokeswoman Gloria O'Connell said the tests were "just a precaution," but declined to elaborate because of patient confidentiality. Van Dyke was able to speak with the other mother, who had to wait 20 minutes before her baby, Liam, was located. "It gave me peace of mind to talk to her," Van Dyke said. "She was just as distraught as me that this happened to her, and in the meantime, also didn't know where her baby was. She has twins." Van Dyke, who also has a 2-year-old, said the homecoming shortly after wasn't what she thought it would be. "I imagined getting up and getting ready and having Cody in the car with his big brother and coming home as a happy family," Van Dyke said. "We were going to videotape the homecoming, showing his room, and I couldn't stop crying. I couldn't put myself together, because it wasn't what I had imagined all this time." In an apology letter given to her, the hospital states: "Please accept this letter with our sincerest apologies for what occurred today at the hospital, that in the nursery your newborn son was placed in the wrong bassinette and then was taken to the wrong mother and breastfed. The hospital agrees to pay for the additional testing that you had done today and will also pay for the tests recommended for your son related to this incident up to one year." And in a press release from Abbott Northwestern, practicing obstetrician and Chief Clinical Officer of Allina Health, Dr. Penny Wheeler, said, "As an obstetrician, I have personally seen verification of the infant's identifying name band matched correctly with the mother's on hundreds of occasions. It is extremely unfortunate that was not the case this time. We sincerely apologize to the involved families and will make certain we understand why our procedures were not appropriately followed in this case." "I will be thankful to God when this year's over and he's cleared all his health tests and we don't have to think about this again," Van Dyke said.

– In early December 2012, Tammy Van Dyke of Apple Valley, Minn., gave birth to a healthy baby boy. But shortly before she was set to take baby Cody home from the hospital two days into his life, she learned that a nursery mix-up had resulted in another mother breastfeeding her child. This led to "unnecessary medical treatment, tests and expenses, and severe mental injury and emotional pain and suffering," according to a lawsuit she has just filed against Allina Health System's Abbott Northwestern Hospital, which has admitted to the mistake, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In the end, after a year of quarterly blood tests to ensure Cody had not been exposed to infectious diseases such as HIV, Cody came out in the clear. When the mixup was announced in 2012, hospital spokeswoman Gloria O'Connell told ABC News at the time the tests were "just a precaution." But it was still "horrible," said Van Dyke, who is seeking at least $50,000, plus whatever compensation a court might decide. "Two nurses had to go in through veins in his tiny little arms." Meanwhile, the other mother, who'd had twins, reportedly told hospital staff who brought her Cody that she didn't think the baby was hers, reports KARE 11, but they assured her he was. Then she saw his anklet and discovered the mixup. "She was just as distraught as I was," Van Dyke says. Two months after the mixup, "we began using electronic identification bands for the mother and infant that must be matched when returning the infant to the mother," says an Abbott rep. (A baby switched at birth in 1994 was awarded $2 million.)

The message from Elizabeth Smart to missing Provo woman Elizabeth Laguna-Salgado? "We will find you." Elizabeth Salgado Provo Police Department On Monday, Elizabeth Smart Gilmour and Ed Smart, her father, joined the family of Laguna-Salgado for a press conference to show support for the missing woman's case that has baffled investigators and the public alike. "We will find you. We are looking, and we won't give up," Smart said after being asked what her message would be to Laguna-Salgado. "Survive. Do whatever you need to survive." Saturday marked one year since Laguna-Salgado left class at the Nomen Global Language Center in Provo, Utah, and headed out to walk the 18 blocks back to her apartment. She never made it. The Smarts have dealt with a situation not unlike the one the Salgados face now. Smart, now 28, was kidnapped from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2002 and held captive for nine months before being rescued. Many credit Smart's rescue to the widespread attention her case received, allowing a member of the public to recognize one of her captors and call for help. "We don't know if she's been trafficked, or what the scenario is, but the family still holds out great hope that she is out there," Ed Smart said. Elizabeth Smart and Libertad Salgado Figueroa, the mother of missing Provo woman Elizabeth Salgado. KSL News Laguna-Salgado's family believes she is being held against her will somewhere. They've spent the past year talking to the media and creating videos in several languages to plead for her release. "We can't help thinking about what she is going through right now," Rosemberg Salgado, Elizabeth's uncle, told Dateline. The situation has been especially stressful, as the majority of Elizabeth's relatives, including her parents, live in Mexico. Most do not speak English. "Stress is really high," he said. "She could be anywhere at this point." The 26-year-old, who speaks little English, had moved to Provo two weeks prior to her disappearance. She had just finished serving a mission in Mexico for the Mormon Church. Then, as her uncle told Dateline, she "wanted to progress her life and be alongside those of the same faith." There is still a full-time detective assigned to the case, but Provo police say that the stream of tips that came by the thousands a year ago, has drastically slowed. A $50,000 reward compiled from various donations is still being offered for Elizabeth's safe return. "It's been a frustrating case," Lt. Brandon Post of the Provo Police Department told Dateline this week. "One we really would like resolved in a positive way, and we are still doing everything we can to get that outcome." Laguna-Salgado is described as 5'4" tall, weighing 125 lbs. with black hair and brown eyes. If you have any information about the case, you're urged to call the Provo Police Department at (801) 852-6210. ||||| (KUTV) Kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart made a plea for information and tips in the case of missing Provo woman Elizabeth Salgado. Twenty-six-year-old Salgado disappeared a year ago Saturday, in broad daylight, on the streets of Provo. The young woman was new to Utah, a recently returned LDS missionary from Mexico. Tips coming into Provo police, a year after the fact, are drying up and the Smart's are hoping to get people thinking about where they were and what they saw one year ago. RELATED: Dozens march for missing Provo woman one year after disappearance "I have faith in humanity and this community and that we can bring her home, you brought me home. Why can't it happen again? Why can't another miracle happen?" Elizabeth Smart, now 28, was kidnapped at the age of 14 and held captive for nine months, knows the "impossible" can happen. "Please, if you know anything, if you've seen anything, don't give up; there is a very good chance that she is still alive." Elizabeth Smart was joined Monday, by her father Ed Smart who said, "We do not know if she has been trafficked or what the scenario is, but the family still holds out great hope she is out there." Ed Smart is using the lessons he learned in the search for his own daughter Elizabeth to help the Salgado family. The idea is to keep her name in the news and on people's minds. "It is hard to conceive that somebody did not see something out there." Ed Smart held almost daily news conferences, sometimes more than one a day, while Elizabeth was missing. The heightened awareness eventually helped community members bring her home. She was spotted in Sandy walking with Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. She was dressed in disguise, but her picture had been on the news so often, she was still easily recognizable. Elizabeth Salgado did not disappear in the dark of night like Elizabeth, she disappeared in broad daylight, walking home from Nomen Global Language Center in Provo, Utah. The young woman had an 18-block walk to her apartment where she never arrived. "I am begging the community to please help," said Salgado's uncle, Rosemberg Salgado, He remembers the relief that came when Elizabeth Smart was found. He believes his niece is still alive, and spoke directly to a possible captor. "If you have any compassion in your heart, any goodness, any conscience please listen to my plea and let my niece go." Salgado's mother is heartbroken and spoke in Spanish about her loss and desperate desire to have her daughter back. Elizabeth Smart encouraged her to keep faith and encouraged the missing young woman to do the same. "I would want her to not lose faith in her family, because your family still loves her it doesn't matter what has happened to her they still love her unconditionally and they want her home more than anything." Elizabeth Salgado is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 125 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. RELATED: Reward for information in Elizabeth Salgado case increased to $50k Provo Police still have a full-time detective assigned to the case, but say the stream of tips has drastically slowed from this time last year. There is a $50,000 reward offered for Salgado's safe return. Follow us on Twitter @KUTV2News and LIKE us on Facebook for breaking news, updates and more. ||||| Born in Utah in 1987, Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her home at age 14 in June 2002. Held captive by a fanatic named Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, Smart was repeatedly raped, drugged and forced to endure religious rituals, until earning her freedom in March 2003. She has since become a noted activist and author, launching the Elizabeth Smart Foundation in 2011 and authoring My Story in 2013. By the time she reached middle school, Smart was sought out to perform as a harpist at local weddings and funerals, and she regularly participated in the annual fall concert at the Capitol rotunda in Salt Lake City. Smart was also a skilled equestrienne and distance runner who was training to compete in cross-country racing when she reached high school. She attended Bryant Intermediate School, where she was known as an intelligent and diligent student. Elizabeth Ann Smart was born into a devout Mormon family on November 3, 1987, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The second of six children of a successful real estate developer and a homemaker, Smart was known as a kind, smart, shy and obedient child. Her greatest passion was the harp, which she began playing at the age of 5 and practiced for hours each day. Abduction On June 4, 2002, Smart and her family attended an end-of-year awards ceremony at her school, where the 14-year-old won several awards for academics and physical fitness. Early the next morning, about an hour after midnight, Smart was awakened in the bedroom she shared with her younger sister Mary Katherine by the sound of footsteps and the feeling of cold metal against her cheek. A man whispered, "I have a knife to your neck. Don't make a sound. Get out of bed and come with me, or I will kill you and your family." The kidnapper, a man by the name of Brian David Mitchell, led Smart out of the house and marched her for hours through the forest to a camp where his wife, Wanda Barzee, was waiting. Mitchell believe he was a prophet named Immanuel, and after performing a bizarre wedding ceremony—he was also a polygamist—he declared Smart to be his wife and raped her. "I tried to fight him off me," she later testified. "A 14-year-old girl against a grown man doesn't even out so much." Mitchell and Barzee held Smart captive for the next nine months as they moved between California and Utah. Mitchell raped Smart daily—sometimes multiple times per day—and frequently kept her tethered to a tree. He forced her to consume vast quantities of alcohol and drugs and often did not feed her for days, bringing his captive to the brink of starvation. All the while, Mitchell attempted to indoctrinate Smart in his bizarre religious beliefs and convince her that he was a prophet. Discovery and Rescue The night of Smart's kidnapping, her younger sister Mary Katherine had pretended to be asleep in the other bed while silently attempting to observe her sister's kidnapper in the dark. "I stayed in bed," she recalled. "I was scared. I couldn't do anything. I was just shocked, petrified. I didn't know what to do, knowing someone had come into my bedroom and taken my sister." After several months, it suddenly occurred to Mary Katherine that the kidnapper resembled a man who had once worked on their home as a handyman—a person who called himself Immanuel. Police discovered that Immanuel was a man named Brian David Mitchell, and in February 2003, the popular crime detective show America's Most Wanted aired his photograph in an episode. On March 12, 2003, a passerby recognized Mitchell walking with Smart, who was veiled and wearing a wig and sunglasses. Authorities arrested Mitchell and his wife and returned Smart to her family that evening. The prosecution against Brian David Mitchell stretched on for years, complicated by questions about his mental fitness to stand trial. Finally, on December 10, 2010, more than eight years after the kidnapping, a jury in a federal courtroom in Salt Lake City found Mitchell guilty of kidnapping and transporting a child across state lines for sexual purposes. He was sentenced to life in prison, and Brazee was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for her part in the crimes. Personal Life Remarkably, Smart managed to return to a relatively normal life shortly after rejoining her family. Only weeks after her return, she hiked with her family to the camp where Mitchell had taken her nine months before. "I felt great. I felt triumphant," she said of the experience. "I don't think it's worth spending time in the past," she added. "It's not something I think about. If I feel like I want to [retell my story to someone], I will. But I don't have to. I don't talk about it much, I really don't care to." Smart soon returned to the classroom and resumed her favorite activities. After graduating from high school in 2006, she enrolled at Brigham Young University to study music performance. Additionally, she became an activist on behalf of kidnapping survivors and child victims of violence and sexual abuse, recounting her inspirational story in interviews with Katie Couric and Oprah Winfrey, and eventually becoming a noted public speaker. Smart also helped to author the United States Department of Justice's 2008 handbook for kidnapping survivors, You Are Not Alone: The Journey From Abduction to Empowerment. In 2009, Smart moved to Paris for her Mormon missionary trip, a period interrupted by a return to the U.S. to testify against Mitchell. It was in Paris that she met fellow missionary Matthew Gilmour, a native of Scotland. The two married in Hawaii in Feburary 2012, and went on to have two children together. Foundation, Book and TV Projects Smart in 2011 launched the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which aims to empower children and provide resources and trauma support for victims and families. That year, she also was named a special correspondent for ABC News to report on missing persons and child abduction cases. In October 2013, Smart released a memoir entitled My Story, highlighting the horrific ordeals that she encountered while she was kidnapped. Although the story delves into the inhumane treatment that she received from her captors, Smart wrote the book as a form of closure. "I want people to know that I'm happy in my life right now," she said to the Associated Press. In 2017, A&E and Lifetime announced a cross-network event to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Smart's abduction. A&E's two-part Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography, set to air on November 12 and 13, promised to reveal previously untold details about the horrific experience and its aftermath. A dramatized version of the story will follow on November 18 with the Lifetime movie I Am Elizabeth Smart, starring Alana Boden as the young victim and Skeet Ulrich as Brian David Mitchell.

– From one Elizabeth to another, an appeal to be strong and hopeful emerged Monday as Utah marked the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of 26-year-old Elizabeth Laguna-Salgado, per NBC News. "We will find you. We are looking, and we won't give up," Elizabeth Smart Gilmour, who herself was kidnapped at age 14, said at a press conference with Laguna-Salgado's family and her own father, Ed Smart. "Survive. Do whatever you need to survive." Laguna-Salgado vanished one year ago Saturday after leaving a local language center in Provo during daylight hours to make the 18-block walk to her apartment; she never arrived. She had only been in Provo for a couple of weeks after returning from a mission in Mexico for the Mormon church. Her family believes she's being held against her will, and the Smarts are involved because they know how important continued exposure is in cases where leads are starting to fall off and memories are beginning to fade. "I have faith in humanity and this community and that we can bring her home," said Smart, now 28, per KUTV. "You brought me home. Why can't it happen again? Why can't another miracle happen?" Ed Smart concurs, with KUTV noting the news conferences he held on an almost daily basis while his own daughter was missing. "The family still holds out great hope she is out there," he says. "It is hard to conceive that somebody did not see something out there." Laguna-Salgado is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall, about 125 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. (Smart's baby girl recently celebrated her first birthday.)

Mark Zuckerberg has spent an awful lot of time in the hot seat over the last two days. For those of us who have been paying attention to Facebook and its litany of scandals over the past few months, Zuck’s testimony in front of committees from the Senate and a (distinctly more lucid) one from the House told us nothing new. In fact, certain instances made it seem far more like a tortured five hour call with IT. But why does a picture of my 88-year-old dad show up on my own profile? Have you tried turning it off and turning it on again? Yes, many of the illustrious senators and representatives assembled devoted their limited minutes with the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the United States to addressing some very simple elements of how Facebook works (which is lucky for Zuckerberg because he had to concentrate most of his energy on modulating his face in the very natural way that humans do). “Yesterday when we talked, I gave the relatively harmless example that I’m communicating with my friends on Facebook and indicate that I love a certain kind of chocolate. And all of a sudden I start receiving advertisements for chocolate. What if I don’t want to receive those commercial advertisements?” — Senator Nelson (D-FL) “There is a core misunderstanding about how that system works, which is that—let’s say if you are a shop and you are selling muffins, right, you might want to target people in a specific town who might be interested in baking or some demographic, but we don’t send that information to you, we just show the message to the right people and that’s a really important, I think, common misunderstanding of how the system works.” — Mark Zuckerberg It’s not much of a stretch to say they probably aren’t equipped to decide how Facebook treats it’s user’s privacy. How could legislators hold Zuckerberg accountable if they don’t understand what’s going on? Congress is responsible for regulating a lot of industries that have a lot of technical nuance. Arguably, many of those products, from medicine to fuel, potentially put more Americans at greater risk than Facebook does. But clearly, their technical expertise leaves much to be desired, that we can’t take their digital literacy for granted (that’s why they have advisors who, one would hope, know a bit more). Congress wants to get it right, even if they don’t totally understand. Because they may have little comprehension of how Facebook and its competitors (if they can name a few) work, but they have a firm grasp of the effects. Senators and representatives know that Facebook directly affects a huge proportion of their constituents who were shocked — SHOCKED — by the Cambridge Analytica scandal. They may even be aware that their own re-election could be on the line, potentially from foreign interference. Congress’ ignorance might be at least a bit due to the fact that legislators haven’t yet done much to regulate the tech industry. These hearings show that our grandpa-congressmen don’t know all that much about the internet. But they also show that age of tech companies doing as they please may be ending. “I think it’s time to ask if Facebook has moved too fast and broken too many things,” Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) stated at the beginning of this morning’s hearing. We know what kind of regulation we need. The European Union has set a great example with the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation: every internet user has the right to know when their data changes hands or is subject to a breach, and has the right to be forgotten. Why doesn’t the government start there, and implement similar rules in the U.S.? If the people that represent us really want to hold Zuckerberg and Facebook accountable, we should be able to call his bluff. That requires being just as well-informed as he is. And if he’s hiding information from us, they’ve gotta know that, too, and legally require him to turn it over. To get there, many Congressmen and Congresswomen have some studying to do. We need to value digital literacy in the people we elect. That is, if we don’t want to have another Cambridge Analytica on our hands. ||||| Getty Images Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg started his testimony Tuesday in Washington looking worried. But he walked away from his first day of congressional hearings looking pretty confident. That's because many of the questions came from tech-challenged senators who seemed clueless about how Facebook makes its money and how the internet works. "If [a version of Facebook will always be free], how do you sustain a business model in which users don't pay for your service?" Sen. Orrin Hatch, the 84-year-old Republican from Utah, asked early on in the five-hour hearing. Zuckerberg paused a moment before saying, "Senator, we run ads." He, and his staff sitting behind him, then grinned before Hatch moved onto this next question. Now playing: Watch this: Zuckerberg explains the internet to Congress Team Facebook looked pleased because Hatch's question, like those from many of the senator's peers, showed a lack of basic understanding about how Facebook operates. The world's largest social network, which currently is free for all users, generated nearly $13 billion in revenue during the last three months of 2017. That money came from ads directed at the site's 2.2 billion users, with the ads targeted based on what Facebook knows about you. Facebook is a large, often secretive company that many in tech -- not to mention regular consumers -- have difficulty understanding. But Congress has toyed with the idea of regulating Facebook and other social media networks. If it doesn't understand how they actually work, it may be harder for Congress to develop laws that adequately protect consumers and prevent something like the Cambridge Analytica scandal from happening again. "A lot of these members frankly aren't on social media and maybe don't have experience with social media," said James Norton, a former deputy assistant undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush. "You need to experience the platform to understand what you're talking about if you do want to challenge the validity of what the company's doing."' Facebook's shares jumped 4.5 percent to $165.04 during the testimony, their highest point since March 21 (the week after the Cambridge Analytica news broke). Many on Twitter agreed that Zuckerberg didn't quite get the tough grilling that was expected. (At one point well into the proceedings, Zuckerberg himself told the Senate committee he wasn't ready for a break and asked to keep going.) Instead of Twitter being outraged over Zuckerberg's statements, many lamented how little US legislators seemed to understand. “Mr. Zuckerberg, a magazine i recently opened came with a floppy disk offering me 30 free hours of something called America On-Line. Is that the same as Facebook?” pic.twitter.com/U7pqpUhEhQ — Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) April 10, 2018 senator: my aides have given me this complex multi-part question to read to you in a halting and uncertain voice zuckerberg: oh no don't worry about that, our new motto is 'we fixed it' senator: that sounds wrong but i don't know what to ask — Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) April 10, 2018 Facebook stock up 4.5% on news that America is run by people who still own VCRs pic.twitter.com/whQd2hGKMN — Tom Gara (@tomgara) April 10, 2018 Mark Zuckerberg goes to Washington Zuckerberg took the hot seat Tuesday -- and will testify again Wednesday -- to account for data privacy lapses at the company he started 14 years ago in his Harvard dorm room. In 2013, personal info from about 300,000 users was originally collected for a personality quiz app called This is Your Digital Life, designed by Aleksandr Kogan, a Cambridge University researcher. Because of how Facebook worked at the time, Kogan was able to collect data from the quiz takers' friends -- up to 87 million of them -- and share the information with Cambridge Analytica. The UK-based data analytics firm then may have used the data to help the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election. Congress wants answers about how that happened and what Facebook is doing to prevent something like the scandal from happening again. But that doesn't mean they entirely understand the questions they're asking -- or even the answers they're getting from Zuckerberg. "Listening to these senators ask these questions is very frustrating, because they don't understand the technology, and they don't understand how Facebook really works," said Creative Strategies analyst Tim Bajarin. "They don't even understand how the advertising industry works." Now playing: Watch this: Seven of our favorite moments from Zuck's congressional... Part of the problem simply may be age. Most of Facebook's users are younger than America's senators. The average age of the 100 US senators is 63, according to congressional database LegiStorm. Zuckerberg is 33. As of January, only 21 percent of Facebook's US users were 55 or older, according to Statista. Nearly half were younger than 35 years old. When Facebook got started for college students in 2004, those senators weren't the target audience. Still, a Wall Street Journal analysis found that many of the Senate's older members post on Facebook as much as their younger peers. For instance, Sen. Ed Markey, a 71-year-old Democrat from Massachusetts, published 628 posts over the past year, the Journal reported. That's nearly as many as Sen. Cory Booker, the 48-year-old Democrat from New Jersey. Repetition and confusion On Tuesday, many senators started with carefully crafted questions but then were unable to offer logical followups. A few asked the same questions as their predecessors, including whether users actually understand the terms of service for the site and what information Facebook distributes to advertisers. "Have you ever drawn the line on selling data to an advertiser?" asked Dean Heller, a Republican from Nevada, after Zuckerberg earlier noted that Facebook doesn't sell data to advertisers. (FYI, Facebook places ads in users' feeds based on who the advertiser is targeting.) Sen. Deb Fischer, a Republican from Nebraska, confused Zuckerberg with her line of questions, asking "how many data categories" Facebook stores. "How many data categories do you store, does Facebook store, on the categories that you collect?" Deb Fischer, a Republican senator from Nebraska "How many data categories do you store, does Facebook store, on the categories that you collect?" she asked. "How much? All of it? Everything we click on? Is that in storage somewhere?" Zuckerberg said Facebook does store data but used Fischer's lack of knowledge to avoid really answering the question. Fischer later remarked that "we all know" that Facebook's user size -- 2.2 billion -- is "larger than the population of most countries." No countries have that many citizens. China and India are both estimated to have about 1.4 billion people apiece. The US has a population of about 326 million. Then there was confusion about how Facebook differs from other social networks. "Is Twitter the same as what you do?" asked Lindsey Graham, a Republican representing South Carolina. He also asked Zuckerberg which companies could essentially replace Facebook in people's lives. "Is Twitter the same as what you do?" Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina "Let me put it this way," Graham said. "If I buy a Ford, and it doesn't work well, and I don't like it, I can buy a Chevy. If I'm upset with Facebook, what's the equivalent product that I can go sign up for?" And then there was confusion about technology in general. "From the moment that we wake up in the morning, until we go to bed, we're on those handheld tablets," Bill Nelson, a Democratic senator from Florida, said during his opening remarks. We think he meant "smartphones." (Nearly everyone in the US who wants a smartphone has one, but only roughly half of Americans own a tablet, according to Pew.) Pipes? Others couldn't follow what Zuckerberg was saying. Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, seemed to have gotten lost during Zuckerberg's explanation of how internet service providers (which Facebook's CEO called the the "pipes" of the internet) are different from platform providers like Facebook. "When you -- when you say 'pipes,' you mean…" Wicker asked. Zuckerberg said he meant ISPs. "When you -- when you say 'pipes,' you mean…" Roger Wicker, a Republican senator from Mississippi And there was Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, who veered off the hearing's topic -- user data and privacy -- and spent his time accusing Facebook of being biased against conservatives. "Do you consider yourself a neutral public forum, or are you engaged in political speech, which is your right under the First Amendment?" Cruz asked several times before listing examples of conservative pages Facebook has blocked. He also asked why Facebook fired Palmer Luckey, the creator of the Oculus VR business who funded a secret anti-Hillary Clinton campaign. Zuckerberg called Luckey's departure a "personnel issue" that would be "inappropriate" to address, but he added that it wasn't because of Luckey's politics. The Guardian reported in 2015 that Cruz used Cambridge Analytica data to help his presidential campaign. Even senators known as the more tech savvy of the bunch experienced hiccups. Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, asked if Facebook could track what one user emails another on WhatsApp. WhatsApp is the encrypted messaging service -- which doesn't use email -- that Facebook bought in 2014. "Let's say I'm emailing about 'Black Panther' within WhatsApp ... do I get a 'Black Panther banner ad?" Brian Schatz, a Democratic senator from Hawaii He also asked Zuckerberg several times if messages sent on WhatsApp can be used to target ads. "Is there some algorithm that spits out some information to your ad platform, and then let's say I'm emailing about 'Black Panther' within WhatsApp, do I get a WhatsApp -- do I get a 'Black Panther' banner ad?" Schatz asked. Each time, Zuckerberg responded that WhatsApp messages are fully encrypted, which means they can't be read by Facebook or used for ad targeting. "The more [that] the questions [Zuckerberg] got were either repetitive -- or in some cases were irrelevant -- I found him to be becoming even bolder and more energized by what was going on," Bajarin said. Tune in again Wednesday for more coverage from Zuckerberg's hearings in Washington. CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti contributed to this report. Cambridge Analytica: Everything you need to know about Facebook's data mining scandal. Blockchain Decoded: CNET looks at the tech powering bitcoin -- and soon, too, a myriad of services that will change your life.

– Now that Mark Zuckerberg has finished two days of testimony on Capitol Hill, one clear theme is emerging in coverage after the fact: Members of Congress, particularly senators in their 70s and 80s, seem to lack a fundamental understanding of how the company works. That should "give everyone serious pause if they think that federal legislation is going to solve the serious and growing issues of technology run amok," writes Margaret Sullivan in the Washington Post. "Legislators don’t seem to understand it well enough to even ask the right questions, much less fix the problem." Sullivan and Shara Tibken of CNET both point to one question in particular by 84-year-old Sen. Orrin Hatch as a prime example. "If [a version of Facebook will always be free], how do you sustain a business model in which users don't pay for your service?" asked Hatch. It took Zuckerberg only four words to explain this basic tenet of Facebook's business plan: "Senator, we run ads." Tibken notes that Zuckerberg and staffers behind him grinned at the response. Other lawmakers seemed similarly flummoxed by other aspects of not just Facebook but tech in general. At Futurism, Victor Tangermann writes that it's clear that "many Congressmen and Congresswomen have some studying to do," and he suggests that voters start keeping this mind. "We need to value digital literacy in the people we elect," he concludes. "That is, if we don’t want to have another Cambridge Analytica on our hands."

How do you hide billions of dollars from the world when you’re one of the most famous people on Earth? According to a massive new leak that’s being called the largest of its kind in history, it’s not so hard these days. On Sunday, the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung released what it’s calling the Panama Papers, amounting to 2.6 terabytes of data, 11.5 million files The reveal concerns Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonesca, the world’s fourth biggest offshore law firm, which specializes in managing money in offshore jurisdictions like the British Virgin Islands. The leak, given to Süddeutsche Zeitung by an anonymous whistleblower, was handled collaboratively by 400 journalists from more than 100 media organizations, over 80 countries. From Süddeutsche Zeitung: Among others, Mossack Fonsecas’ clients include criminals and members of various Mafia groups. The documents also expose bribery scandals and corrupt heads of state and government. The alleged offshore companies of twelve current and former heads of state make up one of the most spectacular parts of the leak, as do the links to other leaders, and to their families, closest advisors, and friends. The Panamanian law firm also counts almost 200 other politicians from around the globe among its clients, including a number of ministers. The Guardian notes that some of the biggest players connected to these offshore accounts include Pakistan’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif,Ayad Allawi, ex-interim prime minister and former vice-president of Iraq; Ukranian president Petro Poroshenko; Alaa Mubarak, son of Egypt’s former president; and Iceland’s Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson. Most notably, Russian president Vladimir Putin has been connected to accounts totaling $2 billion, taken out in the name of his closest friend and associate, musician Sergei Roldugin. His trail of money from the accounts was even used on loan to a private ski resort where his younger daughter, Katerina, was married in 2013. Biggest leak in the history of data journalism just went live, and it's about corruption. https://t.co/dYNjD6eIeZ pic.twitter.com/638aIu8oSU — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 3, 2016 [Image via Getty] ||||| A massive leak of documents shines new light on the fabulous fortunes of the Russian president’s inner circle A network of secret offshore deals and vast loans worth $2bn has laid a trail to Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin. An unprecedented leak of documents shows how this money has made members of Putin’s close circle fabulously wealthy. Though the president’s name does not appear in any of the records, the data reveals a pattern – his friends have earned millions from deals that seemingly could not have been secured without his patronage. The documents suggest Putin’s family has benefited from this money – his friends’ fortunes appear his to spend. The files are part of an unprecedented leak of millions of papers from the database of Mossack Fonseca, the world’s fourth biggest offshore law firm. They show how the rich and powerful are able to exploit secret offshore tax regimes in myriad ways. The offshore trail starts in Panama, darts through Russia, Switzerland and Cyprus – and includes a private ski resort where Putin’s younger daughter, Katerina, got married in 2013. The Panama Papers shine a particular spotlight on Sergei Roldugin, who is Putin’s best friend. Roldugin introduced Putin to the woman he subsequently married, Lyudmila, and is godfather to Putin’s older daughter, Maria. A professional musician, he has apparently accumulated a fortune – having been placed in ostensible control of a series of assets worth at least $100m, possibly more. Roldugin appears to have been picked for this role because of his lesser profile. He has denied in documents to bank officials in Switzerland and Luxembourg that he is close to any Russian public figures. He has also said he is not a businessman. Yet the files reveal Putin’s longstanding intimate has a 12.5% stake in Russia’s biggest TV advertising agency, Video International, which has annual revenues of more than £800m. Previously, its ownership was a closely guarded secret. Roldugin was also secretly given an option to buy a minority stake in the Russian truck manufacturer Kamaz, which makes army vehicles, and has 15% of a Cyprus-registered company called Raytar. He also owns 3.2% of Bank Rossiya. The St Petersburg private bank has been described as Putin’s “crony bank�?. The US imposed sanctions on it after Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine. These assets are only part of a series of linked financial schemes revealed in the documents that revolve round Bank Rossiya. The bank is headed by Yuri Kovalchuk. The US alleges he is the “personal banker�? for many senior Russian government officials including Putin. The Panama Papers disclose that Kovalchuk and Bank Rossiya achieved the transfer of at least $1bn to a specially created offshore entity called Sandalwood Continental. These funds came from a series of enormous unsecured loans from the state-controlled Russian Commercial Bank (RCB) located in Cyprus and other state banks. There is no explanation in the files of why the banks agreed to extend such unorthodox credit lines. Some of the cash obtained from RCB was also lent back onshore in Russia at extremely high interest rates, with the resulting profits siphoned off to secret Swiss accounts. A $6m yacht was purchased by Sandalwood and shipped to a port near St Petersburg. Cash was also handed over directly to the Putin circle, this time in the form of very cheap loans, made with no security and with interest rates as low as 1%. It is not clear whether any loans have been repaid. In 2010 and 2011, Sandalwood made three loans worth $11.3m to an offshore company called Ozon, which owns the upmarket Igora ski resort in the Leningrad region. Ozon belongs to Kovalchuk and a Cypriot company. Putin is the resort’s star patron and a reputed resident. Eighteen months after the loans, the president used Igora as the venue for the wedding of Katerina. Her groom was Kirill Shamalov, the son of another of Putin’s old St Petersburg friends. News of the ceremony, from which cameras were banished, only emerged in 2015. The records were obtained from an anonymous source by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists with the Guardian and the BBC. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sergei Roldugin, Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, then Russian president, tour the House of Music in St Petersburg in 2009. Photograph: Dmitry Astakhov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/EPA They reveal a number of other manoeuvres by the Putin circle to move cash offshore. There is nothing inherently illegal in using offshore companies. The transactions, however, include apparently fake share deals, with shares “traded�? retrospectively; multimillion-dollar charges for vague “consultancy�? services; and repeated payments of large sums in “compensation�? for allegedly cancelled share deals. In 2011 a Roldugin company buys the rights to a $200m loan for $1. “This is not business, this is creating the appearance of business in order to continually move and hide assets,�? Andrew Mitchell QC, a leading authority on money-laundering, told BBC Panorama. Such layers of secrecy surrounded the offshore deals that Bank Rossiya staff in St Petersburg sent all their instructions to a confidential intermediary – a firm of Swiss lawyers in Zurich. The Swiss lawyers in turn arranged for Mossack Fonseca to set up shell companies, typically registering them in the secretive British Virgin Islands, with sham nominee directors from Panama to sign approvals for the deals. Even Mossack’s confidential records of true owners have frequently turned out to be further fronts. Speculation over the size of Putin’s personal fortune has gone on for almost a decade, following reports in 2007 that he was worth at least $40bn, based on leaks from inside his own presidential administration. In 2010, US diplomatic cables suggested Putin held his wealth via proxies. The president formally owned nothing, they added, but was able to draw on the wealth of his friends, who now control practically all of Russia’s oil and gas production and industrial resources. Guys, to be honest I am not ready to give comments now Sergei Roldugin In 2014, after Russia seized Crimea, the White House imposed sanctions on leading members of Putin’s circle, including Kovalchuk, citing their close ties to “a senior official of the Russian Federation�? – a euphemism for Putin himself. The Panama Papers reveal that the Putin group appeared to have become nervous for unclear reasons after October 2012. Sandalwood was closed down and its operations switched to another offshore entity registered in the BVI, called Ove Financial Corp. One of the companies linked to Ove Financial Corp belonged to Mikhail Lesin, Putin’s media tsar and former press minister. Lesin founded the Kremlin’s propaganda TV channel Russia Today but later fell out of favour. He was mysteriously found dead last November in a Washington hotel room with blunt force injuries to the head. Asked about the offshore companies linked to him last week, Rodulgin said: “Guys, to be honest I am not ready to give comments now … These are delicate issues. I was connected to this business a long time ago. Before ‘perestroika’. It happened … And then it started growing and such things happened. The House of Music [in St Petersburg] is subsidised from this money.�? Roldugin declined to answer further written questions. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Roldugin presents a diploma to Sir Paul McCartney, in front of St Petersburg’s then governor, Valentina Matviyenko, in 2003. Photograph: PhotoXPress The Putin circle’s use of offshore companies contrasts with the president’s call for “deoffshoreisation�?, urging Russians to bring cash hidden abroad home. Others who make use of offshore companies include oil trader Gennady Timchenko, Putin’s friend of 30 years. The US imposed sanctions on him in 2014. Others in the data are Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, Putin’s childhood friends and former judo partners. They are now billionaire construction tycoons. The Arsenal FC shareholder Alisher Usmanov also appears. He has at least six companies registered in the Isle of Man. There is no suggestion this is illegal. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s official spokesman, declined to comment on specific allegations against the president. Speaking last week, Peskov said western spy agencies were behind an all-out “information attack�? against him to destabilise Russia before elections. Peskov dismissed the investigation by the Guardian and others as an “undisguised, paid-for hack job�?. He said Russia had “legal means�? to defend Putin’s dignity and honour. RCB Cyprus said it could not disclose information about its clients. It said that in October 2013 it had “refined its strategy�?. It had opened a branch in Luxembourg, received a new investor, and was now under direct European Central Bank supervision. Given this, it was “utterly unfounded�? to suggest the bank was a “pocket�? for top Russian officials. The bank said it had voluntarily submitted the allegations to Cyprus’s money-laundering authority. The auditor PwC Cyprus said it had audited RCB’s accounts but that it did not provide services to Sandalwood. Lawyers for Kovalchuk said information about Bank Rossiya was publicly available. “We do not understand why you address these questions to Mr Kovalchuk.�? US political scientist Karen Dawisha said it was inconceivable that Putin’s friends had become rich without his patronage. “He takes what he wants. When you are president of Russia, you don’t need a written contract. You are the law.�? Panama Papers reporting team: Juliette Garside, Luke Harding, Holly Watt, David Pegg, Helena Bengtsson, Simon Bowers, Owen Gibson and Nick Hopkins

– A massive document leak apparently shows how friends of Vladimir Putin hid about $2 billion in secret, offshore accounts—money that likely ended up benefiting Putin's family, the Guardian reports. The documents from Mossack Fonseca, an offshore law firm in Panama, show wealthy Russians moving money through Russia, Switzerland, and Cyprus in ways that generated vague "consultancy" charges and other payments worth millions of dollars. "This is not business, this is creating the appearance of business in order to continually move and hide assets," says a money-laundering expert. The deals also involve Putin's best friend, cellist Sergei Roldugin—who seems to control at least $100 million in assets—and the Igora ski resort, where Putin is said to reside. The scheme revolves around a bank that's closely linked to Putin and his allies. The bank, Bank Rossiya, apparently received huge, unsecured loans from Russian state-owned banks and funneled billions into offshore transactions. About $1 billion went through a shell company created by Mossack Fonseca; among other things, the company bought a $6 million yacht and loaned $11.3 million to the owner of the Igora resort. But none of the alleged players have admitted to anything. "Guys, to be honest I am not ready to give comments now," says Roldugin, who mysteriously owns 3.2% of Bank Rossiya. "These are delicate issues." The so-called "Panama Papers" also link other world leaders to Mossack Fonseca shell companies, including Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and Icelandic PM Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, Gawker reports.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — An academic coach fired by the University of Notre Dame after a student accused her of coercing him into having unwelcome sexual encounters with her daughter issued a statement Thursday describing what happened as merely a breakup and saying her family is heartbroken he chose to harm them in such a public manner. "There are two sides to every breakup and that this is being played out in the media is incredibly painful to us," said a statement released by family spokeswoman Caitlin Rourk. "While we may not be a perfect family, we are a close-knit one and welcomed this young man into our lives at a time when he, himself said, he couldn't rely on anyone else." The University of Notre Dame disclosed Thursday that the student made a multimillion-dollar demand from the school after complaining about the academic coach, who was named in a lawsuit filed by the student last week. The lawsuit alleges racial discrimination and sexual harassment, saying the academic coach, who is white, orchestrated a sexually motivated "inappropriate and demeaning relationship" with the student, who is black. The suit alleges that included providing condoms and paying for hotel rooms and asking him about the nature, frequency and quality of sexual activities he had with her daughter. The names of those involved have not been released. Also Thursday, lawyers for the student released a six-page report by an outside investigator hired by the university into the relationship. The report does not specify how the academic coach, who didn't work with the student, allegedly coerced him. Mike Misch, an attorney for the student, said those details will come out at trial. When asked about the report, Rourk said the family had no further comment. The report states the academic coach at one point asked the student about the last time he and her daughter, a student at a nearby school who also works at Notre Dame, had sex. When he responded it had been three or four days, he told the investigator the mother told them to "go upstairs immediately and have sex." The student also said the daughter once said to him: "You know if you break up with me, I am going to kill you, right?" according to the report. He also told the investigator he was afraid of breaking up with the daughter because he had moved all his belongings into a storage unit of the mother and daughter and was afraid they wouldn't give them his things back, the report said. It also states he got a restraining order against the daughter and tried but failed to get one for the mother. It makes no mention of the academic coach trying to convert the student to Catholicism, a claim made in the lawsuit. University spokesman Paul Browne on Thursday issued a statement saying the university acted quickly after the student complained about the academic coach's conduct on Aug. 26. The statement described how the student asked for money from the school before the lawsuit was filed. The university put the academic coach on leave pending an investigation, even though she had no professional relationship with him, according to Browne's statement. He said she was fired on Oct. 5. ||||| NOTRE DAME - New information has been released about that sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a Notre Dame student against the University and a fired "Academic Coach." WSBT 22 News has obtained a summary put together by an investigator Notre Dame hired. CLICK HERE TO READ THE DOCUMENT Lawyers representing that student say there's a reason they released this information. READ THE NEWS RELEASE HERE The lawyers say because Notre Dame refuses to correct its official comment in response to their lawsuit filed last Friday. A University spokesman has said the student's allegations are unfounded. The student's legal team says the summary from the investigator is now being released "to protect the student" and because it shows someone acting on behalf of Notre Dame was aware of the facts behind the allegations. As WSBT 22 News first reported, the student is claiming the "academic Coach" pressured him during a sexual relationship with her daughter. In the investigative summary, it claims the student stayed with the daughter at the "academic Coach's" house on multiple occasions. It also details a specific incident last summer when the mother allegedly ordered her daughter and the student to "go upstairs immediately and have sex." The student also apparently told the investigator he referred to the "academic coach" as Sandra Bullock because she tried to help a black kid... In the movie "The Blind Side." The document also reveals she also tried to help a former Notre Dame football player she coached. The player also reportedly dated the "academic coach's" daughter and stayed at their home. The investigator's report goes on to allege the daughter told the student - "You know, if you break up with me, I am going to kill you, right?" According to the report, the "academic Coach" told the student she "always wanted to have sex with a black man." His parents contacted his Resident Adviser, who reported the incident to the University in August. Full statement Paul J. Browne, from Vice President, Public Affairs & Communications at Notre Dame: The student identified as John Doe in the lawsuit complained on August 26 to the university’s Office of Institutional Equity about an employee’s conduct. The employee was identified in the lawsuit as Jane Roe. Soon thereafter, Notre Dame employed outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation of the allegations. Although there was no professional relationship between Roe and Doe through the University, due to the nature of the allegations the University put Roe on leave pending resolution of the investigation. John Doe told the investigator that while the Roe never tried to seduce him, she pressured him to have sex with her daughter. Upon conclusion of the investigation and review of its findings, Notre Dame promptly terminated Roe on October 5. Following a multimillion-dollar demand for money, plaintiff’s counsel made unsupported allegations that Notre Dame failed to act, when in fact the university acted immediately when it learned of a problem. Further, a number of media outlets mistakenly reported that plaintiff was a student-athlete or that student-athletes were among other complainants. Neither is true. The sole plaintiff is not now and has never been a Notre Dame student-athlete. Full statement Caitlin Rourk, spokeswoman for Jane Roe family: There are two sides to every breakup and that this is being played out in the media is incredibly painful to us. While we may not be a perfect family, we are a close-knit one and welcomed this young man into our lives at a time when he, himself said, he couldn’t rely on anyone else. We’re heartbroken that he has chosen to try to harm us in such a public manner, but with the help of our family and friends, we will get through this.

– New allegations have emerged against a former Notre Dame academic coach who is accused of coercing a student into having a sexual relationship with her daughter. The unnamed complainant's lawyers yesterday released a six-page report by an investigator hired by the university that USA Today reports contains "graphic details." The student, who is black, alleges the white coach told him she "always wanted to have sex with a black man," per WSBT, and at one point asked him when was the last time he and her daughter had had sex. When he responded that it had been a few days, he says the woman told them to ''go upstairs immediately and have sex," reports the AP, which notes she also allegedly provided condoms and paid for hotel rooms. (The report also says the daughter and student "engaged in sexual activities very often, to the point of being unnatural.") The student also alleges the woman's daughter said, ''You know if you break up with me, I am going to kill you, right?'' The student's lawyer says he released the report—which doesn't describe how the coach allegedly coerced the student—because a university rep called the initial accusations "gratuitous" and "unfounded." "We hope that they do correct the statement," he says. Notre Dame says the student asked for millions from the school after filing a complaint on Aug. 26. The school immediately put the academic coach on leave; she was fired on Oct. 5. "There are two sides to every breakup and that this is being played out in the media is incredibly painful to us," the unnamed academic coach says in a statement. We "welcomed this young man into our lives at a time when he, himself said, he couldn't rely on anyone else." Her lawyer adds the allegations in the report "do not support the allegations he made in the original suit."

For years, JetBlue has cultivated its image by selling the idea that all passengers are treated equally. So it'll be interesting to see how Mint, a new JetBlue premium cabin section debuting next summer, will integrate with the airline's coach offerings. Mint cabins will feature lie-flat seats, custom Birchbox amenity kits, and "tapas-style" menus, USA Today reports. Mint cabins will only be available on transcontinental flights from New York to San Francisco and New York to Los Angeles. Earlier this year, JetBlue unveiled its business class "suite seat" with a sliding door. It's also making a point to revamp its coach section over the next year as well, bringing roomier seats, power outlets, and more live TV channels to every passenger. There are also plans to bring self-service snack bars to transcontinental flights, where passengers would be able to get themselves soft drinks and snacks. "We wanted to make sure our core customer didn't think we were walking away from them," JetBlue's SVP of marketing and commercial strategy Martin St. George told USA Today. JetBlue is competing with several major carriers who are all targeting the same lucrative demographic of transcontinental fliers who often pay more specifically to access premium or first-class amenities. Starting next year, American will offer lie-flat seats in transcontinental flights featuring both first- and business-class cabins. And United is racing to outfit its premium cabins with lie-flat seats, on-demand entertainment, and fast in-flight Wi-Fi before the end of the year. ||||| JetBlue's lie-flat seat. (Photo: PR NEWSWIRE) Story Highlights The new premium section, Mint, will be on coast-to-coast flights beginning next year JetBlue, other airlines, vying for the high-paying frequent flier Airline was founded in 1999 and pledged to treat all its passengers equally JetBlue, the single-class carrier whose brand was built partly on the idea that it treats all its passengers equally, will launch a new premium class next summer. Available only on flights between New York and San Francisco and New York and Los Angeles, the new premium section, dubbed "Mint," will feature lie-flat seats, its own tapas-style menu, and customized amenity kits. The first flight with the new premium section will take off from New York's JFK to Los Angeles International Airport on June 15, 2014. LATEST : JetBlue unveils its fares for its high-end seats JetBlue's new premium class, to be officially unveiled today, is the latest volley in the high-stakes battle among U.S. carriers for premium fliers who pay the highest fares for a more luxurious ride or to fly at the last minute, particularly from New York to Los Angeles and New York to San Francisco. "It's almost like a nuclear arms race on these two routes,'' says Jami Counter, senior director of SeatGuru, a website that offers information and reviews of airline seats, services and amenities. "In the last year, one carrier keeps outdoing the other carrier.'' Though JetBlue will officially announce the new premium offering's prices and perks today, it hinted of the changes to come last month, when it announced its new lie-flat seats. Travel-industry watchers say it's smart for the 14-year-old carrier to try to capture a larger share of the fliers who pay the highest fares to fly coast to coast, but some warn that offering a specialized experience to passengers in the front of the plane could undermine JetBlue's populist image. "This is seismic because now, admittedly only on the transcontinental routes ... JetBlue is saying some passengers are going to be more important than others,'' says Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst with Hudson Crossing. "This move is not one that comes with guaranteed success, nor is it one that comes without risk to the brand. ... There is a chance that some customers may look at this and say JetBlue is selling out.'' But JetBlue CEO Dave Barger said that the move was necessary to better compete with others in the industry, and emphasized that with coach also getting an upgrade, no passenger is being left behind. "The reason we're doing this is our travelers were migrating over to American, over to United, over to Delta, over to Virgin America — (airlines) who had a premium cabin experience,'' Barger said. But "as we put forward a premium experience, it can't be at the expense of our current customer. ... And I think that's what's going to be really different from what we're seeing across the rest of the industry.'' JetBlue's new premium class will allow it to more aggressively pursue premium paying fliers, who on some airlines account for roughly 10% of the passengers while generating 30% of the revenue. JetBlue says it is particularly keying in on travelers who might fly their airline from Boston to Orlando, but prefer to travel from New York to LA or San Francisco on a larger network carrier such as Delta, United or American where they can enjoy the comforts of business or first class. "The most important customer we want are the customers who we've lost to the other airlines, who love JetBlue but they just won't fly us to these markets,'' says Martin St. George, JetBlue's senior vice president marketing and commercial strategy. "We knew this was a hole in our portfolio.'' JetBlue also sees its new premium class having particular appeal to smaller companies that may not have a global corporate deal with a big network carrier, as well as those passengers who fly often but don't rank high enough in a big airline's loyalty program to get the best perks. "We're aiming at that first-level elite customer on American or Delta ... who never gets to upgrade,'' St. George says. "They give a lot of revenue to an airline, but they don't really get a lot of benefit for it.'' THE PREMIUM ROUTES The routes between New York and Los Angeles and New York and San Francisco are especially lucrative, industry experts say. On those flights, unlike some other domestic markets, most of the fliers filling the premium cabins have actually paid top dollar to be there rather than grabbing those seats through loyalty program upgrades. The competition for those passengers has gotten fierce. American is planning to become the only U.S. airline that offers both first- and business-class cabins on transcontinental flights. The new three-cabin jets, which will feature lie-flat seats in both premium sections, will begin flying between New York's JFK and Los Angeles International on Jan. 7, and between JFK and San Francisco on March 6, 2014. "Our New York and Los Angeles hubs are very important to American's network strategy,'' says Rob Friedman, American's vice president, marketing. "And we know many of our high-value customers are flying into and out of these important business markets on a daily basis.'' Meanwhile, United is upgrading its premium service fleet that flies between New York and Los Angeles and New York and San Francisco, outfitting the premium cabins with lie-flat seats, faster in-flight Wi-Fi, and on-demand entertainment at each seat. The updates are expected to be completed by the end of this year. Virgin America, a smaller carrier that like JetBlue has become known for quality service at a lower price, has had a first-class cabin since it began flying in August 2007. It has VIP concierges at JFK and LAX and opened its first airport lounge at LAX last year, particularly to appeal to business travelers, says spokesman Madhu Unnikrishnan. "They're enormously important routes on which we're able to realize significant profits," Unnikrishnan says. Additionally, the airline started flying from Newark to San Francisco and Los Angeles in April. "That has almost out of the gate become a very important route for us because it increases our presence in the extraordinarily important New York market.'' JetBlue has likely taken note of all its competitors' moves, Harteveldt says. It has "seen Virgin America be successful on its transcontinental routes from New York to California. They have seen investment in product by other network airlines such as United, American and Delta, and Jet Blue has been left behind,'' Harteveldt says. "Now they are playing catch-up.'' Still, he thinks JetBlue can be a contender, particularly if it sticks to its model and gives a higher-end offering for a lower fare than its peers. "I wouldn't be surprised ... to see JetBlue steal market share from some of its network airline competitors,'' he says. JetBlue says that it plans to do for premium flying what it did for a trip in coach, offering high quality for less money. "The goal here is not to sort of extract that last dollar and gouge people,'' St. George says. "If you're thinking about (what) are we doing to stay true to JetBlue, not going in there and charging like everybody else is also an ultimate part of being true to what we stand for.'' Since it was founded in 1999, JetBlue has stood apart from many of its peers, becoming the first U.S. carrier to offer live TV and continuing to allow passengers to check their first bag for free and have unlimited snacks at a time when the airline industry is reaping billions charging for checked luggage, food and other services. But JetBlue has also begun to offer some upgrades for a price, such as its "even more space'' seats, which give passengers extra legroom along with the ability to board early. "We already have multiple experiences that customers can buy on JetBlue,'' St. George says. "We sort of look at the Mint cabin as another example of that ... another experience you can buy, but it's still JetBlue.'' A 'SUITE' WITH A DOOR The new premium class will have lie-flat beds that JetBlue says are the longest and widest being flown domestically, as well as the only "suites," with a door that can be shut for privacy. There are 15-inch flatscreens, along with buttons that let flight attendants know if a passenger wants to be awakened for a meal. And fliers can have a drink before takeoff, and a cocktail and an hors d'oeuvre once the jet is in the air. Passengers will also be able to choose three of five tapas-style plates. And there will be amenity boxes — one selection for men, another for women — provided by Birchbox featuring not only items that can be used on board, but samples of other products such as shampoo or lotion. The kits' offerings will change regularly. Unlike the premium cabins on many other airlines, JetBlue says that passengers won't be able to grab a perch in the Mint section through a frequent-flier upgrade. "It's a product that anyone can buy,'' St. George says. PERKS IN COACH, TOO But it's not just the front of the plane getting new perks. So is the traditional coach cabin. While JetBlue's coach cabin already has more legroom than any other domestic airline's, starting next year there will be new softer, even roomier seats. Eventually every flight between New York and Los Angeles or San Francisco will have a self-service snack bar where passengers can get soft drinks and bites to eat throughout their trip. Starting on its new Airbus A321 jets, which will feature the new premium section, there will be power outlets at every seat along with an increase from 36 to 100 channels of live TV. And JetBlue will introduce Wi-Fi, a particularly important perk for some premium travelers, with the first 30 A320 jets to get the new high-speed technology offering in-flight Wi-Fi for free. "We wanted to make sure everyone on the airplane got an upgrade,'' St. George said. ""We wanted to make sure our core customer didn't think we were walking away from them.'' By the fourth quarter of next year, all seven daily round-trip flights between JFK and LAX will feature the new premium section along with the upgraded amenities and offerings in coach. Mint will also debut on flights between JFK and San Francisco before the end of next year, with all five daily flights featuring the service by early 2015. WHAT WILL FLIERS THINK Counter of SeatGuru doubts that passengers will feel put off by JetBlue's new premium perks. "It's certainly not a revolution,'' he says. "It's only limited to these routes. ... I think they're very aware of what they stand for and are very true to their brand, so in no way does this in my mind take way from the experience in the back'' of the plane. Barger however doesn't rule out the premium section coming on board other routes in the future. "I think it's quite likely it could happen,'' he says, "but it's not going to happen overnight. We're focused on New York to Los Angeles, New York to San Francisco. ... We've got to deliver this and absolutely nail it coming out of the box.'' Alex Wilcox, a founder of JetBlue who is now CEO of the private jet service JetSuite, says his one-time airline should tread carefully. "I am pleased that JetBlue is innovating,'' he says, adding that JetBlue's low-cost status has been challenged by the ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit, while Virgin is vying for the mantle of hippest airline. "The risk is the new cabin will make those in the back feel second class, which would be anathema to the JetBlue experience." But St. George says the airline knows that being egalitarian is one of its signatures, and it's going to hold onto it. "Even if you just buy a $99 ticket to Florida,'' St. George says, "and sit in the last row of the airplane you will have the best experience of any customer flying in economy cabin on any airline.'' Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/19OzkVW

– JetBlue has famously eschewed the idea of first-class seating with the mantra that all its passengers get equal treatment. Until now. As USA Today reports, the airline is creating a first-class option in everything but name—instead, call it Mint. The swankier seating will be available next summer but only on cross-country flights between New York and Los Angeles, and New York and San Francisco. Think seats that flatten out for sleeping and better food. The strategy behind the move is that plenty of people who regularly need to make that long flight have deep enough pockets to pay for more comfort. By ignoring that, the airline was losing serious money. "JetBlue is competing with several major carriers who are all targeting the same lucrative demographic of transcontinental fliers," writes Christina Chaey at Fast Company. One analyst in the USA Today story refers to the competition on the two routes affected as a "nuclear arms race."

An anonymous merrymaker spread some holiday cheer last week by paying $500 toward the layaway accounts of three strangers at a Kmart in Michigan. Since then, copycat Secret Santas have followed suit, giving thousands of dollars for layaways in other stores around the country. Last Tuesday, according to WOOD TV in Michigan, a woman in her 30s walked up to the layaway counter at a Kmart and asked if she could pay off someone’s layaway balance. The clerk was confused, but allowed the woman to browse through layaway accounts. The woman ultimately selected three—she was looking, specifically, for ones in which toys had been purchased—and then paid off around $500 total for the three accounts, leaving a balance of just $10 on each. Then she disappeared, leaving just a note on the layaway receipts that read “Happy Holidays from a friend.” One beneficiary of the act of anonymous kindness—a mom who’d put $200 worth of toys on layaway for her son David—said that the Secret Santa “restored her faith in people.” (PHOTOS: Santa Claus, the Holly, Jolly Stuntman) The story doesn’t end there, though. The Detroit News reports that the same Kmart has had Secret Santa donations toward layaways of at least $150 every day since the original mysterious stranger arrived. Copycats have also been paying off layaways at other stores in Michigan, and as far away as California. One man anonymously dropped off $2,000 to cover the layaway items of strangers. Despite the feel-good tale, layaway remains a less-than-ideal solution for shoppers. One business professor argued it’s better to pay with a credit card and deal with APRs rather than buying goods via layaway. But if someone else winds up paying your bill? Then layaway appears like a miraculously good deal. Brad Tuttle is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @bradrtuttle. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME. LIST: Top 10 Bad Santas ||||| The young father stood in line at the Kmart layaway counter, wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots. With him were three small children. Kevin, center, Jolie, right, and Alex Lewis shop for a family they adopted for Christmas, Thursday Dec 15, 2011 at a Kmart in Omaha, Neb. The Lewises had their layaway paid off at Kmart by an unknown... (Associated Press) Kmart store manager Ted Straub talks Thursday Dec 15, 2011 in his Omaha, Neb store. Dozens of Kmart customers across the country have had their layaways paid off by strangers. (AP Photo/Dave Weaver) (Associated Press) Dona, Matt, left, and Bryce Bremser, sit for photos at their Omaha, Neb. home Thursday Dec 15, 2011. The Bremsers had their layaway at Kmart paid off by an unknown good Samaritan. (AP Photo/Dave Weaver) (Associated Press) He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn't be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter. "She told him, `No, I'm paying for it,'" recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. "He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears." At Kmart stores across the country, Santa is getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers' layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn't afford, especially toys and children's clothes set aside by impoverished parents. Before she left the store Tuesday evening, the Indianapolis woman in her mid-40s had paid the layaway orders for as many as 50 people. On the way out, she handed out $50 bills and paid for two carts of toys for a woman in line at the cash register. "She was doing it in the memory of her husband who had just died, and she said she wasn't going to be able to spend it and wanted to make people happy with it," Deppe said. The woman did not identify herself and only asked people to "remember Ben," an apparent reference to her husband. Deppe, who said she's worked in retail for 40 years, had never seen anything like it. "It was like an angel fell out of the sky and appeared in our store," she said. Most of the donors have done their giving secretly. Dona Bremser, an Omaha nurse, was at work when a Kmart employee called to tell her that someone had paid off the $70 balance of her layaway account, which held nearly $200 in toys for her 4-year-old son. "I was speechless," Bremser said. "It made me believe in Christmas again." Dozens of other customers have received similar calls in Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Montana. The benefactors generally ask to help families who are squirreling away items for young children. They often pay a portion of the balance, usually all but a few dollars or cents so the layaway order stays in the store's system. The phenomenon seems to have begun in Michigan before spreading, Kmart executives said. "It is honestly being driven by people wanting to do a good deed at this time of the year," said Salima Yala, Kmart's division vice president for layaway. The good Samaritans seem to be visiting mainly Kmart stores, though a Wal-Mart spokesman said a few of his stores in Joplin, Mo., and Chicago have also seen some layaway accounts paid off. Kmart representatives say they did nothing to instigate the secret Santas or spread word of the generosity. But it's happening as the company struggles to compete with chains such as Wal-Mart and Target. Kmart may be the focus of layaway generosity, Yala said, because it is one of the few large discount stores that has offered layaway year-round for about four decades. Under the program, customers can make purchases but let the store hold onto their merchandise as they pay it off slowly over several weeks. The sad memories of layaways lost prompted at least one good Samaritan to pay off the accounts of five people at an Omaha Kmart, said Karl Graff, the store's assistant manager. "She told me that when she was younger, her mom used to set up things on layaway at Kmart, but they rarely were able to pay them off because they just didn't have the money for it," Graff said. He called a woman who had been helped, "and she broke down in tears on the phone with me. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to pay off their layaway and was afraid their kids weren't going to have anything for Christmas." "You know, 50 bucks may not sound like a lot, but I tell you what, at the right time, it may as well be a million dollars for some people," Graff said. Graff's store alone has seen about a dozen layaway accounts paid off in the last 10 days, with the donors paying $50 to $250 on each account. "To be honest, in retail, it's easy to get cynical about the holidays, because you're kind of grinding it out when everybody else is having family time," Graff said. "It's really encouraging to see this side of Christmas again." Lori Stearnes of Omaha also benefited from the generosity of a stranger who paid all but $58 of her $250 layaway bill for toys for her four youngest grandchildren. Stearnes said she and her husband live paycheck to paycheck, but she plans to use the money she was saving for the toys to help pay for someone else's layaway. In Missoula, Mont., a man spent more than $1,200 to pay down the balances of six customers whose layaway orders were about to be returned to a Kmart store's inventory because of late payments. Store employees reached one beneficiary on her cellphone at Seattle Children's Hospital, where her son was being treated for an undisclosed illness. "She was yelling at the nurses, `We're going to have Christmas after all!'" store manager Josine Murrin said. A Kmart in Plainfield Township, Mich., called Roberta Carter last week to let her know a man had paid all but 40 cents of her $60 layaway. Carter, a mother of eight from Grand Rapids, Mich., said she cried upon hearing the news. She and her family have been struggling as she seeks a full-time job. "My kids will have clothes for Christmas," she said. Angie Torres, a stay-at-home mother of four children under the age of 8, was in the Indianapolis Kmart on Tuesday to make a payment on her layaway bill when she learned the woman next to her was paying off her account. "I started to cry. I couldn't believe it," said Torres, who doubted she would have been able to pay off the balance. "I was in disbelief. I hugged her and gave her a kiss." ___ Associated Press writers Michael J. Crumb in Des Moines, Iowa; Matt Volz, in Helena, Mont.; and Jeff Karoub in Detroit contributed to this report.

– A nice fad this holiday season: Secret Santas are going around to Kmarts and Walmarts and paying off the layaway accounts of random strangers. It's happening all over, including stores in Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, South Carolina, and Montana. The AP, NPR and Time round up examples of the anonymous holiday cheer. A typical one: A woman in her 30s went into a Kmart store in Michigan and asked if she could help pay off accounts. She picked three that had toys, shelled out $500, and left only $10 in each account. She also left a note with the receipts, saying "Happy Holidays from a friend."

Andrea Watt came up with a billion-dollar idea when she was just 20 years old, and she wouldn’t mind at least getting a little credit. During a summer internship in 1995, Watt and three other college students pitched the idea of a Doritos-shell taco to Taco Bell executives as part of an intern competition. They lost that contest, but their idea turned out to be a winner more than 15 years later: Taco Bell has netted more than $1 billion in sales from its eerily similar product, the Doritos Locos Taco, which it launched in 2012. “I’m sure I signed away that anything I pitched to them was their property anyway,” Watt said. “I would just like someone to recognize that it was a good idea." From left to right: Andrea Watt, Roy Brown, Mark Rader and a fourth team member. At the time, Watt was surprised her team lost the contest -- which only offered as prizes bragging rights and the possibility the winning idea could become a reality -- to a pitch for a line of Taco Bell-themed appetizers called “Mexitizers.” In the years since, she has boasted about the Doritos taco to friends and potential employers, and insisted to her husband that they move mementos from her internship through two family homes. Her LinkedIn even lists her as the original creator of the product. It was Watt's husband who broke the news to her last year that her genius food mashup had finally become a reality. “When I saw it come out, my jaw almost dropped,” Watt said. “I’m surprised it took so long, it was just so obvious to us then. When we did our presentation they were like, ‘It’s not really that marketable,’ and we were like, ‘What?’” Promotional materials Watt and her team developed for the Doritos taco. Notice it's just 79 cents. The suggested retail price for a Doritos Locos Taco is $1.39. Another team member, Mark Rader, learned of the Doritos Locos Taco when he saw an ad for it on a billboard in Chicago. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, no way,’” Rader said. “It’s really a thing. Are people really going to want this?” Rader had an inkling in 1995 that his team’s idea was a good one. It gave Doritos and Taco Bell, then both owned by PepsiCo, a chance for cross-promotion. And Rader knew that late teens and 20-somethings would relish the bizarre mix of foods. Taco Bell even ended up using Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch flavors for its Doritos Locos, the two flavors his team pitched, Rader said. “We were brought in, I’m sure, because they were really going after 18 to 24-year-olds. We thought, ‘Hell yeah, I know a 20-year-old kid who is going to eat a Dorito taco,’” Rader said. Bob Taber, who in 1995 was an account supervisor at Bozell, Taco Bell’s ad agency at the time, said the intern competition was meant to give Taco Bell the chance to tap into the minds of young people. Taber doesn’t remember Watt's team's exact pitch, but he said it certainly didn’t escape the eyes of Taco Bell brass. “I don’t know what the client ended up doing with them, but the client certainly saw all of the pitches,” said Taber, now the executive director of branding and communications at Colorado State University's business school. “It’s not uncommon at all to come up with a new product idea that goes nowhere, but then years later pops up.” A letter to Watt (then Andrea Simkins) from a Taco Bell executive offering feedback on her team's idea. The former interns say they don't want any money for their idea. But they're all pretty sure they're the first ones who came up with it. Rob Poetsch, Taco Bell's director of public affairs and engagement, wrote in an email to The Huffington Post that regardless of the team members' claims, the Doritos Locos Taco was created, developed and brought to market by teams at Frito Lay and Taco Bell. "Good ideas can come from anywhere, but an idea without execution does not make a successful product," he wrote. "The concept of making a taco shell out of Doritos may have come to people’s minds which is why we’ve had no shortage of those who have claimed it was their idea.” Indeed, others have tried to take credit for the Doritos taco since its launch. A federal prison inmate sued Taco Bell last year, claiming he came up with the idea and that Taco Bell executives stole it. And Todd Mills, an Arkansas dad who launched a Facebook campaign in 2009 asking Taco Bell to make a Doritos taco, was invited to taste it in early testing, according to USA Today. When Mills died last year, his friends honored him by posting pictures of themselves on Facebook eating the Doritos Locos Tacos. Though Taco Bell acknowledged Mills' support, he never saw any proceeds from the product. Watt, Rader and a third team member, Roy Brown, all agree that their internship was a good experience. They were wined and dined and had access to Taco Bell food scientists, executives and trade secrets. Those resources helped make their Doritos taco pitch more thorough than what they might have concocted on their own. The team figured out the logistics and cost of getting a specialty item at Taco Bell stores, they said. They looked into whether there might be a machine that could spray Doritos flavoring on tacos. They even came up with commercial concepts, including using 90’s heartthrob and "Friends" star Matthew Perry as a pitchman. “It was a great internship,” Watt said. “We actually came up with a really great idea that was marketable. We all came away from the loss really disappointed.” Brown agreed. “I remember being mad we didn’t win because I thought we had the best product,” he said. Despite their idea, none of the three team members interviewed ended up pursuing a career in food. Brown lives in California and works as a TV writer, and Rader is an advertising copywriter and children’s book author (“nothing taco related,” he quipped). Watt worked for Bozell for a year after her internship, and she now works for a company that offers leadership and sales training to major corporations. “[My job] is not directly related, but I think the internship was probably the moment where I realized I wanted to get into business,” Watt said. Even though they were once Taco Bell insiders, none of the three eat there regularly. Still, they indulge every once in a while -- including eating Doritos Locos Tacos. “I finally tried one after about a year and a half of them being out,” Rader said. “It was pretty good.” ||||| Taco Bell claims that its product developers came up with the idea for the Doritos Locos Taco -- probably the most successful new fast food item of the 21st century so far, with more than half a billion sold in the past 14 months -- at a summit with Frito-Lay executives at its Irvine, Calif., headquarters. But a lawsuit filed by federal prison inmate Gary Cole in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on May 15 alleges that the story behind the taco is a lie. In his 35-page handwritten complaint, Cole insists that he invented the Doritos Locos Taco -- and that Taco Bell and Frito-Lay stole the idea from him through the mail. In September 2006, Cole wrote up a list of nine product ideas. Most of them were assorted products -- hot sauces, body oils, health mixes -- to be sold under the brand "Divas and Ballers." But one, the second in the list, was "Taco Shells of All Flavors (Made of Doritos)." The complaint says Cole sent the list to Janice B Cole and Keoiana K. Cole in September 2010 -- but that the letter was "stolen through the United States Postal Service Mail and submitted to Frito Lays [sic], Taco Bell, Pepsi Co, Yum Brands," by someone whose identity remains a mystery to Cole. The companies gave the mail thief "a check ... for a large amount" for the rights to his idea, then started manufacturing and selling the Doritos Locos Taco, the complaint says. It is unclear how Janice and Keoiana Cole are connected to Gary Cole. Taco Bell responded to questions from The Huffington Post about the complaint with an emailed statement. "We have not been served with the lawsuit, but the claims we’ve read in online news sources are completely false and without merit," it said. In his lawsuit, Cole asks the court to order Taco Bell, Frito-Lay, PepsiCo and Yum Brands to give him documents regarding the invention of Doritos Locos Tacos, which he is confident will prove that they stole the idea from him. In the meantime, he requests that the court place "a lean on Taco Bell, Frito Lays, Pepsi Co, Yum Brands, to stop the production and sell of taco shells made of Doritos flavors." [sic] UPDATE: 3:42 p.m. -- This story has been changed to add a response from Taco Bell. Also on HuffPost: ||||| Todd Mills tastes for the first time a Doritos Locos Taco in the Taco Bell test kitchen. (Photo: Tacos Made from Doritos Movement Facebook page) The visionary behind the billion-dollar Doritos Locos Tacos idea never made any money on it. Instead, Todd Mills shrugged off any attention, simply wanting his "cool idea" to come true, said Mills' wife, Ginger. Mills, 41, died on Thanksgiving after battling brain cancer. He's survived by daughters, Tyler, 19, and Lainey, 6. When friends learned he had passed away, they took pictures of themselves eating the tacos and posted the images to Facebook, Ginger Mills said. "It was a sweet memorial," she said. Mike Essmann, a friend of Todd Mills, poses with a Doritos Locos Taco with his wife, Mercedes, and son, Mike, Jr. Essmann posted the photo to Mills' Facebook page after Mills passed away. (Photo: Courtesy of Mike Essmann) Mills said her husband often made taco salads using Doritos and frequently said someone should make taco shells out of the cheesy snack. In 2009, Mills wrote a letter to Frito-Lay pitching the idea. Their response was, "Thanks, but no thanks," Ginger Mills said. After receiving the rejection letter, he vowed to pursue the idea "from the grass-roots level," said longtime friend Jimmy Looney, who served in the Air Force with Mills. Mills started the Facebook page "Taco Shells from Doritos Movement" in 2009, encouraging followers to "tell Frito-Lay that we demand nacho cheesy taco shells!" On the page, Mills posted photoshopped images of well known figures including Albert Einstein with a cheesy taco shell in a thought bubble, Steve Jobs holding a Macbook with a cheesy taco shell on the screen and Chuck Norris doing a karate kick while holding a cheesy taco shell. The page has more than 4,200 likes. (Photo: Taco Shells Made from Doritos Movement Facebook page) "He was a master with Photoshop, and he created this movement," Looney said. One day, Todd noticed Taco Bell had commented on one of his images. "He was really excited," Ginger Mills said. "Taco Bell was paying attention to him. Of course, we called everyone we knew." In 2012, Todd Mills received a phone call from Taco Bell. The company was developing the prized creation — calling it the Doritos Locos Tacos — and wanted to fly Todd out to its test kitchen in California. He was among the first people to try the new product. In an e-mailed statement, Taco Bell called Mills a "true friend" of the company. "We are honored to have had his support through the Doritos for Taco Shells Movement on Facebook, and we admire his strength and optimism during his recent battle. Our thoughts and sympathies are with Todd's family during this time," according to Taco Bell's statement. The experimental combination has paid off for Taco Bell. This year, the company said it exceeded $1 billion in sales of the Doritos Locos Tacos, according to The Huffington Post. It's unclear how much influence Mills had on Taco Bell's launch of the Locos Tacos. Although friends, including Looney, had urged Mills to seek compensation for the idea he championed, Todd did not pursue it. "Todd being Todd, he never asked for anything," Looney said. "He said, 'I just want my tacos.'" Cancer forced Mills to stop working in August as the vice president of media and information technology at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, Looney said. Todd Mills' daughter, Lainey, 6. (Photo: Family photo) As he went through two brain surgeries and a lung surgery, Looney set up a website to accept donations to help pay for Mills' medical bills. Mills would never set up such a site himself, Looney said. Looney reached out to Taco Bell's CEO on Twitter, and the company donated $1,000, Looney said. Looney described Mills as "a guy with a good idea and a good heart." Mills' funeral was held Dec. 2. Afterward, Looney said, friends went to Taco Bell and had Doritos Locos Tacos in his honor. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1bdZrc2

– While interning for Taco Bell's ad agency in the summer of 1995, four college students took part in a competition. Their idea—which didn't win, yet might seem familiar: a taco shell made out of ... Doritos. Of course, Taco Bell ultimately came out with just that roughly 17 years later, and its insanely successful line of Doritos Locos Tacos has netted the firm more than $1 billion in sales. Andrea Watt, one of the former interns, tells the Huffington Post she doesn't want money ("I’m sure I signed away that anything I pitched to them was their property anyway"), but she wouldn't mind at least some credit—for an idea that she recalls being told wasn't "really that marketable." The Huffington Post has all sorts of proof of their idea, including promotional materials the team created. They suggested calling the product "Dorito Tacos," charging 79 cents, and having Matthew Perry shill for the item. Another team member, Mark Rader, adds that the two flavors the team pitched—Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch—ended up being the first two flavors offered by Taco Bell. A former account supervisor for the ad agency at the time says "the client certainly saw all the pitches." But others have claimed to be the brains behind the taco, including a man whose 2013 obit widely touted him as having pitched the idea to Frito Lay in 2009, and a former prison inmate who's actually suing over the matter; he claims a mystery person stole a letter containing the idea from the USPS and gave it to Taco Bell. In response to the new claims, a rep for Taco Bell pointed out that concept and execution are two different things. Indeed, it ultimately took years of unusual testing to bring the taco to life.

This is a Memorial Fund set up for our beloved, Angel Barranco and his unborn daughter, whom we recently lost in a tragic car accident, caused by Drunk Driver with two prior DUI convictions.Please find it in your heart to donate and help his family cover medical bills, funeral & memorial costs.Remarkable Father, Husband, Son, Brother, Son- in -law, Brother in-law and Friend. He will be missed by many, but will forever remain in our hearts.Donations are GREATLY APPRECIATED.___________________________________________________Additional Information Requested by GoFundMe:1. I , Sandy Henriquez, am a relative of the Barranco/ Velasco/Alarcon family. I was fortunate enough to have our Dear Angel as a Brother-in-Law.2. I am from Los Angeles, CA3. My goal is to help raise funds for theBarranco/Velasco/Alarcon Family to help them cover expenses incurred during this difficult time.4. The funds will be spent on Funeral and Memorial costs for our beloved Angel Barranco and his unborn daughter. He was an amazing individual and we will do all in our power to make sure they both have a proper burial. A portion of the funds will also be spent on Medical costs incurred during this tragic time.Angel, having been the sole breadwinner at the time of this tragedy, any remaining funds, may be used towards cost of living for Barbara and her two children while she recovers both physically & emotionally and has secured a job to provide for her family, now as a single mother.5. The funds will be dispersed to Barbara Barranco, Wife of Angel Barranco upon being released from the Hospital. She then will plan the Funeral and Memorial with the remainder of the Barranco family members.________________________________________________________Newscast: http://ktla.com/2017/02/06/23-year-old-womans-unborn-baby-girl-husband-killed-in-victorville-crash-suspected-dui-driver-arrested-at-scene/ News Article: ||||| An Adelanto mother is grieving this week after a man with two DUI convictions drove intoxicated again and slammed into her family’s car, killing her husband and causing her to lose her unborn baby, officials and relatives said. Alexander Delapaz-Perez, 56, was under the influence Saturday about 1:45 a.m. when he ran a stop sign on Amethyst Road at Mojave Drive and broadsided a Honda Accord, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. In the Accord were driver Angel Barranco, 35; his wife, Barbara Velasco, 23, who was seven months’ pregnant; and her mother, Monica Alarcon, 42, all from Adelanto, authorities said. Perez was northbound when he hit the driver’s side of Barranco’s car, according to investigators. Perez suffered minor injuries in the crash, and Angel Barranco died. Family members told KTLA that Velasco lost her baby. She and Alarcon suffered “major injuries” but survived, authorities said. Family members have created a GoFundMe account to help with with funeral costs. Perez was charged Tuesday with one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two counts each of driving drunk and causing injuries and driving with a blood alcohol content above 0.08% and causing injuries. Drivers who have prior DUI convictions and are responsible for fatal crashes while intoxicated can be charged with murder in some circumstances and the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office is reviewing if Perez is eligible, officials said. CAPTION Body camera footage from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department taken during the shooting on Oct. 1. Body camera footage from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department taken during the shooting on Oct. 1. CAPTION Body camera footage from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department taken during the shooting on Oct. 1. Body camera footage from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department taken during the shooting on Oct. 1. CAPTION The gunman who attacked the Las Vegas music festival had cameras set up outside his room. Trump visited Puerto Rico on Tuesday, after Hurricane Maria swept through the island two weeks ago. Three billion Yahoo accounts were affected by a massive data breach — three times as many as initially reported. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three researchers for their work on electron microscopy. Credits: EPA, Getty, Hillary Guzik, KTLA, Sarya Stukes The gunman who attacked the Las Vegas music festival had cameras set up outside his room. Trump visited Puerto Rico on Tuesday, after Hurricane Maria swept through the island two weeks ago. Three billion Yahoo accounts were affected by a massive data breach — three times as many as initially reported. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three researchers for their work on electron microscopy. Credits: EPA, Getty, Hillary Guzik, KTLA, Sarya Stukes CAPTION At least 50 are dead and 200 injured after a shooting on the Las Vegas strip. Heartbreakers frontman Tom Petty died Monday at 66. Portraits are emerging of those killed in Las Vegas. L.A. decriminalized sidewalk vending to protect immigrants from deportation. Credits: Getty / KTLA At least 50 are dead and 200 injured after a shooting on the Las Vegas strip. Heartbreakers frontman Tom Petty died Monday at 66. Portraits are emerging of those killed in Las Vegas. L.A. decriminalized sidewalk vending to protect immigrants from deportation. Credits: Getty / KTLA CAPTION President Trump comments on the cost of the Puerto Rico response after the country was hit by Hurricane Maria. President Trump comments on the cost of the Puerto Rico response after the country was hit by Hurricane Maria. CAPTION Musician Tom Petty died Monday after being rushed to the hospital after a cardiac arrest. He was 66. Musician Tom Petty died Monday after being rushed to the hospital after a cardiac arrest. He was 66. [email protected] For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter. ALSO Southern California's second storm of the week brings rain and gusty winds Retired Ventura County judge fatally shoots his girlfriend, then himself after hours-long SWAT standoff L.A. County jail guard charged with assault for looking the other way while inmates beat someone up UPDATES: 1:50 p.m.: This article was updated with Perez’s charges. This article was originally published at 9:35 a.m. ||||| Please enable Javascript to watch this video A 23-year-old woman is mourning the loss of her unborn baby girl and husband after a driver, with two prior DUI convictions, allegedly ran a stop sign in Victorville and crashed into her family's car. The fatal crash happened about 1:45 a.m. Saturday when a man behind the wheel of a 2002 Hyundai sedan was driving north on Amethyst Road and allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign. The driver, 56-year-old Alexander Delapaz-Perez, broadsided the driver's side door of a 2015 Honda Accord that was traveling west on Mojave Drive, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said in a news release. Angel Barranco, 35, of Adelanto was driving the Honda Accord with his wife, who was 7-months pregnant, and his mother-in-law in the car. Barranco was taken to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries. His wife, Barbara Velasco, was taken to a local hospital with major injuries. Family members told KTLA Velasco's unborn baby girl, who was due in two months, did not survive. Velasco's mother, Monica Alarcon, 42, also suffered major injuries in the crash and was taken to a local hospital. Velasco's brother told KTLA the young mother and widow is devastated. "My son-in-law didn't deserve this. He was a great person, and my little granddaughter that's not with us. They should've been here," Alarcon told KTLA. "He should have never been able to get in that car and drive." Delapaz-Perez received medical treatment for minor injuries and was later booked for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence causing great bodily injury, sheriff's officials said. Police said Delapaz-Perez has two prior DUI convictions. Sheriff's inmate records listed the driver as Alexander De La Paz, with Alexander Perez Delapaz as an alias. He was due in court Tuesday. The deadly crash remains under investigation. Barranco and Velasco have two young children together. Family members have created a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses and medical bills. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Deputy Alejandro Ramos at the Victorville Police Station at 760-241-2911.

– A driver with two prior DUI convictions was involved in a crash in Victorville, Calif., early Saturday that caused a woman to lose both her husband and her unborn daughter. Angel Barranco, 35, was driving with his 7-months-pregnant wife and his mother-in-law around 1:45am when their Honda Accord was broadsided by a Hyundai sedan that allegedly ran a stop sign, KTLA reports. The Hyundai was being driven by 56-year-old Alexander Delapaz-Perez, who is suspected of once again driving while intoxicated, the Los Angeles Times reports. Barranco died at a nearby hospital; his 23-year-old wife, Barbara Velasco, lost the couple's unborn baby girl and suffered severe injuries of her own. Velasco's mother, 42-year-old Monica Alarcon, also suffered major injuries. Delapaz-Perez was treated for minor injuries and then booked on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence causing great bodily injury. The San Bernardino County district attorney's office is looking into whether Delapaz-Perez can be charged with murder, as is sometimes possible when a driver with prior DUI convictions causes a fatal crash while under the influence. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for the family, which includes two other children. (An unborn baby survived a car crash that killed his mother.)

Story highlights A judge orders the police officers held for 30 days Two U.S. Embassy employees were wounded in the incident A Mexican Navy official was also in the vehicle that was fired upon Police officers are under investigation on attempted murder and other charges A Mexican judge has ordered the detention of 12 federal police officers accused of opening fire on a U.S. diplomatic vehicle south of the capital last week. Under the judge's order, the officers will be held for 30 days, Jose Luis Manjarrez, a spokesman for the Mexican Attorney-General's Office, said Monday. They will be transferred to Mexico City from the state of Morelos, where they are being held, he said. The 12 officers are under investigation in relation to five charges, including attempted murder, according to one of their lawyers, Marco Aurelio Gonzalez. Following the shooting incident Friday, two U.S. Embassy employees, described by a senior U.S. government official as U.S. citizens, were taken to a hospital with nonlife-threatening wounds. A member of the Mexican Navy who was with them in the vehicle suffered light bruises, according to a statement from the Mexican Navy. The statement provided the following account of events: Just Watched Diplomatic vehicle shot up in Mexico replay More Videos ... Diplomatic vehicle shot up in Mexico 01:14 PLAY VIDEO The incident unfolded at 8 a.m. Friday, as the two embassy employees and the Mexican were traveling to a military facility in the municipality of Xalatlaco in a Toyota Land Cruiser. Some 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) earlier, they had left the main highway that connects Mexico City with Cuernavaca, near the town of Tres Marias, a thinly populated area off the main road. When a vehicle containing Federal Police approached and its occupants brandished their weapons, the driver of the diplomatic vehicle tried to evade them and return to the main highway. At that point, the police sprayed bullets into the black SUV with diplomatic plates. Moments later, three other vehicles carrying Federal Police joined the attack, also shooting at the U.S. Embassy vehicle. By now, the Mexican Navy official who was in the embassy vehicle had contacted personnel at a nearby military installation, who arrived after the firing had ended and cordoned off the site, the Navy statement said. Both embassy employees were taken, under Federal Police guard, to a hospital. Photographs of the SUV showed the embassy vehicle pockmarked with more than a dozen holes and at least three of its tires flat. In addition to the attempted murder charge, the detained police officers are facing charges of abuse of authority, damage to property, bodily harm and abuse of public duty, according to Gonzalez. The lawyer said that the officers were investigating a kidnapping when they came across the embassy vehicle, which ignored their requests to stop. The Mexican Public Security Secretariat has acknowledged in a statement that the officers fired on the armored vehicle with diplomatic plates while they were looking for a group of suspected criminals. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico is cooperating with the investigation into the shooting incident, Victoria Nuland, the State Department spokeswoman, said Monday. "I'm not going to get ahead of the investigation. I think we're going to wait and see what that concludes," she said when asked whether the incident was an attack or an ambush. The violent incident is the third in recent years involving U.S. officials in Mexico. In 2010, a U.S. consular employee, her husband and another man died in a gun attack in Ciudad Juarez. And in 2011, a U.S. immigration and customs agent was killed and another was wounded in an attack by an armed group on a highway in the state of San Luis Potosi. Violence related to drug gangs has increased in recent years in Morelos, the state where the shooting incident took place Friday. ||||| 12 Mexico police held over US embassy car shooting MEXICO CITY — A Mexican judge ordered 12 federal police officers held for 40 days on Monday as prosecutors mull charges against them for shooting at a US embassy car and wounding two US government employees. The officers are being treated as suspects over Friday's incident, when a sport-utility vehicle with diplomatic plates was chased by four cars south of Mexico City and hit by a hail of bullets. "We will continue to deepen the investigation," Attorney General Marisela Morales Ibanez told reporters. "Right now we have an abuse of power." "We are cooperating with all national and international authorities that we must collaborate with to clarify the events," Morales added. She did not indicate what other charges the officers could face apart from abuse of power over the shooting, which the US embassy has described as an ambush. The judge must decide the degree of responsibility of each suspect. "No crime and no investigative leads are being ruled out at the moment," she said. "This is why we asked for provisional detention, so we have the time we need to carry out an exhaustive investigation." The officers will be transferred from the attorney general's regional office in Cuernavaca, the capital of the state of Morelos, to a provisional detention center in Mexico City. Relatives of the officers protested outside the federal prosecutor's office in Cuernavaca, holding signs saying "Deprived of their freedom for doing their jobs" and "Mr. President, we ask for your support and justice." The Mexican navy and public security ministry say the officers were hunting for criminals south of the capital when they shot at the diplomatic car. A Mexican navy captain traveling with the US employees was slightly injured. The US government employees and the Mexican navy captain were heading to a military facility when a carload of gunmen chased and fired at them on a dirt road, the navy and public security ministry said in a statement. When the US vehicle veered back onto a highway, three more cars joined the chase and shot at the SUV, which was riddled with bullets near Tres Marias, a town 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the capital. The US embassy has not identified the two wounded employees or the nature of their work in Mexico, which is in the throes of a drug war that has left some 50,000 people dead since 2006. Mexico's ombudsman, Raul Plascencia, said the shooting was an "extremely serious mistake by the officers, which could be an orchestrated action." "There is no justification for such an excessive use of force," the head of the National Human Rights Commission told a news conference. Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

– A dozen Mexican federal police officers who riddled a US Embassy car with bullets on Friday are being held while they are investigated on charges including attempted murder, CNN reports. Two American citizens employed by the embassy were injured in the shooting south of Mexico City, as was a member of the Mexican Navy who was with them in the vehicle. The embassy SUV had diplomatic plates, and US authorities have described the attack as an ambush, reports AFP. The diplomatic vehicle was headed for a naval installation when it was approached by a vehicle whose occupants brandished weapons, according to a statement from the Mexican Navy. "The driver of the diplomatic vehicle used evasive maneuvers, and when it returned on the highway, the passengers in the attacking vehicle opened fire on the diplomatic vehicle," and the attackers were joined by three other vehicles, the statement said. A lawyer for the detained officers says police were investigating a kidnapping when they encountered the embassy vehicle, which ignored orders to stop.

The seed for this crawl was a list of every host in the Wayback Machine This crawl was run at a level 1 (URLs including their embeds, plus the URLs of all outbound links including their embeds) The WARC files associated with this crawl are not currently available to the general public. ||||| Story highlights New York State Senate passes bill banning piercing and tattooing of pets Bill was introduced after woman tried to sell pierced "Gothic kittens" on eBay for $100 each Legislators acted after Brooklyn man had his dog tattooed during surgery Put your dog in a bow tie: weird but cute. Dress your cat in a bear costume: odd, but let the kitty dream. Push your overweight dog in a stroller: ridiculous, but sweet. Give your dog a tattoo covering its entire stomach and pierce its ears with mini barbells: WAIT! The New York Legislature believes some pet obsessions have gone too far. A bill banning the piercing and tattooing of companion animals, the most common of which are cats and dogs, was unanimously passed in both chambers on Wednesday. The bill awaits signing by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. If Cuomo signs the bill, violators face possible fines or imprisonment. The legislation was initially introduced in 2011 when a groomer, Holly Crawford, of Sweet Valley, Pennsylvania, began marketing "Gothic kittens" on eBay. New York State Assemblywoman Linda B. Rosenthal, who represents Manhattan, introduced the legislation immediately after reading an article about the kittens, said Lauren Schuster, her chief of staff. The kittens were pierced down their entire back, according to Schuster. That practice was brought to the attention of law enforcement by the animal rights group PETA The groomer was prosecuted and convicted in Pennsylvania. Court documents showed she was sentenced to six months of electronic home monitoring and a period of probation. Crawford did not return a CNN call seeking comment. Under the New York bill, tattooing is acceptable as a form of identification for animals or to indicate that a medical procedure has been done, but "not for design purposes." Animal advocates hope people will move to having pets "microchipped" instead. New York's bill gained momentum in early March, when a Brooklyn resident tattooed his pitbull while it was having surgery to have its spleen removed. This was the "catalyst for [the bill] to move again," said Schuster. Response from the public and animal rights groups was immediate, said Schuster. "I think people have a natural knee jerk for something like this," she said. People began to ask the question, "This really happens?" said Schuster. Under the bill, piercing and tattooing of companion animals would only be allowed for medical or identification purposes and must be performed by a licensed veterinarian. While tattooing in the past has been used as a form of identification, PETA says it prefers the microchip because it is the most effective. "Under no circumstance should an animal be pierced," said Daphna Nachminovitch, senior vice president of cruelty investigation for PETA. Nachminovitch calls the bill a "wonderful thing" even though this "should be common sense," she says. While many states have animal cruelty statues, this is the only ban she has heard of to legally ban the tattooing and piercing of companion animals.

– Apparently tattooing pets is a thing. At least, it's popular enough that New York passed a bill on Wednesday banning owners from inking up companion animals. Piercings are off the table, too, according to the bill, which was introduced in 2011 by Linda Rosenthal, an assemblywoman who read an article about pierced "gothic kittens" for sale online, the New York Daily News reports. The kittens being hawked on eBay were pierced down their entire backs, Rosenthal's chief of staff explains to CNN. (The Pennsylvania groomer selling them ended up being convicted of animal cruelty.) Governor Andrew Cuomo is now expected to sign the bill into law. It grants an exception only for tattooing that serves as a form of identification—though animal rights advocates are pushing "microchipping" as an alternative—or indicates a medical procedure has been carried out. Such tattooing can only be performed by a licensed veterinarian. (Another win for animal lovers in New York: They can now be buried with their pets.)

Antivirus pioneer John McAfee is on the run from murder charges, Belize police say. According to Marco Vidal, head of the national police force's Gang Suppression Unit, McAfee is a prime suspect in the murder of American expatriate Gregory Faull, who was gunned down Saturday night at his home in San Pedro Town on the island of Ambergris Caye. Details remain sketchy so far, but residents say that Faull was a well-liked builder who hailed originally from California Florida. The two men had been at odds for some time. Last Wednesday, Faull filed a formal complaint against McAfee with the mayor's office, asserting that McAfee had fired off guns and exhibited "roguish behavior." Their final disagreement apparently involved dogs. Advertisement UPDATE: Here is the official police statement: MURDER On Sunday the 11th November, 2012 at 8:00am acting upon information received, San Pedro Police visited 5 ¾ miles North of San Pedro Town where they saw 52 year old U.S National Mr. GREGORY VIANT FAULL, of the said address, lying face up in a pool of blood with an apparent gunshot wound on the upper rear part of his head apparently dead. Initial investigation revealed that on the said date at 7:20am LUARA TUN, 39years, Belizean Housekeeper of Boca Del Rio Area, San Pedro Town went to the house of Mr. Faull to do her daily chores when she saw him laying inside of the hall motionless, Faull was last seen alive around 10:00pm on 10.11.12 and he lived alone. No signs of forced entry was seen, A (1) laptop computer brand and serial number unknown and (1) I-Phone was discovered missing. The body was found in the hall of the upper flat of the house. A single luger brand 9 mm expended shells was found at the first stairs leading up to the upper flat of the building. The body of Faull was taken to KHMH Morgue where it awaits a Post Mortem Examination. Police have not established a motive so far but are following several leads. As we reported last week, McAfee has become increasingly estranged from his fellow expatriates in recent years. His behavior has become increasingly erratic, and by his own admission he had begun associating with some of the most notorious gangsters in Belize. Advertisement Since our piece ran on last week, several readers have come forward with additional information that sheds light on the change in McAfee's behavior. In July of 2010, shortly before Allison Adonizio pulled the plug on their quorum-sensing project and fled the country, McAfee began posting on a drug-focused Russian-hosted message board called Bluelight about his attempts to purify the psychoactive compounds colloquially known as "bath salts." Writing under the name "stuffmonger," a handle he has used on other online message boards, McAfee posted more than 200 times over the next nine months about his ongoing quest to purify psychoactive drugs from compounds commercially available over the internet. "I'm a huge fan of MDPV," he wrote. "I think it's the finest drug ever conceived, not just for the indescribable hypersexuality, but also for the smooth euphoria and mild comedown." Advertisement Elsewhere, he described his pursuit of "super perv powder" and warned about the dangers of handling the freebase version of the drug: "I had visual and auditory hallucinations and the worst paranoia of my life." He recommended that the most effective way to take a dose is via rectal insertion, a procedure known as "plugging," writing: "Measure your dose, apply a small amount of saliva to just the tip of your middle finger, press it against the dose, insert. Doesn't really hurt as much as it sounds. We're in an arena (drugs/libido) that I navigate as well as anyone on the planet here. If you take my advice about this (may sound gross to some of you perhaps), you will be well rewarded." Just before posting for the last time on April 1, 2011 (a date that for McAfee may well have been freighted with intentional significance) January 4, 2011, Stuffmonger identified himself as "John" and described his work pursuing quorum-sensing compounds and posted photos of his property in Orange Walk. In signing off, he explained that "the on-line world is more of a distraction than the self induced effects of the many experiments I've done using my own body over the past year or so, and I have work to do." Advertisement MDPV, which was recently banned in the US but remains legal in Belize, belongs to a class of drugs called cathinones, a natural source of which is the East African plant khat. Users report that it is a powerfully mind-altering substance. In the comments section to my last Gizmodo piece, reader fiveseven15 writes: "mdpv is serious shit. would explain his paranoia and erraticness. i've been thru that. i played with mdpv for about two weeks, then started seeing shadow people in the corner of my eye, and what amphetamine heads call 'tree-cops'... its essentially really, REALLY f-ed up meth." On his website, addiction specialist Paul Earley warns about the dangers of MDPV: "Our experience clearly warns of the psychiatric and medical dangers of this drug. We have cared for multiple patients who have abused MDPV; they report intense and unpleasant visual hallucinations after a short binge. The drug feels non-toxic with its first use, but following a moderate binge users suffer mild to moderate paranoia… in about 10% of individuals who use higher doses, we have observed a sustained psychotic state with intense anxiety lasting 3 to 7 days." Advertisement McAfee's intensive use of psychosis-inducing hallucinogens would go a long way toward explaining his growing estrangement from his friends and from the community around him. If he was producing large quantities of these chemicals, as implied on Bluelight, that would also shed light on his decision to associate with some of Belize's most hardened drug-gang members. McAfee's purported interest in extracting medicine from jungle plants provided him a wholesome justification for building a well-equipped chemistry lab in a remote corner of Belize. The specific properties of the drugs he was attempting to isolate also fit in well with what those closest to him have reported: that he is an enthusiastic amateur pharmacologist with a longstanding interest in drugs that induce sexual behavior in women. Indeed, former friends of McAfee have said he could be extremely persistent and devious in trying to coerce women who rebuff his advances to have sex with him. One other aspect of Stuffmonger's postings gibe with McAfee's general MO: his compulsion for making outrageous or simply erroneous assertions, even attached to subjects about which he is being generally sincere. Along with photographs of his lab near Orange Walk, for instance, he posted a picture of a decrepit thatched-roof hut and described it as original home in Belize. He seemed similarly to have embellished his descriptions of his feats of chemical prowess on the Bluelight discussion board, and this ultimately aroused the suspicions of his fellow posters. "Stuffmonger's claims were discredited," a senior moderator later wrote, "and he vanished." Advertisement Jeff Wise is a science journalist, writer of the "I'll Try Anything" column for Popular Mechanics, and the author of Extreme Fear: The Science of Your Mind in Danger. For more, visit JeffWise.net. ||||| As dawn broke over the interior of Belize on April 30, an elite team of 42 police and soldiers, including members of the country's SWAT team and Special Forces, converged on a compound on the banks of a jungle river. Within, all was quiet. The police called out through a bullhorn that they were there looking for illegal firearms and narcotics, then stormed in, breaking open doors with sledgehammers, handcuffing four security guards, and shooting a guard dog dead. The compound's owner, a 67-year-old white American man, emerged bleary-eyed from his bedroom with a 17-year-old Belizean girl. The police cuffed him and took him away, along with his guards. Inside, the cops found $20,000 in cash, a lab stocked with chemistry equipment, and a small armory's worth of firearms: seven pump-action shotguns, one single-action shotgun, two 9-mm. pistols, 270 shotgun cartridges, 30 9-mm. pistol rounds, and twenty .38 rounds. Vexingly for the police, all of this was actually legal. The guns were licensed and the lab appeared not to be manufacturing drugs but an herbal antibacterial compound. Advertisement After fourteen hours, the police let the man and his employees go, but remained convinced they had missed something. Why else would a wealthy American playboy hole himself up out here, far from the tourist zone on the coast, by a navigable river that happened to connect, twenty miles downstream, with a remote corner of the Mexican border? Why else would he hire, as head of security, a rogue cop who'd once plotted to steal guns from the police and sell them to drug traffickers? It's not too unusual for eccentric gringos to wind up in Central America and slowly turn stranger—"Rich white men who come to Belize and act strangely are kind of a type," one local journalist told me. But this one's story is more peculiar than most. John McAfee is a founding father of the anti-virus software industry, an inveterate self-promoter who built an improbable web security empire on the principles of trust and reliability, then poured his start-up fortune into a series of sprawling commune-like retreats, presenting himself in the public eye as a paragon of engaged, passionate living: "Success, for me," he has said, "is being able to wake up in the morning and feel like a 12 year old." But down in Belize, McAfee the enlightened Peter Pan seems to have refashioned himself into a kind of final-reel Scarface. *** ONE DAY THIS past spring, shortly before the police raid, I paid a visit to McAfee. I'd known John personally for five years, having first met him when I traveled to his ranch in rural New Mexico, an adventure-sports reporter who found him to be a genuinely charismatic entrepreneur and thrill-seeker. By now, though, I'd become convinced he was a compulsive liar if not an outright psychopath, albeit one whose life as a thrill-seeking serial entrepreneur was as entertaining for me to follow as it was amusing for him to perform. Advertisement By the time I'd arrived in country, I'd heard that his circumstances had soured since we'd last been in touch—that his business relationships had fallen apart and he'd become estranged even from the other caution-to-the-wind expats in Belize. "He is one strange cookie," a British hostel owner told me. At the time, he was in residence not at his compound in the interior, near the town of Orange Walk, but at his beachfront property on the tourist-friendly island of Ambergris Caye. I pulled up in a golf cart to the rear entrance to his home and found him sitting by a pool overlooking the ocean—trim, tanned, and relaxed in flip-flops, cargo shorts, and frosted hair. As usual, he wore a goatee and a sleeveless T-shirt that showed off the tattoos that ran up his arms and over his back, with sunglasses on Croakies around his neck. He invited me to sit with him in a screened-in porch. Two young Belizean women lounged in the adjacent living room. It was a pretty palatial setup, but his only companions these days, he told me, were the locals who work for him. Out on the patio, a dark-skinned man appeared and began cleaning the pool. Another man wearing a crisp uniform positioned himself nearby. He carried a holstered pistol awkwardly in front of him. I intuited that the gun was being brandished for my benefit, and I told McAfee that it made me nervous. Advertisement "Well, he's a security guard!" McAfee hopped up and called to the women inside. "Hey girls, you've been by my house in Orange Walk, right? How many security guards do I have there?" Five, the girls said. "Did they carry guns?" Yes, the girls said. "Serious guns?" Yeah! "When I was here before," I said, "no one was carrying a gun." "Well, that was a long time ago." "And do you think things have changed since then?" "The economy is going south," he said. "As the economy goes south, petty theft begins. And then grand theft. And then muggings. And the next thing you know, you murder someone for twenty dollars." He explained that the country's crime rate was a result of its terrible economic condition. "People in this country starve! And not just a few. Almost everybody has gone through periods of starvation. You won't find a single person who has not at one point lost their hair. This is a sign of advanced malnutrition." Belize is a relatively prosperous part of Central America, not some civil-war-wracked wasteland in the Horn of Africa, but I kept my peace. Advertisement He opened the current issue of the Belize Times, holding the paper down with one arm to keep it from blowing away, and showed me a photo of two men. "I am the only white man in Orange Walk, and I was stupid enough to build right next to the highway, where people could see that I have stuff," he said. "So there have been, in the last year alone, eleven attempts to kidnap or kill me." Before I could ask how, McAfee had gone on to tell me a story about a Belizean gangster named Eddie "Mac-10" McKoy. According to McAfee, Mac-10 wanted to kill him. "I'm an older dude, and somewhat smarter than him," McAfee said. "I tracked him down and forced him to the bargaining table. And we had this big meeting here in San Pedro, and Eddie and I came to an agreement." I took this to mean that he was paying McKoy protection money, but while I was trying to sort it out one of the Belizean women interrupted us, appearing with a tall glass of orange liquid. He sniffed it suspiciously, like he had no idea what it might be. He offered it to me, then after I declined drank it himself. Advertisement Some time later, he continued, he learned of another plot on his life. (Why he thought everyone was so hell-bent on killing him, rather than just taking his money, was unclear.) A group of attackers, including two police officers, was planning to force his car off the road one night, he said, take him back to his compound with a gun to his head, and force the guards to open the gate. They would then kill McAfee and the guards and make off with the $100,000 cash he was rumored to keep at his property. Fortunately, McAfee said, McKoy intervened. McAfee was proudest of the way he'd responded to his would-be killers: He hired them. "Everyone who has tried to rob me, kill me, works for me now," he declared. This was not just good hacker logic, he explained, but a kind of public service. "None of these people are responsible, because they can't work. At some point, you've got to stop living for yourself. We as Americans have ripped off the world. We get to throw food away. It's insane." He jumped up and called to the women inside: "Have you ever thrown food away?" Getting no answer, he continued: "The idea is so alien you don't even comprehend it, right?" Advertisement He remained standing. We'd been talking for an hour, and I sensed the interview was over. I thanked McAfee for his hospitality, and asked if I could reciprocate by buying him dinner. He looked at me incredulously. "Haven't you been listening to me? I can't leave my home after dark." *** IN THE LATE EIGHTIES, as computers were starting to become common in American homes, fears began to circulate of malicious rogue programs that could spread from machine to machine. Where many saw an emerging hazard, McAfee recognized opportunity. A software engineer working for Lockheed, he obtained a copy of an early virus, the so-called "Pakistani Brain," and hired coders to write a program that neutralized it. It was a prescient move, but what he did next was truly inspired: He let everyone download the McAfee security software for free. Soon he had millions of users and was charging corporate clients a licensing fee. By his third year, he was pulling in millions in profit. Advertisement The anti-virus program wasn't McAfee's first entrepreneurial venture. As a young man, he'd traveled through Mexico, sleeping in a van, buying stones and silver, and making jewelry to sell to tourists. Later, during the AIDS panic in San Francisco, he sold identity cards certifying bearers as HIV-free. His freewheeling approach carried over to his Silicon Valley operation. Employees practiced sword-fighting and conducted Wiccan rituals at lunchtime. One long-running office game awarded employees points for having sex in different spots around the office. McAfee himself was an alcoholic and heavy drug user. (After a 1993 heart attack, at the age of 47, he became an aggressive teetotaler.) In early 1992, he went on national TV and declared that as many as five million computers could soon be hijacked by a particularly dangerous virus called Michelangelo. McAfee sales skyrocketed, but the date of the supposed onslaught came and went without incident. "It was the biggest nonevent since Geraldo broke into Al Capone's tomb," complained ZDNet. Forced from his management role, McAfee cashed out his stake in the company, earning $100 million. Cast adrift, McAfee gave himself over to the life of a wealthy adventure seeker. He raced ATVs (crashing a dozen or so) and made open-ocean crossings by Jet Ski (often they sunk en route). He poured millions into a 280-acre yoga retreat in the mountains above Woodland, Colorado, where every Sunday morning he would hold complimentary classes. "Everything was free," recalls a former student. "You would think that this guy was amazingly generous and kind, but he was getting something out of it. He was interested in being the center of attention. He was surrounded by people around him who didn't have any money and were depending on him, and he could control them." Among the entourage was a teenage employee named Jennifer Irwin, whom McAfee began dating. Advertisement Growing bored with ashram life, McAfee invented a new pastime called "aerotrekking," which involved flying tiny aircraft very low over remote stretches of desert. Experienced pilots called the practice inherently dangerous, but McAfee found it exhilarating. He brought a cadre of followers, including Irwin, with him down to Rodeo, New Mexico, where he bought a ranch with an airstrip and spent millions adding lavish amenities—a cinema, a general store, a fleet of vintage cars. He started calling his entourage the Sky Gypsies. McAfee took pains not to portray himself their leader, but it was clear that he was the one who paid the bills and called the shots. When he talked, no one interrupted. This is where I first met McAfee, as a reporter dispatched to write about his ambitions to turn aerotrekking into a new national pastime. He put me up in a bedroom in his ranch house, and we awoke before dawn to walk to an aircraft hangar filled with small planes. "People are afraid of their own lives," he said in a cough-syrup baritone. "Shouldn't your goal be to have a meaningful life? Unknown, mysterious, thrilling?" Some of his efforts to support his new sport seemed less than kosher. To give aerotrekking an illusion of momentum, he set up a network of fake websites purportedly from aerotrekking clubs scattered around the country. And at the end of my visit, McAfee told me, proudly, of his scheme to distract nearby residents, who had become irritated by the aerotrekking and begun to organize against the company. One of the Sky Gypsies had snuck into the local post office after hours and posted a flyer announcing a national paintball convention coming to town. The flyer promised that hundreds of trigger-happy shooters in camouflage would soon descend en masse and storm through the wilderness. To bolster the hoax, McAfee had set up a fake website promoting the event. The homebrew psy-ops campaign went off without a hitch. By the next day, the town was a beehive of angry protesters, and the aerotrekking issue was forgotten. Advertisement In retrospect, it's startling that McAfee was still so committed to aerotrekking. The year before, his own nephew had been killed in a crash, along with the passenger that he had been carrying. The passenger's family hired a lawyer and filed a $5 million lawsuit. McAfee started telling reporters that the financial crisis had all but wiped him out, slashing his net worth to $4 million. (Both the New York Times and CNN reported the claim, which he later characterized to me as "not very accurate at all.") He unloaded all his real estate at fire-sale prices and moved to Belize, having been advised by his lawyers that "a judgment in the States is not valid" there. He obtained residency far more quickly than the one-year minimum waiting time mandated by law. "This is a Third World country," he told me later, "so I had to bribe a whole bunch of folks." Accompanied by a gaggle of hangers-on (including Irwin, by then 28), McAfee settled into a beachside compound on Ambergris Caye. With characteristic gusto he launched a slew of enterprises, including a coffee shop and a high-speed ferry service. Then he met an attractive 31-year-old named Allison Adonizio, a vacationing Harvard biologist. She told him she was working in a new field of microbiology called "anti-quorum sensing"—instead of killing infectious bacteria, she said, certain chemicals can disrupt and neutralize them. She'd already identified one rain-forest plant that was rich in such compounds and believed there must be many more. They could solve the burgeoning global problem of antibiotic resistance, she said. McAfee offered to build her a lab in Belize where she could work with native plants. She flew home, quit her job, and moved down to the jungle. Advertisement McAfee's Next Big Thing was under way. He bought land along the New River, deep in the interior of the country, where he Adonizio would grow the herbs. He also acquired another parcel a few miles downriver, near the town of Orange Walk, where he started building a processing facility. He announced that Adonizio had identified six promising new herbs and invited me down to take a look. This, he said, was the reason he'd come to Belize in the first place: to rid humanity of disease and at the same time to lift Belizeans up from poverty. "I'm 65 years old," he said. "It's time to think about what kind of legacy I'm going to leave behind." In early 2010, I took a trip to Belize, and once again McAfee welcomed me warmly into his home and treated me as a friend. Strolling around the weed-choked parcel he was cultivating, though, I began to question his claims. The herb, he said, was too fragile to be planted the conventional way, and had to be allowed to grow naturally. But if the plant was too delicate for agriculture, how could he be so sure it would thrive in sufficient quantity to feed his production facility? When I pressed him about it, he suggested that the far-fetchedness of the plan was itself evidence of its legitimacy: "I must either be a fool," he said, "or I feel extremely secure that I will be shipping goods." Midway through my visit the story grew odder still. Adonizio and McAfee told me that, for all the world-changing potential they saw in their anti-quorum sensing project, they'd decided to put it on hold. Instead, they were concentrating on developing and marketing another jungle-herb compound Adonizio had discovered, one that they said boosted female libido. Advertisement Back home, I wrote a story that questioned McAfee's good works, and raised doubts about his motives for being in Belize. After it was published online, McAfee launched a vigorous defense in the comments section, claiming that he'd never shelved the anti-quorum sensing project but had lied to me during my visit because he'd sensed that I'd intended to write a hostile article all along. "I am a practical joker, and I joke no differently with the press than I do with my next-door neighbor," he wrote. "I'm not saying it's a particularly adult way of behaving, or business like, or not offensive to some. But it's me." At first Adonizio supported McAfee's claims in the comments section. "I felt a bit uncomfortable (at first) about playing our joke on Jeff," she wrote. "However, after reading the piece, I understand why John had wanted us to keep things under wraps. Jeff was there on day one with the intent to write something sensational. John kept saying: ‘an aggressor with no humor deserves no leniency.'" Advertisement Then, four months later, she contacted me by email. "Remember me?" she wrote. "I'll just be blunt. I was naive about who and what Mr. McAfee really is." She explained that before my arrival she had not, as they'd previously claimed, found any new antibiotic compounds. She had only the one that she'd been working on at Harvard, and it was already under patent, and so could not be developed for sale. "We really didn't have anything when you came down," Adonizio said. McAfee decided the libido drug, which originally had been mooted as a joke, could serve as a plausible alternative in the meantime. She played along with his hoax, she said, only at McAfee's insistence. Amid the article's fallout, their relationship had become tense. He showed her websites devoted to various kinds of outré kink, and became increasingly open, when his girlfriend Irwin was out of town, about bringing prostitutes off the street and into his bedroom. (One day Adonizio came upon "literally a garbage bag full of Viagra.") After she'd broken up with a boyfriend on the mainland, "he kept trying to set me up with these weird friends that were into polyamory and crazy kinky stuff," she said. "He tried to convince me that love doesn't exist, so I might as well just give in and sleep with all these crazy circus folk." He liked to hint that he had connections to dangerous criminals, implying that he could have her ex-boyfriend killed: "I have someone who can take care of that," he told her. Advertisement When at last she decided she'd had enough and asked McAfee to buy out her share of the company, he exploded, she says, screaming and lunging at her. She fled and locked herself in the lab. McAfee pounded on the door and shouted obscenities. Afraid for her safety, Adonizio called a friend to escort her off the property. The next day, she boarded a flight back home to Pennsylvania. Even at thousands of miles away, she said, she felt frightened that he might do her harm. "As soon as I started questioning his motives, he turned on me and became a horrible, horrible person, controlling, manipulative and dangerous," she told me. "I'm thankful that I got out with my life." In the wake of Adonizio's departure, McAfee grew more isolated. An investor who'd wanted to back the anti-quorum-sensing venture backed away. A joint-venture agreement with Dr. Louis Zabaneh, one of the country's most powerful men, fell apart. The hangers-on drifted away. After 14 years, Irwin left him. McAfee spent most of his time in Orange Walk, where he'd expanded the rickety herb-processing facility into a small walled fortress. "what i experienced out @ his property made me wanna get the fuck outta dodge," an associate e-mailed Adonizio, "creepy, and a bit scary. and i don't scare easily … i have a feeling he's in some deep shit down there." Advertisement *** I DIDN'T MAKE IT BACK to Orange Walk during my visit in April, but I was tense throughout our meeting in Ambergis Caye, even though McAfee insisted he bore me no hard feelings and had in fact liked the last article: "I thought it was well written," he said. When I asked him about why Adonizio was unhappy about her time with him in Belize, he seemed exasperated. "Allison is an unhappy person who is unhappy to the core," he told me. "Whatever's on the table, she will turn it this way, that way, and make something out of it, to be the cause of her unhappiness." Advertisement And what about his lack of friends in the expat community? "I don't need friends," he said. "What does friendship actually mean? It's a commitment to an idea that just doesn't interest me." A moment later he paused and said, "I'm going to tell you the truth, for once." Then he seemed to get distracted, and made a phone call. The next day, he sent an e-mail inviting me to come back for another visit: He'd forgotten that he'd wanted to tell me that very important, he wrote, which he was only willing to impart in person. I had an eerie, inexplicable feeling that the thing he wanted to tell me was that he'd ordered my murder. I waited to call him until I was back in the States, and when he heard that I was already home, his tone was brusque: "I'm really not interested in chatting over the phone about things that are dear to my heart," he said. Advertisement Two weeks later, the police raided his compound. In the process they validated what I had taken to be some of McAfee's most far-fetched assertions. Superintendent Marco Vidal confirmed to me that, indeed, several members of his security force were known criminals, and that McKoy was a gang leader of some note. "McKoy is a member of one of the factions of the Bloods Gang," Vidal wrote me in an e-mail. "We know of a meeting between McKoy and McAfee at his café in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye in which McAfee was flanked by the two leaders of the most notorious and violent gang operating in Belize City. At that meeting McAfee also took along a Police Officer. We believe that his intention was to make it categorically clear to McKoy that he controlled both the legitimate and the illegitimate armed forces." In the wake of his arrest, McAfee was nervous enough about the police investigation that he sent two employees to solicit an officer for inside information. Both were arrested for attempted bribery. McAfee then sent another Belizean on the same mission. He, too, was arrested. McAfee's world seemed to be imploding. In late May, Gizmodo posted the text of a message that McAfee had put up on a private discussion board. In it, he described being on the lam from the police. "I am in a one room house in an uninteresting location," he wrote. "I have not been outdoors for 5 days." He added that he was posting from an iPad but didn't have a charger, and the battery only had a 21 percent charge remaining. He described his run-in with the police, then signed off with this: "I'm down to 17% charge. I will leave you." Advertisement But just a few days later, residents spotted McAfee driving a golf cart around Ambergris Caye with a new 17-year-old girlfriend, apparently in good cheer. I dropped him a line, and his reply was upbeat. "Things are getting back to normal," he wrote. "I'm just waiting for a few properties to sell then I'm off to the South Pacific. No doubt to new adventures…" In the weeks that followed, he didn't decamp for the South Seas. Instead, he took to walking around San Pedro wearing a pistol in a holster, in violation of Belizean gun laws. Then, in late July, McAfee appeared in an article in Westword, an alternative weekly based in Denver, describing his latest business venture—According to McAfee, it is called "observational yoga," and involves sitting in comfortable chairs and watching other people perform asanas. Thanks to its numerous health benefits, McAfee said, "it's very popular" in Belize and he planned to franchise the concept around the country. Advertisement "It would be very difficult to sell this concept in America," he admitted. "But here I can make any kind of outrageous claim that I choose." UPDATE: John McAfee is now the primary suspect in a murder investigation involving his neighbor in Belize. Advertisement Jeff Wise is a science journalist, writer of the "I'll Try Anything" column for Popular Mechanics, and the author of Extreme Fear: The Science of Your Mind in Danger. For more, visit JeffWise.net.

– Police in Belize are on the hunt for John McAfee—the man who lent his name to the famous antivirus company—because they suspect him of murder. According to Gizmodo, which just last week ran a stunning piece about McAfee's weird transformation into a jungle gangster, McAfee is suspected of killing American expatriate Gregory Faull, a longtime rival who was found dead yesterday, apparently of a gunshot wound. Faull had recently complained to the mayor about McAfee's "roguish behavior," including firing off guns around him. McAfee has become estranged from the tech world. He told Gizmodo that he'd gotten mixed up with Belizean gangsters and that there had been "in the last year alone, eleven attempts to kidnap or kill me." One possible explanation for this slide: It appears that since 2010 he has been posting online about his attempts to purify the drug called "bath salts," which he describes as, "the finest drug ever conceived, not just for its indescribable hypersexuality, but also for the smooth euphoria and mild comedown."

Story highlights "The President of the United States is a great man," Bannon said Wednesday Trump's attorney said that he has sent a cease and desist letter to Bannon (CNN) Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is reiterating his support for President Donald Trump after his former boss blasted him over explosive comments he made in a new book. Speaking on Breitbart radio Thursday morning, Bannon assured a caller that "nothing will ever come between us and President Trump and his agenda" adding that "we're tight on this agenda as we've ever been. On Wednesday night, Bannon praised Trump personally while hosting the Breitbart News Tonight radio show on SiriusXM. "The President of the United States is a great man," he said. "You know, I support him day in and day out." Nearly 2 hours into "Breitbart News Tonight" Sirius XM radio show, a caller references Trump's comments on Bannon. Bannon replies, "The president of the United States is a great man. You know I support him day in and day out." — Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 4, 2018 Read More ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders explains why Mr Trump rounded on his former adviser Steve Bannon US President Donald Trump's lawyers have written to his former strategist Steve Bannon, saying he has violated a non-disclosure agreement. The cease-and-desist notice accuses Mr Bannon of defaming the president in speaking to author Michael Wolff. Wolff's forthcoming tell-all book makes several startling claims, and questions Mr Trump's fitness for office. The president responded by saying Mr Bannon had "lost his mind" after losing his White House position. His lawyers said Mr Bannon had broken his employment agreement by speaking to Wolff about Mr Trump, his family and the campaign, "disclosing confidential information" and "making disparaging statements and in some cases outright defamatory statements". On his radio show on Wednesday, Mr Bannon responded to the president's criticism by saying he was a "great man". "You know, I support him day in and day out," he said on the show produced by right-wing Breitbart News, which he heads. The book is reportedly based on more than 200 interviews. On Thursday, the Hollywood Reporter published Wolff's behind-the-scenes account. He concluded that everyone he had spoken to was in agreement in their view on Mr Trump: "They all - 100 percent - came to believe he was incapable of functioning in his job". What's in the book? Image copyright AFP / Getty Image caption Melania and Ivanka Trump feature in various stories Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House makes many explosive claims, including that: Mr Bannon thought a meeting between Donald Trump Jr and a group of Russians was "treasonous" The Trump team was shocked and horrified by his election win His wife, Melania, was in tears on election night Mr Trump was angry that A-list stars had snubbed his inauguration The new president "found the White House to be vexing and even a little scary" His daughter, Ivanka, had a plan with her husband, Jared Kushner, that she would be "the first woman president" Ivanka Trump mocked her dad's "comb-over" hairstyle and "often described the mechanics behind it to friends" 11 explosive claims from new Trump book It also alleges that former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair told Mr Trump during a meeting last February that the British intelligence services may have been spying on him and his campaign, according to a report in The Times newspaper. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Tony Blair says a claim he warned Donald Trump's aides UK spied is a 'complete fabrication' The Times says Mr Blair was hoping to get a job advising Mr Trump on the Middle East. Mr Blair told the BBC Today programme the story was "complete fabrication, from beginning to end". He said he had discussed the Middle East peace process with Mr Kushner but denied angling for work. Who is Michael Wolff? The 64-year-old writer is a former columnist for New York magazine and Vanity Fair. Image copyright Alamy Image caption Michael Wolff has written a number of books about the media According to New York magazine, which first published the extracts, Wolff was able to exploit the Trump administration's political inexperience to gain an unusual amount of insight. Wolff said he was able to take up "something like a semi-permanent seat on a couch in the West Wing" following the president's inauguration. However, some of the book's excerpts have already been criticised and questioned. The Washington Post said Wolff was a "provocateur and media polemicist", and that his reporting had been questioned before. More on the author of the explosive Trump book How has the Trump administration defended itself? "Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency," Mr Trump said in a statement on Wednesday. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Steve Bannon's three goals for the Trump presidency Press secretary Sarah Sanders dismissed the book as a "trashy tabloid fiction" that she said was "filled with false and misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House". A spokesperson for Melania Trump said the First Lady had encouraged her husband's presidential bid. "She was confident he would win and was very happy when he did," she said on Wednesday. What's being said in Bannon's defence? Aside from the radio comment, Mr Bannon has not spoken publicly about the book, the president's comments or the legal action. However, in an interview with BBC Newsnight, Raheem Kassam - UK editor of Breitbart News - said the Wolff interviews could have been taken out of context. He also said Mr Bannon was well-placed to comment on the Russia controversy, having served in the US Navy. "He understands what the geopolitical threat is..." said Mr Kassam. "So when he remarks that these people shouldn't probably have been in Trump Tower taking meetings with senior campaign staff without lawyers in the room, I would say that is a fair thing to say." An inevitable break-up Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington Donald Trump swept to the presidency in part on the back of Steve Bannon and his Breitbart conservative media empire. Now we will see how he fares when he is at war with them. The president's blistering reply to Mr Bannon's comments appears to indicate that the bridge between the politician and his ideological spirit guide has been reduced to cinders. But how will Mr Trump's legion of supporters react? It is never wise to underestimate their dedication to the man himself, above all else. No matter the outcome of this coming battle, this has to be viewed as a devastating failure for Mr Bannon personally. After spending years advocating for an anti-establishment conservative populism, he finally had a seat in the halls of power. He said in early 2017 that his goal was nothing short of the "deconstruction of the administrative state". Now he is on the outside again, besieged by long-time antagonists and former allies. His president recently signed a tax bill embraced by corporate interests. His first post-2016 foray into elective politics, the Alabama Senate race, ended in humiliating defeat. Perhaps, given all this, the Bannon-Trump feud was as inevitable as it is certain to be vicious.

– President Trump slammed Steve Bannon as having "lost his mind" Wednesday—but instead of firing back at his former boss, Bannon described Trump as a "great man." The former chief White House strategist declined to comment at length on Trump's remarks during his Breitbart News Tonight radio show Wednesday night, CNN reports. In response to a caller, Bannon said: "The president of the United States is a great man. You know, I support him day in and day out." In his blistering statement Wednesday, Trump, outraged over comments attributed to Bannon in upcoming Michael Wolff book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, said his former campaign manager "has nothing to do" with him or his presidency. In other developments: Cease-and-desist. Trump's lawyers have sent Bannon a cease-and-desist letter, accusing him of violating a nondisclosure agreement by speaking to Wolff, the BBC reports. The letter warns that legal action is imminent because Bannon broke the agreement by "making disparaging statements and in some cases outright defamatory statements to Mr. Wolff about Mr. Trump, his family members, and the Company."

While most gathered at CPAC this past weekend were busy gobbling up buffet-sized servings of Republican rage, one outsized commentator was left eating a slice of humble pie. Former USDA official Shirley Sherrod has filed a lawsuit against conservative firebrand and web entrepreneur Andrew Breitbart. The suit stems from the notorious video Breitbart posted online last year, showing an out-of-context excerpt from a speech Sherrod gave to the NAACP Freedom Fund in March 2010. The clip suggested she had used her position at the Department of Agriculture to discriminate against white farmers. The media devoured the Breitbart's version of story so voraciously that the NAACP denounced Sherrod and the Obama administration fired her. The charge was, in fact, entirely untrue. Sherrod argues in the lawsuit that the clip "damaged her reputation and prevented her from continuing her work." Breitbart, meanwhile, denounced the suit, saying he "categorically rejects the transparent effort to chill his constitutionally protected free speech." Breitbart's media machine is doing its best to reframe Sherrod's complaint in the most favorable terms possible. One of his websites, BigGovernment.com, posted an article, titled "New Media Entrepreneur declares that his voice will not be suppressed," shortly after Breitbart was served. The piece referred to the complaint as the "Pigford Lawsuit" -- a nod to Breitbart's newest "obsession" and would-be vehicle for dragging Sherrod's name through the mud. Not surprisingly, the meme does not appear to have caught on. Breitbart's full statement: ||||| Andrew Breitbart is at CPAC again this year and his big issue is Pigford, a little-known legal settlement between the federal government and black farmers that Breitbart claims is rife with fraud. Breitbart describes Pigford as his "obsession." When I caught up with him this morning and asked about Egypt -- specifically the claims by some of Breitbart's writers that the protests there mark the beginning of an Islamic caliphate -- he said he wasn't following the issue because he's been all Pigford, all the time, for months. (Watch my interview below.) He's trying his best to force the alleged Pigford fraud into the mainstream media and use it to attack both the Obama administration and Shirley Sherrod, the obscure U.S. Department of Agriculture official who was made famous after she was attacked by Breitbart over the summer. (That "scandal" fell utterly apart in a matter of days, though not before the Obama administration had fired Sherrod.) So what is Pigford? It was originally a class action lawsuit against the government filed in the mid-1990s by a group of black farmers. The Department of Agriculture had discriminated against black farmers for many years in deciding how loans and grants were distributed. The government settled, and some farmers got a payout. But it subsequently emerged that many eligible black farmers had failed to take advantage of the settlement. So in December 2010, Congress appropriated another $1.25 billion to pay Pigford claims. It passed with bipartisan support, by unanimous consent in the Senate and a large majority in the House. (For a more in-depth history of Pigford, see this TPM piece.) But some conservatives, notably Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, have blasted Pigford as "slavery reparations" in disguise. He, like Breitbart, has alleged widespread fraud. They have argued that Pigford is an unwarranted payout to a Democratic constituency. Breitbart held a press conference here at CPAC featuring King, Rep. Michele Bachmann, and Eddie Slaughter, a black farmer who is angry because he did not get a Pigford payout that he believes was due to him. How does Sherrod come into the story? She and her husband were the recipients of $13 million from the first Pigford settlement. Breitbart has since implied that Sherrod had some role in the alleged mismanagement of the program at the Department of Agriculture. Critics, like Media Matters, have argued that Breitbart is merely trying to salvage his reputation after the failed attack on Sherrod over the summer. I talked to Breitbart, who made a point of having Slaughter, the farmer, present for the interview. Our conversation went considerably more smoothly than Breitbart's angry encounter with Salon at last year's CPAC. I asked him for his take on Pigford and challenged him to answer those who doubt credibility in the wake of the Sherrod fiasco. Watch the interview:

– Shirley Sherrod has followed through on plans to sue Andrew Breitbart following an out-of-context video clip he released last year that ended up getting her fired from her USDA job. The suit holds that Breitbart’s video "damaged her reputation and prevented her from continuing her work," Salon reports. The conservative media honcho "categorically rejects the transparent effort to chill his constitutionally protected free speech." Following the filing of the suit, one of Breitbart’s websites posted a piece labeling it “the Pigford Lawsuit,” referencing a government legal settlement with black farmers that Breitbart has attacked. “I can promise you this: neither I, nor my journalistic websites, will or can be silenced by the institutional Left, which is obviously funding this lawsuit,” he said. Last year, Breitbart’s video excerpt of an NAACP speech suggested Sherrod had discriminated against white farmers, prompting a media uproar—but the discrimination claims were false. (Click for more on Breitbart's obsession with the Pigford settlement.)

Story highlights Olympian Oscar Pistorius is due in court Tuesday Family: "The leaking of evidential material" does not advance the legal process Pistorius is charged in the killing of his girlfriend Photos released last week purportedly show the bloodied bathroom where she died The family of Olympian Oscar Pistorius said Monday they are "shaken" by the "graphic images" leaked to the media last week that purportedly show the blood-spattered bathroom where the double amputee track star fatally shot his girlfriend in February. "It has always been our plea that the legal process be allowed its run its course with integrity," the Pistorius family said in a statement. "The leaking of evidential material into the public domain, before the court case, does not advance this process." The statement comes a day before Pistorius is due to appear in court where prosecutors are expected to ask magistrates to postpone the case pending further investigations. Pistorius, 26, is charged with killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of February 14. The graphic photos of the crime scene were published by Sky News on Friday and show a trail of blood leading from a bathroom; blood on the walls, stairs and a couch inside the house, and a Valentine's Day card with "Ozzy" -- Steenkamp's nickname for Pistorius -- written on it. The photo of the bathroom shows a toilet covered in blood, a door with a missing panel and what appear to be two police-marked bullet holes below the level of the door's handle. CNN has not been able to independently confirm the authenticity of the photos, and police spokesman Brigadiere Phuti Setati declined to comment on how Sky News obtained the pictures. JUST WATCHED Exclusive: The anguish of Oscar Pistorius Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Exclusive: The anguish of Oscar Pistorius 02:34 Photos: Reeva Steenkamp in photos Photos: Reeva Steenkamp in photos Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – South African model Reeva Steenkamp died early on February 14, 2013, after a shooting at the Pretoria home of her boyfriend, Olympian Oscar Pistorius. Hide Caption 1 of 9 Photos: Reeva Steenkamp in photos Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – This undated handout picture released on February 14, 2013 by "Ice Models" in South Africa shows model Reeva Steenkamp. Hide Caption 2 of 9 Photos: Reeva Steenkamp in photos Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – Capacity Relations, the agency that represents Steenkamp, announced her death. "She was the kindest, sweetest human being; an angel on earth and will be sorely missed," the agency said on Twitter. Hide Caption 3 of 9 Photos: Reeva Steenkamp in photos Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – The model was born in Cape Town and grew up in Port Elizabeth. She later moved to Johannesburg, where she worked for various companies, including Toyota and cosmetics maker Avon. Hide Caption 4 of 9 Photos: Reeva Steenkamp in photos Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – Steenkamp, who had a law degree, has also worked as a presenter for FashionTV in South Africa and as a FHM covergirl. Hide Caption 5 of 9 Photos: Reeva Steenkamp in photos Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – Her passion included cars and cooking, and she was set to appear in the Tropika Island of Treasure Show on Saturday, according to the show's website. Hide Caption 6 of 9 Photos: Reeva Steenkamp in photos Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – "We are deeply saddened and extend our condolences to Reeva's family and friends," the show said in a message on its website. Hide Caption 7 of 9 Photos: Reeva Steenkamp in photos Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – Steenkamp died after a shooting at the Pretoria home of Olympian Oscar Pistorius. She is pictured here on February 07, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Hide Caption 8 of 9 Photos: Reeva Steenkamp in photos Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – A picture taken on January 26, 2013 shows Oscar Pistorius posing next to his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg. Hide Caption 9 of 9 Pistorius, known as the "Blade Runner" for competing on carbon fiber blades fitted to his amputated legs, has said he thought there was an intruder in the house. Afraid of being attacked, he ran on his stumps to the bathroom, where he shot through the door from a relatively low angle four times. It was only upon returning to his bedroom, Pistorius says, that he realized Steenkamp was not in bed and that she had been the one in the bathroom. The state alleges it was premeditated murder: Pistorius had an argument with Steenkamp then put on his prosthetic legs, walked to the bathroom and shot through the door from a relatively higher angle, intentionally killing her. His uncle told CNN last week that Pistorius is a broken man over the incident and described his nephew's grief as "unthinkable." "What can you say if the person you love the most dies, and you were the instrument? How would you feel? It's unthinkable," Arnold Pistorius said. His family said Monday they "fully stand behind Oscar." "We believe in him, love him and will support him every step of the way in what lies ahead," the statement said. ||||| Sky News has obtained pictures inside the house of paralympian Oscar Pistorius - including images of the bloody bathroom where he shot his lover, Reeva Steenkamp. The pictures have emerged as allegations that police officers involved in the investigation are being questioned following the disappearance of one of the runner's watches from his house. This is the first time the public has seen the actual room where the athlete's model girlfriend was killed. The images show a panel missing from the toilet door - and two police markers below the handle which indicate bullet holes - low down. It is likely the defence will argue this backs up the runner's claims that he was on his stumps and shooting - from low down - at what he thought was an intruder. The pictures inside the house show a trail of blood from the bathroom The athlete has always insisted he and Ms Steenkamp had had a quiet night in together at his house, which is in a secure compound in Pretoria. He says he got up in the early hours to bring in a fan from the balcony. But when he went back into the bedroom again, in the pitch dark, he says he heard a noise. He has already told the Pretoria Magistrates' Court during his previous bail application hearing in February that he immediately believed there was an intruder in the house. He says he grabbed a gun that he kept for security purposes in the bedroom and ran seven metres or so down the passageway leading to the bathroom, without his prosthetic legs on. The tape shows two bullet holes in the bathroom door There he fired four shots into the toilet door, which was closed. He insists it was only when he went back into the bedroom and realised his girlfriend was not in bed that it dawned on him it was her in the toilet. The couple had only been dating a few months when the shooting on Valentine's Day happened. But the world's best known paralympian insists he was deeply in love with Ms Steenkamp and her death was a horrible accident. When the athlete last appeared in court, he said when he realised his mistake he did everything to save his lover, battering the toilet door with a cricket bat to get to her. The pictures inside the house show a trail of blood from the bathroom as the paralympian carried Ms Steenkamp downstairs after shouting for help, with flecks of blood on the wall, on the sofa downstairs and on the landing. Oscar Pistorius during his bail hearing There is also an image of the gift that the model had wrapped up ready to give the athlete. Stuck on the top of it, is a card with just one word - Ozzy - her nickname for him. There is a container of heart-shaped sweets too. But the prosecution believes a very different version to the one presented by Oscar Pistorius. It maintains the athlete's girlfriend ran into the toilet after a row with the sportsman - and he deliberately targeted and shot her - having taken time to put on his prosthetic limbs beforehand. This act, the prosecution maintained at the bail hearing, was tantamount to pre-meditation. Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead on Valentine's Day Other photographs show footprints in blood. The investigating policeman, Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, has already admitted he walked through the scene without wearing protective foot covers, potentially contaminating the evidence. Warrant Officer Botha was taken off the case after that emerged - as well as the news that he himself was facing seven counts of attempted murder. He has since retired from the police service. Now, there are further allegations about the police conduct at the house. Two different sources have told Sky News that other officers are being investigated too after the disappearance of one of the athlete's watches from his house The South African Police Service, when contacted by us, refused to comment. But the latest allegations will only add to the impression that the initial investigation into the killing of Reeva Steenkamp was not entirely above reproach. ||||| Oscar Pistorius is "battling" with his grief for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, his uncle said Sunday, while the athlete's family criticized the broadcasting of graphic images that purport to show the bloodied site of the fatal shooting on Valentine's Day. File In this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 file photo Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius stands inside the court as a police officer looks on during his bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South... (Associated Press) File In this Friday, Feb. 22 2013 file photo Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius , in court in Pretoria, South Africa, for his bail hearing charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend. Pistorius will... (Associated Press) The family made the criticism in a statement in response to Sky News on Friday showing images said to be the blood-stained bathroom and two days before the double-amputee runner is due in court for a hearing leading to his murder trial. "We were shaken by the graphic images, leaked into the public domain this week, of the accident scene at Oscar's house," the family said, appearing to confirm they are from Pistorius' home. "It has always been our plea that the legal process be allowed (to) run its course with integrity. The leaking of evidential material into the public domain before the court case does not advance this process." Pistorius' uncle, Arnold Pistorius, later said that his nephew would be ready for trial, adding he had "no doubt in my mind that he's not a murderer." "He's battling. But with the family behind him, his sister living in the same house as he lives, Aimee, they assist him a lot," Arnold Pistorius said in excerpts from an interview given to South African television show Carte Blanche on Sunday and released by the family. "And we are preparing him. He will definitely be ready. Being the mind that he is, being the man that he is, he will know what it's going to take to do this event. "So I think what we're saying is he will be ready once the court case starts and he will be able to stand as a man in that courtroom." This will be Pistorius' first court appearance since he was freed on bail Feb. 22. The family contends evidence will prove his contention that the shooting was an accident. The 26-year-old runner is charged with premeditated murder for the Feb. 14 death of Steenkamp. He denies the charge, saying he shot the 29-year-old model and law graduate by mistake thinking she was a nighttime intruder in his home. The images have not been verified by The Associated Press or South African police. Sky News said it "obtained" the collection of photographs of Pistorius' home, but did not say where from. Oscar Pistorius has been living _ sometimes in isolation, according to his family _ at his uncle's house since being bailed. Since then, there have only been two reported public sightings of him: a grainy cellphone photograph of the runner wearing carbon fiber blades at his practice track, plus a visit to a Johannesburg restaurant. He cut a broken figure at his bail hearing, sobbing through much of the proceedings. The multiple Paralympic champion has also given up competition for the rest of the year to focus on his trial. He faces a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years in prison if convicted. "Aspirations? You know, if you'd asked that question to Oscar, he would say: `Uncle Arnold, I know I've got a purpose in life. God told me I've got a purpose in life.'" Arnold Pistorius said. "Whether that is running, whether that is whatever, I don't know. I don't want to speculate on that because that is for him to decide, but he says he's got a bigger purpose in life." The images of Oscar Pistorius' home appear to show the inside of the toilet cubicle where Steenkamp was hit by three of the four bullets fired through a wooden door. They also show a bloody trail leading out of the toilet and into the main bathroom and a footprint in blood, as well as two marks on the door that Sky says indicates bullet holes. Despite questions being raised over the professionalism of the South African police, Pistorius' family said it trusts the legal process and believes the evidence will acquit him. "As a family we fully stand behind Oscar as he prepares to appear in court this Tuesday," the family said. "We believe in him, love him and will support him every step of the way in what lies ahead. We continue to have great faith in the South African legal justice system and believe that Oscar's account of what happened on that terrible night in February will be borne out by the evidence that the defense team will lead in court." ___ Follow Gerald Imray at www.twitter.com/GeraldImrayAP

– Days ahead of Oscar Pistorius' first court date since February, his family says they are "shaken" by leaked pictures of the bathroom where girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead. The photos obtained by Sky News (which are here and graphic) appear to show the blood-stained cubicle where Steenkamp was shot three times and a bloody trail leading out of the cubicle into the main bathroom, the AP reports. "It has always been our plea that the legal process be allowed to run its course with integrity," the Pistorius family said in a statement. "The leaking of evidential material into the public domain ... does not advance this process." Family members say they are fully behind the double-amputee runner, who says he shot Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder. At the hearing this week, South African prosecutors are expected to ask for a postponement of the case pending further investigations, CNN reports.

March 16--Off-duty firefighter Roben Duge smelled the smoke, saw the flames and heard the screams from inside his neighbor's house -- and thought instantly of his own family. Roben Duge, was on his way home at about 6 p.m. when he saw thick black smoke pouring out of the house in Jamaica, Queens, sources said. "I'm not a hero, I'm just reacting off instinct," the fearless father said Friday at his Jamaica home, right next door to the fire-damaged house. His wife Crystal disagreed: "It's just who he is. He's Superman." The mild-mannered firefighter was headed home from the subway when he noticed the thick black smoke pouring out of his neighbor's house. A child playing downstairs in the basement accidentally started the fire -- and was too frightened to tell his grandmother as the flames spread quickly, sources said. Duge, a five-year FDNY veteran, started sprinting toward the two-story residence when he saw the smoke. Visions of his own three kids flashed through his mind. "When I heard the kids screaming, it hit home," Duge told the Daily News. "I thought, 'If I can only get in deep enough' -- and I don't have any gear, and I don't know how dangerous it is." The grandmother, a stroke victim, was barely able to get around on her own once he made his way inside. "The lady could stand up, but she needed assistance walking," recounted Duge. "The kids were screaming, scared to death." After getting the three residents out of their house, he assisted them over to his home. "I gave them water, shelter and blankets for the children, who were cold," said Duge, sitting inside his home. "(Paramedics) treated them right there on that couch." The fire was brought under control after about 30 minutes. Duge, reflecting on his daring rescue, shrugged off the praise that arrived via text and voicemail from fellow firefighters. "We operate in organized chaos and we do put ourselves at risk," said the Flatbush native. "I believe there's a higher power watching over me when I do put myself in these situations." ___ (c)2018 New York Daily News Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites.

– A grandmother in Queens and her two grandkids are alive today because of an off-duty firefighter's quick thinking. The New York Daily News reports Roben Duge, who's been with the FDNY for five years, had just emerged from the subway on his way home Thursday night, and as he approached his own place, he spotted sooty black smoke coming out of his neighbor's home. He had no gear and no time to get any—but that didn't stop Duge from rushing into the home and yanking out 54-year-old Linda Mitchell, a stroke victim who needs a cane to get around, and the two children, one of whom apparently started the fire by accident in the basement. Duge says he was "reacting off instinct," which doesn't surprise his wife, Crystal. "It's just who he is," she says. "He's Superman." Duge said all he could think about was his own three kids as he rushed to save the trapped residents. "The lady could stand up, but she needed assistance walking," he says, per Firehouse.com. "The kids were screaming, scared to death." After he got them to safety, firefighters doused the flames in about 30 minutes. Duge is trying to deflect the praise now coming his way. "We operate in organized chaos and we do put ourselves at risk," he says, but "I believe there's a higher power watching over me when I do put myself in these situations."

Miss Seattle insists it was the weather, not the city, that prompted her to make some suddenly controversial comments about the city. (Mynorthwest.com staff) Miss Seattle says it was the weather, not the city she was criticizing in a series of tweets complaining about Seattle. A controversy erupted over the weekend when it was learned Jean-Sun Hannah Ahn had tweeted "Ugh can't stand cold rainy Seattle and the annoying people" back in December. She was awarded the crown Saturday night. "I had actually just moved back from Arizona and it was a transitional period for me," the former Miss Phoenix said in an interview on the Dori Monson Show. Ahn told Dori she was having a tough time, missing friends and struggling with the cold wet weather after four years of continuous sunshine. "I think I was just kind of in that down mode and it was a period...it was a culture shock to be back in Seattle," said the Seattle native. While the comments were critical of her home town, fellow native Dori sympathizes, and insists we've all complained about the weather at some point. "This controversy struck me as very silly because I grew up here in Seattle and I don't know if anybody complains more about Seattle than me," Dori said. Ahn insists she has always loved Seattle and is happy to be home. "These past couple of months have just been incredible and the support and the people and reconnected with so many different friends and met so many new people." Ahn says she realizes why people would be upset and she's embarrassed to bring any bad press to the organization, but wishes the reporter who broke the story (our own Linda Thomas, The News Chick) hadn't called her out quite so publicly. "I was somewhat hurt because she almost didn't seem to realize I worked so hard to get to where I was." And she learned a very valuable lesson. "I now have learned my lesson the hard way that I will vent to someone that I will call my friends or text them if I'm feeling down or want to complain about something." Unlike the rest of us, who can and will continue complaining frequently about the weather and plenty of other annoying things in our area. New Miss Seattle was 'annoyed' with us ||||| Nineteen beautiful, young women competed for the title of Miss Seattle over the weekend. The winner is Jean-Sun Hannah Ahn, a violinist and former Miss Phoenix. She will compete in the Miss Washington Pageant this summer. Maybe by then she'll enjoy the weather because she wasn't happy with the city, or Seattle residents, in December. She tweeted, "Ugh can't stand cold rainy Seattle and the annoying people." On her Twitter feed @MissPhoenix 2010, she frequently uses the word "annoyed," so perhaps it's just her favorite word. There are other unflattering comments on her page too. She should reconsider the way she's uses social media if she wants to be a public figure. The tweets above were from December of 2011. A friend of hers tells me she had not decided to enter the Miss Seattle Scholarship competition at that time. UPDATE: Miss Seattle apologizes for the tweets, in a comment on this blog. "I apologize for the negative connotations towards the city of Seattle and its people or any other postings when I wasn’t in a positive place. Those tweets by no means reflect my actual opinions or views, I was simply having “one of those days” and sincerely apologize to anyone who took those statements offensively," says Ahn. She is a Seattle native, and says she truly loves Seattle "with all of my heart and the support these past months in the Seattle community has just been indescribable." "I realize now what a mistake it is to post things when your not in a good mood," she writes. She deleted several unflattering tweets and renamed her account last night to reflect her new title, @MissSeattle2012. Photo by Dave Barksdale, of Depoe Barksdale Studios Related podcast: 140 Seconds on learning things the hard way through social media

– Jean-Sun Hannah Ahn was crowned Miss Seattle Saturday night, but unfortunately, she forgot to delete this tweet from back in December: "Take me back to az!!! Ugh can't stand cold rainy Seattle and the annoying people." Seattle-dwellers were up in arms after the tweet was discovered by KIRO-FM over the weekend, but Ahn explains to the station that it was the weather, not Seattle itself, she was complaining about. (Another tweet: "Ew I seriously an [sic] hating Seattle right now...") Ahn, a Seattle native, posted the tweets shortly after moving back to the city following four years in Arizona, she explained on the Dori Monson Show. "It was a transitional period for me," said the former Miss Phoenix, adding that it was difficult to get used to all the rain after Arizona's constant sunshine and she was experiencing "culture shock." But, she insists, she is happy to be back in her hometown, and she says in the future she will call or text friends if she wants "to complain about something."

Donald Trump on Wednesday squashed any speculation that he might soften his immigration position to reach new voters in the final stretch of the 2016 campaign, delivering a hawkish, hardline, and true-to-his-roots border platform and vowing that on Day One of his administration, the United States would launch a mammoth deportation program and begin construction of a wall. Emerging from a hastily organized meeting with Mexico's president, the Republican nominee flew to Arizona and not only renewed his pledge that America’s southern neighbor would fund an impenetrable, beautiful border wall but said it would be built in “record time” and at a “reasonable price." Story Continued Below “We will build a great wall along the southern border — and Mexico will pay for the wall,” Trump said. “100 percent. They don’t know it yet, but they're gonna pay for the wall.” Trump hailed the “great people and great leaders” of Mexico following his visit to Mexico City but insisted, “they’re going to pay for the wall.” “On Day One, we will begin working on an impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful southern border wall,” Trump said during a major speech on immigration in Phoenix after weeks of waffling on the issue that has been core to his campaign. “We will use the best technology, including above- and below-ground sensors. That’s the tunnels. Remember that. Above and below. Above- and below- ground sensors, towers, aerial surveillance and manpower to supplement the wall, find and dislocate tunnels and keep out criminal cartels and Mexico, you know that, will work with us. I really believe it. Mexico will work with us. I absolutely believe it.” Shedding any pretense of softening his posture, Trump promised to protect American citizens, reaffirming his America First policy as he blamed President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton directly for violence perpetrated by illegal immigrants. Obama and Clinton, Trump said, support so-called sanctuary cities, a catch-and-release program on the border, visa overstays, the release of “dangerous criminals” and amnesty. He accused his rival of promising amnesty in her first 100 days, as well as granting Obamacare, Social Security and Medicare to undocumented immigrants, a move he said would break the federal budget. “On top of that, she promises uncontrolled, low-skilled immigration that continues to reduce jobs and wages for American workers and especially for African-American and Hispanic workers within our country — our citizens,” he said. He chronicled a number of Americans who’ve died at the hands of immigrants who were in the country illegally and cast Clinton as the candidate who cares more about protecting immigrant families from being split up while presenting himself as the one who puts Americans first. “To all the politicians, donors and special interests, hear these words from me and all of you today: There is only one core issue in the immigration debate, and that issue is the well-being of the American people,” Trump said. “Nothing even comes a close second.” View Trump promises a physical wall that Mexico will pay for Within hours of meeting with the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, Donald Trump delivers speech in Phoenix, Arizona promising to build a wall and have Mexico pay for it. Trump outlined other planks of his policy position, including a promise to return all detained undocumented people to their home countries and zero tolerance for immigrants who commit crimes. It amounted to a massive deportation program. “You can call it deported if you want. The press doesn’t like that term,” he said. “You can call it whatever the hell you want. They’re gone.” He also touted his “extreme vetting” policy, which includes an ideological test and merit-based entry system, and pledged to bar immigration from nations like Syria and Libya. “We have no idea who they are, where they come from,” Trump said. “There’s no documentation. There’s no paperwork. It’s going to end badly, folks. It’s going to end very, very badly.” Trump asked voters to imagine an America in which, if he’s elected and his policies are implemented, the U.S. will see a reduction in crime and border crossings, a decrease in the number of gangs and less reliance on welfare, and one in which peace, law, justice and prosperity will prevail. “For those here illegally today, who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and one route only: to return home and apply for reentry like everybody else under the rules of the new legal immigration system that I have outlined above,” Trump said. “Those who have left to seek entry under this new system, and it will be an efficient system, will not be awarded surplus visas but will have to apply for entry under the immigration caps or limits that will be established in the future. We will break the cycle of amnesty and illegal immigration. We will break the cycle. There will be no amnesty.” Trump launched his campaign last June pledging to build a “great, great wall on our southern border” that the Mexican government would pay for. Months later in November, he called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. and within days said he would deport millions of illegal immigrants “humanely” with a “deportation force,” too. Trump has since modulated his controversial Muslim ban to temporarily suspend immigration from so-called terror states and proposed screening potential immigrants with an ideological admissions test to determine whether they support American values. But his position on immigrants who are already in the country illegally had only gotten hazier in recent days. Wednesday was Trump’s opportunity to clean up his muddied position on border security and immigration, and he opened the day by dashing south of the border to meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto — a bid to present himself as a tough contender, ready to make demands of his negotiating partners and get a better deal for America. Certainly, Trump scored on optics, standing next to an elected head of state and declaring that both nations “recognize and respect the right of either country to build a physical barrier or wall.” But when it came to the central promise of his campaign — that Mexico would pay for the wall — Trump and Peña Nieto disagreed. During the news conference, Trump said it didn’t come up during their discussion. Later, on Twitter, Peña Nieto said he had made clear to Trump at the beginning of their conversation that “Mexico will not pay for the wall,” a comment that prompted ridicule from the Clinton campaign. Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta pounced: “It turns out Trump didn’t just choke, he got beat in the room and lied about it.” “Donald Trump has made his outlandish policy of forcing Mexico to pay for his giant wall the centerpiece of his campaign,” Podesta said. “But at the first opportunity to make good on his offensive campaign promises, Trump choked. What we saw today from a man who claims to be the ultimate ‘deal maker’ is that he doesn’t have the courage to advocate for his campaign promises when he’s not in front of a friendly crowd.” Trump’s campaign responded in kind, with senior communications adviser Jason Miller insisting Wednesday’s meeting was only the opening part of a discussion and relationship-builder between both men. “It was not a negotiation, and that would have been inappropriate,” Miller said. “It is unsurprising that they hold two different views on this issue, and we look forward to continuing the conversation.” ||||| A demonstrator protesting Donald Trump's meeting with the Mexican president holds up a book jacket with the title; "Stop Trump!" during a morning protest at the Angel of Independence Monument that drew... (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. presidential campaign (all times EDT): 10:10 p.m. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he will order the immediate detention of all known immigrants in the U.S. illegally who have been arrested for crimes. He says on the first day in office he will "issue detainers for illegal immigrants who are arrested" and initiate immediate proceedings to remove them. For people caught crossing the border illegally, Trump referenced the 1950s-era "Operation Wetback." He said that "we will take them great distances" instead of sending them just across the U.S. border. Trump said, "We will take them to the country where they came from." He said his administration will take a hard line on criminal aliens. He said the U.S. will be "moving them out on Day One." To thunderous applause, Trump continues that he will seek legislation to block federal funding for so-called sanctuary cities that shelter immigrants in the country illegally. ___ 10:00 p.m. Donald Trump continues to insist that Mexico will pay for the wall he wants to build along the length of the southern border. Trump says during a speech on immigration that Mexico will pay for the wall, "100 percent." He says, "They don't know it yet, but they're going to pay for" it. Trump met with Mexico's president earlier Wednesday and said they did not discuss who would pay for the massive wall that has been at the center of Trump's campaign. But President Enrique Peña Nieto said he reiterated to Trump that Mexico would not be paying for the wall. ___ 9:55 p.m. Donald Trump says the nation's immigration policy must focus on what is best for American citizens, not those living in the country illegally. He says, "There is only one core issue in the immigration debate and that issue is the well-being of the American people." Still he says that he intends to treat "everyone living or residing" in the country with "great dignity." Trump is also accusing President Barack Obama and his rival Hillary Clinton of engaging in a "gross dereliction of duty" for supporting more liberal immigration policies. He says that Clinton talks about the families that would be separated if people in the country illegally were deported, but she doesn't talk about families impacted negatively by illegal immigration. Just days ago, Trump was praising the number of people deported under the Obama administration. ___ 9:50 p.m. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is opening his long-awaited immigration policy speech by detailing the stories of illegal immigrants who committed violent crimes. Trump is telling thousands in the convention center in downtown Phoenix that he has "met with many of the great parents who lost their children to sanctuary cities and open borders." He talked about beatings and stabbings of young women, then said simply, "It's not going to happen anymore." Before Trump took the stage, families of such victims addressed the audience, describing how their children or loved ones were killed and thanking Trump for his promise to enforce the U.S.-Mexican border. Trump is emphasizing illegal immigrants accused of crimes, an issue of far less controversy than what to do with the millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally who have not been accused of crimes. ___ 9:40 p.m. Donald Trump says that he had a "thoughtful and substantive" conversation with Mexico's president on Wednesday as he kicks off a long-awaited speech on immigration. Trump says his surprise meeting with Enrique Peña Nieto included a discussion of stopping the flow of illegal drugs across the southern border, and a shared goal to put drug cartels out of business. Trump launched his campaign with a speech that accused Mexico of sending its rapists and criminals across the border. But Trump is striking a different tone Wednesday, saying that, if the countries work together, "we're all going to win." ___ 7:05 p.m. The president of Mexico says Donald Trump wasn't telling the truth when he described their Wednesday conversation. Specifically, President Enrique Peña Nieto said that he and Trump did indeed discuss who would pay for construction of a massive wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. That's the centerpiece of Trump's immigration plan. Trump and Peña Nieto met privately in Mexico City on Wednesday afternoon. When they emerged from the meeting, Trump told reporters they discussed the wall, but not paying for it. Hours later, Peña Nieto tweeted his version: "At the beginning of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made clear that Mexico would not pay for the wall." The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ___ 6:50 p.m. Donald Trump "choked" in Mexico. That's according to Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, who says the Republican presidential nominee "doesn't have the courage to advocate for his campaign promises when he's not in front of a friendly crowd." Trump defended his plan to build a wall on the United States' southern border during his Wednesday visit with the president of Mexico. But the New York businessman did not push his oft-mentioned promise to force Mexico to pay for the wall. Podesta says "Trump choked" in what was his first opportunity to make good on "his offensive campaign promises." ___ 4:55 p.m. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto says the Mexican people have been hurt by Donald Trump's past comments that painted them in a negative light. Peña Nieto told reporters following a closed-door meeting that "misinterpretation or assertions" had negatively impacted perceptions of Trump's candidacy. He added that, the "Mexican people have been hurt by the comments that had been made." But he said he's sure that Trump is genuinely interested in building a relationship that will benefit both countries. Peña Nieto spoke in Spanish throughout. ___ 4:40 p.m. After meeting with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Republican nominee Donald Trump says that both countries must respect the others' right to build a border wall on their soil to stop the movement of people, illegal drugs and weapons. Trump says he and PeñaNieto discussed his call for a border wall during their meeting, but did not talk about Trump's insistence that Mexico pay for it. He says, "that'll be for a later date." Trump says that having a secure border is a sovereign right and mutually beneficial. Mexicans have been outraged by the proposal. ___ 4:35 p.m. Republican Donald Trump is calling his surprise visit to Mexico City Wednesday a 'great honor.' And he says the nations share a common interest in keeping the hemisphere safe and prosperous. The Republican presidential nominee said after meeting with President Enrique Peña Nieto that the pair had a substantive, direct and constructive exchange of ideas at the president's official residence in Mexico City. This is Trump's first foreign visit as his party's nominee. ___ 4:30 p.m. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is challenging Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's characterization of the situation on the U.S.-Mexican border. Peña Nieto notes that the number of immigrants crossing the border illegally is down significantly "even to the point of being negative to a net effect." He spoke at a joint appearance Wednesday at the president's official residence. While Peña Nieto says the countries have shared challenges, he says that there exists "an incomplete vision of the border issues," with weapons and cash flowing south from the U.S. and fueling violence. He's also stressing U.S. exports to Mexico and the number of jobs reliant on the countries' trade relationship. He says the Mexican people are people of "good will" who "deserve everybody's respect." ___ 4:20 p.m. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto says that he and Donald Trump may not agree on everything, but that their meeting underscores their countries' shared interests. Peña Nieto tells reporters that their meeting with the Republican nominee at the president's official residence in Mexico City was "open and constructive." He says in Spanish that the next president "will find in Mexico and its government" a neighbor who "wants to work constructively to strengthen even more" the relationship between their nations. ___ 2:55 p.m. An official at the Mexico City international airport says a private plane carrying Republican candidate Donald Trump has touched down at the airport. The official was not authorized to be quoted by name, nor did he provide the plane's registry number, or say how Trump would reach the official residence of President Enrique Pena Nieto, where the meeting with the Mexican leader is to take place. Pena Nieto's office has confirmed there will be a meeting and subsequent press statement at the residence, which is across town from the airport. Trump appeared likely to fly to the residence by helicopter, rather than cross town in any kind of motorcade. —By E. Eduardo Castillo in Mexico City ___ 1:45 p.m. Hillary Clinton says if elected president she will make clear that the U.S. "will treat cyberattacks just like any other attack." Clinton says in a speech Wednesday to the American Legion convention in Cincinnati that the U.S. needs to "step up our game" and be able to defend itself against those who "go after us." She blamed Russia for hacking into the Democratic National Committee and perhaps "even some state election systems." Clinton says the United States will be ready with "serious political, economic and military responses" to any cyberattacks. WikiLeaks released damaging emails during the Democratic National Convention that implied the DNC had favored Clinton over primary rival Bernie Sanders. ___ 1:10 p.m. Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine says Donald Trump has "put his feet in concrete" on his immigration positions, regardless of what the Republican nominee says in an immigration-focused speech Wednesday night. Kaine is visiting a Hispanic community center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, hours before Trump is set to speak and about his immigration plans. Trump's speech is being closely watched to see if he softens proposals to deport millions of people living in the United States illegally. Kaine says Trump's words and actions have been "frightening" to Hispanics and he doesn't expect to hear a change in tone. And he says its "hard to say" what to expect out of Trump's meeting Wednesday with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. ___ 1:05 p.m. Hillary Clinton is blasting Donald Trump for referring to the American military as "a disaster." Clinton says in a sharply worded speech Wednesday to the American Legion convention that it's "an insult to the men and women serving today and all who have served before." The Democratic presidential nominee is reiterating that she would send American troops into harm's way only as a "last resort," calling it a bedrock principal. She also says the last thing the nation needs is a president "who brings more name-calling and temper tantrums to Washington," a reference to her Republican opponent. ___ 1 p.m. Hillary Clinton is tweaking rival Donald Trump's decision to travel to Mexico, saying it takes more to make up for a "year of insults and insinuations" than a quick trip to America's southern neighbor. Clinton says at the American Legion's annual convention in Ohio that voters need to know that they can count on you. She says "it certainly takes more than trying to make up for a year of insults and insinuations by dropping in on our neighbors for a few hours and then flying home again." The Democratic presidential nominee adds, "That is not how it works." Trump was meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto later Wednesday. Trump's surprise visit was coming hours before a major address on immigration in Arizona. ___ 12:55 p.m. Hillary Clinton says the United States in "an exceptional nation" and is accusing rival Donald Trump of thinking that approach is "insulting to the rest of the world." Clinton is speaking to the American Legion's annual convention in Cincinnati. She says the U.S. is an indispensable nation and has a "unique and unparalleled ability to be a force for peace and progress." Referencing Trump's threats to "walk away from our alliances," she notes that when America fails to lead, the country leaves a vacuum for the rest of the world to fill. ___ 11:25 a.m. Just days after Hillary Clinton criticized the Trump campaign for promoting groups and individuals associated with preserving "white identity," Donald Trump Jr. has retweeted an adherent of the "alt-right" movement that Clinton singled out for criticism. Donald Trump's oldest son this week retweeted a post from Kevin MacDonald, a former professor at California State University Long Beach. MacDonald said last week that white people in America are becoming a victimized minority. He has been accused of anti-Semitism by critics, including the Southern Poverty Law Center. MacDonald's tweet had to do with Clinton's State Department and perceived favoritism for UBS, a global financial services company that donated to the Clinton Foundation. Trump Jr.'s retweet prompted Richard Spencer, a leader of the alt-right movement, to tweet "Wow. Just wow." ___ 9:50 a.m. Mike Pence says that Donald Trump's trip to Mexico demonstrates what a "decisive leader" he would be if elected president. Trump's running mate told Fox News Wednesday that Trump immediately responded to an invitation by Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto to meet. He noted that Hillary Clinton received the same invitation but hasn't responded yet. Pence said that Trump and Pena Nieto are expected to discuss the logistics of Trump's proposed border wall — something Trump insists Mexico will pay for, despite Pena Nieto's condemnation of the plan. ___ 9:35 a.m. At least two demonstrations are planned in Mexico City as Mexicans express anger about the visit of Donald Trump. Former first lady Margarita Zavala wrote in a tweet aimed at Trump: "Even though you may have been invited, we want you to know you're not welcome. We Mexicans have dignity, and we reject your hate speech." She's considered a potential presidential candidate for 2018. Pena Nieto's office hasn't said where or when the meeting would be held, possibly in a bid to avoid protests outside the meeting site. Leading historian Enrique Krauze also addressed Trump in a tweek, saying "We Mexicans expect nothing less than an apology for calling us "criminals and rapists". Krauze told the Televisa TV network that, "Tyrants are to be confronted, not pacified." ___ 8:30 a.m. Mexico has awakened to the news that President Enrique Pena Nieto is going to meet with Republican candidate Donald Trump Wednesday, and many Mexicans don't like it. Some analysts said the Republican nominee had left Pena Nieto flat-footed by accepting an invitation the Mexican president had made simply for appearances' sake. Trump is widely loathed in Mexico for calling migrants from the country "rapists" among other insults. Mexico City-based security analyst Alejandro Hope suggested that Pena Nieto "wanted to invite Hillary (Clinton), but that meant inviting both of them, and nobody thought Trump would accept first." He added: "What's in it for Mexico? " The newspaper El Universal wrote in an editorial that Trump "caught Mexican diplomats off guard" by accepting the invitation. ___ 3:10 a.m. Donald Trump will be taking his first foreign trip as the Republican presidential nominee on Wednesday, making a quick visit to Mexico, a nation he derided as the home of rapists and criminals as he launched his campaign. The meeting with President Enrique Pena Nieto, who earlier this year compared the billionaire candidate to Hitler, comes hours before Trump is set to deliver a highly-anticipated immigration speech. It's a defining issue for Trump, but one on which he has appeared to waiver. After saying during his primary campaign he would expel all of the estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally with a "deportation force," Trump has suggested recently he might be open to "softening" his stance as he tries to win over more moderate general election voters.

– Hours after returning from his trip to Mexico and a visit with that nation's leader, Donald Trump expounded on his immigration plan during a speech in Arizona. First and foremost was a familiar sentiment: "We will build a great wall along the southern border," Trump said to rousing cheers. "And Mexico will pay for the wall. They don't know it yet, but they're going to pay for the wall." (Mexico's president disagrees.) Some other main points of the speech, in which he promised to "break the cycle of illegal immigration and amnesty," via AP, Politico, and the New York Times: He said those currently here illegally have just one path to citizenship or legal status: "To return home and apply for reentry like anybody else." "We are going to end catch and release," he said, vowing that anyone caught illegally crossing the border will be detained and then returned home. "Zero tolerance" for immigrants who commit crimes. He promised that his administration would round up criminal offenders and begin shipping them home on day one. “You can call it deported if you want. The press doesn’t like that term. You can call it whatever the hell you want. They’re gone.” He promised to triple the number of ICE deportation officers and to create a deportation task force with a focus on those "criminal aliens." He also vowed to hire 5,000 border control agents and to expand the number of border stations. He said he would immediately cancel "unconstitutional executive orders" issued by President Obama that amount to "illegal amnesty." He would suspend visas for any countries that can't provide adequate screening. He would demand that other countries take back any citizens deported by the US. He would block federal funding for "sanctuary cities," singling out San Francisco at one point for what he sees as lax enforcement. He said the US will put in place biometric systems to better track immigrants. He said the US will intensify its "e-verify" program, designed to ensure that immigrants are eligible to work. So who can come to the US? "It’s our right as a sovereign nation to choose immigrants who are the likeliest to thrive, and flourish and love us."

Gothamist As if starring in David Bowie music videos wasn't already the coolest, Tilda Swinton has currently taken up residency sleeping at MoMA. It's part of an unannounced, surprise performance piece called "The Maybe" that will be taking place on random days all month year (see updated details below—update, Monday, 3/25: she's back at the MoMA). A MoMA source told us, "Museum staff doesn't know she's coming until the day of, but she's here today. She'll be there the whole day. All that's in the box is cushions and a water jug." Gothamist "Tilda Swinton will be doing unannounced, random performance art pieces sleeping in a glass box in the museum," the source added. "Today is the first performance. Each performance lasts the whole day the museum is open." Swinton and her box are located near the ticket collectors today, but the box may be in different locations at other performances. "The Maybe" was first performed in London in 1995 at the Serpentine Gallery; Swinton conceived the performance piece, and asked artist Cornelia Parker to collaborate on the installation. Swinton later re-performed the piece in the Museo Barracco in Rome. Here's what the museum has to say about the piece: An integral part of The Maybe's incarnation at MoMA in 2013 is that there is no published schedule for its appearance, no artist's statement released, no no museum statement beyond this brief context, no public profile or image issued. Those who find it chance upon it for themselves, live and in real—shared—time: now we see it, now we don't. For more awesome Swinton action, check out the speech about Bowie that she gave at the opening of the huge Victoria and Albert Museum "David Bowie Is" exhibit this week. Update: Here's what the identification card says: via gallerinaoffduty's Instagram Update: It turns out that Swinton and the MoMA have been talking about bringing "The Maybe" here since 2005! Update: The MoMA clarified that Swinton will be performing "The Maybe" about a half-dozen more times between now and the end of the year, "each unannounced and in a different location in the Museum." Monday, 3/25: She's there right now! Update: Check out more pictures and audience reactions from Swinton's surprise performance at the MoMA on Saturday. ||||| On random days this month, Tilda Swinton (actress, Bowie-enthusiast, badass) will be performing her 1995 piece "The Maybe," which consists of Swinton sleeping in a glass box. In fact, at this very moment, Tilda Swinton is sleeping in a glass box at MoMa for your viewing pleasure. Gothamist spoke with a source at MoMA who told them that the "Museum staff doesn't know she's coming until the day of, but she's here today. She'll be there the whole day. All that's in the box is cushions and a water jug." Swinton first performed "The Maybe" in London, followed by a repeat performance in Rome. MoMA describes the piece's random schedule: An integral part of The Maybe's incarnation at MoMA in 2013 is that there is no published schedule for its appearance, no artist's statement released, no museum statement beyond this brief context, no public profile or image issued. Those who find it chance upon it for themselves, live and in real-shared-time: now we see it, now we don't. [Images courtesy of Gothamist]

– Tilda Swinton is in a box, she's resting, and people are watching her. That's the gist of "The Maybe," a piece the actor is performing today at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Gawker reports. Only problem for art (or Swinton) fans is that she may or may not be there on any given day. As MoMA puts it: "An integral part of The Maybe's incarnation at MoMA in 2013 is that there is no published schedule for its appearance. ... Those who find it chance upon it for themselves, live and in real-shared-time: now we see it, now we don't." In case you're wondering, Swinton has only cushions and a jug of water in the box. She first performed "The Maybe" in London in 1995 and later Rome before bringing it to Manhattan. See photos at Gothamist.

Police in Mozambique Tuesday warned that bald people could be the targets of ritual attacks, after the brutal killing of two men whose body parts were to be used in witchcraft. The two bald men, one of whom was found with his head cut off and organs removed, were killed in a part of the country already notorious for the persecution of albinos. "Last month, the murders of two bald people led to the arrest of two suspects," national police spokesman Inacio Dina told a news conference in the capital Maputo. "Their motivations come from superstition and culture: the local community thinks bald individuals are rich," he said. The killings took place in Milange, in the centre of the southern African country, a few kilometres from the border with Malawi. The local police told AFP that the two victims were aged over 40. "One of them was found with his head cut off and his organs removed," said Miguel Caetano, spokesman for the security forces in the central province of Zambezia. The suspects arrested are two Mozambicans around 20 years old. According to their statements, the organs were to be used by healers in rituals to promote the fortunes of clients in Tanzania and Malawi, he said. ||||| Warning comes after two men killed in brutal attacks, with body parts thought to have been used in witchcraft because of belief that bald people are rich Police in Mozambique has warned that bald people could be the targets of ritual attacks, after the brutal killing of two men whose body parts were thought to have been used in witchcraft. The two bald men, one of whom was found with his head cut off and organs removed, were killed in a part of the country already notorious for the persecution of albinos. “Last month, the murders of two bald people led to the arrest of two suspects,” said the national police spokesman Inacio Dina. Albino Africans live in fear after witch-doctor butchery Read more “Their motivations come from superstition and culture: the local community thinks bald individuals are rich,” he said. The killings took place in Milange, in the centre of the southern African country, a few miles from the border with Malawi. The local police told AFP that the two victims were aged over 40. “One of them was found with his head cut off and his organs removed,” said Miguel Caetano, a spokesman for the security forces in the central province of Zambezia. The suspects arrested are two Mozambicans about 20 years old. According to their statements, the organs were to be used by healers in rituals to promote the fortunes of clients in Tanzania and Malawi, Caetano said. It was the first time that bald people have been victims of such attacks in the region, he added. Dina likened the attacks to those on albinos, whose body parts are used in witchcraft rituals. According to the UN, more than a hundred attacks against albinos – who have white skin because of a hereditary condition that causes an absence of pigmentation – have been registered in Mozambique since 2014, mainly in the centre and the north of the country.

– Police have issued a warning to bald men in Mozambique: They could be targeted for ritual attacks. Five men were recently murdered for their body parts, the BBC reports. "The belief is that the head of a bald man contains gold," a police commander explains. "[Suspects'] motive comes from superstition and culture—the local community thinks bald individuals are rich." One of the men, for example, had his head cut off and his organs removed so medicine men could use them in rituals believed to bring clients their own riches. Two suspects have been arrested in two of the murders, AFP reports. Police say the attacks are similar to ones that target albino people, who have also been known to be murdered for reasons related to witchcraft and healer rituals. These are the first such attacks on bald men in the region, but the Telegraph reports albino people have been subjects of more than 100 attacks in Mozambique since 2014, per the UN. (We're one step closer to predicting baldness.)

Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| The seed for this crawl was a list of every host in the Wayback Machine This crawl was run at a level 1 (URLs including their embeds, plus the URLs of all outbound links including their embeds) The WARC files associated with this crawl are not currently available to the general public.

– Lookin' for some of them Paula Deen pots and pans, y'all? Act now, as in now, because QVC has "concerns" about "the unfortunate Paula Deen situation," and has "no immediate plans to have her appear" on its vaunted airwaves—which she uses to hawk aforementioned cookware. But the channel isn't exactly dropping her like a deep-fried potato, notes TMZ, saying in its statement that it is "closely monitoring these events and we are reviewing our business relationship with Ms. Deen." Food Network has already cut her loose, Lady's Brunch Burger or no.

Tweet with a location You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| The man charged with fatally striking an Eatonville-area bicyclist last week fell asleep at the wheel and fled because he didn’t want to see a dead body, he allegedly told a Washington State Patrol detective. Jeremy Simon, 37, of Roy was arraigned Wednesday afternoon in Pierce County Superior Court on charges of vehicular homicide, hit-and-run resulting in death and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. Retired Superior Court Judge Brian Tollefson, who was filling in, set Simon’s bail at $750,000. Be the first to know. No one covers what is happening in our community better than we do. And with a digital subscription, you'll never miss a local story. SIGN ME UP! According to charging documents: State Patrol investigators were able to use debris, witnesses and surveillance video to determine a lifted black pickup struck Susan Rainwater, 66, on Thursday morning along state Route 7 near 320th Street East. The truck’s driver fled, leaving Rainwater to die. The next day, someone called the State Patrol with an anonymous tip, giving the license plate for a black 1986 Chevrolet truck, which returned to Simon’s Roy address. A detective drove to the home and saw the truck in the driveway, behind a gate, parked facing away from traffic. He stayed for a few hours, waiting for someone to leave the house, but no one did. The detective returned Sunday and waited for several hours for someone to leave the house, but it proved fruitless. About 5 a.m. Monday, the detective returned again. Four hours later, another vehicle left the home’s driveway. The detective pulled the man over, and the man said the truck belonged to his stepson and had new damage to the right front bumper. As the detective went back to the home, the truck pulled out of the driveway. The detective pulled it over nearby. Simon was its only occupant. Asked about the fresh damage to his truck, Simon said he had hit a deer. “You didn’t hit a deer, did you?” the detective responded. Simon said again that he had, but his voice cracked. The detective told Simon he had video of him fleeing the scene of the fatal collision. Simon lowered his head and said he was sorry. Then he shared what he had done, according to the charging documents. He said he was driving to pick up his stepdad’s friend but was on about four hours’ sleep after working well into the night. He thought the energy drink he imbibed would keep him awake. Instead, he fell asleep, drifted off the road and struck Rainwater. Simon thought he had struck a mailbox and pulled over, but then he saw Rainwater’s mangled bicycle and fled in a panic because he didn’t want to see a dead body. He took back roads and picked up his family friend. When Simon was arrested, troopers found a small baggie of heroin and a plastic straw in his pocket, court records show. ||||| WSP detectives made an arrest today for Thursday’s fatal bicyclist hit and run in Eatonville. Reddit users identify a photographed broken car part as a mid 1980s Chevy truck headlight assembly. Local anonymous tip confirms and led to the arrest of a driver of an 1986 Chevy K-10.pic.twitter.com/WaIlkkClfr ||||| EATONVILLE, Wash. - A 37-year-old man has been arrested in connection of a deadly hit-and-run crash that killed a bicyclist last Thursday. Susan Rainwater was riding her bike on SR-7 nearing 320th Street East when a pickup truck approaching behind her veered off the road and hit Rainwater from behind, killing her. Investigators had put out a plea to the public for help identifying the driver. A tweeted photo of some of the broken car parts left at the scene of the crash was posted on Reddit.com and received more than 600 comments from car enthusiasts and mechanics around the nation, police said. One reader who identified himself as a Maryland State Vehicle Inspector was able to narrow a headlight part to a 1980s Chevrolet truck. Friday, police received an anonymous tip that described a mid 1980s Chevrolet pickup truck with front end damage to the right-side headlight assembly, and provided the license plate. The tip led investigators Tuesday to their suspect, Jeremy Simon. Simon was driving a 1986 Chevrolet K-10 pickup truck and admitted to detectives he was the one who struck Rainwater and drove from the scene, troopers said. Simon is being held for investigation of vehicular homicide, illegal drug possession and leaving the scene of an accident. He is scheduled to make is court arraignment on Wednesday. "The WSP and its detectives would like to thank the community for their assistance in providing numerous tips and leads that helped to solve this case," said Johnna Batiste with the Washington State Patrol. ||||| An eagle-eyed Reddit user has helped police make an arrest after a hit-and-run claimed the life of a cyclist. Susan Rainwater, 63, was riding her bike along a stretch of road in Eatonville, Washington, when she was struck and killed by a vehicle travelling behind her. As investigators tried to piece together what happened and who was responsible, a spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol took to Twitter asking for anyone with information to come forward. The post included an image of Ms Rainwater’s mangled bike and a small piece metal that was recovered at the scene. A Washington State Patrol spokesperson shared the images of the damaged bike and a piece of scrap metal found at the scene. Source: Twitter/Tropper Johnna More The image eventually made its way onto the sub-Reddit, ‘What Is This Thing?’, where hundreds of users began speculating as to what it was. But it was a former vehicle inspector by the name of Jeff who was able to accurately identify the mysterious object as a section of a Chevy Silverado headlamp bezel. Washington Police then received an anonymous tip about a 1986 Chevrolet K-10 pickup truck with damage to its front headlight More It eventually led to the arrest of Jeremy Simon, a 37-year-old man from the nearby town of Roy, who admitted to striking Ms Rainwater. Upon announcing the arrest, the Washington State Police credited Reddit users for successfully identifying the broken car part. WSP detectives made an arrest today for Thursday’s fatal bicyclist hit and run in Eatonville. Reddit users identify a photographed broken car part as a mid 1980s Chevy truck headlight assembly. Local anonymous tip confirms and led to the arrest of a driver of an 1986 Chevy K-10. pic.twitter.com/WaIlkkClfr — Trooper Johnna Batiste (@wspd1pio) August 14, 2018 Both Twitter and Reddit users began praising Jeff for helping solve the crime, while expressing their disbelief at his ability to identify the make and model of car with so little information. “Great job /u/JeffsNuts – doubtless there’s a family out there that’s grateful for your work bringing closure to this,” one Reddit user commented. “You deserve a medal for this,” another wrote.

– Susan Rainwater was riding her bicycle in Eatonville, Wash., last Thursday morning when a vehicle came up from behind, veered off the road, and fatally struck the 66-year-old. The driver then left her for dead, police say; a passerby later found her body in a ditch after spotting her crumpled bike. Authorities pleaded for the public's help, tweeting a photo of a black car part the vehicle left behind in the hopes someone could identify it. That's when Reddit stepped in: The photo was posted on the subreddit /r/whatisthisthing, leading to hundreds of comments, Yahoo News reports. Car enthusiasts, mechanics, and other experts weighed in; ultimately, someone identifying himself as a Maryland State Vehicle Inspector determined it was a headlight part from a 1980s Chevrolet truck, KOMO News reports. Then police received an anonymous tip with the license plate number of a 1980s Chevy pickup truck with front end damage to the right-side headlight assembly. Investigators ultimately found and arrested Jeremy Simon, who drives a 1986 Chevrolet K-10; police say he confessed to hitting Rainwater. Simon, 37, allegedly told police he fell asleep at the wheel, thought he hit a mailbox and pulled over, but drove off in a panic when he saw the mangled bicycle because he didn't want to see a dead body, the News Tribune reports. Troopers allegedly found a small bag of heroin and a plastic straw in his pocket when he was arrested. He has been charged with vehicular homicide, hit-and-run resulting in death, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Washington State Police credited the Reddit tipsters on Twitter.

A barbed-wire fence encircles the Highlands Acid Pit that was flooded by water from the nearby San Jacinto River as a result from Harvey in Highlands, Texas. | Jason Dearen/AP Photo Trump’s EPA attacks AP reporter in personal terms The agency accused the reporter of an ‘incredibly misleading story’ about its Harvey response ‘from the comfort of Washington.’ President Donald Trump’s habit of singling out reporters for attacks is being adopted by his federal agencies, with the Environmental Protection Agency excoriating an Associated Press reporter in unusually personal terms on Sunday after the reporter wrote a story that cast the agency in an unfavorable light. “Yesterday, the Associated Press’ Michael Biesecker wrote an incredibly misleading story about toxic land sites that are under water,” the statement began. “Despite reporting from the comfort of Washington, Biesecker had the audacity to imply that agencies aren’t being responsive to the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey. Not only is this inaccurate, but it creates panic and politicizes the hard work of first responders who are actually in the affected area.” Story Continued Below The article in question, which was written by Biesecker and his AP colleague, Jason Dearen, noted that seven toxic Superfund sites around Houston had been flooded during Hurricane Harvey. The Saturday report also noted that the “EPA had not yet been able to physically visit the Houston-area sites,” which the EPA confirmed, arguing the sites were not accessible. Dearen appears to have reported from on the ground in Texas, and he was not singled out by the EPA statement. The statement went on to say that “state agencies worked with responsible parties to secure Superfund sites before the hurricane hit.” It then continued the attacks on Biesecker, saying he “has a history of not letting the facts get in the way of his story” and noting that a July story he wrote inaccurately characterized an interaction between EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris. Biesecker’s story, based on EPA schedules, initially said the two met for half an hour at a Houston hotel. Morning Energy newsletter The source for energy and environment news — weekday mornings, in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. A spokesperson for the EPA later said the meeting was canceled and that the two had only a “brief introduction in passing.” The AP issued a correction to the story. The bulk of Sunday’s EPA statement was unsigned. It did, however, include one portion attributable to associate administrator Liz Bowman. “Once again, in an attempt to mislead Americans, the Associated Press is cherry-picking facts, as EPA is monitoring Superfund sites around Houston and we have a team of experts on the ground working with our state and local counterparts responding to Hurricane Harvey,” Bowman’s statement said. “Anything to the contrary is yellow journalism.” The statement did not point to any specific factual inaccuracies in Saturday’s story, besides accusing Biesecker of leaving out information about the EPA’s other efforts to monitor the toxic land sites, and the AP has not offered any corrections on the piece. The EPA declined Sunday to provide additional information about who drafted the statement, with EPA spokesperson Amy Graham calling the statement “pretty self-explanatory” in an email to POLITICO. Bowman later followed up with an additional email to POLITICO. "We understand you are very focused on our press release; we hope you will apply the same focus to the facts, which include that a national reporter from a wire service publishing [sic] inaccurate and misleading stories about the agency and it’s [sic] staff on the ground," Bowman wrote. "We think that is more important than who drafted a press release." The Associated Press on Sunday evening pushed back on the EPA's claims. "AP's exclusive story was the result of on-the-ground reporting at Superfund sites in and around Houston, as well as AP's strong knowledge of these sites and EPA practices," it said in a statement. "We object to the EPA's attempts to discredit that reporting by suggesting it was completed solely from 'the comforts of Washington' and stand by the work of both journalists who jointly reported and wrote the story." ||||| News Releases from Headquarters › Office of the Administrator (AO) EPA Response To The AP's Misleading Story Good afternoon – Yesterday, the Associated Press’ Michael Biesecker wrote an incredibly misleading story about toxic land sites that are under water. Despite reporting from the comfort of Washington, Biesecker had the audacity to imply that agencies aren’t being responsive to the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey. Not only is this inaccurate, but it creates panic and politicizes the hard work of first responders who are actually in the affected area. Here’s the truth: through aerial imaging, EPA has already conducted initial assessments at 41 Superfund sites – 28 of those sites show no damage, and 13 have experienced flooding. This was left out of the original story, along with the fact that EPA and state agencies worked with responsible parties to secure Superfund sites before the hurricane hit. Leaving out this critical information is misleading. Administrator Pruitt already visited Southeast Texas and is in constant contact with local, state and county officials. And EPA, has a team of experts imbedded with other local, state and federal authorities, on the ground responding to Harvey - none of which Biesecker included in his story. Unfortunately, the Associated Press’ Michael Biesecker has a history of not letting the facts get in the way of his story. Earlier this summer, he made-up a meeting that Administrator Pruitt had, and then deliberately discarded information that refuted his inaccurate story – ultimately prompting a nation-wide correction. Additionally, the Oklahoman took him to task for sensationalized reporting. If you’re reporting on this misleading story then below is a statement from the EPA. “Once again, in an attempt to mislead Americans, the Associated Press is cherry-picking facts, as EPA is monitoring Superfund sites around Houston and we have a team of experts on the ground working with our state and local counterparts responding to Hurricane Harvey. Anything to the contrary is yellow journalism.” - EPA Associate Administrator, Liz Bowman BACKGROUND ... The Hill reports EPA finds 13 Superfund sites possibly damaged after Harvey. "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Saturday that 13 Superfund sites have been flooded or could be facing damage as a result of Hurricane Harvey. The agency said that two of the sites, which are areas that are polluted with hazardous material and require extensive cleanup, had been inspected and do not require immediate cleanup. Eleven sites have proven to be inaccessible for response teams, however the agency said teams are in place to inspect the areas once flooding from the storm subsides. In total, the EPA said that it had conducted initial assessments at 41 Superfund sites in impacted areas using 'aerial images' and contact with with those responsible for regular cleanup activities." (The Hill, 09/02/17) In June, the editorial board at the Oklahoman reminded their readers of the sensationalized reporting that comes from the Associated Press’ Michael Biesecker. “The disdain that some in the media have for President Trump and members of his administration is evident regularly. Recent coverage related to EPA administrator Scott Pruitt provides an example of interest to locals because of Pruitt's Oklahoma ties. … An Associated Press story from Washington last week about emails Pruitt sent and received as attorney general did what it could to further establish Pruitt as a minion for the oil and gas industry — which environmentalists see as dead set on ruining the earth as we know it. The AP, a wire service used by media outlets around the world including The Oklahoman, said the emails ‘underscore just how closely’ Pruitt ‘coordinated with fossil fuel companies’ as Oklahoma's AG, ‘a position in which he frequently sued to block federal efforts to curb planet-warming carbon emissions.’ That's quite an opening paragraph. Pruitt didn't just work with energy companies while attorney general — he worked ‘closely’ with ‘fossil fuel companies’ (the ultimate bogey men) to essentially keep global warming from abating. … The fact Pruitt regularly corresponded and dealt with energy industry officials as attorney general of a state where energy is the No. 1 industry should not be surprising nor should it, by itself, be considered nefarious.” ||||| In this photo taken Sept. 1, 2017 in Crosby, Texas, across the San Jacinto River from Houston, Rafael Casas tours his storm ravaged house in a small working-class neighborhood that sits between two Superfund sites, French LTD and the Sikes Disposal Pits. The area was wrecked by Harvey's floods. (AP Photo/Jason Dearen) HIGHLANDS, Texas (AP) — As Dwight Chandler sipped beer and swept out the thick muck caked inside his devastated home, he worried whether Harvey’s floodwaters had also washed in pollution from the old acid pit just a couple blocks away. Long a center of the nation’s petrochemical industry, the Houston metro area has more than a dozen Superfund sites, designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as being among America’s most intensely contaminated places. Many are now flooded, with the risk that waters were stirring dangerous sediment. The Highlands Acid Pit site near Chandler’s home was filled in the 1950s with toxic sludge and sulfuric acid from oil and gas operations. Though 22,000 cubic yards of hazardous waste and soil were excavated from the acid pits in the 1980s, the site is still considered a potential threat to groundwater, and the EPA maintains monitoring wells there. When he was growing up in Highlands, Chandler, now 62, said he and his friends used to swim in the by-then abandoned pit. “My daddy talks about having bird dogs down there to run and the acid would eat the pads off their feet,” he recounted on Thursday. “We didn’t know any better.” The Associated Press surveyed seven Superfund sites in and around Houston during the flooding. All had been inundated with water, in some cases many feet deep. On Saturday, hours after the AP published its first report, the EPA said it had reviewed aerial imagery confirming that 13 of the 41 Superfund sites in Texas were flooded by Harvey and were “experiencing possible damage” due to the storm. The statement confirmed the AP’s reporting that the EPA had not yet been able to physically visit the Houston-area sites, saying the sites had “not been accessible by response personnel.” EPA staff had checked on two Superfund sites in Corpus Christi on Thursday and found no significant damage. AP journalists used a boat to document the condition of one flooded Houston-area Superfund site, but accessed others with a vehicle or on foot. The EPA did not respond to questions about why its personnel had not yet been able to do so. “Teams are in place to investigate possible damage to these sites as soon flood waters recede, and personnel are able to safely access the sites,” the EPA statement said. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, speaking with reporters at a news conference on Saturday after the AP report was published, said he wants the EPA “in town to address the situation.” Turner said he didn’t know about the potential environmental concerns soon enough to discuss them with President Donald Trump. “Now we’re turning our attention to that,” he said. “It is always a concern. The environment is very concerning, and we’ll get right on top of it.” At the Highlands Acid Pit on Thursday, the Keep Out sign on the barbed-wire fence encircling the 3.3-acre site barely peeked above the churning water from the nearby San Jacinto River. A fishing bobber was caught in the chain link, and the air smelled bitter. A rusted incinerator sat just behind the fence, poking out of the murky soup. Across the road at what appeared to be a more recently operational plant, a pair of tall white tanks had tipped over into a heap of twisted steel. It was not immediately clear what, if anything, might have been inside them when the storm hit. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has called cleaning up Superfund sites a top priority, even as he has taken steps to roll back or delay rules aimed at preventing air and water pollution. Trump’s proposed 2018 budget seeks to cut money for the Superfund program by 30 percent, though congressional Republicans are likely to approve a less severe reduction. Like Trump, Pruitt has expressed skepticism about the predictions of climate scientists that warmer air and seas will produce stronger, more drenching storms. Under the Obama administration, the EPA conducted a nationwide assessment of the increased threat to Superfund sites posed by climate change, including rising sea levels and stronger hurricanes. Of the more than 1,600 sites reviewed as part of the 2012 study, 521 were determined to be in 1-in-100 year and 1-in-500 year flood zones. Nearly 50 sites in coastal areas could also be vulnerable to rising sea levels. The threats to human health and wildlife from rising waters that inundate Superfund sites vary widely depending on the specific contaminants and the concentrations involved. The EPA report specifically noted the risk that floodwaters might carry away and spread toxic materials over a wider area. The report listed two dozen Superfund sites determined to be especially vulnerable to flooding and sea-level rise. The only one in Texas, the Bailey Waste Disposal site south of Beaumont, is on a marshy island along the Neches River. The National Weather Service said the Neches was expected to crest on Saturday at more than 21 feet above flood stage — 8 feet higher than the prior record. In Crosby, across the San Jacinto River from Houston, a small working-class neighborhood sits between two Superfund sites, French LTD and the Sikes Disposal Pits. The area was wrecked by Harvey’s floods. Only a single house from among the roughly dozen lining Hickory Lane was still standing. After the water receded on Friday, a sinkhole the size of a swimming pool had opened up and swallowed two cars. The acrid smell of creosote filled the air. Rafael Casas’ family had owned a house there for two decades, adjacent to the French LTD site. He said he was never told about the pollution risk until it came up in an informal conversation with a police officer who grew up nearby. Most of the homes had groundwater wells, but Casas said his family had switched to bottled water. “You never know what happens with the pollution under the ground,” said Casas, 32. “It filters into the water system.” The water had receded by Saturday at Brio Refining Inc. and Dixie Oil Processors, a pair of neighboring Superfund sites about 20 miles southeast of downtown Houston in Friendswood. The road was coated in a layer of silt. Mud Gully Stream, which bisects the two sites, was full and flowing with muddy water. Both sites were capped with a liner and soil as part of EPA-supervised cleanup efforts aimed at preventing the contamination from spreading off the low-lying sites during floods. Parts of the Brio site were elevated by 8 feet. John Danna, the manager hired by the companies to oversee the sites, said in a phone interview that he went there after the storm and saw no signs of erosion. He said he didn’t know how high the flooding got in Harvey’s wake and that no testing of the water still draining from the area had been conducted. EPA staff are expected to visit in the next week, he said. A security guard at the Patrick Bayou Superfund site, just off the Houston Ship Channel in Deer Park, said Saturday that flooding came hundreds of feet inland during the storm. The water has since receded back into the bayou, where past testing has shown the sediments contain pesticides, toxic heavy metals and PCBs. The site, surrounded by active petrochemical facilities, is still awaiting a final plan for cleanup. The San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund site was completely covered with floodwaters when an AP reporter saw it Thursday. According to its website, the EPA was set to make a final decision this year about a proposed $97 million cleanup effort to remove toxic waste from a paper mill that operated there in the 1960s. The flow from the raging river washing over the toxic site was so intense it damaged an adjacent section of the Interstate 10 bridge, which has been closed to traffic due to concerns it might collapse. There was no way to immediately assess how much contaminated soil from the site might have been washed away. According to an EPA survey from last year, soil from the former waste pits contains dioxins and other long-lasting toxins linked to birth defects and cancer. The EPA said Saturday the San Jacinto Waste Pits site is covered by a temporary “armored cap,” a fabric covering anchored with rocks designed to prevent contaminated sediment from migrating down river. McGinnes Industrial Maintenance Corp., one of the companies responsible for the site, said in a statement Saturday that its contractors reported that “visible portions of the cap indicated the waste beneath remained in place following the storm.” Ken Haldin, a public relations consultant representing the company, said he did not know how much of the 34-acre site was above water at the time of the inspection. According to an EPA review last year, the cap has required extensive repairs on at least six occasions since it was installed in 2011, with large sections becoming displaced or going missing. The EPA said its personnel planned to go to the site by boat on Monday. Kara Cook-Schultz, who studies Superfund sites for the advocacy group TexPIRG, said environmentalists have warned for years about the potential for flooding to inundate Texas Superfund sites, particularly the San Jacinto Waste Pits. “If floodwaters have spread the chemicals in the waste pits, then dangerous chemicals like dioxin could be spread around the wider Houston area,” Cook-Schultz said. “Superfund sites are known to be the most dangerous places in the country, and they should have been properly protected against flooding.” ____ Associated Press writer Jay Reeves contributed to this report. Biesecker reported from Washington. ____ A video of Associated Press writer Jason Dearen’s tour by boat of several Superfund sites in the Houston area after Harvey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erg6azfuP5k&feature=youtu.be ____ Follow Jason Dearen at http://twitter.com/JHDearen and Michael Biesecker at http://twitter.com/mbieseck

– Taking a page from the Donald Trump playbook, officials at the Environmental Protection Agency attacked a reporter by name for writing what they called an "incredibly misleading story" about the agency's efforts in Hurricane-ravaged Houston, Politico reports. The article, written Saturday for the AP by Michael Biesecker and Jason Dearen, reports that at least seven of the city's 41 Superfund sites (the most contaminated toxic waste sites in the country) had been flooded by rain from Hurricane Harvey and that the EPA had been unable to visit them, saying the sites "had not been accessible by response personnel." The article stated that AP journalists had accessed at least one of the sites by boat and others by "a vehicle or on foot." The EPA took issue with the article's claims in a statement released Sunday, saying, “Despite reporting from the comfort of Washington, Biesecker had the audacity to imply that agencies aren’t being responsive to the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey. Not only is this inaccurate, but it creates panic and politicizes the hard work of first responders who are actually in the affected area.” Later that day, the AP refuted the EPA's claims in a statement of its own, writing, "We object to the EPA's attempts to discredit that reporting by suggesting it was completed solely from 'the comforts of Washington' and stand by the work of both journalists who jointly reported and wrote the story."

A white city police sergeant made up a story about being shot by a black man while on patrol last month and actually intentionally shot himself for unknown reasons, the city's police commissioner said Tuesday. Sgt. Robert Ralston, 46, confessed to making up the story and will have to pay the costs of the massive manhunt that followed, Commissioner Charles Ramsey said. Ralston has been suspended with intent to dismiss, but will not face criminal charges because granting immunity was the only way to obtain his confession, Ramsey said at a news conference. The case was especially troubling, Ramsey said, because Ralston identified his supposed attacker as black. When Ralston confessed Tuesday, he said he made the claim so his story would be more believable, Ramsey said. "He wanted the story to be consistent with the environment he was in," a largely African-American neighborhood, Ramsey said. "I am troubled by this whole situation. ... He violated the trust the people have given him." The commissioner said investigators aren't really sure why Ralston intentionally shot himself. "He did not give a reason for doing that ... he denied that he was trying to get attention," Ramsey said. "He said he first considered shooting himself in the chest, but he thought better of it." A telephone listing for Ralston had been disconnected and he could not immediately be reached for comment by The Associated Press. Ralston, a 21-year veteran, told police he was on patrol in the city's Overbrook section early on April 5 when he stopped two black men for questioning along some railroad tracks. He told investigators that one of the men put a gun to his head, but that he knocked the weapon away and suffered a graze wound to the shoulder when it fired, investigators said. Both men fled, he said. Police combed the neighborhood for hours looking for the men. Officers never stopped or arrested anyone matching Ralston's description of the gunman, Ramsey said. Investigators quickly found inconsistencies in his story. Forensic evidence didn't match Ralston's story, and gunpowder on Ralston's shirt matched the kind of powder used by the department, Ramsey said. The Fraternal Order of Police had put out a $10,000 reward for information leading to the alleged suspect. On Tuesday, FOP President John McNesby condemned the sergeant's actions, saying they took away from the good work of police officers. "Nobody knows what he was thinking to do something like that," McNesby said. "He wasted a lot of time, a lot of manpower. It could really stir up a lot of stuff in the city when you don't really need it." District Attorney Seth Williams commended Ramsey's decision to suspend Ralston and said the goal was getting to the truth. "Unfortunately, we could only arrive at the truth through his statement given to the police and that statement cannot be used against him," Williams said. "We took a badge and a gun from a person whose actions proved him unfit for either." ||||| Sgt. Robert Ralston, who said he was shot in the shoulder after a gun was put to his head on April 5, 2010. A Philadelphia police sergeant who said he was shot last month by an unidentified black man in the city's Overbrook section actually fabricated the entire story and shot himself, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said this morning. Sgt. Robert Ralston, a 21-year veteran of the department, admitted to homicide detectives early this morning that his previously reported story was false. Ramsey called the incident, "a terrible and embarrassing chapter in our history." Asked why Ralston concocted the tale and injured himself, Ramsey said he didn't know. "There's some speculation he did it to get attention, or to get transferred," Ramsey said. Ralston will be suspended for 30 days with the intent to dismiss, Ramsey said. Ralston, married with five children, will face no criminal charges in the case, because he was offered immunity in exchange for his confession. Ralston will also have to pay the cost of the massive manhunt that was sparked by his tale on April 5, Ramsey said. Police spent hours combing the West Philadelphia neighborhood for possible suspects, but no one was formally questioned or arrested. The Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 5, posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspect. Ralston said he was on patrol in the early hours of April 5 when he stopped two men for questioning. One of the men ran, the other drew a gun and put it to Ralston's head, he told police. Ralston said he knocked the gun out of the way and it went off, grazing him in the shoulder. He told police he shot at the man as he ran off and possibly struck him. From the start, police said the facts of the case didn't add up. There was powder residue on his shirt that matched his own service weapon, indicating he was shot at close range. His reaction to the shooting also drew suspicion, and police said he seemed eager to cast himself in the role of a hero. Ramsey said Ralston's badge number would be retired, and that no other officer would ever wear the same number. Ralston apparently described his assailant as black because the area where the shooting took place is predominantly African-American, the commissioner said. "It's troubling in a lot of ways," Ramsey said. "It inflames racial tensions in our community, and that's certainly something we don't need." Ramsey said it was fortunate that officers never stopped or arrested anyone matching Ralston's description of the gunman. Contact staff writer Allison Steele at 215-854-2641 or [email protected]

– A white police sergeant in Philadelphia has admitted that he made up a story about being shot by a black assailant and instead purposely shot himself in the shoulder, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. "There's some speculation he did it to get attention, or to get transferred," said the city's police chief, who called it a "terrible and embarrassing chapter in our history." Sgt. Robert Ralston originally said that after he stopped two men for questioning, one pulled a gun and aimed at his head. He said when he knocked the gun away, it went off and grazed him. That set off a huge manhunt before the details of Ralston's story fell apart, notes AP. Ralston has been suspended and is expected to be fired. The 21-year veteran won't face criminal charges, but he must reimburse the city for the cost of the manhunt.

The good news: we’re getting more Arrested Development! The (potentially!) bad news: we’re getting more Arrested Development. After years of negotiations, teases, and knowing deferrals—as Ron Howard told Vanity Fair just last month, “I don’t want to be coy, but, well, I’m absolutely being coy!”—Netflix has finally announced that a fifth season of the beloved sitcom will premiere sometime in 2018. “In talks with Netflix we all felt that stories about a narcissistic, erratically behaving family in the building business—and their desperate abuses of power—are really underrepresented on TV these days,” series creator Mitchell Hurwitz said in a statement, perhaps hinting at a topical direction for the new episodes. The entire original cast is slated to return once more, though the announcement doesn’t indicate how many episodes the new season will contain, or when, precisely, it will debut. Longtime Arrested Development fans will likely find themselves reacting to this news with a mixture of enthusiasm and trepidation. The fourth season of Arrested Development, which debuted in 2013, was a classic “be careful what you wish for” scenario: though the original series was clever and sharp and unfairly cut down in its prime, its revival—the first such series Netflix ever attempted, which means you can thank it for Fuller House—was a decidedly mixed bag. Arrested Development’s intricately plotted episodes and penchant for long-running, big-payoff gags made it the perfect match for the nascent binge-watch era, which is precisely why it won over so many fans after its original cancelation. But the new series faced daunting scheduling issues, thanks to the booming careers of its sprawling ensemble cast, which led to meandering episodes that focused on one character at a time rather than the ensemble pieces that had been the original show’s bread and butter. Will a new season be able to clear a similar hurdle? Arrested’s alumni certainly haven’t gotten any less busy: Tony Hale and Jeffrey Tambor have starring roles on Veep and Transparent, respectively; Jason Bateman's making movies; Portia de Rossi has a recurring role on Scandal; Alia Shawkat is readying herself for another season of TBS’s delightful Search Party. If the new season still has trouble getting all of these people in the same studio at the same time, it seems likely that Arrested Season 5 will suffer the same creative issues that muddled Season 4. At the very least, the show seems to be aware of what prevented it from hitting again last time—its official Twitter account broke the news of Arrested’s return with a message that indicates the new season will feature the Bluths “all together. Whether they like it or not.” Maybe, then, the show has learned from its past mistakes—and if nothing else, it’ll hopefully find a way to skewer the Donald Trump era just as mercilessly as it lampooned the presidency of George W. Bush. The rest of Hurwitz’s statement certainly seems like a step in the right direction: “I am so grateful to them and to 20th TV for making this dream of mine come true in bringing the Bluths, George Sr., Lucille and the kids; Michael, Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric, George-Michael, and who am I forgetting, oh Tiffany. Did I say Tiffany?—back to the glorious stream of life.” Do you have what it takes? Test your knowledge of the Seven Kingdoms with Vanity Fair ’s Game of Unknowns. Make your predictions ||||| The Bluth family's antics are coming back to Netflix. The streaming service announced Wednesday that Arrested Development will return for its fifth season in 2018. The show is one of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Related 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time From time-capsule sitcoms to cutting-edge Peak-TV dramas — the definitive ranking of the game-changing small-screen classics After three critically acclaimed, but low-rated, seasons on Fox from 2004 to 2006, Mitch Hurwitz's cult comedy series was revived by Netflix in 2013, with the entire regular cast uniting for Season Four. Hurwitz and the original cast will again return for Season Five, which was delayed until all the talent involved could fit Arrested Development into their schedules, Variety reports. "In talks with Netflix we all felt that that stories about a narcissistic, erratically behaving family in the building business — and their desperate abuses of power — are really underrepresented on TV these days,” Hurwitz said in a statement, shading the Trump clan. "I am so grateful to them and to 20th TV for making this dream of mine come true in bringing the Bluths, George Sr., Lucille and the kids; Michael, Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric, George-Michael, and who am I forgetting, oh Tiffany. Did I say Tiffany? — back to the glorious stream of life." Ron Howard, who produces and narrates the series, added in a statement, "Whew! I can finally answer the question … Hell yes! Warming up my uncredited narrator vocal chords. Now the only thing I will have to be coy about is all the craziness the Bluths are going to face this season." The confirmation of Arrested Development's fifth season comes less than a week after star Jason Bateman tweeted, "Look very probable I'm going to put some miles on the Stair Car this summer. Just officially signed on to more ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT today."

– Arrested Development will be back for a fifth season. Netflix, which revived the beloved sitcom for a fourth season in 2013, confirmed Wednesday that the series' fifth season will air on the streaming service in 2018. The original cast and creator Mitch Hurwitz are once again returning, Rolling Stone reports. Reaction so far is mixed; for example, Vanity Fair wonders whether a fifth season "can erase the memory of season 4."

Prince Harry has told of his efforts to maintain an "ordinary life" despite being a member of the Royal family, insisting he would still do his own shopping even if he became king. The Prince said his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, had shown him the reality of other people's lives , ensuring he is not "completely cut off from reality". Saying people would be "amazed" at how normally the young Royals can live, he disclosed he still does his own shopping - and fears being photographed at the meat counter. In an interview with Newsweek, he said: "My mother took a huge part in showing me an ordinary life, including taking me and my brother to see homeless people. ||||| Harry seconds that. “We use our time wisely,” he says. “We don't want to turn up, shake hands but not get involved.” From Eton to Afghanistan Harry sees himself as having three core roles in a working life that isn’t exactly a career but is as close to one as he’s ever likely to have. The first is to honor and extend his mother’s legacy. “I intuitively know what my mother would like me to do and want to progress with work she couldn’t complete.” Twenty years ago, when irrational fear of being infected with HIV/AIDS was at its height, Diana was photographed touching an HIV-positive man, and that one gesture altered public attitudes. (“I’d like to be a queen of people’s hearts,” Diana once told a TV interviewer; the moniker stuck, especially after her death.) Last December, Harry had an HIV test in Barbados before a bevy of photographers. In 2006, he founded the charity Sentebale with Prince Seeiso, a member of Lesotho’s royal family who also lost his mother when he was young. Sentebale, which means “forget me not,” commemorates the mothers of both princes by helping vulnerable children in the southern African country, which has the second highest HIV rate in the world. Harry is also patron of the anti-mines charity the HALO Trust, pursuing his mother’s goal to “rid the world of land mines.” His second role is to support the queen, now 91, who is steadily passing on some of her duties to her grandchildren. “The queen has been fantastic in letting us choose,” he says. “She tells us to take our time and really think things through.” The third strand of his working life is something previous generations of stiff-upper-lip royals would never have countenanced for a moment: Harry is determined to break the stigma surrounding mental health issues. This is something he, William and Kate are doing with the support of the British government. “They have the money. We have the voice,” he says. He confesses that his charity efforts in that regard have enabled him to work through some of his own issues. On more than one occasion when I’m with him, he declares, “I believe a leopard can change its spots.” It seems clear he is speaking, at least in part, about himself. In 2012, Harry, William and Kate launched the Royal Foundation. Full Effect, one of its offshoots, aims to give kids, many of whom come from deprived backgrounds and are at risk of being drawn into gangs, a love of sports, which it is hoped will motivate them to take a more positive path. I accompanied Harry on a visit to a Full Effect project in the city of Nottingham in central England. His first stop was outside Nottingham’s National Ice Centre, where about 30 9-year-old boys and girls weren’t at all interested in his “ordinary” side. They wanted the pageantry, the aura; Harry was dressed casually in a navy shirt with the sleeves rolled up and his shirt tails not quite tucked into his brown jeans, and he clearly didn’t care whether people curtsied or bowed when meeting him. Instead, he cracked one-liners and made the boys and girls laugh and relax. The children stared wide-eyed as he threw rugby balls to the boys and kicked a football around. Matthew Lewis/AFP/Getty After about 20 minutes, he talked to a group of 16- to 24-year-olds who were part of a Royal Foundation initiative offering a chance to train as a sports coach. Most of these young people came from dysfunctional homes, didn't fit in with the school system and so far had had very few opportunities in life. One told me he had to get his seven siblings to school every morning before he could come to work. Next stop was the Russell Youth Centre in St. Ann's, a deprived area that has a renowned Community Recording Studio run by Trevor Rose. Harry has been a regular visitor since 2013. “This place is a safe haven even for kids who have been banned from school, youth and sports centers,” Rose says. “Many have been stabbed, thrown out of their home and have to deal with alcohol and drug issues, as well as low confidence and self-esteem.” Before Harry arrived, most of the teenagers seemed too cool to care about a royal visit, but Rose wasn’t worried. “When you work with young people who are at-risk, they don’t trust people easily, but when Harry walks in, you’ll see he is one of the boys.” And he was. Harry shook lots of hands, slapped the boys on the back, hugged the girls and cracked jokes. Within minutes, he was surrounded by formerly oh-so-cool teenagers pleading with him to share a selfie, which he readily did. “It really makes a difference to the children to know they have a prince watching over them,” Rose says. “Not that Harry is what you would expect of a prince. He doesn’t just want to shake hands and say hello. He has instead become part of their journey. I believe his dedication is partly because it helps put his own life into perspective.” Richard Stonehouse/Getty Harry was educated at the elite Eton College school (he disliked it) and then served in the army for 10 years and flew combat missions in Afghanistan. He loved being part of a combat unit in Afghanistan and was devastated when he was ordered off the front lines because it was feared he’d be too tantalizing a target for every Taliban fighter for miles around, putting himself and his comrades in extraordinary peril. His army experience clearly made him a different, better person and gave him a very personal mission: to advocate for wounded servicemen and women. In 2014, he created, then launched, the Paralympic Invictus Games, which was a huge hit and is now an annual event. Speaking about trauma and depression was the focus at the Emergency Operations Centre for London Ambulance Service, which takes about 5,000 medical emergency calls a day and dispatches ambulances around London. This visit was to promote Time to Talk Day, an offshoot of the Heads Together campaign to destigmatize mental health issues. Harry once again reached back to his experience on the front line in Afghanistan to empathize with the ambulance dispatchers and paramedics. He recalled how, when he was a helicopter pilot, he would evacuate injured servicemen and women. “You land, hand them over and then are radioed to do something else,” he said. “You never find out how that guy or girl lived or died.” Then, turning to a couple of male paramedics, he added: “It’s amazing what you guys have to deal with every single day. You don’t know what you are going to get. You can be attacked, abused, everything. It’s not human to come away from that and not think you will be affected. Well done, you.” Ben Birchall/AFP/Getty He chatted at length with father of four Dan Farnworth, a paramedic from Blackpool suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after dealing with a particularly difficult case involving child abuse in which the child died. Farnworth talked about being in “a really dark place” and how scared he was to admit that because it could have meant he’d not be allowed to work. Harry nodded—and spoke to Farnworth more like a psychotherapist than a buttoned-up royal. “It’s really important to speak out. If you keep concerns to yourself for weeks, months or years, they become a real problem. It is not weakness. It is strength to come forward, talk about it and move on. I know people don’t want to come forward because they don't want to risk losing their job. But then they risk losing their job because they can’t cope.” That empathy is perhaps most on display when Harry interacts with the kind of men and women he served alongside in the military. I also joined Harry on a visit to the Help for Heroes recovery center. It was a clear, cold day, and a small group of men were chatting as they made long wooden struts for the door of the Iron Age house—a therapeutic building project. Close by was a roaring fire that kept them warm and would later help provide a hot lunch. They were all former British soldiers who had been seriously wounded in battle. Although their physical wounds had largely healed, they had come to take advantage of the Hidden Wounds psychological and well-being service, a program that Help for Heroes offers to veterans suffering from depression, stress, anger, anxiety and problems with alcohol. Harry was both compassionate and jokey with them, and he acknowledged to the veterans—and again to me later—that he missed both the camaraderie of army life and its “black humor.” John Stillwell/Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty His first question to Mike Day, a former sniper commander who was hit by a grenade in Afghanistan in 2009 and whose injuries included a broken back and shrapnel in his head and body, went right to the core: “So what has been the biggest effect on you?” Day thought for a moment, then said softly, “I am no longer me.” It was a moving and delicate moment, but Harry wasn’t thrown. “One of your biggest struggles must be living rather than just existing,” he said. Day nodded. “I come here once a month for four days, and it brings out the best in me.” Harry’s support team seemed hesitant about whether to move him on to his next appointment. “Well done, guys," he said to the soldiers as he left. “We share the uniform,” the prince tells me soon after the visit. “I see a lot of myself in these guys. They want an opportunity to prove themselves and be someone.” Hidden Wounds When Harry is on duty, he is steadfastly animated and friendly, but in quieter moments he can often seem tense and irritable. For sure, he’s lived a life of extraordinary privilege, but he has also suffered considerable pain in his 32 years. His parents were a horrible mismatch, and they separated after a fairy-tale-turned-nightmare marriage of 11 years. Charles went back to his long-term lover, Camilla Parker Bowles; Diana had a variety of lovers, the last of whom was Dodi Fayed, the son of Mohamed al-Fayed, the former owner of mega-store Harrods. He died with her in that car crash in Paris. When asked about his family, Harry talks readily about the queen—“She is so remarkable”—and his late mother—“She had the most wonderful sense of humor and always wanted to make things fun for us, as well as protect us.” He says less about William and Kate, and almost nothing about his father or his stepmother. The world now knows how unhappy that relationship made his mother, and her sons. There was no filling the hole left by Diana’s death, and Harry seemed to be growing up without someone emotionally available he could lean on. Kate has helped fill some of that gap. When she and William got engaged, Harry called her the big sister he never had. He often pops into their apartment at Kensington Palace, where she cooks him a meal—roast chicken is reportedly a particular favorite. Chris Jackson/Getty Harry and William have very different personalities. “Emotionally, they are very unalike,” a royal insider says. “Harry wears his heart on his sleeve. William is introverted and reclusive. They are bonded together by the unique position they are in and the experience of losing their mother very young. But they don’t live in each other’s pockets, and while William was at university, they didn’t see much of each other at all.” Another member of Harry’s inner circle further delineates the differences between the two princes: “William was more successful academically, but when it comes to dealing with people, Harry knocks the spots off both him and Kate, especially with children. Harry is passionate about them and is a natural, which neither William nor Kate are.” Having their own has no doubt helped. Harry has a more practical side. “I can do most things with my hands,” he says. That is one reason why serving in the British army suited him so well. At the end of 2007, he was secretly flown out to Afghanistan and worked as a forward air controller in Helmand province, guiding fighter jets to suspected Taliban targets. Ten weeks in, his tour of duty was leaked by the press, and he was pulled out for security reasons. “I felt very resentful,” he says. “Being in the army was the best escape I've ever had. I felt as though I was really achieving something.” In 2012, he was allowed to return to Afghanistan , where he commanded an attack helicopter at Camp Bastion in Helmand province. “All I wanted to do was prove that I had a certain set of skills—for instance, flying an Apache helicopter—rather than just being Prince Harry. I also felt I was one of the lads and could forget I was Prince Harry when I was with them.” He returned home in 2015, angry that his army life had been ripped from him. But he finally let that frustration go, and aggressively pursued his quest for a new identity that would make him feel as if his life had meaning other than just as a member of the royal family. He tells me that he is in a rush “to make something of my life. I feel there is just a smallish window when people are interested in me before [William’s children] take over, and I’ve got to make the most of it.”

– "Is there any one of the royal family who wants to be king or queen? I don’t think so," comes the answer from a person you might not expect: Prince Harry. But in an interview with Newsweek, the 32-year-old assures that "we will carry out our duties at the right time." Prince William's younger brother says the Windsors are attempting to "modernize the British monarchy … not for ourselves but for the greater good of the people." To that end, the Telegraph trumpets Harry's line, "Even if I was king, I would do my own shopping." (He is fifth in line to the throne, after William's kids.) Harry says he attempts to have as ordinary life as possible and adds, "If I am lucky enough to have children, they can have one too.” But Harry, who has fought to protect his privacy and that of his American actress girlfriend, Meghan Markle, admits to worrying that "someone will snap me with their phone" as he steps away from his supermarket's meat counter. He calls it a "tricky balancing act" to avoid diluting "the magic" of Team Royal by seeming too ho-hum. Yet the ginger-haired blueblood credits Princess Diana with showing him how the other half lives. "Thank goodness," he says. Of the iconic image of Harry, then 12, and his brother following their mother's coffin through the London streets nearly 20 years ago, Harry says, "I don’t think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances." (Princess Di's death led to "total chaos" for Harry.)

A 17th-century sailor’s confession about a rape, of which he became so ashamed that he sought to cover it up for ever, has been exposed by conservation workers who discovered the note hidden under a rewritten version in his journal. The confession went unseen for more than 300 years because the sailor pasted his second account so neatly over the top of the original that scholars missed it. Edward Barlow’s lavishly illustrated journal of his extraordinary life is now held at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. The farm worker’s son joined the navy as a child, sailed as a teenager on the same ship as Samuel Pepys to bring Charles II back to England, survived several shipwrecks and captivity, and eventually rose to become a captain. Maritime museum in choppy waters for offering superyacht owners art advice Read more He began the journal when taken prisoner in the Dutch East Indies in 1671, and continued it when he got safely back to England. He originally wrote an excruciatingly frank account of his rape of Mary Symons, a young female servant in a house where he was lodging, an encounter he admitted was “much against her will, for indeed she was asleep but being gotten into the bed I could not easily be persuaded out again, and I confess that I did more than what was lawful or civil, but not in that manner that I could ever judge or, in the least, think that she should prove with child, for I take God to witness I did not enter her body, all though I did attempt something in that nature”. Barlow inserted a line of warning: “I found by her that women’s wombs are of an attractive quality and dangerous for a young man to meddle with.” He continued that though he wrote “a loving letter”, he wanted to “forget her and blot her out of my remembrance … as I had done with some before”. However, when his ship returned to England from Jamaica, he agreed to meet Symons and found her “weeping most pitifully and saying she was undone”. Against the advice of friends urging him that he had a good chance of finding a rich wife, Barlow married her in Deal, “a very decent marriage where we had several people of good repute”. The union celebrated with a two-day party that cost him £10. Their child was stillborn while Barlow was at sea, but they went on to have several more children and, despite initial doubts, he heaped praise on his wife: “Had I searched England over for a mate I could not have met with one more obliging and ready to do any thing that should give me content.” It was Paul Cook, a senior paper conservator at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, who spotted the newly pasted page and exposed Barlow’s shame. Cook was told the manuscriptwas “a problem” when he joined the museum in 1985. The document was bought at a country house sale in the early 20th century and partly published by the scholar Basil Lubbock, who then presented it to the museum. Facebook Twitter Pinterest A page from Edward Barlow’s journal, written between 1659 and 1703. Photograph: Jon Stokes/National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London He has spent nine years working on it, reversing the damage caused by previous attempted repairs. The final effort in the 1970s, using a technique Cook says was then widely accepted, involved pasting a fine silk gauze to strengthen the pages – but it was in fact damaging Barlow’s illustrations, including battles at sea and a shark devouring a naked man, whales, an elephant and a rhinoceros. Cook became the first person in more than 300 years to read Barlow’s original words, hidden under the rewritten version, which included the weeping woman on the shore but omitted the account of the rape. Instead, Barlow wrote: “I had in part promised her at London that I would marry her … having had a little more than ordinary familiarity with her”. Roberth Blyth, a senior curator at Greenwich, who has included pages from the journal in the Tudor and Stuart navy gallery opening this week, thinks Barlow probably came back from sea, reread his journal and was horrified at how honest he had been. “By then, he is a respectably married man, with a house and children, and he must have thought: ‘is this really the account I wish to leave of myself to history? With every voyage there’s a chance I may never return, and is this what I want my children to read about their mother?’” Barlow’s spelling and punctuation are erratic, but the handwriting is beautiful, swirling across tightly ruled lines on high-quality paper, which Blyth thinks must have been pilfered from stores. “The official account is that he learned to read and write while a prisoner, where he certainly would have had time to start a journal, but that is what is technically known as bollocks,” Blyth said. “Nobody ever taught themselves to write like that – he must already have been at least partly literate, which was rare enough for an ordinary seaman.” Fate caught up on Barlow in 1706, when the ship he finally commanded, the Liampo, was wrecked off Mozambique. His bequests included a silver supper dish, two cups, four small teaspoons – and a secret that would be kept for centuries. • Pages from Barlow’s journal and a digitised version of the manuscript will go on display for the first time at the National Maritime Museum in one of four galleries opening on 20 September. ||||| Many people in Manchester will have heard the name of Edward Barlow, Ambrose Edward Barlow, born at Barlow Hall, now Chorlton Golf Club, martyred for his Catholic Beliefs in 1641 at Lancaster. But there is another Edward Barlow, born just a year after the death of Ambrose, whose life path would take a very different path. This Edward Barlow born in Whitefield in 1642 and who sailed the seven seas between 1659-1703. We know of his life because he kept a journal and it is unique in that it is as far we know the only narrative from an ordinary sailor in the restoration period who worked his way up to be captain of a merchant ship. One of six children, his father was a farm labourer and the young Edward supplemented the family income fetching horse loads of coal for which he received 2d per load. He tried his hand as a farmer’s boy, a bleacher in a cotton mill According to his journal, he told his friends at the age of sixteen that they would see him no more during one holiday. Thinking that he was bluffing, he proved them wrong, putting on his best clothes and running off to sea. His journal pictures the scene, in one of its early entries, entitled running away from my father’s house in the Whitefeld, his mother stands beckoning her hand calling him back. He became an apprentice seaman on board HMS Naseby, the flagship of Admiral Montague He appears to have travelled the world, fighting against Barbary pirates under the command of Lord Sandwich in 1661 and fighting the Dutch off the coast of Lowestoft in 1665, when the Dutch flagship famously blew up, a campaign brilliantly depicted by Barlow in his journal by a magnificent water colour of the scene. He travelled to Brazil, Portugal and China, served as a merchant on an East India Company boat and carried herring from the Clyde to the Mediterranean He was captured by the Dutch in Batavia, (modern day Indonesia) in 1673, which is where he wrote up the first installment of life story brought home in a leaky Dutch vessel . Three years later he is in Marseille over Christmas where he writes: Having put all our goods on shore that we were to deliver [to Marseilles], we walked ashore being Christmas, to take our recreation and see all about the town, which is a place of very good buildings and a pretty large town or city, where all things are very plentiful, both for meat and drink. They have a very good wine of several sorts and very cheap, especially a red wine, which is a king of wine much like to claret, only a clearer red and better wine to drink.” Food often featured in his diary, whilst a prisoner of the Dutch he wrote that “instead of good pies and roast meat, we were content with a little boiled rice and a piece of stinking beef, which they gave us three days in the week, and a quart of stinking water to drink for a day, the weather being exceeding hot.” While he also gives a lesson in the eating of turtle eggs “[Turtle’s] eggs are not so good as the flesh of them, it being very good and wholesome and very sweet, making excellent good broth. Their eggs are not like hens” eggs, but are as round as a ball, and their shell is white, and a kind of tough thick skin over them, but when the shell is dry it will break like another egg shell Man overboard was an oft heard cry about the ships and Barlow would often write of such occurrences it [was] blowing pretty hard and some of our men going up into the foretop to reef our fore topsail [reduce its size to increase stability of the ship], a young youth fell from the fore topsail yard into the sea, and was drowned, yet he could swim pretty well, but the ship driving away, and hoisting out ye boat, and it blowing very hard, the boat looked for him but could not find him, for the waves running high had swallowed him up and he was lost.”5 He would often comment on the differing nationalities that he met, the men of Lisbon were according to him “fiercely jealous and would not allow any stranger to come close to their wives”. Nor did the Spaniards allow their wives any freedom.The men “ were very proud, even if not worth a groat and with hardly victuals to put in his belly, yet he will have asword by his side and a cloak upon his back.” The 225,000-word journal, preserved in a joint of bamboo sealed with wax from the rigours of shipborne life, in some ways paints a dark picture of life on board a seventeenth century ship, the suffering of hunger, violent punishments, and fundamental lack of liberty. “ The best literary study of Barlow’s journal classifies him as an outstanding example of the mobile consciousness of early modern England’s working poor”, wrote Steve Mentz. Indeed Edward would in his journal, advise young men to follow any trade apart from going to sea where they would suffer, “ abuse, hardships and a life little better than a slave going with many a hungry belly and a wet back.” .He added that the injustices made England the worst kingdom in all of Christendom for seaman. Yet we should not forget the magnificence of the journal, Barlow improved as an artist as the years went on, sketching and later using watercolors to depict harbours, ships and animals. He appeared to enjoy depicting wildlife in particular, drawing a shark which he describes as the most “ raucous fish that swims in the sea.” He would draw gulls catching flying fish as well as an elephant and a Rhinoceros. How the journal came to be published is something of a mystery.It was written neatly on foolscap sheets and transcribed and edited by Basil Lubbock who boiught the mauscript from the Earl of Hardwicke. It had previous to that resided in the library of Sidney Lodge in Hampshire, once the home of vice admiral Sydney Yorke but the family had no idea how the manuscript had come to be there. Some have claimed that it is fake, questioning how an untutored sailor could have taught himself to write, been supplied with all the ink and kept in such good condition while at sea.Experts have studied it and believe it to be genuine, its style of writing consonant with that of contemporary sea journals.

– The elegant script and color illustrations of Edward Barlow's 225,000-word diary documenting the 17th-century sailor's life at sea have been admired for some 300 years. Hidden beneath was his darkest secret: a note providing what the Guardian calls an "excruciatingly frank account" of his rape of Mary Symons, a female servant in a house in which he was staying. He would eventually marry her. "She was asleep but being gotten into the bed I could not easily be persuaded out again, and I confess that I did more than what was lawful or civil, but not in that manner that I ... think that she should prove with child," he wrote. "I take God to witness I did not enter her body, all though I did attempt something in that nature." The note was uncovered by Paul Cook, a senior paper conservator at London's National Maritime Museum. He has worked to repair the diary over the last nine years and discovered a rewritten account had been carefully pasted over the first. It made no mention of the earlier rape. Barlow—who would go on to describe his wife as "obliging and ready to do any thing that should give me content"—instead wrote that "I had in part promised her at London that I would marry her … having had a little more than ordinary familiarity with her." As Barlow became a husband, father, and captain, per About Manchester, NMM curator Roberth Blyth suspects he grew to regret how forthcoming he had been and appreciate the risk of leaving that account behind for his family to read. Thanks to his handiwork, Barlow's secret was kept long after his ship went down off Mozambique in 1706.

Financial industry groups and Democratic lawmakers are concerned that Republicans’ forthcoming tax-reform bill could make a big change to the taxing of retirement funds. Stakeholders say they’ve heard that Republicans are considering significantly lowering the amount of money people can tuck into their traditional 401(k) plans on a pretax basis. Currently, people under the age of 50 can contribute up to $18,000 annually to their traditional 401(k) plans. Those contributions are paid before taxes, meaning people don’t pay taxes on the money until they pull it out of their account. The potential change that people following the tax bill are hearing about would lower the maximum annual contribution to $2,400. Amounts over $2,400 could be put into Roth 401(k)s, where the money is taxed upfront but not when it’s withdrawn. It’s unclear how seriously lawmakers are considering reducing the cap on pretax contributions to 401(k)s. But industry groups are worried that dramatically lowering it would reduce the amount that people save for their retirement. Jill Hoffman, vice president of government affairs at the Financial Services Roundtable, said that this option is “something that’s a cause of great concern” both for those managing retirement plans and for those who are recipients. The tax framework congressional GOP leaders and the White House released last month said that legislation would retain tax benefits that encourage retirement security and that lawmakers were encouraged to simplify the benefits. “Tax reform will aim to maintain or raise retirement plan participation of workers and the resources available for retirement,” the document states. Emily Schillinger, a spokeswoman for House Ways and Means Committee Republicans, said that “members are developing pro-growth tax reform policies that will encourage and support retirement savings for all Americans.” Lowering the cap on pretax contributions would raise revenue in the short-term, which would help lawmakers pay for lowering tax rates. Under the budget resolution that Senate Republicans approved Thursday, a tax-reform bill can’t add more than $1.5 trillion to the deficit over 10 years. But critics of a reduction in the 401(k) limit say that so-called “Rothification” is a budget gimmick that would raise revenue temporarily, but lower it in the long run. While employers can currently give workers the option of choosing between traditional 401(k)s or “Roth” accounts, most workers choose the former, where the money is deposited on a pretax basis. According to the Investment Company Institute (ICI), about 55 million Americans participate in 401(k) plans, and the plans hold about $5 trillion in assets. The group found that 80 percent of households with 401(k)s and other types of defined-contribution retirement plans think the tax treatment of the plans is a big motivator for contributing. ICI, Financial Services Roundtable, the AARP and other groups have formed a coalition called Save Our Savings in order to fight to protect retirement savings in the tax-reform debate. A person who works closely with the coalition said that there’s a fear that if Congress caps pretax contributions at $2,400, “then $2,400 becomes the new default.” “That’s devastating for long-term retirement security,” the person added. David Gray, senior vice president of workplace retirement plan solutions at Fidelity, said if Congress decides to move in the direction of limiting pretax contributions, the cap should be $9,000 annually or more, rather than $2,400. He also said that Congress should “enhance and expand” the current saver’s credit that low- and middle-income households can take for making contributions to retirement plans. “From our perspective, we are supportive of a pro-growth, pro-investor package, and we understand Congress may need to look at some pay-fors for that tax reform,” Gray said. “We believe that any tax-reform proposal that impacts retirement savings needs to maintain the policy goal of encouraging and enhancing savings.” The financial industry broadly supports tax reform and is trying to talk with lawmakers about the potential consequences of curbing pretax retirement contributions. The Save Our Savings coalition is holding a fly-in with CEOs and other leaders on Nov. 1. Besides industry groups, Republicans’ consideration of a cap on pretax retirement contributions has garnered pushback from Democratic lawmakers. A Wall Street Journal article Friday on the potential cap prompted a quick response from Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerFacebook reeling after damning NYT report Schumer warns Trump to stay out of government funding negotiations Schumer predicts Nelson will 'continue being senator' if 'every vote counted' MORE (D-N.Y.). “Republicans are so determined to cut taxes on the wealthy that they're willing to tax the retirement accounts of millions of middle class Americans,” Schumer said in a statement. “The GOP’s total devotion to millionaires and billionaires comes at the expense of every family using a 401(k) to save for a decent retirement.” Last month, following reports that "Rothification" was under discussion, Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee spoke out in letters to GOP congressional leaders and Trump administration officials. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in early September pushed back on the idea that Republicans want to tax 401(k)s. “Why would you punish people when they’re actually saving for their own retirement and they’re not looking to government?” he said in an interview on the Fox Business Network. “You want to incentivize that even further. Don’t punish people who actually save their own money.” ||||| Proposals to cap the amount that Americans can contribute before taxes to 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts are unsettling professionals in the retirement industry. Congressional Republicans are looking for ways to generate revenue to support broad reductions in individual tax rates. One idea is to limit the amount of pretax money households can sock away for retirement saving. Such a move would likely generate significant political blowback, but it hasn’t been explicitly ruled out, stirring worry among industry lobbyists. Many opponents say any plan that cuts contribution limits would slow the growth of the asset-management industry. Members of the House Ways and Means Committee are widely expected to release a version of the tax bill by mid-November. Specifics on a wide range of issues remain unclear. Emily Schillinger, a spokeswoman for the Ways and Means Committee, declined to comment. Lobbyists and others in the retirement and financial-services industries who have spoken to congressional staff and committee members say lawmakers are looking at proposals that would allow 401(k) participants to contribute significantly less before taxes than what is currently allowed in a traditional tax-deferred 401(k). An often mentioned amount is $2,400 a year. It isn’t clear whether that would apply only to 401(k)s or IRAs or both. Currently, employees under age 50 can save up to $18,000 a year in a 401(k) before taxes, while those 50 or older can set aside up to $24,000. In an IRA, the annual contribution limits are capped at $5,500 and $6,500 for the same age groupings. The 401(k) limits are scheduled to rise to $18,500 and $24,500 in 2018. Dave Gray, a senior vice president at Fidelity Investments, said a $2,400 limit would give the company a significant concern and would essentially require trade-offs between the certainty of the immediate deduction and the prospect of tax-free retirement income. Mr. Gray, speaking Friday at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, said that implementing such a system would be extremely difficult and could take the industry 12 to 24 months to implement. There are two basic types of retirement accounts. With a traditional 401(k) or IRA, account holders generally get to subtract their contributions from their income. But they must pay ordinary income taxes on the money when they withdraw it, typically in retirement when many people are in a lower tax bracket. With the second variety, called a Roth 401(k) or Roth IRA, there is no upfront tax deduction but the money increases tax-free. Under some of the proposals being floated, contributions above the amount set for tax-deferred savings would have to go into a Roth account. The change wouldn’t affect existing balances in traditional 401(k)s and IRAs, those people said, and it is likely that any matching contribution from an employer would continue to go into a tax-deferred 401(k) account. Congress’s goal in making the switch is to reduce a tax break that is projected to cut federal revenue by $115.3 billion this fiscal year so the money can be used to pay for lower tax rates. The switch could boost government revenue over the next decade, the period when the tax bill will likely face a $1.5 trillion cost constraint. Shifting to Roth-style accounts would move tax revenue from the future to the near term. That would help Republicans meet budgetary targets now but could cause problems with a requirement that prevents the tax bill from expanding long-run deficits if they want to pass a bill without Democratic votes under a fast-track process. With the aim of targeting retirement-tax incentives more directly at the middle class, lawmakers may also make changes to an underused tax credit that acts like a government match to retirement savings. If lawmakers enact these changes, many savers will face a choice between maintaining their current savings rate or their current take-home pay. The sacred cows of the tax code—including breaks for home mortgage interest and state and local taxes—are being challenged. WSJ's Richard Rubin explains. with real cows. Photo/Illustration: Heather Seidel/The Wall Street Journal For example, someone in the 25% income-tax bracket who puts $1,000 into a traditional 401(k) today would save $250 in taxes, reducing take-home pay by a net amount of $750. But if forced to put $1,000 in a Roth account, take-home pay would decline by the full $1,000, because there was no tax deduction. The advantage is that there would be no taxes due when the money is removed later from the retirement account. When the White House unveiled the outline of its tax-overhaul plan in April, officials promised to preserve existing tax breaks for retirement plans. A more detailed plan released by the White House and congressional leaders in September pledged to retain “tax benefits that encourage work, higher education and retirement security” but left open the possibility of changes to “simplify these benefits to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.” Sen. Rob Portman (R., Ohio) said he was skeptical about the idea of lower pretax deferrals for retirement savings. Mr. Portman said Thursday that he didn’t want to make the decision just for revenue reasons. “I’m deeply concerned about it,” he said. “I don’t think you want to disincentivize retirement savings in any way right now.” In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) criticized the idea of capping pretax contributions to retirement savings accounts. “Republicans are so determined to cut taxes on the wealthy that they’re willing to tax the retirement accounts of millions of middle-class Americans,” he said. “The GOP’s total devotion to millionaires and billionaires comes at the expense of every family using a 401(k) to save for a decent retirement.” Americans have saved about $7.5 trillion in 401(k)-type accounts, plus $8.4 trillion in individual retirement accounts, according to the Investment Company Institute, a trade group for mutual funds. But some researchers say a significant percentage of Americans haven’t saved enough to maintain their standard of living in retirement. Industry groups have an incentive to keep the status quo and are trying to preserve the tax benefits of the current system. This year, AARP joined with groups representing employers and asset managers—including Fidelity Investments, T. Rowe Price Group Inc. and TIAA—to form Save Our Savings Coalition to lobby for the existing tax treatment of retirement plans. “Asset managers tend to not like the Roth approach,” says Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, which is studying the potential impact on saving rates of a Roth switch. Because taxes are taken out at the beginning, he said, assets in retirement accounts, and the fees these companies collect on them, are likely to be lower. Write to Anne Tergesen at [email protected] and Richard Rubin at [email protected]

– Multiple sources say Republican lawmakers may be setting their sights on Americans' retirement accounts to pay for tax cuts, specifically to the business tax rate. The New York Times reports Republicans are expected to release a tax reform plan sometime in the next few weeks, and that plan could include a drastic reduction in the amount of money workers are allowed to put into 401(k) accounts. Workers are currently allowed to contribute $18,000 annually to 401(k) accounts ($24,000 if they're over 50 years old), but sources say Republicans are considering capping contributions at $2,400 annually. It's unclear if the cap would also apply to IRAs, which are currently limited to $5,500 annually ($6,500 for workers over 50), according to the Wall Street Journal. The idea is that because income put into a 401(k) or IRA isn't taxed until it's withdrawn years later, lowering contributions would generate immediate tax revenue for the government—an estimated $115 billion in 2018. But that represents less than 8% of the tax cut planned by Republicans, and industry groups worry it will reduce the amount of money Americans save for retirement. One person working to preserve retirement savings during the tax reform process tells the Hill capping contributions at $2,400 could be "devastating for long-term retirement security." It would also likely be massively unpopular with middle-class workers. “Republicans are so determined to cut taxes on the wealthy that they’re willing to tax the retirement accounts of millions of middle-class Americans,” Sen. Chuck Schumer says.

In June 1995, a van crashed in Greensville County, Virginia, killing the two people inside. The driver was a 21-year-old student named Michael Hager. The passenger was a young man carrying no identification. His face was significantly injured in the crash, so the only images of his face available were artistic reconstructions. In his pocket, two ticket stubs for a Grateful Dead concert gave him the name by which he came to be known: Grateful Doe. For the last 20 years, Grateful Doe's identity has been a mystery, but now he has been positively identified using DNA analysis. Grateful Doe is Jason Callahan, an 18-year-old man who had set out in 1995 to follow his favourite band on tour around America. This identification has come about thanks to sleuths on the Internet. It was announced on reddit and Facebook, and confirmed by a spokesperson for the Myrtle Beach police, where Callahan had grown up. "We can confirm that through DNA Grateful Doe has been identified as Jason Callahan," Lt Joey Crosby said in an email to CNET. In January 2015, an imgur and reddit user going by the names greymetal and zombiegrey respectively posted images of Grateful Doe's facial reconstruction around both websites, along with several items that may be helpful in identification. These included the aforementioned ticket stubs, a home-made tattoo of a pentagram, and a letter addressed to "Jason". This letter was from two girls he had apparently met at the concert, and included a phone number, but the phone number did not include an area code. It was a dead end in the search for Grateful Doe's identity. Myrtle Beach PD In addition, there was no missing person report, since Callahan's mother had not known with which jurisdiction the report should be filed. She had last seen him in early June 1995, when he had left to follow the Grateful Dead on tour. She had no idea in which state he had gone missing. Not long after Grey posted on reddit and imgur, a former roommate recognised Callahan. "After viewing this post, a wonderful user messaged me and stated that he believed he knew the young man in the photo. He told me that his name was Jason (the letter found in the vicinity of the accident was addressed to a 'Jason'). He was about 17 - 18 years of age in 1994 - 1995. The user went on to tell me that he had lived with 'Jason', and a few other friends, in Illinois in late 1994 to early 1995," Grey explained in an updated imgur post. "In early 1995, Jason left, and the user had not heard from him since. This user went on to tell me about 'Jason'; He worked at a local McDonalds, he did not study... and he was a huge fan of The Grateful Dead." The roommate sent through some photos, which closely resembled the reconstructions. On 10 January 2015, Callahan's mother posted to the Grateful Doe Facebook group that the reconstructions and photographs were of her son. Two days later, she filed the missing person report and, using DNA from Callahan's sister, police were able to confirm his identity and lay his case to rest. "I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you. For everyone on this Facebook page as well as all the Websleuths and people on reddit who followed this case adamantly. Had I not found the post and reddit pages in January, I would have never known that my brother Jason was still missing, or what happened to him. Thanks to you all I was able to talk to Jason's mom and find out more about my brother who I haven't seen since I was a young girl," Callahan's sister said via the Facebook page. "Thanks to all your hard work I was able to submit my DNA and that's what confirmed Jason's identity. I ask that you all keep Jason's mom in your prayers as she is hurting more than anyone ever should. God bless you all and thank you for helping me get some closure." ||||| Here is a composite image created by a user of the forum, WebSleuths. The similarties are certainly obvious. The user I spoke with described the Jason he knew as having quiet eyes, that they looked half shut most of the time. This is certainly obvious in the original reconstructions, and the photos provided. This lead is obviously huge. Maybe one of the biggest that investigations into this 20 year old case has had. We are following it through with relevant law enforcement agencies, as well as justice and missing persons/UID organisations. These photos have already been posted to WebSleuths. I have asked there if they felt it was important to repost the photos, and they believed it was. This case needs closure. As I have already stated, I have asked permission to post these photos. So, Imgur.. I ask this of you. Do you recognise the young man in these photos? Have you ever seen him before? Was he your neighbour, did he attend your school, did you meet him at a Grateful Dead concert? We want to know a few things for certain: 1. Is this Jason alive and well? 2. If not, is this Jason our Grateful Doe? 3. What are some more details about this Jason, that we can identify him? There are 3 possibilities: This Jason may already be deceased, and may not have been our Grateful Doe. This Jason may be alive and well, and if this is the case; I know three guys who would love to reconnect with you over a beer. This Jason may be our Grateful Doe. We may be able to put a 20 year cold case to rest. If you have any more information at all, please message me, or comment. If you are a member of the WebSleuths community, please feel free to post information there. I repeat; The Grateful Doe has not been I.D'ed. This is purely a lead. We are investigating this further, and involving relevant LE agencies. THE GRATEFUL DOE HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFULLY I.D'ED. Thank you again, for all of the help, support and information you have provided. ||||| RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A car crash victim who became known as "Grateful Doe" because of two Grateful Dead ticket stubs in his pocket has been identified more than 20 years after he was killed, authorities said Thursday. DNA evidence confirmed that the man whose identity remained a mystery for two decades is Jason Callahan of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, said Arkuie Williams, a spokesman for the Virginia Medical Examiner's Office. Callahan was 19 when he was killed in southern Virginia in 1995. His injuries made him unrecognizable and his body was never claimed. In recent years, the "Grateful Doe" mystery captured the attention of Internet sleuths, who created pages dedicated to solving the case and circulated a computer-generated image of his face. It was through those sites that Callahan's family recognized him and contacted authorities, said Shannon Michelson, his half-sister, who lives in New Jersey. Michelson said she's both relieved and sad that her questions surrounding her brother's disappearance have finally been answered. "I'm glad it was solved, but I'm also incredibly sad because I wanted so badly to reconnect with him," said Michelson, who said she was among several family members who submitted their DNA to help confirm his identity. She said she had not seen Callahan since she was a child, when their father and his mother separated. Callahan's mother filed a missing person's report for her son with the Myrtle Beach Police Department in January. She told authorities that she hadn't heard from her son since June of 1995 when he left to follow the Grateful Dead, according to the report. Lt. Joey Crosby said she told officials that she didn't know where he had been traveling and wasn't sure where to file the report. Callahan's mother did not immediately respond to a message from The Associated Press on Thursday. Michelson said Callahan often ran away from home and that his parents just assumed he was living on his own somewhere. "No one ever thought to report him missing because they thought he wanted to be missing," Michelson said. ___ Associated Press Writer Larry O'Dell in Richmond contributed to this report. ___ Follow Alanna Durkin on Twitter at twitter.com/aedurkin. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/author/alanna-durkin ||||| A recently reconstructed image of the recently-identified victim of a fatal car crash in 1995, until now known only as 'Grateful Doe' - (Source: identifyus.org) MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – A man who was killed in a car crash in 1995 in Virginia has been positively identified as Jason Callahan, a man who was reported missing from Myrtle Beach 20 years ago. New DNA samples submitted this year confirmed the identity of “Grateful Doe,” months after efforts on social media led investigators to connect the two cases. The Virginia Medical Examiner’s office and a representative for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS) confirmed that Callahan is “Grateful Doe,” a young man who died in a car accident in June 1995, but was not identifiable due to his extensive injures. Earlier this year, efforts to identify the man were reignited in social media after a new image of Grateful Doe was reconstructed, giving new hope to those who have followed this case. Information was received via social media indicating that Grateful Doe may be Jason Callahan, and the Myrtle Beach Police Department worked with other agencies to collect DNA samples and link the cases. The Virginia Department of Health says Callahan died due to acute head injuries suffered in the accident. A NamUS representative stated that a lab at the University of North Texas processed some of the DNA samples that contributed to the association of Jason Callahan with “Grateful Doe” through a multi-agency effort. On Wednesday, the Grateful Doe community on Facebook posted the following message: Within minutes, more than 100,000 people had seen it, and many of them had shared it with their friends. Lesha Johanneck was behind the post, which followed a few years of cyber investigating. "It all kind of came together at once, and started going viral with the guy being Jason Callahan," Johanneck said. Johanneck runs the Grateful Doe Facebook page, along with several others like it. She says Callahan's case really started coming together in January, when his former roommate spoke up, leading the search for family to Myrtle Beach. "That's when his mother posted to our Facebook page saying that's her son," She explained. Callahan's mother went on to report him missing weeks later, which Johanneck says was the key to the case. Johanneck believes everyone's efforts to identify him on social media, reignited the nearly two decade old case. "You share it to one person, and they share it to all their friends, and their friends share it to their friends, it's just like a pyramid," Johanneck said. We reached out to Callahan's family. They chose not to comment, saying they were still taking it all in. Related Story: MBPD investigates 'Grateful Doe' case after social media attention Copyright 2015 WMBF News. All rights reserved.

– For 20 years, he was known as "Grateful Doe." Now, police have confirmed a man killed in a car accident in Greensville County, Va., with two ticket stubs for a Grateful Dead concert in his pocket, was Jason Callahan, a 19-year-old from Myrtle Beach, SC, who'd set off to follow his favorite band around the country. Callahan was riding in a van driven by a 21-year-old in 1995 when it crashed, killing both of them, per CNET. The driver was quickly identified, but Callahan was carrying no identification and his face was left unrecognizable. Police had to rely on artist reconstructions in the hope that someone would identify the man who had a tattoo of a pentagram and was carrying a letter addressed to "Jason." Users on a cold-case site started checking for possible matches in missing persons' reports beginning in 2005, per the Washington Post, but the case was finally cracked open this past January. An Australian Reddit user started circulating Grateful Doe's reconstructions, which were seen by 500,000 people, including Callahan's former roommate. He "messaged me and stated that he believed he knew the young man in the photo" and had lived with him "in Illinois in late 1994 to early 1995," the user wrote in an Imgur post. The roommate shared photos of Callahan, which were posted to a Facebook group, and Callahan's mom soon confirmed they were of her son, per WMBF. She told authorities she never filed a missing persons report because she didn't know which state her son was last in. His parents figured he was living alone somewhere, says Callahan's half-sister, who submitted DNA to confirm Grateful Doe's identity, per the AP. "Had I not found the post and Reddit pages in January, I would have never known that my brother Jason was still missing, or what happened to him," she adds. (Check out another intriguing mystery that may have finally been solved decades later.)

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who is running for the presidency once again at age 75, said on Sunday he's "pretty well-equipped" to be commander in chief despite what critics might say. "I don't want to run people's lives around the world, I don't want to run the economy. My qualifications are a little bit different," the libertarian Paul said on "Fox News Sunday." "But compared to others' he went on, "I'm pretty well-equipped, I have a fair amount of experience. I've been in the military. I was in the military five years, that gives me a little bit of experience. I would say I'm pretty well equipped. But to brag that I can run things, I don't do that because that's not what a president is supposed to do." Paul, who's seeking the Republican presidential nomination, made clear that he believes in far more limited government than any of his rivals or President Barack Obama. Asked by host Chris Wallace if he would support federal aid for victims of the Mississippi flooding disaster, Paul said he would not. "The principle of ultimate insurance by government is a moral hazard because people do things they shouldn't do," Paul declared. "I have opposed flood insurance since I went into Congress for 30 years, since 1976. I have a coastal district, so I don't support FEMA [the Federal Emergency Management Agency]. I get a lot more complaints about FEMA than I get support... FEMA is a problem." Paul rejected the premise of a question by Wallace that government should "enforce social norms and to protect people." Paul, for instance, has refused to condemn drug use. "If you accept that ... that justifies all the economic intervention [by the federal government], that justifies the intervention in freedom of speech, interference in religious values," Paul said. "To take my philosophy of freedom and the Constitution, property rights and contracts, turn into a cliche and say, 'You're for legalizing marijuana,' that is so grossly distorting my views. I want to legalize freedom of choice, I want to enforce states' rights, I don't like prohibitions." ||||| House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said on Sunday entitlement reform, including changes to Medicare, should "be on the table" during discussions with the White House over raising the U.S. debt ceiling, although he once against declared that he won't back any tax increase to close the budget deficit. Boehner also slammed President Barack Obama as "really not serious about tackling the big problems that face our country." "Medicare, Medicaid ... everything should be on the table, except raising taxes. Because raising taxes will hurt our economy and hurt our ability to create jobs in our country," Boehner added during an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation." House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and other Republicans have suggested that Medicare reform can't be tackled until after the 2012 elections. Boehner, though, has insisted that changes to entitlement programs have to be part of a $2 trillion dollar spending cut package that he would like to see included as part of a debt-ceiling boost. Ryan has called for making Medicare a voucher program that would permit participants to seek private insurance. "We’ve put forward our plan. And our plan said that no one 55 or older would have any changes to their current plan," Boehner noted. "But for those 54 and younger, I think it’s time to make changes to those plans or they won’t exist. Remember, the greatest threat to our country and to our economy is doing nothing." Boehner also refused once again to even consider tax increases as part of that debt deal reiterating the GOP position on the issue. President Barack Obama and some Democrats have called for the end to Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. "The top 1 percent of wage earners in the United States pay 40 percent of the income taxes," Boehner said. "The top 10 percent of wage earners pay 90 percent of the income taxes. The people he’s talking about taxing are the very people that we expect to reinvest in our economy and to create jobs in our country." ||||| House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Sunday he's "ready to cut the deal today" on raising the U.S. debt ceiling, but he insisted that President Barack Obama is "really not serious" about taking on the fiscal problems facing the country. Appearing on CBS' "Face the Nation," Boehner said he would stand by his public declaration that any increase in the nation's $14.3 trillion debt limit has to be tied to changes in government spending, including popular entitlement programs like Medicare. Boehner's position has drawn criticism from the White House, U.S. business leaders and Wall Street, all of which want a debt-limit deal before the country nears default in early August. "I'm ready to cut the deal today," Boehner said on Sunday. "We don’t have to wait until the 11th hour. But I am not going to walk away from this moment. We have a moment, a window of opportunity to act, because if we don’t act, the markets are going to act for us. Our creditors are going to act for us. And we could see exorbitant interest rates. We could see the end of our economy, if we don’t act.” Boehner also affirmed his support for major changes to the Medicare program. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has proposed turning it into a voucher program where seniors could seek private insurance. “The retirees are going to be taken care of. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about that," Boehner insisted, despite criticism from Democrats that the GOP wants to do away with the program. "But we all know that if nothing is changed, senior benefits are going to get cut," he added. "Why? Because they’re unaffordable. That’s why we have to deal with this, and we need to deal with it now.” ||||| Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) refused on Sunday to back down from comments last week that the United States should have informed the Pakistani government that American officials knew where Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was hiding. "Why are we having trouble with the [Pakistani] government, why are we stirring up a civil war in Pakistan? It's because we've been bombing it," Paul said on "Fox News Sunday." The libertarian Paul, who's running again for the Republican presidential nomination, said his opposition to the U.S. mission to kill bin Laden demonstrates the principles of his non-interventionist foreign policy. "I'm saying that when you bomb a country, you violate their national security and sovereignty," Paul told host Chris Wallace. "We're doing that [in Pakistan]. At the same time, we're giving them billions of dollars. And you wonder why the [Pakistani] government gets in trouble with the people." The Obama administration should have relied on the Pakistani government to arrest bin Laden and turn him over to U.S. authorities, Paul said. ||||| Newt Gingrich on Sunday bristled at the suggestion that his illustration of President Barack Obama as a "food stamp president" has racial undertones. “That’s bizarre,” he told NBC's "Meet The Press" host David Gregory. One of every six Americans receive food stamps, Gingrich said. “What I said is factually true,” he said. “And to hide behind the charge of racism? I have never said anything about President Obama which is racist.” In his address to the Georgia state Republican convention on Friday, the former House speaker who's seeking the GOP presidential nomination had called Obama as the “most successful food stamp president in history." “I want to be the most successful paycheck president in history,” he told state activists.

– John Boehner does not want to use Osama bin Laden’s death as an excuse to end the war in Afghanistan or change the US relationship with Pakistan. “At this moment in time, we should reengage and strengthen our relationship with Pakistan, not walk away from it,” he said on Face the Nation today. “We have hundreds of billions of dollars that we’ve spent in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. We’ve lost thousands of lives. This is not the time to just walk away from the fight.” More from the Sunday dial, via Politico: Boehner also said he’s “ready to cut the deal today” on raising the debt ceiling, but President Obama is “really not serious” about tackling the country’s fiscal problems. Boehner wants everything, including changes to Medicare and Medicaid, “on the table” during discussions—“except raising taxes.” Newt Gingrich called Obama the “most successful food stamp president in history” Friday, but today on Meet the Press he rejected accusations of racism, pointing out that one out of every six Americans receives food stamps: “What I said is factually true.” Ron Paul insists the US should have informed Pakistan that it knew where bin Laden was hiding, and relied on the Pakistani government to arrest the terrorist leader, he maintained on Fox News Sunday. He also said, while discussing his views on limited government, that he would not support federal aid for Mississippi flood victims. Also on Fox News Sunday, Mike Huckabee said he “would have made a fine president,” but that he is “at peace” with his “very personal, very intimate, … spiritual decision" not to run.

The JFK Photo That Could Have Changed History The JFK Photo That Could Have Changed History TMZ has obtained a never-before publishedwhich appears to showon a boat filled with naked women -- it's a photo that could have altered world events.We believe the photo was taken in the mid-1950s. It shows two naked women jumping off the boat and two more naked women sunning on the top deck. Just below the top deck -- a man appearing to be John F. Kennedy is lying on a deck, sunning himself.TMZ had multiple experts examine the photo -- all say there is no evidence the picture was Photoshopped. The original print -- which is creased -- was scanned and examined for evidence of inconsistent lighting, photo composition and other forms of manipulation. The experts all concluded the photo appears authentic.A forensic photo expert says the print appears to be authentic. The expert says the photo is printed on paper consistent with what was used in the 1950s. The emulsion on the surface of the print has numerous cracks -- the result of aging and handling.There are numerous articles and books onwhich mention a 2-week, Mediterranean boating trip that JFK -- then a Senator -- took in August, 1956, with his brotherand. The trio reportedly entertained a number of women on the yacht.was pregnant at the time and was rushed to the hospital while JFK was an the boat. Doctors performed an emergency C-section, but the infant was stillborn.A forensic analyst superimposed an image of Kennedy taken at the Democratic National Convention in August 1956, just days before Kennedy went on the Mediterranean cruise. The analyst says the features from the two pics almost precisely sync up. TMZ has also had two Kennedy biographers examine the photo -- they also believe JFK is in the picture.The photo was eventually given to a man who owned a car dealership on the East coast. The man kept it in a drawer for years, and would brag to friends he had an image of JFK on a boat with naked women. The man died 10 years ago and one of his sons inherited the photo.Had the photo surfaced when John F. Kennedy ran for President in 1960, it could have torpedoed his run, and changed world history.to view the photo in, then select(If it won't open ..., chooseand then save it to your desktop. Thenthe saved file on your desktop.) ||||| Finally, hard evidence proving Bill Clinton was not the pimpest of presidents. TMZ has a photo depicting a mid-1950s John Kennedy lazing on a yacht with gorgeous naked ladies. Fascinating, perplexing, historic—but, is it real? No, it's fake. Update: Now TMZ says the photo is a fake. The naked ladies are from a 1967 Playboy photo shoot. Still, that doesn't explain why there would be a 1960 FBI memo, as dug up by The Smoking Gun, that describes a photo of "Senator Kennedy and other men, as well as several girls in the nude... taken aboard a yacht or some type of pleasure cruiser." Perhaps this photo was simply a doctored photo to fit the rumor? I believe them. TMZ says it consulted all kinds of experts, and they wouldn't lie about that. Say what you will about the propriety of their sources, TMZ's big breaks generally stand the test of time. This qualifies as a big break, and they know it. Update: Nooo! TMZ, you giveth and taketh away, despite my desperate longing for this one glorious image to be true. Cruel mistress, I will trust your sneakily-gotten hospital reports and invasive stolen legal documents never again. The back story is based in fact. That it is insanely juicy, oh-so-scandalous fact only sweetens the deal: There are numerous articles and books on President John F. Kennedy which mention a 2-week, Mediterranean boating trip that JFK—then a Senator—took in August, 1956, with his brother Ted Kennedy and Senator George Smathers. The trio reportedly entertained a number of women on the yacht. Jackie Kennedy was pregnant at the time and was rushed to the hospital while JFK was on the boat. Doctors performed an emergency C-section, but the infant was stillborn. Lest you be confused by how this meshes with the last season of Mad Men, the baby described here is Jackie's first, Arabella, whose stillbirth occurred in 1956. In 1963, when the Draper household was falling apart, Jackie's youngest, Patrick Bouvier, died at the age of two days of a respiratory disease. But here is a question: Who took the picture? The angle suggests they are either (a.) docked, and the cameraman is on land (b.) beside a second boat, and the cameraman is on that (c.) alone, and the cameraman is treading water and angling his camera lens up, which doesn't seem likely, because cameras did not come waterproofed back then. Was there some 1950s paparazzo lurking about, and if so, does he have a whole role of sordid naked yacht pics? Or was Teddy aboard a second, even wilder pleasure yacht? And: Who are these randos who keep popping up with intimate imagery of JFK cavorting with naked girls and Marilyn Monroe smoking "weed", anyway? How would such a picture come to exchange hands in the first place, and why did the old guy fold and unfold it so many times? He knew it was the president, and valuable, so unless he carrying it around in his back pocket as a talisman, there can't be much reason for the crappy shape the photo's in. [TMZ]

– John F. Kennedy was always rumored to be a playboy—now the world apparently has proof. TMZ has an exclusive photo from the mid-1950s that appears to show JFK sunning himself on a boat deck, surrounded by naked women. Don’t believe the gossip site? Well, numerous photo experts—as well as Kennedy biographers—say the photo looks like the real deal. Plus, as Azaria Jagger writes on Gawker, “say what you will about the propriety of their sources, TMZ's big breaks generally stand the test of time.” Kennedy, who was a senator at the time, took a two-week Mediterranean boating trip with brother Ted and Sen. George Smathers in August 1956—while wife Jackie was pregnant—which is where TMZ presumes this picture came from. For more details on how the picture was verified, as well as a high-resolution image, click here. (Update: Photo revealed as fake. More on the story here.)

DENVER (AP) — Threats made against schools across the United States led to the evacuation of students Monday in what could be the latest example of so-called "swatting" against schools. In recent months, hoaxers playing online games have allegedly used proxy servers and other high-tech identity-disguising tools to anonymously threaten schools online or in phone messages with electronic voices to trigger a huge police response, including SWAT teams. The latest threats led to the evacuation of schools in Colorado, Utah, Delaware, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. Media outlets in the United Kingdom also reported evacuations. The threats were made against elementary, middle and high schools, with some schools choosing to continue classes and others to put buildings on lockdown rather than evacuate. Some schools resumed classes after sweeps by authorities failed to turn up explosives or other threats. Some officials described Monday's threats as automated or robotic and at least two — at Lakewood High School outside Denver and at Ben Franklin Elementary School in Rochester, Minnesota — came in just before noon local time. Also in Minnesota, Forest Lake Elementary in the city of Forest Lake was evacuated after getting a bomb-threat call around 12:15 p.m. Meanwhile, students at Murray High School outside Salt Lake City were sent home and bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in. No explosives were found. Two elementary schools were evacuated in Colorado — Liberty Point Elementary School in Pueblo West and Cherokee Trail Elementary in the Denver suburb of Parker. Cherokee Trail is in the same district where two 16-year-old girls are accused of plotting an attack against their high school. No other schools in the district were evacuated, spokeswoman Paula Hans said. ||||| Bomb threats forced the closure of 26 schools across the UK today as students prepared to sit their GCSE exams. Thousands of pupils were evacuated after a series of anonymous phone calls warning of hidden explosives were received by school offices up and down the country this morning. Many students were pulled from school grounds in the middle of their exams as emergency services swooped on scene to carry out searches, in what appears to have been an elaborate hoax. A similar incident occurred in January when a Russian Twitter group was believed to have been responsible for a series of bomb threats which saw 14 schools evacuated in Britain. The group had invited pupils to get in touch if they wanted to 'get out of school' - raising speculation that students may have devised a similar hoax to avoid today's exams. Scroll down for video Three schools in Peterborough were also evacuated and a road was closed following a bomb threat. Pictured are police outside Discovery Primary School Students cleared from the exam have been sent to a tennis hall while non-exam pupils have been sent home for the day Bomb threats have forced the closure of 26 schools across the UK on a day of GCSE exams. The map shows some of the schools which are affected SCHOOLS WHICH HAVE BEEN EVACUATED DUE TO BOMB ALERTS 1. Canterbury Academy, Kent 2. Barming Primary School, Maidstone 3. Voyager Academy, Peterborough 4. Discover Primary School, Peterborough 5. Wootton Upper School, Bedfordshire 6. Redwood School, Rochdale 7. Oulder Hill School, Rochdale 8. Emsworth Primary School, Hampshire 9. Kingsham Primary School, Chichester 10. Whiteley Primary School, Fareham 11. Rosebrook Primary School, Stockton 12. Cranmere Primary School, Surrey 13. Mayfield Primary School, Cambridge 14. Blacon High School, Cheshire 15. Crabtree Farm Primary School, Nottingham 16. Lindisfarne Middle School, Northumberland 17. Charville Primary School, Middlesex 18. Dafen Community Primary School, Llanelli 19. Pinhoe Primary School, Exeter 20. Middleton Primary School, Leeds 21. Ringmer Primary School, East Sussex 22. Maldon Primary School, Essex 23. Barnwell School, Stevenage 24. Charlestown Primary School, Cornwall 25. Caversham Primary School, Reading 26. Devonport High School for Girls, Plymouth The first reports of a bomb scare were at Canterbury High School after an anonymous caller said there was a bomb on site and that 'the shrapnel will take children's heads off'. All pupils were evacuated from the academy, including 240 pupils sitting a GCSE English exam. Students cleared from the exam were then sent to a tennis hall while non-exam pupils were sent home for the day. Head teacher Phil Karnavas said secretarial staff received 'repeated' calls from an adult male claiming an explosive device was hidden in the school. He said: 'The exact words, I believe, were "bomb on site, shrapnel will take children's heads off". 'It's almost certainly a hoax but with what's happening across Europe I'm not prepared to take that gamble.' The head teacher decided to clear the buildings immediately as police were called in. Pupils were initially sent to the fields but, with rain pouring down, Mr Karnavas decided to send them home. Those 240 who were sitting the GCSE English exam were expected to complete the paper this afternoon. Police confirmed that an anonymous call was made at 10.13am and that the school was evacuated as a precaution. A Kent Police spokesman said: 'Police were called to Canterbury High School at 10.13am on Monday 23 May after an anonymous phone call was made to the school. 'The school has been evacuated as a precaution and officers are at the scene.' Rosebrook Primary School in Stockton (pictured) said it was in 'lockdown' in a status on Facebook Canterbury High School (pictured) headteacher Phil Karnavas said secretarial staff received 'repeated' calls from an adult male claiming an explosive device was hidden in the school A Stockton primary school also went into lockdown after receiving a similar threat. A post on the Rosebrook Primary School Facebook page read: 'You may be aware of police presence at school. 'We have received a threat to the school but please be assured the children are safe, we are dealing with the incident and the school is on lockdown at the moment.' A further post said: 'School is on partial lockdown, the children can be picked up at 3pm as normal or if you would like to collect your child, please come to the main office.' Parents of Pinhoe Primary School in Exeter received the text from the school which read: 'Please can all pupils be collected from their classroom today. 'We will look after those pupils who normally walk home until they can be collected. 'This is a precautionary measure following a malicious phone call to the school. Police are aware.' A spokesperson for the Rudyard Avenue school, in Roseworth, gave no comment when asked about the threat but many parents commenting on the post were worried at the lack of information provided. It is understood parents received a text message about the threat. One parent commented: 'I'm going to pick my daughter up! Can't just send us a text and expect us to sit at home while our children are in that school!!!' Voyager Academy (pictured) and Discovery Primary School were cordoned off by police as they examine the buildings Emergency services at the entrance of Discovery Primary School in Peterborough this afternoon Another user wrote: 'Morning nursery kids have been let out but nobody else is allowed in or out of school now, gates are all locked. No idea what's happened but they are keeping the kids safe inside.' Cleveland Police said it had a 'small presence' at the school. Chief Inspector Emily Harrison said: 'Police received information from Rosebrook Primary School to say that they had answered an anonymous telephone call of a concerning nature. 'As a precautionary measure there is a small police presence at the school and in the local area while enquiries continue, but officers at the scene say there is currently no immediate confirmed risk to pupils or teachers. 'Nursery children have left their morning session and other pupils continue to be cared for as usual. We would ask that parents do not attend the school unnecessarily.' Three schools in Peterborough were also evacuated and a road was closed following a bomb threat. Voyager Academy, Mayfield Primary and Discovery Primary School were cordoned off by police as they examine the buildings. A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said they believe the threats were a hoax and are understood to be part of a series of threats at schools across the country that have taken place throughout the year. At Canterbury High School, police swarmed the after an anonymous caller said there was a bomb on site and that 'the shrapnel will take children's heads off' In Hampshire, Emsworth Primary School received a bomb threat and was evacuated, with pupils and staff were taken to the nearby Glenwood School. Headteacher Kate Fripp told UKNIP: 'There has been a security incident at Emsworth Primary School today. 'All children are safe and are at Glenwood School receiving refreshments. 'The police are on the school site and we expect to be allowed back in within the hour.' Whiteley Primary and Kingham Primary also had security alerts. Hampshire Police told MailOnline that the schools affected in their area received bomb threats, but nothing was found when the buildings were investigated. Oulder Hill School and Redwood School in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, were evacuated after warnings of 'suspicious packages'. A spokesman said Redwood Secondary School received a phone call saying 'an item had been placed' within the school. Nothing has been found after extensive sweeps involving police and senior school staff. Both schools are on Greave Avenue in the Spotland area of the town. They back on to Rochdale Golf Club, with the Gracie Fields Theatre and leisure facilities including a swimming pool also part of the complex. Canterbury High School in Canterbury, Kent, had to be evacuated after a phone call warning of a bomb It's understood that searches were carried out by police on the rooftops and around other areas of both schools. The force confirmed officers were called to Redwood Secondary School shortly after 11.30am. Stuart Pidgeon, headteacher at Redwood School, said: 'A phone call was placed to Redwood school this morning that led staff to believe a suspicious device had been placed within the grounds. 'Following a full evacuation of pupils and staff at Redwood and Oulder Hill schools, police and senior staff determined that there was no device and pupils have now returned to class. 'The circumstances behind the phone call will be investigated by Greater Manchester Police as they deem appropriate.' Blacon High School in Cheshire, Wootton Upper School in Bedfordshire and Cranmere Primary School in Surrey also had security alerts. A parent at Cranmere Primary told Get Surrey: 'We were sent an email and a text from the school saying the school had been evacuated and our children were safe and being taken to Esher High School and to come and collect them.' All pupils have been evacuated from Canterbury High School including 240 pupils sitting a GCSE English exam A second school in Kent was also evacuated following a similar bomb threat. Barming Primary School and adjoining pre-school in Maidstone was closed and evacuated, and children were moved to the nearby St Augustine Academy to await collection by parents. Police were called at 10.19am after a report of an anonymous threatening phone call and officers remained at the scene into the afternoon. Other threats were also made to schools across the country, including East Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Surrey. Matthew Manders, from Maidstone, has a four-year-old daughter and two boys aged six and nine attending the primary school and pre-school. He said: 'I feel terrible, not knowing what is going on and not being kept in the loop. My family is my life and I won't be the only parent rushing back to make sure my family is alright.' 'It is absolutely terrifying. I don't know why anybody would do something like this.' Middleton Park School in Leeds alerted parents that it had received a bomb threat and told them to pick up their children this afternoon Middleton Park School in Leeds alerted parents that it had received a bomb threat and told them to pick up their children this afternoon. A text from the school read: 'You may be aware that we had a hoax bomb threat this morning and evacuated the build (sic) immed. 'All is well Police have allowed us to re-enter the building but pls collect your child from school asap. Thanks MPS.' Ringmer Primary School in East Sussex told that it was 'not appropriate or practical' to re-open the school after it was deemed safe. Chair of Governors, Anne Franklin, said: 'A thorough search with the police deemed the school safe for us to return this afternoon but it was not appropriate or practical for us to re-open the school for the children. 'At this time the staff involved are still giving their statements to police. Our thanks go to RCC for their help and support during the alert. 'They enabled us to maintain complete safety of the children and even provided lunch for the remaining children and staff. Our task this afternoon is to review our crisis management plan as we would always expect to do after an incident like this. 'We have subsequently discovered that a number of schools up and down the UK have had similar threats today and took similar action in response. 'We are confident there is no threat to the school and we will be open as normal tomorrow.' Messages on the Russian group's website read: 'We LOVE to cause mayhem and 'We hate authority' In January, a Russian Twitter group was believed to be behind a series of bomb threats which saw thousands of pupils evacuated from 14 schools in Britain and six in Paris. The group, which called themselves 'Evacuators 2K16', invited pupils to get in touch if they wanted to 'get out of school'. After children were removed from six schools in Birmingham, four in London and four in Cornwall, the group was closed down. ||||| CLOSE Schools across different 4 different time zones received "swatting" calls. The threats drew massive police response and forced authorities to evacuate students and lock down buildings. USA TODAY Parents line up to reunite with their children at Sacajawea Elementary School. The entire student body of North Middle School, numbering 711 students, was evacuated to Sacajawea following a bomb threat Monday. (Photo: Tribune photo/David Murray) A wave of threats directed at schools across the nation on Monday forced authorities to lock down buildings or evacuate students. The threats, which appear to be driven by automated calls, were directed at elementary, middle and high schools in at least 18 states across four time zones. Some districts reported that the calls included a bomb threat while others just described the calls as "threatening." The calls were reported in California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Ken Trump, a national school security expert and president of a school security consulting firm, said Monday’s nationwide bomb hoaxes have the hallmarks of swatting. Swatting, according to Trump, are “highly disruptive” hoax threats that are intended to trigger massive police response. Trump said they are often described as robotic, computer-generated voices that call in threats to schools or police departments. A single swatting case can impact multiple states, jurisdictions and even travel across international borders, Trump said. Per PSLPD-- Treasure Coast HS cleared, students being sent back to class. @WPTVpic.twitter.com/iVum7bGQMG — Katie Johnson (@Katie_Johnson_) May 23, 2016 “They tend to come in waves,” he said. “We’ve seen them cross six states in an afternoon.” Trump said swatting incidents have “skyrocketed” nationwide in the past two years. “(Swatting) suspects are often more sophisticated,” he said. “They can use Voice Over IP (Internet Protocol) systems or other technologies that can be virtually impossible to track down.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation responded to a request for comment, writing, "We are aware of recent bomb threats at various schools in different states, and we remain in touch with our law enforcement partners to provide assistance if needed. As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities which could represent a threat to public safety." Lee Allinger, superintendent of schools in Appleton, Wis., said he can't remember a string of threats like this that seem to be connected. Janet Berry Elementary School in Appleton received an automated threat at about 11:45 a.m. (Photo: Tribune photo/David Murray) "It's the first one that I can recall that's been of this nature, where it's been an automated call or a robo kind of call and that it's been widespread — not just next door to us but across the state and the country," he said. Tom McCarthy, a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction spokesperson, said the department did not know how many schools statewide had received threats. He did not comment on the string of bomb hoaxes. In the United Kingdom, at least 21 schools received bomb threats as well, according to The Independent. The Daily Mail reported 26 schools were closed. The USA TODAY NETWORK has not confirmed that any of the threats are connected. Bomb Threat Calls Target Schools In Colorado, Midwest https://t.co/M3UFLpwHTFpic.twitter.com/q8sb6YYwm1 — Karen Morfitt (@KarenMorfitt) May 24, 2016 California Clairemont and Lincoln high schools (San Diego): The schools were placed on lockdown after officials received threats. Police swept the schools and lifted the lockdown after nothing suspicious was found, BNO News B.V., The Netherlands, reported. Washington Middle School (Bakersfield): The school went into a lockdown Monday morning after receiving an anonymous bomb threat, KGET-TV, Bakersfield, Calif., reported. Police officers and a police dog searched the school and surrounding area. School resumed after the area was determined to be safe. The call sounded like it was automated. An unspecified threat prompted authorities to evacuate Cherokee Trail Elementary School in Parker, Colo. (Photo: KUSA-TV, Denver) Colorado Cherokee Trail Elementary (Parker): Students were evacuated Monday afternoon after “anonymous threats to schools around the state,” the Parker Police Department said in a tweet. Parents and caregivers were able to pick up their children, and some streets around the school were closed off. Irish Elementary School (Fort Collins): Students were evacuated after a recorded phone call came in at 11:30 a.m. No credible threat was found. Students returned to class half an hour after they were evacuated. Lakewood High School: The school received a threat by phone that officials believe was automated, KCNC-TV, Denver, reported. Officials did not evacuate the school because the school district has received automated threats previously this school year. Liberty Point Elementary School (Pueblo West): Officials evacuated the school shortly after 1 p.m. after a bomb threat was received, KCNC-TV reported. Nevin J. Platt Middle School (Boulder): The middle school was swept by local law enforcement after someone left an automated threat, KCNC-TV reported. The Colorado Springs School: The school was evacuated and students were sent to Broadmoor Elementary School after the school received a bomb threat, KKTV-TV, Colorado Springs, Colo., reported. Delaware Bomb threats were reported at six Delaware schools. East Millsboro Elementary School: Police learned at 11:09 a.m. that a man had called the school and said there was a bomb inside. Beacon Middle School in Lewes, Polytech High School in Woodside and Stanton Middle School in Wilmington received similar calls within the next half hour. Automated bomb threats were also reported at Mispillion Elementary School in Milford and Sunnyside Elementary School in Smyrna earlier in the morning. Florida Storm Grove Middle School (Vero Beach): Students were sent to Sebastian River High School after an automated bomb threat was called in to the middle school. Parents picked up their children from there. Treasure Coast High School (Port St. Lucie): The school was evacuated after receiving a bomb threat shortly after 11 a.m. The school was searched, no explosives were found and students were allowed to return to class. Iowa Altoona: The school received a bomb threat at 11:54 a.m. saying bombs were inside the school. Students were relocated to a local church, where parents were able to pick them up. Buses will run Monday for parents who cannot pick up their children. Valley High School (West Des Moines): The school received a bomb threat Monday afternoon. Students who could drive were allowed to go home while students who take the school bus were taken to a safe location until buses could take them home. Tate High School (Iowa City): The school received an automated bomb threat. Students were sent home so police could assess the threat. Excelsior Middle School (Marion): The school was immediately evacuated after receiving a bomb threat about 12:30 p.m. The school dismissed students to parents and guardians. Maine Hall-Dale Middle School & High School (Farmingdale): Students were evacuated for about three hours after the school received a bomb threat Monday morning, MaineToday Media reported. (Photo: file photo) Maryland Showell Elementary School (Berlin): The school was evacuated at about 11:25 a.m. because of an automated bomb threat. Massachusetts Willett Elementary School (Attleboro): The school was evacuated as a precaution after a bomb threat was called into the school. Students and staff returned to the building after police swept the school and deemed it safe, the school reported. Charlton Middle School: Students were evacuated just after 10 a.m. Monday and sent to Heritage School after the school received a bomb threat, WFXT-TV, Dedham, Mass., reported. Dover Elementary School: Police swept the school after officials received a bomb threat, Dedham, Mass., reported. Chace Street School (Somerset): The school received an automated bomb threat around 9:25 a.m., Dedham, Mass., reported. Students were evacuated. Around the same time schools in Barnstable, Wellfleet, Mashpee and Fall River received similar threats, which were all deemed unfounded. Minnesota Brooklyn Center Secondary School: The school was temporarily evacuated Monday after receiving a threatening phone call about 12:30 p.m., the Sun Post (Osseo, Minn.) Newspapers reported. Police searched the building and students returned. Forest Lake Elementary School: The school was evacuated around 12:15 p.m. after a bomb threat was made by phone, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Students were sent to Forest View Elementary School and were bused home from there. Montana North Middle School (Great Falls): The school was evacuated after receiving a bomb threat. Students were bused to an elementary school, where parents could pick them up. New Hampshire Berlin Middle School: Students were sent to Berlin High School for lunch after the school received a bomb threat around 10:40 a.m., the New Hampshire (Manchester, N.H.) Union Leader reported. Fuller Elementary School (Keene): The school was evacuated after receiving a bomb threat Monday morning, The (Keene, N.H.) Sentinel reported. Amherst Street Elementary School (Nashua): The school was evacuated after a bomb threat was called in, WMUR-TV, Manchester, N.H., reported. Students returned to class after police swept the school with a bomb sniffing dog and found nothing suspicious. Portsmouth High School: The school was evacuated after it received a bomb threat, Seacoastonline.com reported. Police cleared the building and students were allowed back inside. No bomb was found. New York Sweet Home High School (Amherst): The school was put on lockdown after a threat was phoned into the school around 2:30 p.m. Police searched the school and lifted the lockdown at about 3:30 p.m. when nothing suspicious was found. Oregon Irvington School (Portland): The school was evacuated about noon after receiving a threatening call. The school was searched and nothing was found, The (Portland, Ore.) Oregonian reported. Pennsylvania ​Dallas School District: Bomb threats prompted the evacuation of Dallas Elementary School and Wycallis Elementary School on Monday, The (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) Times Leader reported. The schools later dismissed students early. Utah Murray High School: Students were evacuated and sent home for the day after a bomb threat was called into the school around noon, KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City reported. Vermont Northeast Elementary School (Rutland): The school was evacuated after staff received a bomb threat Monday morning, WPTZ-TV/WNNE-TV, Plattsburgh, N.Y., reported. Students were taken to another school and parents were notified. Washington Long Beach Elementary: The school went into lockdown and called police after receiving a threatening call, the Ocean Beach School District said. The threat was deemed not credible. Kessler Elementary (Longview): Parents were able to pick up their children at a church after 1:20 p.m., The (Longview, Wash.) Daily News reported. York Elementary School (Vancouver): After the threat, students were taken to a back field area while the building was searched, The (Portland, Ore.) Oregonian reported. Students returned to class after the building was cleared. Wisconsin Janet Berry Elementary School (Appleton): The school received a short, anonymous, automated phone call at 11:47 a.m. indicating a bomb would go off in the building. Staff and students stayed outside as police searched the school. They were allowed to return at 1:40 p.m. Oakwood Elementary School (Oshkosh): The school received a threatening phone call around 11:50 a.m. School officials immediately implemented a "soft lockdown" and began evacuating the school, sending staff and 473 students to the Oshkosh YMCA. Parents were asked to pick up their children at the YMCA. Edison Middle School (Green Bay): The school was locked down for about an hour Monday afternoon after receiving a threatening automated call at 11:40 a.m. Green Bay police expect federal investigators to take over any additional investigation. Wilson Junior High School (Manitowoc): Police searched the school after officials received an automated call around 11:40 a.m. Students were not evacuated, WLUK-TV, Green Bay, Wis., reported. Northside Elementary School (Middleton): Students were evacuated and taken to a nearby church after the school received a called-in bomb threat around 11:45 a.m., WMTV-TV, Madison, Wis., reported. Pleasant Prairie Elementary School: Students and staff were evacuated after an 11:30 a.m. bomb threat. They were taken to a middle school, where parents could pick them up, The Kenosha (Wis.) News reported. Contributing: The (Fort Collins, Colo.) Coloradoan; The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal; Indian River (Fla.) Press Journal; The (Stuart, Fla.) News; The Des Moines Register; Iowa City Press-Citizen; The (Salisbury, Md.) Daily Times; Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune; WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, N.Y.; The (Appleton, Wis.) Post-Crescent; The Kenosha (Wis.) News; The Oshkosh (Wis.) Northwestern; The Green Bay (Wis.) Press-Gazette. Follow Alison Dirr on Twitter: @AlisonDirr Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1TzLwSX ||||| Thousands of students in several dozen schools across the United States and Great Britain were evacuated Monday after what appeared to be coordinated recorded threats of violence were called in, according to news reports and law enforcement officials who spoke to NBC News. Police respond to a phoned-in threat Monday at Ben Franklin Elementary School in Rochester, Minnesota. KTTC-TV None of the threats were known to have been found to be credible, and many schools resumed classes, but national testing across Britain for the General Certificate of Secondary Education, or GCSE, was severely disrupted, school officials and British media reported. Local news reports said schools in at least 21 U.S. states also received phoned threats: Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. As many as 10 schools received the threats in some states. Law enforcement sources said the threats were being handled by local law enforcement, but the FBI told NBC News that it was aware of the threats, adding, "We remain in touch with our law enforcement partners to provide assistance if needed." Authorities stressed that such threats are common during the school year — a similar wave of unfounded threats disrupted classes in New York, Los Angeles and other cities in December — but law enforcement sources told NBC News that the number of schools affected Monday appeared to be unusually high. Related: Why Did LA See a Legit Bomb Threat Where NYC Saw a Hoax? "I think it's sick," Tom Yates, whose daughter attends Storm Grove Middle School in Indian River County, Florida — one of the affected schools — told NBC station WPTV of West Palm Beach. "Somebody that gets joy and pleasure out of seeing children scared and their parents scared for them — this world needs a lot of help," Yates said. Rochester, Minnesota, police Capt. John Sherwin told NBC station KTTC that the call received Monday at Ben Franklin Elementary School in Rochester was similar to many others that were received across the country. Many American schools said they recorded calls from an electronically disguised voice reporting a bomb, multiple police agencies told NBC News. Many said the calls came in around 2 to 2:30 p.m. ET. Preliminary search of Liberty Point Elementary did not show anything unusual. 2nd search with dogs underway pic.twitter.com/C1gzVCvK0m — PuebloCounty Sheriff (@PuebloCountySO) May 23, 2016 In Britain, several schools received a 90-second recorded call from a voice with an American accent promising that "shrapnel" would "take children's the heads off," according to multiple news reports. Many of those schools reported that the calls also came in about the same time, in this case about 10 a.m. local time. ||||| PARKER, Colo. (CBS4)– Students at Cherokee Trail Elementary school in Parker were evacuated from the building on Monday afternoon. The school was one of several in Colorado and different states that received bomb threats. The automated phone calls are being investigated by the FBI. Parker police said the evacuation was prompted by an anonymous threat to the school with an automated call about noon Monday. It was similar to threats made at at least six schools around the state. Cherokee Trail Elem. under precautionary evacuation due to anonymous threats to schools around the state. — Parker Police Dept. (@ParkerPolice) May 23, 2016 The other schools that received threats are located in Lakewood, Pueblo West, Colorado Springs, Boulder and Fort Collins. The FBI said schools in at least eight other states received similar swatting calls all with the goal of triggering a large police response. Students at Cherokee Trail were moved outside while Parker police officers and South Metro Fire Rescue crews searched the school. “They were like, ‘We all need to go sit on the field’ so we were all just sitting there for two hours,” said student Marcus Morgan. Parents and caregivers were urged to check in at the baseball stop in the northwest corner of the field before picking up their children. Some streets surrounding the school were closed. Copter4 flew over the school where students were gathered outside. Clarke Farms closed between Lamar and Pierce Way. Parents park and walk to pick up area pic.twitter.com/JYS4192iBk — Parker Police Dept. (@ParkerPolice) May 23, 2016 Parents said the situation was frightening. “It’s just scary to not know what’s going on. They don’t have any of their bags or their phones or anything and there’s no way of getting a hold of them,” said parent Eva Owen. Cherokee Trail Elementary parents received this email about the incident: Dear Cherokee Trail Parents, An automated phone message received at our school today with an anonymous threat has prompted us to evacuate the building. We immediately reached out to Parker Police who are on scene and investigating. We have learned that this threat was received at a number of other schools in the metro area and is not unique to Cherokee Trail. Out of an abundance of caution, students and staff will remain outside of the building until it is determined that we may go back inside. Lakewood High School received a phoned-in threat that Jeffco Schools officials believe was automated. The school was not evacuated. Jeffco Schools told CBS4 that the district has received robo-type threats previously this year. Denver Public Schools told CBS4 they were aware of computer-generated bomb threats that were made on Monday at other school districts along the Front Range. “Every one of these may be swatting, all it takes is one of them to be real and then we have a tragedy here,” said DPS spokesman Will Jones. Jones said he was impressed with how quickly information was shared between school districts, “They communicate and they share information and they are working with law enforcement to make sure that even though we know that swatting is going on we want to make sure the kids throughout Colorado are safe.” Irish Elementary School in the Poudre Valley School District received a threat by phone at 11:30 a.m. Monday. Security officials said it was a recorded message. The school was voluntarily evacuated but the threat was determined not to be credible. Students were back in class within 30 minutes. The Boulder Valley School District released this statement to families and staff at Nevin J. Platt Middle School in Boulder County: This message is to inform you that Platt Middle School, along with schools in other Colorado school districts, received a computer generated recorded threat that was determined by local law enforcement on site and BVSD Security to be a hoax. As a precaution, our building was thoroughly inspected by staff and security with nothing out of the ordinary being found. The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a bomb threat was received at Liberty Point Elementary in Pueblo West just after 1 p.m. That school was evacuated as a precaution. Nothing suspicious was found at any of the schools in Colorado that received the threats. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation was monitoring Twitter accounts regarding the bomb threats. The FBI told CBS4 the agency is monitoring the situation and is in touch with local law enforcement agencies. One school in Colorado Springs received a bomb threat and CBS affiliate KKTV in Colorado Springs confirmed that other cities with bomb threats include Cheyenne, Wyo., Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Madison, Wis. ||||| Hoax calls to 9-1-1 are a serious crime and have potentially dangerous consequences. “Swatting” is a prank designed to draw a law enforcement response to a hoax victim. The Crime of ‘Swatting’ Fake 9-1-1 Calls Have Real Consequences 09/03/13 The distraught-sounding man told the 9-1-1 operator he shot a family member and might kill others in the house. A SWAT team was urgently dispatched to the address corresponding to the caller’s phone number. But when the tactical team arrived, ready for a possible violent encounter, they found only a surprised family panicked by the officers at their door. It’s called “swatting”—making a hoax call to 9-1-1 to draw a response from law enforcement, usually a SWAT team. The individuals who engage in this activity use technology to make it appear that the emergency call is coming from the victim’s phone. Sometimes swatting is done for revenge, sometimes as a prank. Either way, it is a serious crime, and one that has potentially dangerous consequences. The Matthew Weigman Case In 2009, Matthew Weigman, then 19 years old, was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for a swatting conspiracy that had been going on for years. A prolific phone hacker, Weigman and nine co-conspirators used social engineering and other scams to obtain personal information, impersonate and harass telecommunications employees, and manipulate phone systems to carry out dozens of swatting incidents, along with other crimes. Several of his co-conspirators also received jail time. Weigman’s first swatting incident occurred in 2004 when he was 14 years old. When a girl he met through an online chat room refused to have phone sex with him, he retaliated by swatting the girl and her father, convincing a 9-1-1 operator he was holding the two at gunpoint in their Colorado home, which prompted a SWAT response. Press releases: - Matthew Weigman Pleads Guilty - Last Defendant Sentenced in Case Since we first warned about this phone hacking phenomenon in 2008, the FBI has arrested numerous individuals on federal charges stemming from swatting incidents, and some are currently in prison (see sidebar). Today, although most swatting cases are handled by local and state law enforcement agencies, the Bureau often provides resources and guidance in these investigations. “The FBI looks at these crimes as a public safety issue,” said Kevin Kolbye, an assistant special agent in charge in our Dallas Division. “It’s only a matter of time before somebody gets seriously injured as a result of one of these incidents.” There have already been close calls. A police officer was injured in a car accident during an emergency response that turned out to be a swatting incident, Kolbye said, and some unsuspecting victims—caught off guard when SWAT teams suddenly arrived on their doorstep—have suffered mild heart attacks. “The victims are scared and taken by surprise,” he said. Law enforcement personnel, meanwhile, rush to the scene of a swatting incident on high alert. “They believe they have a violent subject to apprehend or an innocent victim to rescue,” Kolbye explained. “It’s a dangerous situation any way you look at it.” It is also expensive. It can cost thousands of dollars every time a SWAT team is called out. And although there are no national statistics on how many swatting incidents occur annually, Kolbye guesses there are hundreds. A recent trend, he said, is so-called celebrity swatting, where the targeted victims are well-known actors and musicians. “People who make these swatting calls are very credible,” he said. “They have no trouble convincing 9-1-1 operators they are telling the truth.” And thanks to “spoofing” technology—which enables callers to mask their own numbers while making the victims’ numbers appear—emergency operators are doubly tricked. Most who engage in swatting are serial offenders also involved in other cyber crimes such as identity theft and credit card fraud, Kolbye said. They either want to brag about their swatting exploits or exact revenge on someone who angered them online. Kolbye suggests making a police report about any swatting threats you receive online. Such threats typically come from the online gaming community, where competitors can play and interact anonymously. With a report on file, if a 9-1-1 incident does occur at your home, the police will be aware that it could be a hoax. “The FBI takes swatting very seriously,” Kolbye said. “Working closely with industry and law enforcement partners, we continue to refine our technological capabilities and our investigative techniques to stop the thoughtless individuals who commit these crimes. The bottom line,” he added, “is that swatting puts innocent people at risk.” Resources: - More about swatting ||||| CLOSE Schools across different 4 different time zones received "swatting" calls. The threats drew massive police response and forced authorities to evacuate students and lock down buildings. USA TODAY Parents line up to reunite with their children at Sacajawea Elementary School. The entire student body of North Middle School, numbering 711 students, was evacuated to Sacajawea following a bomb threat Monday. (Photo: Tribune photo/David Murray) A wave of threats directed at schools across the nation on Monday forced authorities to lock down buildings or evacuate students. The threats, which appear to be driven by automated calls, were directed at elementary, middle and high schools in at least 18 states across four time zones. Some districts reported that the calls included a bomb threat while others just described the calls as "threatening." The calls were reported in California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Ken Trump, a national school security expert and president of a school security consulting firm, said Monday’s nationwide bomb hoaxes have the hallmarks of swatting. Swatting, according to Trump, are “highly disruptive” hoax threats that are intended to trigger massive police response. Trump said they are often described as robotic, computer-generated voices that call in threats to schools or police departments. A single swatting case can impact multiple states, jurisdictions and even travel across international borders, Trump said. Per PSLPD-- Treasure Coast HS cleared, students being sent back to class. @WPTVpic.twitter.com/iVum7bGQMG — Katie Johnson (@Katie_Johnson_) May 23, 2016 “They tend to come in waves,” he said. “We’ve seen them cross six states in an afternoon.” Trump said swatting incidents have “skyrocketed” nationwide in the past two years. “(Swatting) suspects are often more sophisticated,” he said. “They can use Voice Over IP (Internet Protocol) systems or other technologies that can be virtually impossible to track down.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation responded to a request for comment, writing, "We are aware of recent bomb threats at various schools in different states, and we remain in touch with our law enforcement partners to provide assistance if needed. As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities which could represent a threat to public safety." Lee Allinger, superintendent of schools in Appleton, Wis., said he can't remember a string of threats like this that seem to be connected. Janet Berry Elementary School in Appleton received an automated threat at about 11:45 a.m. A K-9 unit from Malmstrom Air Force Base searches for evidence of explosives following a bomb threat at North Middle School on Monday (Photo: Tribune photo/David Murray) "It's the first one that I can recall that's been of this nature, where it's been an automated call or a robo kind of call and that it's been widespread — not just next door to us but across the state and the country," he said. Tom McCarthy, a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction spokesperson, said the department did not know how many schools statewide had received threats. He did not comment on the string of bomb hoaxes. In the United Kingdom, at least 21 schools received bomb threats as well, according to The Independent. The Daily Mail reported 26 schools were closed. The USA TODAY NETWORK has not confirmed that any of the threats are connected. Bomb Threat Calls Target Schools In Colorado, Midwest https://t.co/M3UFLpwHTFpic.twitter.com/q8sb6YYwm1 — Karen Morfitt (@KarenMorfitt) May 24, 2016 California Clairemont and Lincoln high schools (San Diego): The schools were placed on lockdown after officials received threats. Police swept the schools and lifted the lockdown after nothing suspicious was found, BNO News B.V., The Netherlands, reported. Washington Middle School (Bakersfield): The school went into a lockdown Monday morning after receiving an anonymous bomb threat, KGET-TV, Bakersfield, Calif., reported. Police officers and a police dog searched the school and surrounding area. School resumed after the area was determined to be safe. The call sounded like it was automated. An unspecified threat prompted authorities to evacuate Cherokee Trail Elementary School in Parker, Colo. (Photo: KUSA-TV, Denver) Colorado Cherokee Trail Elementary (Parker): Students were evacuated Monday afternoon after “anonymous threats to schools around the state,” the Parker Police Department said in a tweet. Parents and caregivers were able to pick up their children, and some streets around the school were closed off. Irish Elementary School (Fort Collins): Students were evacuated after a recorded phone call came in at 11:30 a.m. No credible threat was found. Students returned to class half an hour after they were evacuated. Lakewood High School: The school received a threat by phone that officials believe was automated, KCNC-TV, Denver, reported. Officials did not evacuate the school because the school district has received automated threats previously this school year. Liberty Point Elementary School (Pueblo West): Officials evacuated the school shortly after 1 p.m. after a bomb threat was received, KCNC-TV reported. Nevin J. Platt Middle School (Boulder): The middle school was swept by local law enforcement after someone left an automated threat, KCNC-TV reported. The Colorado Springs School: The school was evacuated and students were sent to Broadmoor Elementary School after the school received a bomb threat, KKTV-TV, Colorado Springs, Colo., reported. Delaware Bomb threats were reported at six Delaware schools. East Millsboro Elementary School: Police learned at 11:09 a.m. that a man had called the school and said there was a bomb inside. Beacon Middle School in Lewes, Polytech High School in Woodside and Stanton Middle School in Wilmington received similar calls within the next half hour. Automated bomb threats were also reported at Mispillion Elementary School in Milford and Sunnyside Elementary School in Smyrna earlier in the morning. Florida Storm Grove Middle School (Vero Beach): Students were sent to Sebastian River High School after an automated bomb threat was called in to the middle school. Parents picked up their children from there. Treasure Coast High School (Port St. Lucie): The school was evacuated after receiving a bomb threat shortly after 11 a.m. The school was searched, no explosives were found and students were allowed to return to class. Iowa Altoona: The school received a bomb threat at 11:54 a.m. saying bombs were inside the school. Students were relocated to a local church, where parents were able to pick them up. Buses will run Monday for parents who cannot pick up their children. Valley High School (West Des Moines): The school received a bomb threat Monday afternoon. Students who could drive were allowed to go home while students who take the school bus were taken to a safe location until buses could take them home. Tate High School (Iowa City): The school received an automated bomb threat. Students were sent home so police could assess the threat. Excelsior Middle School (Marion): The school was immediately evacuated after receiving a bomb threat about 12:30 p.m. The school dismissed students to parents and guardians. Maine Hall-Dale Middle School & High School (Farmingdale): Students were evacuated for about three hours after the school received a bomb threat Monday morning, MaineToday Media reported. Showell Elementary is one of the four Blue Ribbon schools in Worcester County. (Photo: file photo) Maryland Showell Elementary School (Berlin): The school was evacuated at about 11:25 a.m. because of an automated bomb threat. Massachusetts Willett Elementary School (Attleboro): The school was evacuated as a precaution after a bomb threat was called into the school. Students and staff returned to the building after police swept the school and deemed it safe, the school reported. Charlton Middle School: Students were evacuated just after 10 a.m. Monday and sent to Heritage School after the school received a bomb threat, WFXT-TV, Dedham, Mass., reported. Dover Elementary School: Police swept the school after officials received a bomb threat, Dedham, Mass., reported. Chace Street School (Somerset): The school received an automated bomb threat around 9:25 a.m., Dedham, Mass., reported. Students were evacuated. Around the same time schools in Barnstable, Wellfleet, Mashpee and Fall River received similar threats, which were all deemed unfounded. Minnesota Brooklyn Center Secondary School: The school was temporarily evacuated Monday after receiving a threatening phone call about 12:30 p.m., the Sun Post (Osseo, Minn.) Newspapers reported. Police searched the building and students returned. Forest Lake Elementary School: The school was evacuated around 12:15 p.m. after a bomb threat was made by phone, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Students were sent to Forest View Elementary School and were bused home from there. Montana North Middle School (Great Falls): The school was evacuated after receiving a bomb threat. Students were bused to an elementary school, where parents could pick them up. New Hampshire Berlin Middle School: Students were sent to Berlin High School for lunch after the school received a bomb threat around 10:40 a.m., the New Hampshire (Manchester, N.H.) Union Leader reported. Fuller Elementary School (Keene): The school was evacuated after receiving a bomb threat Monday morning, The (Keene, N.H.) Sentinel reported. Amherst Street Elementary School (Nashua): The school was evacuated after a bomb threat was called in, WMUR-TV, Manchester, N.H., reported. Students returned to class after police swept the school with a bomb sniffing dog and found nothing suspicious. Portsmouth High School: The school was evacuated after it received a bomb threat, Seacoastonline.com reported. Police cleared the building and students were allowed back inside. No bomb was found. New York Sweet Home High School (Amherst): The school was put on lockdown after a threat was phoned into the school around 2:30 p.m. Police searched the school and lifted the lockdown at about 3:30 p.m. when nothing suspicious was found. Oregon Irvington School (Portland): The school was evacuated about noon after receiving a threatening call. The school was searched and nothing was found, The (Portland, Ore.) Oregonian reported. Pennsylvania ​Dallas School District: Bomb threats prompted the evacuation of Dallas Elementary School and Wycallis Elementary School on Monday, The (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) Times Leader reported. The schools later dismissed students early. Utah Murray High School: Students were evacuated and sent home for the day after a bomb threat was called into the school around noon, KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City reported. Vermont Northeast Elementary School (Rutland): The school was evacuated after staff received a bomb threat Monday morning, WPTZ-TV/WNNE-TV, Plattsburgh, N.Y., reported. Students were taken to another school and parents were notified. Washington Long Beach Elementary: The school went into lockdown and called police after receiving a threatening call, the Ocean Beach School District said. The threat was deemed not credible. Kessler Elementary (Longview): Parents were able to pick up their children at a church after 1:20 p.m., The (Longview, Wash.) Daily News reported. York Elementary School (Vancouver): After the threat, students were taken to a back field area while the building was searched, The (Portland, Ore.) Oregonian reported. Students returned to class after the building was cleared. Wisconsin Janet Berry Elementary School (Appleton): The school received a short, anonymous, automated phone call at 11:47 a.m. indicating a bomb would go off in the building. Staff and students stayed outside as police searched the school. They were allowed to return at 1:40 p.m. Oakwood Elementary School (Oshkosh): The school received a threatening phone call around 11:50 a.m. School officials immediately implemented a "soft lockdown" and began evacuating the school, sending staff and 473 students to the Oshkosh YMCA. Parents were asked to pick up their children at the YMCA. Edison Middle School (Green Bay): The school was locked down for about an hour Monday afternoon after receiving a threatening automated call at 11:40 a.m. Green Bay police expect federal investigators to take over any additional investigation. Wilson Junior High School (Manitowoc): Police searched the school after officials received an automated call around 11:40 a.m. Students were not evacuated, WLUK-TV, Green Bay, Wis., reported. Northside Elementary School (Middleton): Students were evacuated and taken to a nearby church after the school received a called-in bomb threat around 11:45 a.m., WMTV-TV, Madison, Wis., reported. Pleasant Prairie Elementary School: Students and staff were evacuated after an 11:30 a.m. bomb threat. They were taken to a middle school, where parents could pick them up, The Kenosha (Wis.) News reported. Contributing: The (Fort Collins, Colo.) Coloradoan; The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal; Indian River (Fla.) Press Journal; The (Stuart, Fla.) News; The Des Moines Register; Iowa City Press-Citizen; The (Salisbury, Md.) Daily Times; Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune; WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, N.Y.; The (Appleton, Wis.) Post-Crescent; The Kenosha (Wis.) News; The Oshkosh (Wis.) Northwestern; The Green Bay (Wis.) Press-Gazette. Follow Alison Dirr on Twitter: @AlisonDirr Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1TzLwSX ||||| Thousands of pupils across the UK have been forced to evacuate their schools amid a series of bomb scares from callers threatening to “take children’s head off”. At least 21 schools have now admitted to receiving "panic inducing" warnings from an anonymous caller warning of a bomb on site – leaving teachers no choice but to pull students out of classrooms during GCSE examinations. Canterbury Academy in Kent said it received a message saying that “the shrapnel will take children’s heads off”. Police were called to the site but were unable to find anything suspicious, causing many to believe the calls were a hoax. According to Kent Police, Barming Primary school in Maidstone was also closed this morning after an “anonymous phone call”. Two schools in Peterborough were also evacuated and a road was closed following a bomb threat. Voyager Academy and Discovery Primary School were cordoned off by police. One student said: Why put a bomb in discovery with children like it makes no sense. “That really scared me I literally thought a bomb was going to blow up in front of us.” Canterbury Academy head teacher Phil Karnavas said: “It's almost certainly a hoax but with what's happening across Europe I'm not prepared to take that gamble.” He added that secretarial staff received “repeated” calls from an adult male claiming an explosive device was hidden in the school. Police confirmed that an anonymous call was made at 10.13am and that the school was evacuated as a precaution. The Cambridge News website reported a suspected hoax bomb threat at Mayfield Primary school, and Emsworth Primary School in Surrey has been evacuated with staff and children moved to a neighbouring school as police probe a bomb threat. Emsworth headteacher Kate Fripp told local news website UKNIP: “There has been a security incident at Emsworth Primary School today. “All children are safe and are at Glenwood School receiving refreshments. “The police are on the school site and we expect to be allowed back in within the hour.” Whiteley Primary and Kingsham Primary schools, also in Peterborough ,have issued security alerts, according to the website. Children were sent home from Wootton Upper School in Bedfordshire, police said. Meanwhile Oulder Hill School and Redwood School in Rochdale were evacuated after calls warning of a “suspicious package“. Greater Manchester Police say they were called this morning and are still on the scene. The following schools have evacuated pupils as a result of bomb alerts • Canterbury Academy, Kent • Barming Primary School, Maidstone • Voyager Academy, Peterborough • Discover Primary School, Peterborough • Wootton Upper School, Bedfordshire • Redwood School, Rochdale • Oulder Hill School, Rochdale • Emsworth Primary School, Hampshire • Kingsham Primary School, Chichester • Whiteley Primary School, Fareham • Rosebrook Primary School, Stockton • Cranmere Primary School, Surrey • Mayfield Primary School, Cambridge • Blacon High School, Cheshire • Crabtree Farm Primary School, Nottingham • Lindisfarne Middle School, Northumberland • Charville Primary School, Middlesex • Dafen Community Primary School, Llanelli • Pinhoe Primary School, Essex • Middleton Primary School, Leeds • Lindisfarne Middle School, Northumberland

– Schools across the nation were hit by a wave of robocall bomb threats Monday, closing buildings and forcing the evacuation of thousands of students, USA Today reports. Elementary, middle, and high schools in at least 18 states were targeted, and security expert Ken Trump says the automated calls seem to have all the signs of "swatting," hoax calls (often computer generated) meant to elicit a big response from law enforcement. Even schools in the UK were affected, with at least one receiving a warning that shrapnel from explosives would "take children's heads off," per the Independent. None of the threats were deemed credible, per NBC News. Swatters likely aren't kids partaking in a simple, spur-of-the-moment prank. "Suspects are often more sophisticated," Trump says, adding that incidents like these have "skyrocketed" over the last few years. "They can use Voice over IP (VoIP) systems or other technologies that can be virtually impossible to track down." The AP notes that schools nationwide responded in various ways to the calls, with some shutting down completely and others reopening once authorities gave the all clear. "Every one of these may be swatting, [but] all it takes is one of them to be real and then we have a tragedy here," a Denver Public Schools spokesman tells CBS Denver. The FBI issued a statement noting the agency is "aware" of the threats and communicating with law enforcement, and that the public should "remain vigilant" and report anything that seems suspicious. (USA Today has a list of schools affected in each state.)

Video (00:49) : After a rally outside the State Capitol, some protesters marched in downtown St. Paul, blocking some traffic. A protest that started with about 100 people at the Minnesota State Capitol grew quickly Wednesday night as it moved first to John Ireland Boulevard then to downtown St. Paul. Protesters, who chanted and carried signs, blocked some downtown streets. Their ranks grew as they marched west on University Avenue, blocking both sides of the street and shouting expletives about Donald Trump in English and Spanish. The group, which peaked at about 300 people, circled back downtown and, at 10:35 p.m., were at St. Anthony Avenue and Marion Street, St. Paul police said. Officers were there directing traffic, but not interfering with the protest. There was no violence, police said. The protest was one of several in U.S. cities in the wake of Tuesday’s election of the GOP candidate, notably in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit and Portland, Ore. “This is about what’s going to be done in our name,” said Peter Rachleff, a former Macalester College professor. “We’re all responsible. We’re better than this.” Bobbie Scott said, “I’m here because I feel I have to be here. Other work will come later, but for now, I’m here.” Gallery: Trump protest at the Minnesota Capitol Gallery: Trump protest at the Minnesota Capitol Callia Blake, 17, and her 15-year-old friend aren’t old enough to vote yet, but came out to protest Trump’s ascension, too. “This guy, he’s a rapist, he just is awful,” she said. “I can’t take that; I can’t do it.” JoAnn Hendricks, 67, was there with her friend, LaVonne Ellington, 80, who served as a poll watcher on Tuesday. “LaVonne and I didn’t vote for Trump. I’m not a ‘Trumpladite,’ ” Hendricks said. “That’s why we’re here. We didn’t know what else to do. I’m really sad.” Earlier, at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, some students had a shouting match over the election. Students were struggling to digest the results of one of the most bitter presidential elections in memory. “I guess it’s really setting in right now,” said Sam Wondimu, 20, a U health services major who was one of dozens of students gathered around a single laptop at the Black Student Union, watching as President Obama spoke about Trump’s election. “There’s a considerable amount of sadness,” Wondimu said, and “I guess a bit of fear.” Moments later, a clash broke out between a black student and a white student wearing a Trump “Make America Great Again” hat just outside the black student group’s headquarters at Coffman Memorial Union. Matthew Selmen, 19, said he was doing his homework when another man noticed his hat and started yelling at him, accusing him of being a racist. Selmen videotaped the incident, saying the man threatened him before leaving. “I think it really comes down to ignorance on behalf of both sides,” he said, insisting that students were jumping to conclusions because he was a Trump supporter. “I don’t support everything he says or does,” he said, but “if we can’t have a conversation here, I don’t think that’s right.” Others, though, wondered if Selmen meant to be provocative. “This is the second floor of Coffman, this is where multicultural students come,” said Keren Habtes, a journalism and history major. “So you come here with that hat? It seemed like it was very divisive.” At Macalester, President Brian Rosenberg sent a campuswide e-mail Wednesday, noting that many on the St. Paul campus are feeling “grief, fear, anger [and] bewilderment” in the wake of the election and encouraging anyone “overwhelmed by these feelings” to seek help from the counseling center or other campus services. In La Crosse, Wis., meanwhile, Chancellor Joe Gow of the University of Wisconsin denounced what he called a hate crime after someone scrawled the words “go home” followed by a racist epithet on an off-campus student residence. “No members of the [university] community should ever have to experience this kind of hate and intimidation,” he wrote in a campus e-mail. While he did not mention the racially charged presidential campaign, he wrote that hate crimes “do not occur in isolation,” and called on the campus “to work to create a climate of inclusion and respect.” Racist graffiti at Maple Grove High School, shared on social media by students, has prompted an investigation, school district officials said. “I’m horrified by this action, which goes against everything for which our school stands; it is completely contrary to our core values, both as a school and as a district,” Principal Bart Becker wrote in a letter sent to families of students. “We will take swift and appropriate action based on the investigation findings.” Staff writers Rochelle Olson and Beatrice Dupuy contributed to this report. [email protected] 612-673-7252 [email protected] 612-673-7384 ||||| Police confront protesters during a demonstration against President-elect Donald Trump, early Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) (Associated Press) Police confront protesters during a demonstration against President-elect Donald Trump, early Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) (Associated Press) CHICAGO (AP) — The raw divisions exposed by the presidential race were on full display across America on Wednesday, as protesters flooded city streets to condemn Donald Trump's election in demonstrations that police said were mostly peaceful. From New England to heartland cities like Kansas City and along the West Coast, many thousands of demonstrators carried flags and anti-Trump signs, disrupting traffic and declaring that they refused to accept Trump's triumph. In Chicago, where thousands had recently poured into the streets to celebrate the Chicago Cubs' first World Series victory in over a century, several thousand people marched through the Loop. They gathered outside Trump Tower, chanting "Not my president!" Chicago resident Michael Burke said he believes the president-elect will "divide the country and stir up hatred." He added there was a constitutional duty not to accept that outcome. A similar protest in Manhattan drew about 1,000 people. Outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in midtown, police installed barricades to keep the demonstrators at bay. Hundreds of protesters gathered near Philadelphia's City Hall despite chilly, wet weather. Participants — who included both supporters of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who lost to Clinton in the primary — expressed anger at both Republicans and Democrats over the election's outcome. In Boston, thousands of anti-Trump protesters streamed through downtown, chanting "Trump's a racist" and carrying signs that said "Impeach Trump" and "Abolish Electoral College." Clinton appears to be on pace to win the popular vote, despite losing the electoral count that decides the presidential race. The protesters gathered on Boston Common before marching toward the Massachusetts Statehouse, with beefed-up security including extra police officers. A protest that began at the Minnesota State Capitol Tuesday night with about 100 people swelled at is moved into downtown St. Paul, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Protesters blocked downtown streets and traveled west on University Avenue where they shouted expletives about Trump in English and Spanish. There were other Midwest protest marches in Omaha, Nebraska, and Kansas City, Missouri. In Des Moines, Iowa, hundreds of students walked out of area high schools at 10:30 a.m. to protest Trump's victory, the Des Moines Register reported. The protests, which were coordinated on social media, lasted 15 to 45 minutes. Marchers protesting Trump's election chanted and carried signs in front of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. Media outlets broadcast video Wednesday night showing a peaceful crowd in front of the new downtown hotel. Many chanted "No racist USA, no Trump, no KKK." Another group stood outside the White House. They held candles, listened to speeches and sang songs. Dallas activists gathered by the dozens outside the city's sports arena, the American Airlines Center. In Oregon, dozens of people blocked traffic in downtown Portland, burned American flags and forced a delay for trains on two light-rail lines. Earlier, the protest in downtown drew several Trump supporters, who taunted the demonstrators with signs. A lone Trump supporter was chased across Pioneer Courthouse Square and hit in the back with a skateboard before others intervened. Several thousand chanting, sign-waving people gathered in Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, California. A night earlier, in the hours after Trump won the election, Oakland demonstrators broke windows and did other damage. In San Francisco, hundreds are marching along Market Avenue, one of the city's main avenues, to join a vigil in the Castro District, a predominantly gay neighborhood. In Los Angeles, protesters on the steps of City Hall burned a giant papier mache Trump head in protest, later, in the streets they whacked a Trump piñata. Hundreds massed in downtown Seattle streets. Many held anti-Trump and Black Lives Matter signs and chanted slogans, including "Misogyny has to go," and "The people united, will never be defeated." Five people were shot and injured in an area near the protest, but police said the shootings and the demonstration were unrelated. Back in New York, several groups of protesters caused massive gridlock as police mobilized to contain them under a light rain. They held signs that read "Trump Makes America Hate" and chanted "hey, hey, ho, ho Donald Trump has got to go." and "Impeach Trump."

– The raw divisions exposed by the presidential race were on full display across America on Wednesday, as protesters flooded city streets to condemn Donald Trump's election in demonstrations that police said were mostly peaceful. From New England to heartland cities like Kansas City and along the West Coast, many thousands of demonstrators carried flags and anti-Trump signs, disrupting traffic and declaring that they refused to accept Trump's triumph, the AP reports. In Chicago, several thousand people marched through the Loop and gathered outside Trump Tower, chanting "Not my president!" A similar protest in Manhattan drew about 1,000 people. Outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in midtown, police installed barricades to keep the demonstrators at bay. Around the country: Hundreds of protesters gathered near Philadelphia's City Hall despite chilly, wet weather. Participants expressed anger at both Republicans and Democrats over the election's outcome. A protest that began at the Minnesota State Capitol Wednesday night with about 100 people swelled to around 300 as it moved into downtown St. Paul, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Protesters blocked downtown streets and traveled west on University Avenue where they shouted expletives about Trump in English and Spanish. There were other Midwest protest marches in Omaha, Neb., and Kansas City, Mo. In Des Moines, Iowa, hundreds of students walked out of area high schools at 10:30am to protest Trump's victory, the Des Moines Register reports. Students also walked out in cities including Portland, Phoenix, and Boulder. In Oregon, dozens of people blocked traffic in downtown Portland, burned American flags, and forced a delay for trains on two light-rail lines. Several thousand chanting, sign-waving people gathered in Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif. A night earlier, in the hours after Trump won the election, Oakland demonstrators broke windows and did other damage. In Los Angeles, protesters on the steps of City Hall burned a giant papier mache Trump head in protest. Later, in the streets they whacked a Trump piñata. Hundreds massed in downtown Seattle streets. Many held anti-Trump and Black Lives Matter signs and chanted slogans, including "Misogyny has to go," and "The people united, will never be defeated." Five people were shot and injured in an area near the protest, but police said the shootings and the demonstration were unrelated.

(CNN) Kim Jong Un is sending his younger sister to South Korea for the Winter Olympics, the first time any member of the Kim dynasty has visited the country. South Korea's Unification Ministry said in a statement that Kim Yo Jong will be joining North Korea's high-level delegation to the South, headed by Kim Yong Nam , president of North Korea's parliament. The 30-year-old, who has seen her profile rise steadily since 2014, was last year promoted to North Korea's Politburo. She and Kim Jong Un were born to the same mother, Ko Yong Hui. Kim Yo Jong, right, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the official opening of the Ryomyong residential area, April 13, 2017. Kim Yo Jong's inclusion in the North Korean delegation is likely to irritate the United States, which has sent its own delegation led by Vice President Mike Pence to counter North Korea's charm offensive. Last year, the US Treasury Department included Kim Yo Jong on its list of blacklisted officials . As the vice director of the Workers' Party Propaganda and Agitation Department, she has been targeted by US sanctions. On a refueling stop on his way to Asia, Pence said the aim of his trip was to show American "resolve" in rallying the international community against the Kim regime. "We're traveling to the Olympics to make sure that North Korea doesn't use the powerful symbolism and the backdrop of the Winter Olympics to paper over the truth about their regime," Pence said. JUST WATCHED Pence keeps door open for NK discussions Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Pence keeps door open for NK discussions 01:27 But South Korea welcomed the announcement, saying it was "significant that Kim had included his sister in the delegation. "We believe that the North's announcement of the delegation shows its willingness to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula along with a message of celebration for the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games," it said in a statement. "It is significant that the delegation also includes Kim Yo Jong, who is Chairman Kim Jong Un's sister and holds an important position in the Workers' Party of Korea." Shadowy figure Like most members of the Kim clan, little is known about Kim Yo Jong beyond her official rank. According to NK Leadership Watch, she is a close aide of her brother's "and since his accession manages his public events, itineraries and logistical needs, among other tasks." JUST WATCHED Joint Korean ice hockey team plays first game Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Joint Korean ice hockey team plays first game 02:32 She was promoted to the country's Politburo as an alternate member in October. Born September 26, 1987, Kim Yo Jong studied in Switzerland like her brother and is believed to have attended Kim Il Sung University and a western European school for her higher education. Her position is such that, according to a Seoul-based think tank run by North Korean defectors, Kim Yo Jong briefly took charge of the country while her brother was reportedly ill with gout or diabetes in late 2014. Hopes for a breakthrough Kim's presence, alongside Kim Yong Nam (no relation), the 90-year-old ceremonial head of state in North Korea, will raise hopes for a potential breakthrough in relations with the US. This week, Pence suggested he would be open to meeting North Korean politicians on the sidelines of the Olympics, saying President Donald Trump "always believes in talking." "North Korea can have a better future than the militaristic path, the path of provocation and confrontation that it's on. Better for its own people, better for the region, and better for peace," Pence said. However on Wednesday he also warned the US was about to impose the "toughest and most aggressive round of economic sanctions on North Korea ever." "We will continue to isolate North Korea until it abandons its nuclear and ballistic missile programs once and for all," he said. The Vice President's delegation includes the father of the late Otto Warmbier, an American student who died shortly after being released from North Korean custody. Fred Warmbier and his wife Cindy were in the audience during US President Donald Trump's State of the Union address last month. They looked on tearfully as the President cited their son's treatment as a example of the "menace that threatens our world." The US delegation will be joined by the President's daughter and senior advisor Ivanka Trump , who will attend the closing ceremony on February 25, a White House official said Monday. JUST WATCHED Trump: We honor Otto Warmbier's memory Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump: We honor Otto Warmbier's memory 02:34 Hundreds of North Koreans have arrived in South Korea ahead of the Opening Ceremony on Friday. Though only 22 athletes will compete in events, the North's delegation will be among the largest at the Games. It includes an 114-strong art troupe and 96-crew who arrived at South Korea's Mukho port on Wednesday aboard the Mangyongbong 92 cargo-passenger ferry. JUST WATCHED Who is North Korean pop star Hyon Song Wol? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Who is North Korean pop star Hyon Song Wol? 02:44 Kim's delegation includes Hyon Song Wol, the lead singer of Kim Jong Un's favorite girl band, whose every move was followed by a insatiable South Korean press during a pre-Games tour last month. Hyon's the closest thing North Korea has to a celebrity and her presence in Pyeongchang is an indication of how seriously North Korea is taking its Olympic diplomatic mission. Kim Jong Un's Olympic plans also include a massive military parade on Thursday through the streets of the North Korean capital Pyongyang. The display would be an attempt "to scare the hell out of the Americans," a diplomatic source told CNN last month. ||||| Image copyright KCNA Image caption Kim Yo-jong in a 2015 picture of her brother touring a military unit The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is to attend the Winter Olympic Games which open in Pyeongchang in the South on Friday, ministers in Seoul say. Kim Yo-jong, a senior Workers' Party official promoted to the politburo last year, will be the first immediate Kim family member to cross the border. Both Koreas will march under one flag at the opening ceremony. The North's participation has been seen as a thawing of bilateral ties. However, the US, Japan and others have accused the North of using the Games for propaganda purposes. Who is Kim Yo-jong? Believed to have been born in 1987, she is the youngest daughter of late leader Kim Jong-il and is Kim Jong-un's full sister. She is about four years younger than her brother and is said to be very close to him. She is reportedly married to the son of Choe Ryong-hae, the powerful party secretary. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Kim Yo-jong at the opening of a residential complex in Pyongyang in 2017 Kim Yo-jong has been in the spotlight sporadically in recent years, with her main job being to protect her brother's image via her role in the party's propaganda department. She remains blacklisted by the US over alleged links to human rights abuses in North Korea. A message from her brother? Analysis: BBC's Laura Bicker in Seoul This is a huge surprise. There had been speculation Kim Yo-jong might be part of the delegation but few thought it would actually happen. It is being seen as a sign that Kim Jong-un is serious about improving ties with South Korea. Kim Yo-jong is one of Kim Jong-un's closest aides and some are speculating that she might be bringing a message from her brother. But there could be a number of obstacles to overcome if she is to make it to Pyeongchang. She is targeted by US sanctions for alleged human rights abuses, although she is not on the UN Security Council travel blacklist. There is also the question of how she will get to the Games. Seoul has had to request special permission from the US and others in the international community to allow North Korean athletes and performers to travel south by bus and ferry. They may have to do so again and this time it will be for a member of Kim Jong-un's own family. How rare is this visit? It would be the first by a direct member of the Kim dynasty. Chang Song-thaek, Kim Jong-un's uncle and brother in law of Kim Jong-il, did travel to the South but did not belong to the Baekdu blood line, which is considered significant. There is speculation in the South that this is part of Kim Yo-jong's grooming for greater power, and that she could be bringing a letter from her brother to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who she is likely to meet. It is unclear whether Kim Yo-jong will be at the opening ceremony on Friday. Who else is in the delegation? Politically, four figures, including Kim Yo-jong, are key. The others are: Kim Yong-nam . North Korea's ceremonial head of state, the president of its parliament. The diplomatically sure-footed 90-year-old has seen the rule of all three North Korean leaders and has travelled overseas before . North Korea's ceremonial head of state, the president of its parliament. The diplomatically sure-footed 90-year-old has seen the rule of all three North Korean leaders and has travelled overseas before Ri Son-gwon . The head of the North Korean state agency in charge of inter-Korean affairs. A veteran negotiator, he was North Korea's chief delegate at the rare inter-Korean talks held in January . The head of the North Korean state agency in charge of inter-Korean affairs. A veteran negotiator, he was North Korea's chief delegate at the rare inter-Korean talks held in January Choe Hwi. Vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party and chairman of the National Sports Guidance Committee. Under US state department sanctions And the rest of the North Korean team? It's a 280-strong delegation, most of whom arrived in the South on Wednesday. Led by North Korean Sports Minister Kim Il-guk, it includes 229 cheerleaders, four officials from the National Olympic Committee, 26 taekwondo demonstrators and 21 journalists. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption North Korean cheerleaders arrive in the South for the Games The team arrived via a western border at 09:28 local time (00:26 GMT), the Yonhap news agency reported. Only 10 athletes will compete for the North at the Games, along with another 12 as part of a unified Korean women's ice hockey team. Drip, drip, drip of PR Michael Madden, North Korea leadership expert In announcing its delegates both to the 2018 Winter Olympics and the inter-Korean culture events on the sidelines, Pyongyang let out the information in a slow drip. Part of this is Pyongyang maximising the positive PR effects. The announcement of the full delegation came following the arrival of its athletes to the Games late last week, and one day after 10 musicians arrived in South Korea. So now North Korea has earned itself a third day of positive media coverage about its participation in the Olympics. How have others reacted? The US is scornful of the North's motives over the Olympics and is sending Vice-President Mike Pence to the opening ceremony in Pyeongchang to counter what it terms propaganda. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Both the US and Japan have been critical of the North's Olympics policy "We're travelling to the Olympics to make sure that North Korea doesn't use the powerful symbolism in the backdrop of the Winter Olympics to paper over the truth about their regime," he said. He was in Tokyo on Wednesday and maintained the pressure, announcing that "the United States will soon unveil the toughest and most aggressive round of economic sanctions on North Korea". Japan has been equally sceptical. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said: "We must not be fooled by North Korea's 'smile diplomacy'." Where are we on North-South ties? North Korea currently faces growing international pressure and sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes. Its latest ballistic missile test, on 28 November, sparked a new series of measures from the UN, targeting petrol shipments and travel for North Koreans, and a war of words between the North and US President Donald Trump. Kim Jong-un then extended a New Year's olive branch to the South over participation in the Olympics, which run from 9 to 25 February. The perceived warming of ties has not been without difficulties, not least the North's decision to move a military parade in Pyongyang from April to the day before the opening of the Games. ||||| FILE - This 2015, file photo provided by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his sister Kim Yo Jong, left, during their visit to a military unit in North Korea. South... (Associated Press) FILE - This 2015, file photo provided by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his sister Kim Yo Jong, left, during their visit to a military unit in North Korea. South Korea’s Unification Ministry said North Korea informed Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, that Kim Yo Jong would... (Associated Press) FILE - This 2015, file photo provided by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his sister Kim Yo Jong, left, during their visit to a military unit in North Korea. South Korea’s Unification Ministry said North Korea informed Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, that Kim Yo Jong would... (Associated Press) FILE - This 2015, file photo provided by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his sister Kim Yo Jong, left, during their visit to a military unit in North Korea. South... (Associated Press) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister, an increasingly prominent figure in the country's leadership, will be part of the North's delegation to the South Korean Winter Olympics, officials said Wednesday. Kim Yo Jong, believed to be around 30, will be the first member of North Korea's ruling family to visit South Korea since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. Analysts say her inclusion in the Olympic delegation shows North Korea's ambition to use the Olympics to break out from diplomatic isolation by improving relations with the South, which it could use as a bridge for approaching the United States. By sending a youthful, photogenic person who will undoubtedly attract international attention during the Olympics, North Korea is also trying to construct a fresher and warmer public image and defuse potential U.S. efforts to use the Pyeongchang Games to highlight the North's brutal human rights record, experts say. Kim Jong Un might also have seen that U.S. President Donald Trump was sending his daughter, Ivanka, to the Olympics ceremony and decided to match the move by sending his sister, said Hong Min, an analyst at Seoul's Korea Institute for National Unification. By sending a relative, "Kim Jong Un may be trying to present himself as an equal to Donald Trump," Hong said. South Korea's Unification Ministry said North Korea informed it that Kim Yo Jong, first vice director of the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, would be part of the delegation led by the country's nominal head of state, Kim Yong Nam. The ministry said Kim Yo Jong's schedule in the South has yet to be determined, and it wasn't immediately clear whether she will meet with President Moon Jae-in, a liberal who has expressed a desire to reach out to the North. Moon's office welcomed the decision to send Kim Yo Jong, which it said showed the North's willingness to cooperate in efforts to ease tensions in the Korean Peninsula. "First Vice Director Kim Yo Jong is Chairman Kim Jong Un's sister who has an important role in the Workers' Party, (so her visit) is that much more meaningful," presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said in a statement read on television. Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University, said Kim Yo Jong, as Kim Jong Un's relative and apparently one of the few people who has earned his absolute trust, carries more weight as a dialogue partner for the South than any other official the North could send. It's unclear whether any member of the North Korean government delegation will hold talks with U.S. officials during the Olympics. But Kim Yo Jong's presence would give North Korea a better opportunity to win South Korean help in reaching out to the United States, Hong said. He also said Washington may see Kim Yo Jong as an avenue to deliver messages to Kim Jong Un. "With any other North Korean official, even the so-called No. 2 Choe Ryong Hae, you are getting a person who's just parroting orders given by Kim Jong Un," Hong said. "But with Kim Yo Jong, you are getting a person who's chiefly involved in designing Kim Jong Un's rule, a person whom the leader actually listens to." North Korea said the delegation will also include Choe Hwi, chairman of the country's National Sports Guidance Committee, and Ri Son Gwon, chairman of the North's agency that deals with inter-Korean affairs. Seoul previously said the delegation would arrive Friday, but Wednesday's statement was the first confirmation that a member of the North's ruling family will be included. Kim Yo Jong and Kim Jong Un were born to the same mother, Ko Yong Hui. They had a half brother, Kim Jong Nam, who was murdered last year at a Malaysian airport. Kim Yo Jong was promoted by her brother last year to be an alternate member of the decision-making political bureau of the ruling party's central committee, which analysts said showed that her activities are more substantive than previously thought. The war-separated Koreas are cooperating on a series of conciliatory measures during the Olympics, which the South sees as an opportunity to ease tensions with the North following an extended period of animosity over its nuclear weapon and missile programs. Skeptics think North Korea is trying to use the Olympics to weaken U.S.-led sanctions and pressure against it and buy time to advance its weapons programs. North Korea has 22 athletes competing in the Winter Olympics but also has sent performing artists and a large cheering group. A decision by North Korea to send the artists by sea has triggered debate in the South, where conservatives see the move as a clear indication the North is trying to use the Olympics to ease sanctions against it. South Korea is deciding whether to accept North Korea's request that it provide fuel for the ferry that transported the artists. Seoul exempted the ferry from sanctions to allow it in South Korean waters. "We will closely discuss with the United States and other related nations the matter of providing convenience to the Mangyongbong ferry so that no problem regarding sanctions would occur," said Seoul's Unification Ministry spokesman, Baik Tae-hyun.

– In a move seen as a sign that North Korea is serious about improving relations with the South—and about thumbing its nose at the US—Kim Jong Un's powerful younger sister will be visiting South Korea as part of the North's high-level Olympic delegation. Kim Yo Jong, who is a full sibling of the North Korean leader and is believed to be around 30 years old, will be the first "direct member" of the Kim dynasty to visit the South, the BBC reports. South Korean officials welcomed the surprise announcement, saying it is "significant that the delegation also includes Kim Yo Jong, who is Chairman Kim Jong Un's sister and holds an important position in the Workers' Party of Korea." Analysts say Kim Jong Un appears to be trying to present a warmer image of North Korea. By sending his sister when President Trump is sending daughter Ivanka, Kim "may be trying to present himself as an equal to Donald Trump," Hong Min at Seoul's Korea Institute for National Unification tells the AP. Mike Pence, meanwhile, is on a visit to Asia aimed at counteracting Pyongyang's "charm offensive," as CNN puts it. He told reporters Wednesday that the US is about to impose the "toughest and most aggressive round of economic sanctions on North Korea ever." Kim Yo Jong was in January 2017 placed on the US Treasury Department's sanctions list over the country's human rights record, Reuters reported at the time; here's what else we know about her.

Oh my: Ron Paul within one point of Gingrich in Iowa? posted at 3:56 pm on December 13, 2011 by Allahpundit Hey now. I was writing “Could Ron Paul seriously win Iowa?” posts before writing “Could Ron Paul seriously win Iowa?” posts was cool. There has been some major movement in the Republican Presidential race in Iowa over the last week, with what was a 9 point lead for Newt Gingrich now all the way down to a single point. Gingrich is at 22% to 21% for Paul with Mitt Romney at 16%, Michele Bachmann at 11%, Rick Perry at 9%, Rick Santorum at 8%, Jon Huntsman at 5%, and Gary Johnson at 1%. Gingrich has dropped 5 points in the last week and he’s also seen a significant decline in his favorability numbers. Last week he was at +31 (62/31) and he’s now dropped 19 points to +12 (52/40). The attacks on him appear to be taking a heavy toll- his support with Tea Party voters has declined from 35% to 24%. Paul meanwhile has seen a big increase in his popularity from +14 (52/38) to +30 (61/31). There are a lot of parallels between Paul’s strength in Iowa and Barack Obama’s in 2008- he’s doing well with new voters, young voters, and non-Republican voters… Simple question: What’s Paul’s ceiling in Iowa? A friend on Twitter was arguing earlier that it’s 20 percent, which is borne out by the polls — so far. If he’s right then Paul can’t win. But … what if Paul’s ceiling is actually 30 percent? Note that his favorables are trending upwards while Newt’s are sinking under the weight of renewed scrutiny of his various conservative heresies. If you’re an Iowan who’s unhappy with the “electable” candidates — Romney for being too opportunistic, Gingrich for flirting too often with activist government, Perry for seeming too darned hapless — then Paul’s an obvious choice for your “none of the above” protest vote. So obvious, in fact, that both Glenn Beck and Joe Scarborough are threatening to back him as a third-party candidate if Gingrich is the nominee. (An interesting footnote in the PPP data: Voters split equally on whether their view of the GOP establishment is favorable or unfavorable, and among the latter group Paul leads by double digits at 34 percent.) If he can pull 10 percent from voters like that on top of the 20 percent who make up his base, then his chances at an upset improve dramatically. And don’t forget, not only is Paul’s base famously enthusiastic and guaranteed to turn out, he’s one of the best organized candidates in Iowa this time. He might be able to get leaners to come out and caucus come rain or shine. Can Gingrich do the same? I’ll bet Romney’s kicking himself now for not having abandoned Iowa early on. If he had done that, he could have sent his supporters out to caucus for Paul, thereby detonating Newt’s chances; if he tried that now, having competed in earnest in the state, the headlines would be all about Romney’s shockingly poor finish in Iowa, which would actually help Gingrich in New Hampshire even if he finished second to Paul in the caucuses. (On the other hand, per Rasmussen, Paul’s just four points back of Gingrich for second place in New Hampshire too.) Two exit questions for you, then. One: As chances of a Paul upset grow, will Iowa’s Republican leaders swing behind Newt or Mitt? They want the caucuses to remain relevant to choosing the eventual nominee, and if Paul wins, that’ll be two elections in a row where the Iowa winner realistically had no chance. Two: Could a Paul victory achieve a real “none of the above” outcome for the nomination? A brokered convention is unlikely – but, as Sean Trende explains, not impossible if Paul fares well. Caucus states are also concentrated in the Mountain West, where his brand of Republicanism holds greater appeal. They’re also front-loaded, meaning that (a) his supporters will be less likely to have been swayed by the “can’t win” argument and (b) the more “establishment” Republican candidates are likely to split the non-Paul votes. Overall, 486 delegates will be awarded in caucus states. If Paul picks off a sizable number of these delegates, say a quarter of them, and two other GOP candidates battle to a draw, there might not be a nominee by the end of June. This type of fight could carry over to the convention, since Paul is pretty feisty and is probably the least likely candidate out there to be “bought off” with a Cabinet position or speaking slot. If, say, Perry and Gingrich are knotted up with about 1,050 delegates each, and Paul holds the remaining 200 and refuses to budge, you could end up with a deadlocked convention that eventually turns to a dark-horse candidate. Ron Paul winning Iowa just might mean the GOP nominating Ryan, Christie, or Daniels. Second look at Ron Paul winning Iowa? ||||| With scant weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses, perpetually ignored-by-the-media Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul is making a deadly serious run for the top spot in the first-in-the-nation GOP contest. A little over a week ago, Paul passed Mitt Romney for second place in the state, 7 points behind frontrunner Newt Gingrich. A new poll from Public Policy Polling, however, has the congressman trailing Gingrich by a single point, 22%-21%, with Romney holding onto third with 16%. While the media has already decided that this is now a two-man race between Gingrich and perpetual poll runner-up Mitt Romney, Ron Paul has emerged as a very real threat in Iowa, and from there, who knows? From PPP: There has been some major movement in the Republican Presidential race in Iowa over the last week, with what was a 9 point lead for Newt Gingrich now all the way down to a single point. Gingrich is at 22% to 21% for Paul with Mitt Romney at 16%, Michele Bachmann at 11%, Rick Perry at 9%, Rick Santorum at 8%, Jon Huntsman at 5%, and Gary Johnson at 1%. …Gingrich has dropped 5 points in the last week and he’s also seen a significant decline in his favorability numbers. Last week he was at +31 (62/31) and he’s now dropped 19 points to +12 (52/40). The attacks on him appear to be taking a heavy toll- his support with Tea Party voters has declined from 35% to 24%. Paul is also within 8 points of the lead in one New Hampshire poll, just 3 points behind Gingrich. Gingrich has faced brutal attacks on the issues from Paul that left many observers gasping, plus a vicious ad by a WorldNetDaily contributor that was aimed at social conservatives in Iowa, but which was played and re-played nationally by cable news outlets. Unlike Gingrich, Ron Paul has the fundraising and organizational apparatus to take him beyond wins in early states, so a victory in Iowa could very well propel him to a brokered convention, or more. Disaffection with Gingrich and Romney has already led conservative pundit Joe Scarborough to say he would consider voting for Paul as an independent. Whether or not Ron Paul is taken seriously has always hinged on the whims of the mainstream media, but results like these make it increasingly difficult to ignore him. Have a tip we should know? [email protected] ||||| That’s at least what it looks like in the latest survey from Public Policy Polling. The barrage of aired attacks on Newt from all sides seems to be having the desired effect, plummeting his favorability by 19 points in the last week, and Paul, certainly one of the aggressors, is picking up the pieces. Gingrich still leads with 22% of the vote and Romney has held steady in high teens, but Paul has clawed his way up within the margin of error, claiming 21% support among likely Republican caucus goers. And what remains of Gingrich’s lead appears to be soft. Just 54% of his supporters tell PPP they’re certain to vote for him, while 77% and 67% say the same of Paul and Romney respectively. This is, of course, good news for Paul, whose third presidential bid has gained more mainstream traction than his previous efforts. But if these numbers bear out in a few more polls, it’s also a godsend to Romney’s campaign, which badly needs Paul and others to split the votes aligned against the former Massachusetts governor and slow Gingrich’s late surge. PPP’s poll shouldn’t be entirely surprising–if August belonged to Bachmann, September to Perry, October to Cain and November to Newt, there’s no reason to think another candidate wouldn’t find themselves enjoying a December boomlet. We’re not quite there yet, and Tuesday’s poll could be an outlier. But Gingrich’s lead was always tenuous and it’s not surprising that the absolutely brutal ad campaigns against him have at very least slowed his ascent.

– The first chink in Newt Gingrich's surge? A new Public Policy Polling survey shows that his lead in Iowa has dropped from 9 points to 1 point in a week. And the beneficiary isn't Mitt Romney but Ron Paul. The new figures have Gingrich at 22%, down 5 points, and Paul at 21%, up 3 points. Romney sticks at 16%. What's it all mean? Adam Sorensen, Time: The poll could be a fluke, but "Gingrich’s lead was always tenuous and it’s not surprising that the absolutely brutal ad campaigns against him have at very least slowed his ascent." Ed Morrissey, Hot Air: It might be time to start thinking about a deadlocked convention. "Paul winning Iowa just might mean the GOP nominating Ryan, Christie, or Daniels." Tommy Christopher, Mediaite: "Unlike Gingrich, Ron Paul has the fundraising and organizational apparatus to take him beyond wins in early states, so a victory in Iowa could very well propel him to a brokered convention, or more." The mainstream media doesn't much like Paul's chances, "but results like these make it increasingly difficult to ignore him."

Washington (CNN) Then-President Barack Obama warned President-elect Donald Trump in November against hiring retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as his national security adviser , former Obama administration officials confirmed to CNN Monday. Obama warned Trump about Flynn during their Oval Office meeting on November 10, days after Trump was elected president. "Given the importance of the job, the President through there were better people for it, and that Flynn wasn't up for the job," a former senior Obama administration official told CNN Monday. Other former Obama administration officials said then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper didn't think highly of Flynn, and in fact was the person who recommended Flynn's firing as DNI in 2014. Flynn's focus was generally limited to terrorism and didn't know much about many other issues important for the national security adviser job, such as China, the officials said. But at least one former Obama official disputed that, saying Obama's concerns were not related to the firing of Flynn from the Defense Intelligence Agency but rather in the course of the investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 election. "Flynn's name kept popping up," according to a senior Obama administration source. The White House confirmed later Monday that Obama raised concerns about Flynn during his Oval Office sitdown with Trump in November. "It's true President Obama made it known he wasn't exactly a fan of Gen. Flynn's," press secretary Sean Spicer said. He said the concerns shouldn't have come as a surprise, since Flynn was an "outspoken critic" of the Obama administration's shortcomings on foreign policy. Spicer said if the Obama administration was "truly concerned" about Flynn, there are steps it could have taken, including suspending his security clearance. Flynn previously served as the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency under Obama until he was reportedly forced out of the post 2014 over internal disagreements over policy and management. Trump did not heed Obama's counsel on Flynn, bringing aboard the former military intelligence officer who supported Trump during his campaign as his national security adviser. Trump fired Flynn 24 days later when news broke of Flynn's conversations with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. News of the warning comes as former acting Attorney General Sally Yates is set to testify before Congress on Monday about the concerns she expressed to Trump administration officials about Flynn's contacts with Russian officials, namely with Kislyak. Yates, in her role as acting attorney general, warned White House counsel Don McGahn on January 26 that Flynn was lying when he denied -- both publicly and privately -- that he discussed US sanctions on Russia with Kislyak. It wasn't until weeks later that Trump asked for Flynn's resignation, only after news surfaced that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with Kislyak. JUST WATCHED Trump: I feel badly for Michael Flynn Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump: I feel badly for Michael Flynn 01:31 According to five current and former intelligence officials, their concern started around the time Flynn went to Moscow for the 10th anniversary gala of the state-sponsored news agency Russia Today. At that dinner, the former high-ranking intelligence official was seated right next to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also had contact with Kislyak after the trip. Former US officials were highly suspicious of Kislyak and his motives, and there were concerns Flynn didn't seem to understand the dangers in the conversations, the officials said. As was reported over the weekend, even Trump's own team was concerned enough to request a CIA profile of the Russian ambassador to help illustrate to Flynn he was taking a big chance in his interactions with Kislyak. Yates' testimony on Monday will be the first time she speaks publicly about her warnings to the White House about Flynn. The Senate and House intelligence committees are continuing to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election, including potential coordination between Russian officials and the Trump campaign or people close to the campaign. Congressional investigators have so far homed in on Flynn, Carter Page, a former foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, and Roger Stone, who informally advised Trump during his presidential run. While Trump asked for Flynn's resignation, he has not abandoned his former national security adviser altogether. Trump on Monday morning sought to get ahead of Yates' testimony, taking to Twitter to deflect criticism that he or his administration should have kept Flynn out of the top national security post from the outset. General Flynn was given the highest security clearance by the Obama Administration - but the Fake News seldom likes talking about that. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2017 Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Council. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2017 "General Flynn was given the highest security clearance by the Obama administration -- but the Fake News seldom likes talking about that," Trump said in his first missive. "Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Counsel," he tweeted. Flynn began advising Trump on national security in early 2016 and soon became a constant presence by Trump's side as he crisscrossed the country from rally to rally. He frequently introduced Trump on the campaign trail, delivering introductory remarks rife with criticism of the Obama administration's foreign policy and of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Flynn often led Trump supporters in chants of "Lock her up!" as he accused her of corruption and negligence in her use of a private email server. Trump came to value Flynn not only for his like-minded view of global affairs but for his loyalty throughout the campaign. CNN's Jake Tapper, Kevin Liptak, Pamela Brown and Gloria Borger contributed to this report. ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. May 8, 2017, 3:10 PM GMT / Updated May 8, 2017, 3:33 PM GMT By Kristen Welker, Dafna Linzer and Ken Dilanian Former President Obama warned President Donald Trump against hiring Mike Flynn as his national security adviser, three former Obama administration officials tell NBC News. The warning, which has not been previously reported, came less than 48 hours after the November election when the two sat down for a 90-minute conversation in the Oval Office. A senior Trump administration official acknowledged Monday that Obama raised the issue of Flynn, saying the former president made clear he was "not a fan of Michael Flynn." Another official said Obama’s remark seemed like it was made in jest. According to all three former officials, Obama warned Trump against hiring Flynn. The Obama administration fired Flynn in 2014 from his position as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, largely because of mismanagement and temperament issues. NBC News Alerts:Sign up to be the first to know about breaking news Obama’s warning pre-dated the concerns inside the government about Flynn’s contacts with the Russian ambassador, one of the officials said. Obama passed along a general caution that he believed Flynn was not suitable for such a high level post, the official added. Two administration officials said Obama also warned Trump to stay vigilant on North Korea. The revelations came on the same day that former acting Attorney General Sally Yates testified about the events that led to Flynn's eventual firing. Separately, two U.S. officials told NBC News that the Defense Intelligence Agency didn't know Flynn had been paid nearly $34,000 by a Russian state media outlet when it renewed his security clearance in April 2016. Trump named Flynn as his national security adviser. Flynn, who was conducting private conversations with the Russian ambassador regarding sanctions, was then fired three weeks into the administration for misleading Vice President Pence about those conversations. Obama and Trump shake hands following their meeting in the Oval Office on Nov. 10, 2016. Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP News of the Obama warning came as Trump sought to get ahead of a day of unpleasant disclosures about his former top foreign policy aide, taking to Twitter Monday to cast aspersions on Yates, the 27-year Justice Department prosecutor who warned the White House that then-National Security Adviser Mike Flynn had misled officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador. Related: White House Denies Claim That Yates' Testimony Was Blocked "Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Counsel," Trump tweeted, referring to Yates’ conversation with White House counsel Donald McGahn. But Trump has left many other important questions about the Flynn affair unanswered, including: What, if anything, did he know about his national security adviser’s conversations with the Russian ambassador? Monday afternoon, Yates is scheduled to testify for the first time in public, alongside James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, who pushed Flynn in 2014 from his job as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. The two are due to appear before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee at 2:30 p.m. It was more than a week after Yates raised concerns about Flynn with McGahn that the story leaked to the Washington Post, prompting a series of events that led to Flynn’s ouster from his White House job. In a second tweet Monday morning, Trump noted that "General Flynn was given the highest security clearance by the Obama administration, but the Fake News seldom likes talking about that." It’s true that Flynn got his top level security clearance renewed in January 2016, but what Trump didn’t mention is that Flynn should have received a far more thorough vetting in advance of his becoming national security adviser, a job that allows access to the nation’s most closely-held secrets. What was the nature of that vetting, and did it raise any flags about Flynn’s lobbying work for Turkish interests during the campaign, or his paid appearance on behalf of Russian state media, both now under scrutiny by law enforcement agencies? The White House hasn’t said. Related: Flynn Never Told DIA That Russians Paid Him, Say Officials Another big question that has never been answered: Did Flynn coordinate with the president over his repeated contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak? Those contacts raised alarms not only within the Obama administration, but within Trump’s own transition team, according to reports Friday confirmed by NBC News. There were concerns that the Trump administration was signaling Russia not to worry about the Obama administration sanctions on Russia over its election interference, which expelled Russian intelligence officers from the U.S. and blocked access to Russian diplomatic compounds here. Flynn was fired as national security adviser, White House officials said, because he told Vice President Pence he didn’t discuss those sanctions with Kislyak, despite FBI transcripts showing that he did. That is among the issues Yates raised to McGahn, according to people who have been briefed on the matter. People familiar with her plans don’t expect her to get into much detail about her warnings regarding Flynn, largely because many of the underlying facts involve classified material. In advance of her testimony, Republicans have been accusing her of acting politically, and noting that she was fired by Trump for refusing to enforce his travel ban. They call her a partisan Democrat. Related: Former Acting AG Sally Yates to Testify Publicly in House Intel Probe In response, her defenders point out that she spent much of her 27-year Justice Department career working as a line prosecutor, a non-political job. Though she was appointed to positions in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, she was widely respected on both sides of the aisle. Georgia Republican Johnny Isakson, her home state senator, was among those introducing her at her 2015 confirmation hearing to become deputy attorney general. She was confirmed, 84-12.

– When then-President Obama met with President-elect Trump in the Oval Office two days after the election, NBC News reports that Obama gave him a specific piece of advice: Don't hire Michael Flynn. (CNN says it has confirmed the story.) Trump did not take the advice and went on to make Flynn his national security adviser, only to fire him three weeks later when it emerged that Flynn had misled the White House about his conversations with the Russian ambassador. Obama's concerns, however, were more about Flynn's temperament, reports NBC, which notes that the Obama administration fired Flynn in 2014 from his post as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Obama reportedly told Trump that Flynn was not suited to such an important position. The revelation comes on the day that Sally Yates, who served briefly as acting attorney general between the two administrations, is expected to testify before Congress about her concerns over Flynn's contact with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Trump himself addressed both aspects of the story on Monday: "General Flynn was given the highest security clearance by the Obama Administration - but the Fake News seldom likes talking about that," he tweeted. (Spokesman Sean Spicer previously blamed the Obama White House, citing Flynn's clearance to run the DIA.) And on Yates, Trump tweeted: "Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Counsel."

On the first night of previews for Groundhog Day the musical, as the lights go down, it’s safe to say that most of the audience already knows the story that’s about to unfold. It would be hard to find anyone who hasn’t seen, or osmotically absorbed, the 1993 Bill Murray film on which this show is based, the story of a cynical weatherman trapped in a single repeating day. But no one knows it as well as the guy in the third row: a 60-year-old with wild wisps of hair, round eyeglasses, and a Hopi-sun-symbol stud in one ear. Danny Rubin is utterly rapt, even though he’s seen this performance more than 20 times; even though he’s lived with this story for nearly 25 years; even though he’s listening to some of the same lines he first tapped out on a Toshiba laptop when he was a young man of 32. Rubin is the guy who wrote Groundhog Day the musical. He’s also the guy who wrote Groundhog Day the film — both the original script and the version he later hammered out with director Harold Ramis. It’s still the film he’s still best known for; in fact, to this day, it’s the only film he’s known for. If you look him up on imdb.com, there are just four writing credits to his name. One of them is the story credit for the Italian remake of Groundhog Day (“Stork Day”). Two others are screenplays for a 1993 Marlee Matlin thriller and a 1994 film called S.F.W. that enjoys a solid 12 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The fourth credit is Groundhog Day — a film so beloved, idiomized, and dissertated about that it’s passed into English vernacular. For almost 25 years, that lone film has remained, for good or ill, his calling card. “I’m the guy who wrote Groundhog Day,” he says now. “I’m not the amazing screenwriter who’s had this long and storied career. I’m not Tom Stoppard.” But if you have to be stuck with one movie, it could be a worse movie than Groundhog Day. “It’s delightful to be so associated with something so well loved,” Rubin says. “You could break your heart thinking you’re the victim of this amazing life you’ve got.” This is the story of how Danny Rubin wrote Groundhog Day not once but twice — maybe more times than that, but who’s counting. It’s unusual for any artist to live so long under the shadow of a single work, let alone a story that is itself intimately concerned with limits and repetition. It’s more unusual still for an artist to return to that story in another medium for an encore nearly three decades later. Yet here Rubin is, in a Broadway theater, listening to his words echo, again and again and again, into the dark. He doesn’t remember how the idea first came to him. Rubin gets ideas the way some people take drugs — in wee fistfuls. When this particular batch hit him, he wrote down ten of the best ones in a list. It was the late ’80s, and Rubin was living in Chicago, turning out scripts for industrial films. He once spent two days working the front counter of the country’s most productive McDonald’s so he could write a video showing other McDonald’s workers how to shave seconds off their time with each customer. It wasn’t glorious, but at least he was being paid for writing. Still, he wanted to try writing real screenplays. So he made a list of his ten best ideas. Idea No. 2 was a Hitchcockian thriller about a murder in the deaf community; he called it Silencer. An agent got interested and that script sold, and a version of it eventually became the decidedly un-Hitchcockian Marlee Matlin vehicle Hear No Evil. Rubin moved his family to L.A. His agent said, “Get me a writing sample,” so Rubin went back to his list. Idea No. 10 on the list was “A man lives the same day over and over.” He wasn’t the first to think of this premise. The idea of reiterating the same stretch of time goes at least as far back as a 1904 short story by a British military strategist, in which a man dreams his way through the same battle, again and again. In 1973, an American named Richard A. Lupoff published a short book titled 12:01 P.M. about a man stuck in a “disfiguration of time.” (Lupoff briefly pursued legal action against Columbia Pictures after Groundhog Day came out, but the lawsuit was never formally filed.) Rubin had never read either of these, and he didn’t care how his protagonist had come to be trapped in February 2 — a date he chose in the hope that the movie might become a holiday cable perennial, the way It’s a Wonderful Life was broadcast every Christmas. Rubin was more interested in what would happen to a man stuck reliving the same day over and over. Would he go crazy? Fall to his worst impulses? How many lifetimes would it take for someone to truly change? He thought about the possibilities for a while. Then he powered through drafting the script in four days and sent it off to his agent. Ramis, who wrote and co-starred in Ghostbusters, found the script and was hired to direct it, and he cast Bill Murray to star in it. Rubin spent weeks revising it, first with Ramis, then with Murray — the two of them throwing ideas back and forth, hanging out in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania — and then it went back to Ramis, who defended it from the studio’s worst impulses, such as inserting a scene where the main character, Phil Connors, gets cursed by a gypsy. Then they filmed it, and it was a hit. For Rubin, working with Ramis and Murray wasn’t intimidating as much as reassuring: It felt like Hollywood had recognized him for who he was, like it had realized what he could do. “It was like, ‘Finally,’ ” he says now. “ ‘This is where I belong.’ ” And then it never happened again. After the film Groundhog Day was a success, Rubin started getting calls to work on scripts. He was now a known quantity — he was the guy who wrote Groundhog Day — and all producers seemingly wanted was for him to write the same movie again. A rom-com. Something quirky. But not too quirky. Maybe something with a time warp or a weatherman. “They’d say, ‘Just write something normal and it’ll come out Danny Rubin–y. It’ll be great,’ ” he says. “But I don’t want to write something normal! It’s messing with the premise and the structure that makes it exciting!” Rubin made a list of his ten best ideas. Idea No. 10 was “A man lives the same day over and over again.” It didn’t help that he’d moved his family to Santa Fe, New Mexico, before Groundhog Day had even finished shooting. At first, L.A. tried to woo him back, regularly flying him into town. Rubin’s brother Michael, who also worked in Hollywood, knew how this was supposed to go: “They want to meet you for lunch at the Ivy and they want to think you’re a totally fun guy,” he says. “You get in the door because you wrote a hit movie, but they want to see you as a guy they can play with.” But Rubin wouldn’t play. “It would be like, Goldie Hawn has a dysfunctional family, none of them get along, so they go camping and in the end they all learn to love each other,” Rubin recalls. “Typically I would say, ‘Okay, I am going to tell you your movie.’ ” He’d lay out a perfectly respectable studio picture, with a three-act structure and a conventional conclusion. “And then I’d say, ‘Under no circumstances am I going to write that movie.’ ” He sighs. “It took me years to understand that’s why the business started disappearing.” Most people in this situation either quit the screenplay business or learn to compromise. Rubin did neither. He kept writing scripts for his own ideas, and he kept selling them, pretty steadily, over the years — to Universal, to Amblin, to Castle Rock, to Miramax. But none of them were produced, and even when one of them spent some time being developed, Rubin would often be booted off the project. He wrote a movie about a woman; they asked if it could be about a man. He wrote a silent film; they asked if it could have dialogue. “People weren’t responding to my stuff by making movies out of it,” he says. “They were optioning it, but then there were the same arguments over and over: They were trying to make a movie I said I was expressly not interested in making.” Tim Minchin, who composed the songs for Groundhog Day the musical, puts it more succinctly: Rubin, he says, “refused to write to their fucking specs.” Rubin’s daughter, Maida, was a kid back then, but she remembers her dad’s Hollywood travails. “It seemed true of all his projects that they would take out the part he found interesting,” she says. “They just wanted it to be more like something they already knew.” Even as Rubin continued to not make films, Groundhog Day became a proportionally bigger and bigger part of his résumé — and of pop culture at large. The film had been a solid success when it came out but not a phenomenon; Roger Ebert gave it three stars. But as years passed, it seemed to gain resonance. The idea of a time loop became a standard trope in movies and television, and the term “Groundhog Day” itself became vernacular for any experience that seemed endlessly to repeat. Rubin’s friends would call him up excitedly whenever they heard someone use it, until it became so common that they had to stop. People kept writing to Rubin to tell him what his movie was about. A monk saw it as a Christian allegory; a Kabbalist analyzed the significance of its numerology. Philosophy students wrote dissertations about Groundhog Day and Nietzsche’s concept of the “eternal recurrence.” An economist published a column claiming that the film “illustrates the importance of the Mises-Hayek paradigm as an alternative to equilibrium economics by illustrating the unreal nature of equilibrium theorizing.” Addicts told Rubin that the film had helped them realize they were trapped in Punxsutawneys of their own making. The letters and phone calls and emails would reach a crescendo every February 2, a day when Rubin would hear not only from strangers and fans but from his own friends and family. Someone — he never found out who — for years left him little presents, balloons or candy or a toy groundhog, on his porch in Santa Fe. “It’s like my birthday,” he says. You could imagine a version of this story in which Rubin is bitter. “He’s got every reason to have an antagonistic relationship with this beast,” says Matthew Warchus, who directed the musical. Minchin agrees: “One can assume that, Groundhog Day being so far and away his greatest success, it would cast a huge shadow over him,” he says. Rubin himself will concede only the slightest negativity. “I was always thinking, I’m not a one-hit wonder, I’m not a one-hit wonder!” he says. Then he laughs. “But even if I am — okay, that’s more than most people get.” At some point, he started leaning into it. In 2005, Ebert published a new review of Groundhog Day, upgrading it to four stars. In 2007, Rubin started a blog — Blogus Groundhogus — where he answered questions from fans and posted fictional dialogues between himself and Phil Connors, now retired from the weather business and living on a mountainside near Taos. At his brother’s suggestion, he published an ebook on screenwriting, called How to Write “Groundhog Day.” He ended up teaching screenwriting at Harvard for five years. Every year, when February 2 came around, he and his wife would invite over all their friends, push back the furniture, and dance. But the story does not end there, because it is also a love story. That’s where Minchin and Warchus come in. In 2012, they were fresh off the success of their first musical, Matilda, and they wanted Groundhog Day to be their next adaptation. Warchus knew that Rubin had been tinkering with a musical version of the film for years (partly for fun; partly because that was one of the rights he hadn’t signed away to Columbia Pictures). But they had a hunch that Rubin had to be approached cautiously. “We just knew, obviously, this story is incredibly important to Danny,” Minchin says. “He wasn’t going to trust just anyone with his baby.” Minchin, a musician and stand-up comedian from Australia, made his name performing in bare feet and mascara, and in Rubin he immediately recognized a fellow eccentric. “He’s a beautiful guy and a one-in-a-trillion really,” Minchin says. “He’s an incredibly gentle, sensitive guy, too good for the world he ended up in, too pure in his desire to write interesting things for Hollywood.” So they courted him. Warchus flew Rubin to London to see Matilda. Then he and Minchin collaborated speculatively with Rubin on the musical for years without asking for the rights, on the basis of a handshake. Minchin noticed that Rubin sometimes made jokes that didn’t seem funny. “Like joking comments that tell the truth,” Minchin says, “About how ‘You’ll just fire me off the project anyway’ — because that happens in Hollywood quite a lot.” Minchin got the sense that Rubin had been hurt by years of “having people slightly fuck with him.” Typically I’d say, ‘I am going to tell you your movie.’ Then I’d say, ‘Under no circumstances am I going to write that movie.’ Finally, he says, he took Rubin aside. “I said, ‘Danny, look at me: Sometime in the future soon, in the next two years, this will be onstage. And you will be sitting next to me, watching what we made together. That’s what’s going to happen. So you have to trust me that you’re going to be there, of course, because it’s yours … you’re going to be there if you like it or not.’ “And that was the last time he made those jokes,” Minchin says. In August 2016, the musical opened in London to mostly rave reviews. For Rubin, the process of writing Groundhog Day for the second (maybe third?) time was a kind of vindication, a do-over. Where Hollywood had mostly disposed of him by the time shooting began on the film, Minchin and Warchus saw him as a vital component all the way through workshops, rehearsals, and opening night. “In theater, the writer is supposed to be a participant. In fact, the writer is a primary participant,” Rubin says. “So if you’re a writer who’s spent 20 years being sidelined, to be allowed to be at the big-boy table — it was very satisfying.” “He’s really getting another chance,” his brother Michael says. “He is Phil! Go figure, he has made it, he’s lived through that, and he’s a better person and a cooler guy.” “It’s ironic, of course,” Minchin says, “that for him, it has come round again and he has to relive this, has to relive this story of reliving stories.” Something has happened. It’s about 15 minutes into the first preview show, and the actors have suddenly vanished from the stage. The audience murmurs. The curtain drops. Minutes go by in silence. Finally, Warchus comes out to make an announcement: Inside the stage, the complex mechanism that powers the production’s intricate onstage turntables — there are five of them, nestled within each other — has somehow broken down. It’s never happened before, and they don’t know how to fix it. The rest of the musical will be performed with the cast sitting on the stage in a row of chairs, and everyone in the audience will get tickets to a second show. The audience is, if anything, a little bit thrilled. The usual has been disrupted. They’re witnessing a one-off, an iteration of Groundhog Day that will never happen this way again. They’re now complicit in show-business history. When the evening ends, the cast is given a standing ovation. As for Rubin, he’s smiling, beatific. “What a triumph,” a stranger says to him. His friends hug him. The technical breakdown doesn’t bother him much; he’s not an easily bothered guy. The one screenplay he wrote that he most wishes someone would make is called The Hanging Tale. It’s a Scheherezade Western: A man is on the verge of being hanged, and they ask him for his final words. He starts telling a story — the story becomes the bulk of the film, “full of adventures and cliffhangers,” Rubin said. “And then you cut back to the hanging and it’s night now and he’s still standing there with the noose around his neck, and they ask, ‘What next?’ ” Eventually, the townsfolk postpone the hanging again and again, “until the story he’s telling teaches the town compassion and they let him go.” If the musical is a success, Rubin thinks, maybe he’ll get a little heat off it. Maybe he’ll be able to see one more screenplay produced. That would be something. Who knows? “I sometimes think he’s watched the story and adopted some of its wisdom,” Warchus muses about Rubin. “He’s understood what was in his story and really taken it to heart. It’s like he threw himself a lifeline 20 years ago.” The crowd files out into the New York night, and the guy who wrote Groundhog Day goes with them. He’ll be back to do it all again tomorrow. Grooming by Korey Fitzpatrick for Exclusive Artists using Murad Skin care. *This article appears in the April 3, 2017, issue of New York Magazine. ||||| Crawl of outlinks from wikipedia.org started March, 2016. These files are currently not publicly accessible. Properties of this collection. It has been several years since the last time we did this. For this collection, several things were done: 1. Turned off duplicate detection. This collection will be complete, as there is a good chance we will share the data, and sharing data with pointers to random other collections, is a complex problem. 2. For the first time, did all the different wikis. The original runs were just against the enwiki. This one, the seed list was built from all 865 collections.

– In the late 1980s, Danny Rubin, who was writing industrial film scripts at the time, made a list of his 10 best ideas. The final entry on the list read, "A man lives the same day over and over." After the No. 2 idea on Rubin's list got sold and made into Hear No Evil starring Marlee Matlin, an agent wanted another script, and Rubin chose that No. 10 idea—which became Groundhog Day. Why did Rubin choose to center the movie around a holiday, which he decided to set on Feb. 2? He was hoping, as S.I. Rosenbaum explains in an extensive piece for the New Yorker, that the film would become a "holiday cable perennial." It worked. Rosenbaum traces the film's journey, from Rubin's first draft to the final draft, from the movie's initial modest success to its current cult status. Despite its insane popularity, Rubin never went on to have another hit. Hollywood people kept trying to get him to make another movie, but he didn't want to make just a standard rom-com, and he turned them all down. "I was always thinking, I’m not a one-hit wonder, I’m not a one-hit wonder!" he tells Rosenbaum. "But even if I am—OK, that’s more than most people get." Then, in 2012, Rubin's own life began to resemble Groundhog Day when Tim Minchin and Matthew Warchus approached him about turning the film into a musical. They had to convince him they weren't going to ditch him along the way, and they didn't—Rubin has been a part of the entire process, which resulted in the beloved movie becoming a beloved musical. "I'm the guy who wrote Groundhog Day," Rubin says, but he's not bitter about it. "It’s delightful to be so associated with something so well loved." The full piece is worth a read.

The U.S. mission in Iraq has stalled at one of five coalition training sites because the central government has not been sending new recruits, according to defense officials. Baghdad has not identified or sent any new recruits to the Al Asad air base in western Iraq for as many as four to six weeks, defense officials said Monday. ADVERTISEMENT The U.S. is currently training 2,601 Iraqi forces, but none of them are at Al Asad, officials said. "Al Asad has zero. And Al Asad has had zero now for some time," said one defense official on background. The stall has prompted U.S. officials, including President Obama, to urge the Iraqi government to speed up its recruitment efforts. The training is a key component of the U.S.-led military effort against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS). "One of the things that we're still seeing is, in Iraq, places where we've got more training capacity than we have recruits," Obama said Monday after a discussion with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. "Part of my discussion with Prime Minister Abadi was how do we make sure that we get more recruits in. A big part of the answer there is our outreach to Sunni tribes. We've seen Sunni tribes who are not only willing and prepared to fight ISIL, but have been successful at rebuffing ISIL. But it has not been happening as fast as it needs to," he said, using an alternate name for the group. The Al Asad air base is one of the primary sites for training Sunni tribal fighters, which the U.S. has left entirely up to the Iraqi forces out of deference to Baghdad. At one point earlier this year, there were several hundred U.S. troops — including about 300 Marines — training other Iraqi forces at the base. It is unclear how many are there today. The training and equipping of Sunni tribal fighters became more urgent after the fall of Ramadi last month, which is the capital of Anbar Province — referred to as the "Sunni heartland." Sunni forces who were defending the city said they had not received any training or equipment from the central government, which is dominated by Shiites. The U.S. has resisted directly training or equipping Sunni forces out of concern it could undermine Baghdad, which views the Sunni population with mistrust, and worsen sectarian tensions. Defense officials believe the training has stopped for two main reasons: the difficulty of bringing forces to the base, and the government of Iraq being "still not completely unified." "They still haven't gotten over many of their sectarian divides, so that is creating some of the problems as well," the defense official said. The U.S.-led coalition has so far trained about 8,920 at the five training sites in Iraq. Those include one located near Baghdad, and others in Erbil, Taji, Al Asad and Besmaya. There are approximately 910 trainees at the site near Baghdad, which is training Iraqi special operations forces, 800 trainees at the Erbil training site, 255 trainees at Besmaya, and 630 trainees at Taji. ||||| Alistair Baskey, a National Security Council spokesman, said that the administration hoped to accelerate the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces, and that “those options include sending additional trainers.” The United States now has about 3,000 troops, including trainers and advisers, in Iraq. But the steps envisioned by the White House are likely to be called half-measures by critics because they do not call for an expansion of the role of American troops, such as the use of spotters to call in airstrikes. Photo There has long been debate within the administration about what the first steps in the campaign should be. Led by Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the Central Command has long emphasized the need to strike a blow against the Islamic State by recapturing Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, which was taken by the group in June 2014. Mosul is the capital of Nineveh Province in northern Iraq and was the site of a sermon that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, defiantly delivered in July. The Baiji refinery, a major oil complex, is on a main road to Mosul. While General Austin was looking north, State Department officials have long highlighted the strategic importance of Anbar Province in western Iraq. Anbar is home to many of Iraq’s Sunni tribes, whose support American officials hope to enlist in the struggle against the Islamic State. Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar, is less than 70 miles from Baghdad, and the province borders Saudi Arabia and Jordan, two important members of the coalition against the Islamic State. The differing perspectives within the administration came to the fore in April when Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, asserted that Ramadi was not central to the future of Iraq. The Islamic State’s capture of Ramadi last month also punctured the administration’s narrative that the group was on the defensive. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Suddenly, it appeared that the Islamic State, not the American-led coalition, was on the march. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq scrambled to assemble a plan to regain the city. The Islamic State now controls two provincial capitals, as well as the city of Falluja. With the help of American air power, the Iraqis have retaken Tikrit, northwest of Baghdad, but so many buildings there are still rigged with explosives that many of its residents have been unable to return. To assemble a force to retake Ramadi, the number of Iraqi tribal fighters in Anbar who are trained and equipped is expected to be increased from about 5,500 to as many as 10,000. More than 3,000 new Iraqi soldiers are to be recruited to fill the ranks of the 7th Iraqi Army division in Anbar and the 8th Iraqi Army division, which is in Habbaniyah, where the Iraqi military operations center for the province is also based. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. But to the frustration of critics like Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, who say that the United States is losing the initiative to the Islamic State, the Obama administration has yet to approve the use of American spotters on the battlefield to call in airstrikes in and around Ramadi. Nor has it approved the use of Apache helicopter gunships to help Iraqi troops retake the city. General Dempsey alluded to the plan to expand the military footprint in Iraq during a visit to Israel on Tuesday, saying that he had asked war commanders to look into expanding the number of training sites for Iraqi forces. Speaking to a small group of reporters, General Dempsey said a decision had not been made on whether that would make additional American troops necessary. “T.B.D. — to be determined,” General Dempsey said. A Defense Department official said afterward that a decision to increase American troops in Iraq would most likely require only a “modest” number of additional trainers. The United States is not the only country that is expanding its effort. Britain’s prime minister, David Cameron, said this week that his country would send up to 125 additional troops to train Iraqi forces, including in how to clear improvised bombs. Italy is also expected to play an important role in training the Iraqi police. ||||| Following ISIS’s taking of Ramadi in Iraq, the White House will mobilize about 500 more military trainers to bolster its strategy to defeat ISIS and train Iraqi troops. Photo: Getty Images President Barack Obama is poised to send hundreds more American military advisers to a new base in a strategic Iraqi region to help devise a counterattack against marauding Islamic State militants, U.S. officials said Tuesday, a shift that underscores American concern over recent battlefield losses. The additional troops—expected to be about 500—are intended to help Iraqi forces prepare for the looming fight to break the extremists’ hold on Anbar province, which has long served as a command center for anti-American insurgents...

– Instead of trying to help Iraqi forces recapture the city ISIS seized a year ago, the US has decided to focus on helping them capture the city militants seized less than a month ago. Ramadi is the capital of Anbar province, and the White House is expected to approve a Pentagon plan to establish a new base in the province and send up to 500 more military trainers there, the Wall Street Journal reports. American officials say there had been some debate about how much of a priority recapturing Mosul, the country's second-largest city, would be, but the recent fall of Ramadi settled the question; now Mosul may have to wait until 2016, reports the New York Times. Defense Secretary Ash Carter blamed the fall of Ramadi on Iraqi forces' lack of will to fight. Critics say the proposed modest expansion of the US role is nowhere near what's required to defeat ISIS, the Journal reports. "One has to wonder whether this president just wants to wait out the next year and a half and basically do nothing to stop this genocide, bloodletting, horrible things that are happening throughout the Middle East," Sen. John McCain told fellow senators Monday. The new troops will bring the number of US advisers and trainers in Iraq to around 3,600, but there's a shortage of people for them to train in at least one site, the Hill reports. Defense officials say it has been more than four weeks since the Baghdad government sent any recruits to Al Asad air base, although 2,601 Iraqis are being trained elsewhere.

Flanking her husband, Anthony Weiner, at a press conference in the wake of new revelations that he continued his sexually explicit exchanges with young women after his resignation from Congress in June 2011, Huma Abedin delivered an emotional statement to reporters. Her voice wavering at points, she said, “I love him, I have forgiven him, I believe in him and, as we have said from the beginning, we are moving forward.” The adviser to former secretary of state Hillary Clinton acknowledged that her marriage to Weiner has “had its ups and its downs,” but said that, with a “whole lot of work and a whole lot of therapy,” the couple has made an effort to overcome their marital difficulties. Her husband, she said, made “horrible mistakes both before he resigned from Congress and after.” Abedin said that she chose to remain in the marriage “for me, for our son, and for our family.” The website The Dirty on Tuesday posted sexually-explicit exchanges and photographs provided by a source who claimed that she corresponded with Weiner until at least August 2012, over a year after he resigned from Congress. The source told the website that Weiner had offered to help her get a job and arranged to purchase a condominium for her in Chicago, where he planned to meet her for sexual encounters. Abedin has maintained a low profile in public since Weiner left office, though she maintained her position as a senior adviser to Clinton, but has recently emerged on the campaign trail with Weiner. Today marked her first appearance at a press conference with her husband. ||||| Anthony Weiner said Tuesday he's not dropping out of the New York City mayoral race in light of newly revealed explicit online correspondence with a young woman. FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2011, file photo, Anthony Weiner and his wife Huma Abedin pose for photographs after the ceremonial swearing in of the 112th Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington. Abedin, who... (Associated Press) Weiner admitted to exchanging racy photos and having X-rated chats with a woman he met online. He had resigned his Congressional seat in June 2011 after acknowledging having sexual conversations with at least a half-dozen women. Weiner reiterated at a news conference that he put such behavior behind him before deciding to run for mayor. His wife, Huma Abedin, stood by him, saying Weiner "made some horrible mistakes," but that she has forgiven him and believes in him. The newly revealed correspondence was posted Monday by the gossip website The Dirty. The woman involved was not identified. She says their online relationship began in July 2012 and lasted for six months. The married ex-congressman had predicted more texts and photos might come out. Since re-entering public life this spring, he has apologized repeatedly for his behavior. He also has been near the top of most mayoral polls since entering the race. ||||| Huma Abedin, Anthony Weiner’s wife, said new sexual photos that have come forward today has been painful but for the most part the episode has been put behind them. “Anthony’s made some horrible mistakes, both before he resigned from Congress and after,” she said. “I love him … I have forgiven him … we are moving forward.” She said that their marriage has had its ups and downs. “It took a lot of work and a lot of therapy… it was not an easy choice in any way but I made the decision that it was worth staying in this marriage.” “I didn’t know how it would work out, but I did know that I wanted to give it a try,” she said. Weiner said that he has put the sexting incidents behind him and he and his wife are doing a lot better. The press conference was called after a new series of correspondence between him and a woman while he used the an online handle “Carlos Danger” came to light on July 23. Weiner resigned as U.S. congressman in 2011 after he admitted sending sexually explicit photos of himself, or sexting, to women online. He said on Tuesday that his last time doing this was “sometime last summer.” He is currently a candidate for New York City mayor. Abedin works for Hilary Clinton. Also on July 23, Bill de Blasio, current public advocate for New York City and fellow mayoral candidate to Weiner, called for Weiner to withdraw from the race. “People are hurting in this city. They are looking to this election for a mayor to address the issues they care about,” de Blasio said. “But the sideshows of this election have gotten in the way of this event.”

– Huma Abedin didn't just stand by husband Anthony Weiner's side today as he fessed up to sexting even after his resignation from Congress—she personally defended him as he announced he was staying in the race for New York City mayor. “Anthony’s made some horrible mistakes, both before he resigned from Congress and after,” she said, as per the Epoch Times. But “I love him. I have forgiven him. I believe in him, and, as we have said from the beginning, we are moving forward." She added that their marriage has survived thanks to a "whole lot of work and a whole lot of therapy," reports the National Review. As for Weiner, he confirmed in the press conference that the raunchy texts which surfaced today were his, although that was never in much doubt, thanks to his dropping of details about things like his family's one-eyed cat, notes the New York Post. And he said he had no intention of leaving the mayoral race, reports AP. "This is entirely behind me," he said. The anonymous woman who emerged today says she and Weiner were exchanging texts as recently as last summer, more than a year after his resignation.

President Barack Obama and House Republicans clashed in a meeting Thursday afternoon over how soon the government can be reopened, even as the GOP offered to lift the debt limit for six weeks, according to sources familiar with the session. House Republicans told Obama at the White House that they could reopen the federal government by early next week if the president and Senate Democrats agree to their debt-ceiling proposal. After the debt ceiling is lifted, a House GOP aide said they would seek some additional concessions in a government funding bill. Text Size - + reset Boehner offers temporary debt hike Lew warns about debt ceiling Obama repeatedly pressed House Republicans to open the government, asking them “what’s it going to take to” end the shutdown, those sources said. He questioned why the government should remain closed if both sides agreed to engage in good-faith negotiations on the budget, according to a Democratic source briefed on the meeting. (WATCH: 10 great quotes on debt ceiling fight) The meeting was described by both sides as cordial but inconclusive. Obama acknowledged to Republicans that notable progress had been made. Sources described the meeting without attribution, because the meeting was private. Aides will continue the discussion through the night to see if they could find common ground on how to move forward on the debt limit and government funding. The short-term debt hike — which was originally proposed at the closed GOP meeting Thursday — did not include plans to reopen the government. Obama agreed to review the House Republican proposal for reopening the government, but reiterated that he wouldn’t pay a ransom, the Democratic source said. At the meeting, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) described the Republicans’ process as being two steps: passing the debt ceiling bill, and then opening a broad budget conference before the government can be reopened. (PHOTOS: 18 times the government has shut down) Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew that this was a “good-faith” effort by Republicans. Ryan said both sides should “put their guns back in their holsters” — a bid to reach an agreement to avoid default, reopen the government and start broader budget talks. Biden was mostly quiet in the meeting but did say at one point that Obama has made concessions as president that he hasn’t seen in 36 years in the Senate. Publicly, House Republicans were mum when they returned to the Capitol. “We had a very useful meeting,” Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said, upon returning from the White House Thursday evening. “It was clarifying I think for both sides as to where we are and the takeaway from the meeting was, our teams are going to be talking further tonight, we’ll have more discussion, we’ll come back to have more discussion. The president said that he would go and consult with the administration folks and hopefully we can see a way forward after that.” (PHOTOS: Debt ceiling fight: 20 great quotes) A senior House GOP aide said Obama “did not say yes or no to House Republicans’ offer.” Both sides are continuing talks tonight, according to the aide. The White House said Obama had a “good meeting” with House Republican leaders that lasted about 90 minutes. “After a discussion about potential paths forward, no specific determination was made,” according to a White House readout. “The President looks forward to making continued progress with members on both sides of the aisle.” For much of Thursday, it appeared that Washington slowly edged away from a potential default on Thursday as congressional leaders crafted plans to raise the debt ceiling ahead of the Oct. 17 deadline. Wall Street liked the apparent legislative movement: The Dow Industrial Average soared 323 points Thursday. (POLITICO's full government shutdown coverage) Obama met separately with Senate Democrats and House Republicans at the White House. Senate Republicans will meet with Obama on Friday morning. The talk in the House GOP visit centered around Speaker John Boehner’s proposed measure to lift the debt ceiling through Nov. 22, while banning Treasury from employing so-called extraordinary measures to keep paying the nation’s bills. The legislation had no corresponding spending cuts, as other debt ceiling bills had. The legislation would also set up a negotiation over the borrowing cap and government funding. At this time, there are no spending cuts attached to the legislation. There is also no vote scheduled. If Obama buys into the GOP plan, senior Republican sources say that Boehner could have enough internal political capital to move a bill next week to reopen government until Nov. 22. Across the Capitol, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is taking the temperature of his own GOP colleagues on ways to reopen the government — which has been shuttered for 10 days — and raise the debt ceiling. Among the options under consideration is a proposal building on the work of Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) that would raise the limit for two months and reopen the government for six months in return for a repeal of Obamacare’s medical device tax, a requirement to means test those seeking Obamacare subsidies and provide more flexibility for agencies to maneuver around the sequester. Though ideas to move on from the budget mess are growing, there’s no consensus yet. A White House official sounded cool to the House GOP plan and offered support for a Senate Democratic proposal to raise the debt ceiling through the end of 2014, reiterating that the government should reopen and the debt ceiling be raised ahead of any talks. Follow @politico ||||| NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Major U.S. stock markets surged Thursday after investors cheered a possible short-term agreement between Republicans and Democrats to raise the nation's borrowing limit. The S&P 500 advanced 2.2% to 1,692.56, the benchmark's biggest jump since January 2. House Speaker John Boehner urged his Republican colleagues to agree to a short-term debt ceiling increase, while White House Press Secretary Jay Carney didn't signal that President Obama would reject the plan. "History has proven time and again that the system is stronger and more resilient than the politicians and we are confident that this again will be the case," J. Wesley Clayton, managing director and founder of HighTower's Twickenham Wealth Advisors in Huntsville, AL commented in an email. "We always take a longer term view of the markets, and the current version of proven political incompetence to solve problems effectively suggests that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 2.2% to 15,176.07 while the Nasdaq added 2.3% to 3,760.75. Best Buy (BBY) shares soared 7.6% to $39 after Stifel Nicolaus reported that consumer interest in shopping at the electronics retail chain appears to be improving at a steady pace with late September and early October data showing high single digit year-over-year improvements. Separately, the company is reportedly getting ready to launch a trade-in offer that would allow customers to trade in a working smartphone for a $100 gift card that could go toward the purchase of the new Apple AAPL iPhone 5s and 5c smartphones. Gilead Sciences (GILD) jumped 6.5% to $62.74 after the Foster City, Calif.-based biopharmaceutical company said that it was able to stop clinical trials of the experimental idelalisib drug after an independent committee said that there was sufficient data to show that the treatment is effective in preventing the progression of illness in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients who are not fit for chemotherapy. shares gained 5.4% to $303.99 afteranalysts initiated coverage of the movie and TV show streaming service with a "buy" explaining that it is the best way to play global broadband growth over the next five years. was the worst performer on the S&P 500 after the company cut its third-quarter revenue and earnings per share projections . Shares of the IT services company plunged 11.9% to $58.75 Treasury Secretary Jack Lew set a do-or-die tone early in the day when he appeared before the Senate Finance Committee to warn lawmakers that a failure to reach an agreement would risk the U.S. falling short on payments to public programs such as Social Security and to global creditors.Lew said the country shouldn't have to be put in a position where it has to pick and choose which principal and interest payments can be fulfilled and which ones must be delayed. "There is no way of knowing the irrevocable damage such an approach would have on our economy and financial markets," Lew said. The nomination of Janet Yellen to replace Ben Bernanke as the chief of thecontinued to resonate with investors on hopes that her appointment would guarantee a smooth transition at the helm of the central bank and a mild, incremental unwinding of the central bank's massive bond-buying program.The market has been deprived of key economic data since the government shutdown began 10 days ago. However, Thursday brought the weekly jobless claims report from the Labor Department. An increase to 374,000 from 308,000 was reported. Economists are expecting an increase to 310,000. The benchmark 10-year Treasury was down 9/32, raising the yield to 2.695%. -- Written by Andrea Tse in New York >To contact the writer of this article, click here: Andrea Tse .> ||||| “After a discussion about potential paths forward, no specific determination was made,” the White House said in a statement to reporters. “The President looks forward to making continued progress with members on both sides of the aisle.” Obama’s meeting with about 20 House Republicans, including Speaker John Boehner (Ohio), lasted about 90 minutes. Obama was accompanied by Vice President Biden, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough and deputy chief of staff Rob Nabors. The White House statement said the administration officials “listened to the Republicans present their proposal,” adding that Obama’s goal remains to both raise the debt ceiling and reopen the government. House Republican leaders initially offered a six-week increase in the federal debt ceiling in exchange for negotiations with President Obama on longer-term “pressing problems,” but they stopped short of agreeing to end a government shutdown now in its 10th day. Later in the day, Senate Republicans put forward a plan that would reopen the government and raise the federal debt limit for as long as three months. Returning to the Capitol after meeting with Obama at the White House, members of a 20-strong House Republican delegation described the session as a good first step. The White House denied a news report that Obama had rejected the House GOP’s proposal outright, saying that “no specific determination was made” after Obama, Vice President Biden and top officials listened to the presentation. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said the gathering was “a very useful meeting” and indicated that conversations would continue into the evening. “It was clarifying, I think, for both sides as to where we are,” he said. “We put an offer on the table,” Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), chairman of the House Budget Committee, told reporters. Obama “didn’t say yes; he didn’t say no,” Ryan said. “We’re continuing to negotiate this evening.” Earlier, in a news briefing following a closed-door meeting of House Republicans to present a plan to raise the debt limit temporarily, House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said, “What we want to do is offer the president today the ability to move a temporary increase in the debt ceiling.” He described the offer as a “good-faith effort on our part to move halfway to what he’s demanded in order to have these conversations begin.” Obama is “happy” that House Republicans agree a federal debt default is not an option, but he would prefer a longer extension of the debt limit, White House spokesman Jay Carney said after the plan was disclosed. Boehner did not immediately tell reporters specifics of the plan. But the speaker made clear that House Republicans were not agreeing to Obama’s demand that they pass legislation to fund the government without partisan riders, thereby ending the first government shutdown in 17 years. [See the latest updates on the shutdown.] In any case, Boehner’s proposal fell flat in the Senate, where members of both parties were clamoring to end the shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), speaking to reporters after a White House meeting between Obama and Senate Democrats, said the shutdown must end and the debt ceiling must be raised ahead of negotiations with the Republicans, who he complained keep changing their demands. “This is a situation where they do not know what they want,” Reid said. His message to the GOP: “Open the government. Pay our bills. We’ll negotiate with you about anything.” Reid also said that Senate Democrats would “look at anything [House Republicans] send us,” but when asked about negotiating with them before reopening the government, he replied: “Not going to happen.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), meanwhile, was consulting fellow Republican senators to develop a proposal, advanced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), to end the shutdown and raise the federal debt limit for as long as three months. The package sparked the first bipartisan negotiations since the standoff began in early September. But Collins’s proposal called for Democratic concessions including repeal of a tax on medical devices needed to fund Obama’s health-care initiative, and it would maintain deep budget cuts known sequestration through at least March. The House GOP plan would suspend the debt limit until Nov. 22, the Friday before Thanksgiving, while also forbidding Treasury Secretary Jack Lew from using “extraordinary measures” that his department has used in recent years to extend his borrowing authority for weeks after the ceiling is reached, according to a senior GOP aide who was in the room. This creates a hard “X date,” as financial analysts call the issue, leaving no wiggle room beyond that day. The House Republicans essentially are offering a “clean” debt-limit increase in exchange for negotiations over reopening the government, aides said. The government shutdown would not end until Obama agreed to “structural reforms” to the tax code and federal health programs. The Republican plan for a six-week increase in the debt limit, without conservative strings attached, was aimed chiefly at calming jittery financial markets, according to senior GOP advisers. Financial markets soared earlier Thursday on the first sign of optimistic news out of Washington in almost a month, with the Dow Jones industrial average up 169 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The rally continued when Boehner confirmed the plan at an 11 a.m. press briefing, and by 1:30 p.m. the Dow was up more than 225 points. The plan was presented to the House GOP caucus Thursday morning after Lew warned lawmakers that he would be unable to guarantee payments to any group — whether Social Security recipients or U.S. bondholders — unless Congress raises the federal debt ceiling. If the GOP plan goes over well with rank-and-file Republicans, Boehner could put the legislation on the floor for a vote late Thursday, aides said. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) described the plan at the news briefing as “a temporary extension of the debt ceiling in exchange for a real commitment by the president and the Senate majority leader to sit down and talk about the pressing problems” facing the country. Rep. Kevin McCarty (R-Calif.), the House majority whip, characterized these problems as “drivers” of increasing federal debt. Obama has indicated he could support a short-term debt-limit hike, but he has also demanded that Republicans allow the government to reopen before he would negotiate with the GOP. If the Republicans want to negotiate, they should “reopen the government, extend the debt ceiling,” Obama said last week. “If they can’t do it for a long time, do it for the period of time in which these negotiations are taking place.” Carney, the White House spokesman, told reporters Thursday afternoon: “The president is happy that cooler heads at least seem to be prevailing in the House, that there at least seems to be a recognition that default is not an option.” However, Obama “believes it would be far better . . . to raise the debt ceiling for an extended period of time,” as Senate Democrats are proposing. “It would be far better for the economy if we stopped this episodic brinksmanship and . . . mothballed the nuclear weapon here, which is the threat of default, for a longer duration,” Carney said. “But it is certainly at least an encouraging sign that . . . they are not listening to the debt-limit and default deniers.” If Republicans now recognize that default cannot be permitted, he added, “why keep the nuclear weapon in your back pocket?” [Members of Congress are collecting pay during the shutdown.] The first reactions from Republican House members appeared generally positive. But several insisted they would back the measure only with a commitment from the president to open negotiations over the next debt-ceiling hike. “All we’re doing is saying, if the president hasn’t come towards us, we’ll just move the deadline out and offer it again,” said Rep. John Fleming (R-La.). “We haven’t changed our position. We’ve just changed the timeline.” Fleming rejected the idea that the proposal represents a concession from Republicans. “Not really, if we get a concession from the president, to sit down and negotiate. If he doesn’t agree to that, I won’t agree to the debt ceiling.” Meanwhile, several of the House’s most conservative members withheld comment about the proposal. “I’m not very enthusiastic,” Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said without elaborating. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), chairman of the Republican Study Committee, was noncommittal when asked about the plan and said his support depends on what happens in the meeting with the president Thursday. “Some of this involves a conversation with the president,” Scalise said. “There’s nothing unilateral that can be done. It’s going to involve having the president finally put some things on the table of his own.” Heritage Action for America, a conservative advocacy group influential with tea party Republicans, said Thursday that while it remains committed to fighting Obama’s health-care law and opposes “clean debt ceiling increases,” it wants to give House GOP leaders “the flexibility they need to refocus the debate on Obamacare.” Therefore, the group said, it will not include votes in favor of the proposal in its rankings of lawmakers’ conservatism. The plan would meet Obama’s demand for an increase in Treasury’s borrowing authority without any legislative attachments. But it would set the stage for tough negotiations, possibly lasting until Thanksgiving, over bigger fiscal matters, since the tentative plan calls for only a six-week increase of the debt limit. Advisers cautioned that Boehner’s often unruly caucus, which has repeatedly rejected leadership initiatives in the past, needs to sign off on the plan before it can advance. Reacting to the GOP proposal, a White House official said: “It is better for economic certainty for Congress to take the threat of default off the table for as long as possible, which is why we support the Senate Democrats’ efforts to raise the debt limit for a year with no extraneous political strings attached.” Obama also wants House Republicans to allow a vote on the “clean” government funding bill that has been passed by the Senate, the official said. “Once Republicans in Congress act to remove the threat of default and end this harmful government shutdown, the president will be willing to negotiate on a broader budget agreement,” the official added. “While we are willing to look at any proposal Congress puts forward to end these manufactured crises, we will not allow a faction of the Republicans in the House to hold the economy hostage to its extraneous and extreme political demands. Congress needs to pass a clean debt-limit increase and a funding bill to reopen the government.” Financial experts much prefer a longer-term extension of the debt ceiling, but even a brief extension would ease some of the turmoil that has been brewing on Wall Street. By the time markets closed Monday afternoon, the Dow had dropped 900 points in 14 trading days, losing almost 6 percent of its value. Just three weeks ago, Boehner’s leadership team presented a plan to lift the debt ceiling accompanied by a one-year delay of Obama’s health-care law and a litany of other conservative domestic policy demands. With Washington in gridlock and a key deadline in the debt-limit debate just one week away, Lew told the Senate Finance Committee Thursday morning that he would do all he can to minimize the pain of breaching the $16.7 trillion debt limit. But Lew also told the senators that in an unprecedented situation in which he would be relying entirely on the erratic flow of incoming revenue, the economy would suffer and there would not even be certainty that the government could make all interest and principal payments. “No credible economist or business leader thinks that defaulting is good for job creation or economic growth,” Lew said. “If Congress fails to meet its responsibility, it could be deeply damaging to the financial markets, the ongoing economic recovery, and the jobs and savings of millions of Americans.” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a key conservative with ties to leadership and more junior tea party-backed colleagues, said Thursday morning that he and his colleagues “potentially” could support the new GOP debt-ceiling plan. “We think there needs to be some movement in dealing with the overall problem,” he said. “It’d be nice to get some dollar-to-dollar cuts there.” Asked whether he could support a short-term increase without related cuts, Jordan said he expected that question would be the primary topic of conversation among House Republicans on Thursday. Amid growing anxiety about a debt default, Republicans in the House and the Senate floated ideas Wednesday for raising the debt limit — if only for a short time — in hopes of forcing Obama to the negotiating table. One of the most significant ideas was brewing in the House, Ryan briefed conservatives on a plan to raise the debt limit for six weeks, which would give party leaders time to negotiate a broad agreement to overhaul the tax code and trim federal health-care and retirement spending. The plan, which Ryan sketched in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece Wednesday, was short on details. And it called for spending cuts of roughly $200 billion to cover the cost of raising the debt limit even in the near term — although senior GOP advisers said late Wednesday that they were also considering an increase with no strings attached. Lew’s appearance is the first public confrontation between a senior administration official and Republicans since the fiscal showdown began last month. The meeting comes as some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are questioning whether the administration has been too alarmist about the threat of going past an Oct. 17 deadline to raise the debt ceiling. Republicans have cited reports by credit-rating firms saying that the United States would not technically default unless it fails to make interest payments on its debt — which they regard as unlikely. Echoing points made by Republican presidents and officials in prior administrations, Lew is tried to counter that argument by highlighting the broad risks of leaving the government with no borrowing authority. “Certain members of the House and Senate believe that it is possible to protect our economy by simply paying only the interest on our debts, while stopping or delaying payments on a number of our other legal commitments,” Lew said. “The United States should not be put in a position of making such perilous choices for our economy and our citizens. There is no way of knowing the irrevocable damage such an approach would have on our economy and financial markets.” For example, officials say, Lew pointed out that the Treasury routinely refinances about $100 billion in debt every week, paying back principal and taking on new debt. He noted that should investors back away from Treasury debt, it could make refinancing difficult and throw the country’s financial markets into even greater chaos. Lew said the administration will face a series of difficult decisions even if Treasury can avoid what the credit-rating firms consider a default. In a scenario where federal spending will far exceed revenue, he said, the administration would have only imperfect options in deciding whom to pay. Officials say Lew will try to push Republicans to decide whom they wouldn’t pay — Social Security recipients or veterans. “We are relying on investors from all over the world to continue to hold U.S. bonds . . .,” Lew said. “If U.S. bondholders decided that they wanted to be repaid rather than continuing to roll-over their Treasury investments, we could unexpectedly dissipate our entire cash balance.” A Treasury official said Wednesday night that Obama would have to make the final decision in such a scenario. Lew confronted a Senate Finance Committee stocked with Republicans who have been skeptical about the administration’s claims that breaching the debt limit would be catastrophic. Among the committee’s members is Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), who has championed the notion that the Treasury Department could avoid chaos in financial markets by continuing to make interest payments to investors. The senior Republican on the panel, Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), has also expressed doubts about the risk of a debt-ceiling breach. But on Wednesday, Hatch acknowledged that blowing the Oct. 17 deadline would “scare the hell out of people.” And while Treasury might be able to pay interest on the debt, Hatch said, “the real question is whether it’s going to tank the stock market.” Obama, when he meets Thursday with House GOP leaders, is planning to emphasize his refusal to “pay ransom” to avoid default and reopen the government. Ryan, nonetheless, held out hope that the “meeting at the White House will allow us to work together and find common ground.” Thursday’s meeting is the second in a series the White House announced Wednesday aimed at breaking the impasse, reopening the government and raising the $16.7 trillion debt limit. Obama met first with House Democrats late Wednesday and plans to meet with each party in the Senate in the coming days, starting with a meeting with the Senate Democratic caucus Thursday. Obama invited the entire 233-member GOP House conference to join him at the White House, but Republicans decided to send only an 18-member group comprising top leaders and key committee chairmen, including Ryan, Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers (Ky.) and Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (Mich.). “Nine days into a government shutdown and a week away from breaching the debt ceiling, a meeting is only worthwhile if it is focused on finding a solution,” Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Boehner, said in a statement. “That’s why the House Republican Conference will instead be represented by a smaller group of negotiators.” The White House said Obama is “disappointed” by Boehner’s decision to limit Republican attendance and emphasized that Obama will not be negotiating. “The president thought it was important to talk directly with the members who forced this economic crisis on the country about how the shutdown and a failure to pay the country’s bills could devastate the economy,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement. Obama “will talk to anyone anytime . . . but will not pay the Republicans ransom for doing their job,” Carney said. “If the Republicans want to have a real discussion, they should open the government and take the threat of default off the table.” Republicans on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, circulated a memo from one of the nation’s leading credit-rating agencies that seemed to play down the threat of default. In the memo, Moody’s Investors Service said the Treasury Department is likely to continue paying interest on the government’s debt even if Congress refuses to lift the limit on borrowing, preserving the nation’s sterling AAA credit rating. “We believe the government would continue to pay interest and principal on its debt even in the event that the debt limit is not raised, leaving its creditworthiness intact,” said the Oct. 7 memo. “The debt limit restricts government expenditures to the amount of its incoming revenues; it does not prohibit the government from servicing its debt. There is no direct connection between the debt limit (actually the exhaustion of the Treasury’s extraordinary measures to raise funds) and a default.” The memo offered a starkly different view of the consequences of breaching the debt limit than is held by the White House, many policymakers and other financial analysts. Over the weekend, economists at Goldman Sachs said the economy would take a devastating hit even if Treasury kept making payments on the debt, because the pullback in federal spending would amount to roughly $175 billion, or 4.2 percentage points of gross domestic product. Mohamed El-Erian, the chief executive of PIMCO, the world’s largest bond company, agreed that the administration could take steps to contain the worst damage. But, he said, there would still be severe consequences. “It would avoid a series of major and cascading disruptions to the functioning of a financial market that is at the heart of the core of the global financial system,” he said. “Having said that, equities and other risk assets would still likely sell off hard.” Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) noted that Moody’s analysis is geared toward the well-being of its own investors, not average Americans. “When they say their clients will be okay, they’re not talking about people on Society Security, Medicare or our troops in the field. Moody’s doesn’t give a damn about any of those people.” William Branigin, Rosalind S. Helderman and Scott Wilson contributed to this report. ||||| Still, the House Republican offer represented a potentially significant breakthrough. Even if Democrats found fault with the Republicans’ immediate proposal — for example, it would prevent the Treasury secretary from engaging in accounting maneuvers to stave off potential default — it was seen as an opening gambit in the legislative dance toward some resolution before the government is expected to breach its debt limit on Thursday. Even before the meeting, the White House and its Democratic allies in Congress were all but declaring victory at the evidence that Republicans — suffering the most in polls, and pressured by business allies and donors not to provoke a government default — were seeking a way out of the impasse. After some fretful weeks, the Democrats believe, Mr. Obama was seeing some payoff for his big gamble this year. Burned by his experience with House Republicans in mid-2011, when brinkmanship over the debt limit hobbled the already weak economy, Mr. Obama began his second term vowing never again to negotiate over raising the ceiling or to give any concessions to Republicans for performing an act that is their constitutional responsibility. “The good news is that Republicans have accepted the principle that they’re not going to attach conditions to the debt ceiling,” said Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the senior Democrat on the House Budget Committee. “The bad news is they’ve only extended the debt ceiling for six weeks.” Photo For House Republicans, the maneuvers represented a near-reversal of their original strategy in September of going to the mat over the debt limit but not shutting down the government. Now, under pressure from falling poll numbers and angry business supporters, they are seeking a compromise on the debt ceiling. Yet for now, they are still refusing to finance and reopen the government without some concessions. Mr. Boehner and his colleagues left the White House without speaking to waiting reporters, and quickly gathered in his Capitol suite for further discussion. Their debt limit proposal could come to a vote as soon as Friday. Before the White House meeting, administration and Congressional Democrats said they were skeptical that House Republican leaders could pass the proposal. A large faction of Tea Party conservatives campaigned on promises never to vote to increase the nation’s debt limit. And Congressional Democrats vowed to oppose any proposal that did not also fully finance a government now shuttered since the fiscal year began Oct. 1. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. “We’ll see what they’re able to pass,” said Mr. Obama’s press secretary, Jay Carney. Senate Democrats had their own White House meeting with Mr. Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. three hours before the House Republicans arrived, and the majority leader, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, declined to embrace the Republicans’ debt limit proposal until he saw it. He told reporters that Democrats would not negotiate on further deficit reductions until House Republicans agreed to the measure passed by the Senate to finance and open the government through mid-November. Advertisement Continue reading the main story “Not going to happen,” Mr. Reid said. “Open the government,” he added. “There is so much pain and suffering out there. It is really tear-jerking, to say the least.” Separately, members of the Senate’s Republican minority, who are to meet with Mr. Obama on Friday, worked on a proposal for full-year government funding — at levels reflecting the across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration, but giving agencies flexibility to shift money around. They are considering adding it to any short-term debt limit increase that the House might pass and send to the Senate. Mr. Ryan said before the White House meeting that Republicans were now willing to formally negotiate with Senate Democrats over a long-term, comprehensive budget framework. The Republicans have resisted such a move since April, fearing that it would require compromises, like raising additional tax revenues, that would enrage the party’s conservative base heading into the 2014 midterm elections. Many House Republicans, leaving a closed-door party caucus earlier Thursday that at times grew contentious, said they would support their leadership’s short-term debt limit proposal. But they said they would do so only if Mr. Obama agreed to negotiate a broader deficit reduction deal, with big savings from entitlement programs. The president has insisted he will not agree to significant reductions in projected Medicare and Medicaid spending — even his own tentative proposals — unless Republicans agree to raise revenues by curbing tax breaks for corporations and wealthy individuals. And Mr. Boehner in recent days reaffirmed the party’s anti-tax stance, which suggests that future talks could founder. Economists across a broad spectrum agree that breaching the debt limit would damage the economy. The new Republican proposal could temporarily remove that threat.

– President Obama and congressional Republicans groped today for a compromise to avert an unprecedented US default and end the 10-day-old government shutdown. "We expect further conversations tonight," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said cryptically at nightfall, after he, Speaker John Boehner and a delegation of other Republicans met for more than an hour with Obama at the White House. The White House issued a statement describing the session as a good one, but adding, "no specific determination was made." Yet it seemed the endgame was at hand in the crises that have bedeviled the divided government for weeks. Both sides expressed fresh hopes for a resolution soon. Washington Post: "House Republican leaders initially offered a six-week increase in the federal debt ceiling in exchange for negotiations with President Obama on longer-term 'pressing problems,' but they stopped short of agreeing to end a government shutdown now in its 10th day." New York Times: "An initial report that Mr. Obama had rejected the Republicans’ offer was too definitive and came before Republican leaders or the White House had made it clear to reporters that the negotiations would continue." Politico: "House Republicans told Obama at the White House that they could reopen the federal government by early next week if the president and Senate Democrats agree to their debt-ceiling proposal. A GOP aide said they would seek some additional concessions if they advance a government funding bill next week." Even the hint of progress sent stocks soaring today.

More than 670,000 copies of the Pearls’ self-published book are in circulation, and it is especially popular among Christian home-schoolers, who praise it in their magazines and on their Web sites. The Pearls provide instructions on using a switch from as early as six months to discourage misbehavior and describe how to make use of implements for hitting on the arms, legs or back, including a quarter-inch flexible plumbing line that, Mr. Pearl notes, “can be rolled up and carried in your pocket.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story The furor in part reflects societal disagreements over corporal punishment, which conservative Christians say is called for in the Bible and which many Americans consider reasonable up to a point, even as many parents and pediatricians reject it. The issue flared recently when a video was posted online of a Texas judge whipping his daughter. Mr. Pearl, 66, and Mrs. Pearl, 60, say that blaming their book for extreme abuse by a few unstable parents is preposterous and that they explicitly counsel against acting in anger or causing a bruise. They say that their methods, properly used, yield peace and happy teenagers. “If you find a 12-step book in an alcoholic’s house, you wouldn’t blame the book,” Mr. Pearl said in an interview. But he acknowledged that the methods are not right for out-of-control or severely overburdened parents. In the latest case, Larry and Carri Williams of Sedro-Woolley, Wash., were home-schooling their six children when they adopted a girl and a boy, ages 11 and 7, from Ethiopia in 2008. The two were seen by their new parents as rebellious, according to friends. Late one night in May this year, the adopted girl, Hana, was found face down, naked and emaciated in the backyard; her death was caused by hypothermia and malnutrition, officials determined. According to the sheriff’s report, the parents had deprived her of food for days at a time and had made her sleep in a cold barn or a closet and shower outside with a hose. And they often whipped her, leaving marks on her legs. The mother had praised the Pearls’ book and given a copy to a friend, the sheriff’s report said. Hana had been beaten the day of her death, the report said, with the 15-inch plastic tube recommended by Mr. Pearl. “It’s a good spanking instrument,” Mr. Pearl said in the interview. “It’s too light to cause damage to the muscle or the bone.” Some of the Williamses’ other tactics also seemed to involve Pearl advice taken to extremes; the Pearls say that “a little fasting is good training,” for example, and suggest hosing off a child who has potty-training lapses. The Williamses have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The Skagit County prosecutor said that he was not charging the Pearls and that the case for homicide did not depend on the Williamses’ readings or religion. But Dr. Frances Chalmers, a pediatrician who examined Hana’s death for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, said of the Pearl methods: “My fear is that this book, while perhaps well intended, could easily be misinterpreted and could lead to what I consider significant abuse.” Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. The same kind of plumbing tube was reported to have been used to beat Lydia Schatz, 7, who was adopted at age 4 from Liberia and died in Paradise, Calif., in 2010. Her parents, Kevin and Elizabeth Schatz, had the Pearl book but ignored its admonition against extended lashing or harm; they whipped Lydia for hours, with pauses for prayer. She died from severe tissue damage, and her older sister had to be hospitalized, officials said. The Schatzes, who were home-schooling nine children, three of them adopted, are both serving long prison terms after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and torture and she to voluntary manslaughter and unlawful corporal punishment. The Butte County district attorney, Mike Ramsey, criticized the Pearls’ book as a dangerous influence. The Pearls’ teachings also came up in the trial of Lynn Paddock of Johnston County, N.C., who was convicted of the first-degree murder of Sean Paddock, 4, in 2006. The Paddocks had adopted six American children, some with emotional problems, and turned to the Internet and found the Pearls’ Web site, Mrs. Paddock said. Sean suffocated after being wrapped tightly in a blanket. His siblings testified that they were beaten daily with the same plumbing tube. Mr. Paddock was not charged. Some conservative Christian parents reject the Pearls’ teachings and have started a petition drive asking sellers like Amazon not to stock their books. Crystal Lutton, who runs Grace-Based Discipline, one of several Christian blogs that oppose corporal punishment, said the danger with the Pearls’ methods is that “if you don’t get results, the only thing to do is to punish harder and harder.” Parents at Mr. Pearl’s church said they largely followed the couple’s approach and were puzzled by the controversy. The Pearls’ children, too, say the attacks on their parents are misguided. “I had a wonderful childhood,” said their daughter Shoshanna Easling, 28, who is training her two children the same way. “My parents never spoke to me in anger, and I can only remember being spanked a couple of times.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Mr. Pearl said that Shoshanna was spanked probably 50 times as a toddler but that it soon became unnecessary. Through book and video sales and donations, the Pearls’ No Greater Joy Ministries brings in $1.7 million a year, which they say goes back into the cause. They live in a one-room apartment near the church. In his spare time, Mr. Pearl practices an offbeat hobby: he is a champion knife and tomahawk thrower. Much of their advice is standard: parents should be loving, spend a lot of time with their children, be clear and consistent, and never strike in anger. But, citing Biblical passages like, “He that spareth his rod hateth his son,” they provide instructions for “switching” defiant children to provide “spiritual cleansing.” They teach parents to use light taps to train infants not to roll off a blanket. For older children, parents are told to respond to defiance by hitting hard enough to sting with a willow switch, a belt, a wooden spoon or the tube. Mr. Pearl describes child-rearing as a zero-sum test of wills. If a verbal warning does not work, he said, “you have the seeds of self-destruction.” That the three known deaths involved adoptees worries Lisa Veleff Day of Portland, Me., who adopted two children from Ethiopia. “These children have been ripped from their home country, extended family, culture and language,” she said. “The last thing they need is to be smacked around.” Mr. Pearl said he opposed the adoption of older children. But on the central issue, he and his wife do not waver. “To give up the use of the rod is to give up our views of human nature, God, eternity,” they write. ||||| 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 deaths of three children have been linked to parents who reportedly own a popular but controversial spanking book by a Tennessee preacher. The book, To Train Up a Child, by Michael Pearl of the No Greater Joy Ministry, promotes using a switch on babies as young as 6 months and plumbing tubing on older children to keep them in line—much like "stubborn mules" are disciplined. Some 700,000 parents, many of them home-schoolers, have purchased the self-published tome, including parents who are either currently serving prison time or have been charged in the abuse and beating deaths of three young children in the last 5 years, reports the New York Times. Pearl says it's unfair to blame his book for the actions of unstable parents, but physicians and law enforcement authorities have expressed concerns about the book's role in child abuse. “My fear is that this book, while perhaps well intended, could easily be misinterpreted and could lead to what I consider significant abuse," a pediatrician who examined one of the dead children told the Times. The book threatens to escalate violence against children because it advises that “if you don’t get results, the only thing to do is to punish harder and harder," says a woman who runs a Christian-based blog opposed to corporal punishment. Parents worried about the book have organized to pressure outlets like Amazon.com to stop selling it. One of the Pearls' five children, now 28, recalls having a "wonderful" childhood, even though her dad says she was spanked some 50 times as a toddler. Click for more from the Times' piece.

Seeking out cost-conscious consumers who have gravitated toward inexpensive Android phones, Apple unveiled a much-anticipated cheap model in its popular iPhone series, dubbed the iPhone 5c, at a media event at its Cupertino, Calif. headquarters on Tuesday. The iPhone 5c is the first of its kind, coming in a variety of bright colors rather than just white and black. Its casing is made of plastic, rather than the high-strength metal that protects its more expensive cousin, the iPhone 5s, which was also shown to the public in Cupertino. The 5c will be available in white, blue, green, rose and yellow. "The entire back and sides are made from a single part," Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said at Tuesday's event. There are no seams, and the casing is made of polycarbonate reinforced with steel, and is described as "solid" and "dense" feeling. The iPhone 5c measures 4 inches diagonally, the same as the iPhone 5, and has an 8-megapixel camera like the iPhone 5. This 16G iPhone 5c will cost $99 and the 32G will cost $199 with a two year contract. While it's not actually "cheap," it is definitely less expensive than Apple's other new phone, the iPhone 5s. There are also six different colored cases will cost $29, which you can mix and match with different colored iPhone 5c's to create different color combinations. The cases have circular cutouts so you can see the color of the iPhone. The iPhone 5c will be similar to the iPhone 5 in many ways, with a 4-inch display and and 8-megapixel camera. It does not have the fingerprint sensor that is featured on the iPhone 5s. Like the iPhone 5s, the 5c will feature Apple's new operating system, iOS 7. Apple said that pre-orders for both lines of iPhone begin on Sept. 13. The two phones will go on sale to the public one week later, on Sept. 20. With the iPhone 5c, Apple hopes to break into markets it has yet to conquer, specifically in China and India, where Apple has been losing out to cheaper, Android-powered smartphones made by Samsung and others. With a less expensive iPhone, Apple hopes to grow its popularity in less developed and poorer areas of the world. Last week, a factory making parts of the iPhone 5c was tied to labor abuses in China. The China Labor Watch, a non-profit group, found that a U.S.-owned factory was not providing safe and fair environment for its workers. Many of the factory's workers are expected to stand over 11 hours a day and work up to 110 hours of unpaid overtime a month. More news from Apple's big event: See some photos of the iPhone 5c from Apple's presentation below: More photos on HuffPost: ||||| 14.45: Marc Rogers, Principal Security Researcher at Lookout, has put together a list of the pros and cons of fingerprint technology. He says: Fingerprints can be a useful addition to security but their value depends highly on the type of fingerprint reader and how it’s is being used - for example the best use of a fingerprint is to provide a convenient way to unlock something in a medium to low security scenario. Pros: - You always have your finger print with you. - A high entropy fingerprint reader is better than a 4 digit pin code. - It’s easy to use. Cons: - It is already possible to lift and duplicate fingerprints and this technology is only going to improve with time. As such its suggested that fingerprints should not be used as the sole credential in a high security scenario unless enhanced through the use of a PIN code or other secondary factor of authentication. - Thieves in some regions have worked out that you can force a victim to unlock a secured device, and in some extreme cases have also mutilated victims in order to steal their fingerprint. - Low entropy fingerprint readers provide little benefit over a 4 digit pin code. The best way for a manufacturer to leverage biometric security features such as a fingerprint would be for them to use this as a foundation from which additional security can be built into device features. Unlocking a device with a fingerprint, if done right, can be much more convenient than entering a pin code multiple times a day. However as mentioned in the "cons" above, the risk of a replay attack cannot be ruled out and as such it would be best to see this feature offered as an enhancement to existing pin/passphrase security. 15.39: Commenting on iOS 7 back in June, The Telegraph's Consumer Technology Editor Matt Warman said: What Apple has done is show that it can cater to its own loyal fan base as well as they demand, and what that means in practice is that it's a beautiful operating system, there is now almost no reason why an Apple user would want to go somewhere else for something that looks on screen as lovely as the hardware feels in the hand. 15.35: The iPhone 5S will run Apple's iOS 7, which is a striking departure from previous versions of the operating system. The new software has been designed to make the iPhone appear bigger, as its features take up the entirety of the screen. A new "control centre" on the phone will enable users to adjust its settings with just one swipe from the bottom of the screen, and text will appear sharper. Jason Jenkins, editor of CNET, says: In many ways, the most exciting part of Apple's launch has already happened. The new version of the phone's operating system, iOS 7, was announced a while ago, and whatever the new hardware looks like, the new software will make it feel very different to what you buy today. In fact, there is a danger existing owners may hate the new look: it's a very big change, and I'm not sure people that buy iPhones are the same people that enjoy learning completely new menu systems. More details on Apple's iOS 7 operating system are available here: iOS 7: Apple unveils new operating system 15.29: Watch out for camera announcements later. According to SlashGear, we can expect the iPhone 5S to have an 8-megapixel camera with a wider f/2.0 aperture lens and support for 1080p HD video recording. However, earlier leaks suggested a possible 12- or even 13-megapixel camera. 15.25: The iPhone 5S is expected to include a 64-bit A7 processor, which would mean that the new iPhone will run approximately 31 percent faster then previous models. The model will also have 2GB of RAM, keeping up with most of the premium offerings in the Android markets, and faster 4G LTE connectivity, according to reports. 15.16: Several Telegraph readers have expressed concerns that the fingerprint reader feature would allow Apple to pass on biometric information to the US National Security Agency (NSA). Biometrics have been used in consumer electronics for several years, although their mainstream adoption has been very low. A fingerprint sensor on the next iPhone could massively boost uptake of the technology. 15.12: David Webber, managing director of financial services software provider Intelligent Environments, predicts that Apple’s new iPhone fingerprint scanner is set to trigger a huge upswing in the number of Brits accessing their bank accounts via a mobile phone: According to our research, two fifths (40%) of UK consumers would be more likely to access their bank accounts via a smartphone if it had a built-in fingerprint scanner, that’s equivalent to over 18.4 million UK consumers. Currently, more than a quarter of Brits (27%) avoid using digital banking altogether due to the hassle of using a pin sentry or card reader to access their account. In fact, as many one in eight (13%) are effectively locked out of their account as they’ve lost their pin sentry. Biometric authentication will change all this. The new iPhone will do for passwords what iTunes did for CDs. It won’t be long before the majority of mobile devices incorporate biometric authentication and with banks keen to ensure the highest levels of security for their customers, it will be interesting to see which bank will be the first to integrate it into its mobile banking apps. 15.08: Separate high-resolution images published last week by Australian teenager Sonny Dickson, (who has been behind a number of high-profile Apple leaks), show a circular component that is presumed to fit underneath the iPhone home button, with a fingerprint scanning mechanism at its centre. 15.07: One of the more controversial features expected in the iPhone 5S is a fingerprint sensor, which could be used for unlocking the homescreen or confirming identity for payment from the App Store or other outlets. The latest leaked images of the hotly anticipated iPhone 5S appear to show a silver ring encircling the home button, which is thought to be part of the fingerprint sensor: 15.00: It is though that the cheaper iPhone 5C model could help Apple mount an assault on the massive and booming Chinese smartphone market. Telegraph Media, Telecoms and Technology Editor Chris Williams reports: In a signal of intent, Apple will hold its first media event in Beijing, nine hours after the global showcase at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. The company has been preparing the ground for a big push in China for some months. In April, it bowed to Chinese government pressure and issued a public apology over its iPhone warranty policies. In an open letter, Cook said: "We always bear immense respect for China and the Chinese consumers are always our priority among priorities." Read his full analysis here: New iPhone: Will Apple take on China? 14.50: We're also expecting a gold version of the iPhone 5S. The device is unlikely to be "a totally blinged-out gold," according to TechCrunch's MG Siegler, but a more subtle "champagne" colour - similar to the previously released gold iPod Mini. Here is a mock-up of what it could look like by iMore: More info here: Apple iPhone 5S: 'new champagne gold colour coming' 14.46: Some new colours in Apple's iPhone line-up could be refreshing. Until now, Apple has only offered the iPhone in black and white, (or 'slate' and 'silver' for the iPhone 5). However, a number of photos showing colourful plastic rear shells alleged to be for Apple's rumored lower-cost iPhone 5C have surfaced in recent weeks: 14.42: As usual, rumours and leaks about the new iPhone started surfacing months ago. Apple is expected to launch at least two devices today – one a high-end replacement for the iPhone 5, and one a low-end cheaper model with a plastic case, aimed exclusively at developing markets. 14.35: The notoriously secretive company that started the new era of touchscreen mobile phones faces criticism that it has lost its ability to innovate, and is failing to address the burgeoning Chinese market. It is also under growing pressure to fight back against Samsung’s ever-growing range of products that now includes a smart watch, the Galaxy Gear, and an improved tablet featuring handwriting recognition. 14.30: Apple's iPhone launch event is due to start in Cupertino, California in about three and a half hours. The Telegraph will be bringing you all the news, as it happens, here. ||||| Members of the media and Apple employees wait outside Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., for the company’s news conference. Sept. 10, 2013 Members of the media and Apple employees wait outside Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., for the company’s news conference. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP The consumer device maker introduces its latest smartphone models, this time including a discount version, and tells users when they can download iOS 7, the new operating system. The consumer device maker introduces its latest smartphone models, this time including a discount version, and tells users when they can download iOS 7, the new operating system. The consumer device maker introduces its latest smartphone models, this time including a discount version, and tells users when they can download iOS 7, the new operating system. Apple unveiled two new versions of its flagship iPhone on Tuesday, including a lower-cost smartphone aimed at price-conscious customers in fast-growing overseas markets. Six years after it entered the smartphone market, Apple is shifting strategies to appeal to a more fragmented audience and threats from low-cost competitors. With the introduction of the cheaper phone, the iPhone 5C, Apple is targeting a younger, less-affluent audience. It is also offering a traditional upgrade, the high-end iPhone 5S, for its core audience of gadget lovers. The entire smartphone industry is grasping at ways to lure buyers for their most expensive — and most profitable — models as U.S. and Western European markets become saturated with established smartphone owners. “It’s not a growth market as it was five years ago,” said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi. In key markets, Apple, which traditionally releases one premium smartphone model per year, has been losing market share to low-cost smartphone makers such as ZTE, Lenovo and Xiaomi. Estimates from Gartner showed that, in the most recent quarter, Samsung picked up 31.7 percent of the global market, compared with Apple’s 14.2 percent. The iPhone 5C will come in several new colors, including yellow, blue and pink, which should appeal to younger buyers. It will start at $99 on a two-year contract — the same price point that Apple used to offer for its older phones. But Apple’s downmarket strategy comes with risks. By offering a lower-cost version of the iPhone, Apple could cheapen its brand or cannibalize demand for its more expensive model, analysts have said. In this case, the iPhone 5C may not be cheap enough to attract true bargain hunters. In many overseas markets, wireless providers do not subsidize the cost of the phone, which will retail at $549. Still, because the phone, which is made of plastic rather than glass and aluminum, is cheaper to make, Apple should be able to boost its profit margin, Milanesi said. “It’s more about margins and longevity than uplifting their place in the market,” she said. As for the iPhone 5S, which will start at a contract price of $199, Apple is offering several upgrades from its previous model, including a new gold color. That phone comes with a chip that measures motion and environmental information, which Apple is using for health and fitness apps. It also includes a new fingerprint sensor known as “Touch ID.” Users will be able to teach the iPhone to recognize fingerprints and even use that information to authenticate App Store purchases. Apple is marketing the fingerprint technology as a step forward in security — an attribute that could help it appeal to business consumers. But it’s unclear whether the fingerprint sensor is any more secure than a four-digit PIN number, said Scott Matsumoto, a principal consultant for the software security firm, Cigital. “It just substitutes one thing for another,” he said. The new technology could also raise privacy concerns. Apple has said that it won’t store fingerprint data on its servers — only on the devices themselves. But consumers may still want to think carefully before allowing their phone, and Apple’s App Store, to gain access to such unique identifying information, said Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy. “Apple’s new product should spark a much-needed debate on how much personal information has to be collected from us and the need for comprehensive privacy legislation,” he said. The new phones were announced Tuesday afternoon at an Apple event in California. They will be available for sale Sept. 20 in more than 100 countries and on 270 carriers — including in the all-important China. Following Apple’s announcement, company shares dipped nearly 3 percent. It closed down about 2 percent at $494.64 per share.

– Apple is hoping its new, cheaper iPhone can make plastic cool. As expected, Apple unveiled two new iterations on its popular smartphone today, the premium 5S, and the budget-friendly 5C. "The iPhone 5C is beautifully, unapologetically plastic," designer Jonathan Ive said, according to the Washington Post. Here's everything you need to know from the unveiling: The advent of the new iPhones will put the iPhone 5 out to pasture, but, curiously enough, not the 4S. As predicted, the 5S will come with a new stainless steel fingerprint-reading home button. You'll be able to use it to unlock the phone or make purchases. The fingerprint data will not be stored on Apple's servers, which means that "presumably the NSA can't tap it," the Telegraph observes. The 5S will be available in not just gold, but silver and "space gray" as well. Black will no longer be an option. The 5C, meanwhile, will come in what the Huffington Post quips are "candy colors": white, blue, green, rose, and yellow. The 5S will boast a powerful A7 chipset, and run 64-bit software. It's five times as fast as the iPhone 5 and 40 times faster than the original iPhone released six years ago. But not everyone's impressed: "They're talking about specs because they fear smartphones are becoming Good Enough," Matthew Yglesias argues. The 5C will have the same screen, camera, and A6 chip of the iPhone 5. "Looking at the specs of the 5C, it becomes clear why the 5 was retired," analyst Carolina Milanesi observes. "This is NOT the cheap product that many expected." The 5C will start at $99, while the 5S will start at $199, with a new contract. The 4S will be available for free, again, with a new contract. Apple stock is plunging following the event, and Business Insider writer Steve Kovach thinks it's because the market is disappointed that the 5C, which will cost $549 without a contract, will be too expensive for emerging markets.

Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) January Jones was a red carpet glamour gal in a skin-tight strapless dress Tuesday night, but when RadarOnline.com spotted her the next morning, she was in the same dress and looking decidedly worse for wear. PHOTOS: January Jones Gives Her Dress A Work-Out The sexy and single Mad Men star attended the GQ Magazine Oceana World Oceans Day party Tuesday night at the swank Sunset Tower Hotel. She dazzled on the red carpet and mixed inside the event with the likes of Jakob Dylan and David Arquette. PHOTOS: January Jones Poses In Sexy Lingerie Jones, 32, wasn’t seen by the outside world again until 10:15 am Wednesday when she exited a cab that had brought her from the hotel to her home in L.A.’s Los Feliz neighborhood. January’s dress, hair and make-up were more than a little askew as she walked on her sky-high heels. It sure looked like a Walk of Shame! VIDEO: Stars Dish At Man Men Premiere South Dakota-born Jones stars as Betty Draper in the surprise TV hit Mad Men and she is slated to star alongside Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger in the movie thriller Unknown White Male. She previously dated Ashton Kutcher and singer Josh Groban. ||||| 'Mad Men' Star Leaves Scene After 4-Car Wreck 'Mad Men' Star Leaves Scene After 4-Car Wreck " starallegedly slammed into three parked cars and left the scene.LAPD tells TMZ January was driving a Range Rover around 9 PM last night when she allegedly lost control, hit the other cars and caused some major damage. We're told a witness reported the accident to police and claimed that January fled on foot after saying, "I can't deal with this commotion."Police tell us that while officers were on scene investigating January returned and claimed she fled because paparazzi were trailing her.January was not cited or arrested, but her car was impounded and police have launched an investigation. Police say no alcohol or drugs were involved.As for why paps might have been trying so hard to get a shot of Jones -- photos of her doing a "walk of shame" were all over the Internet yesterday, showing her arriving home in a taxi in the same dress she wore to an event the night before (Below).: Police tell TMZ Jones told them she was at The London West Hollywood Hotel watching the Lakers lose and then drove home. She says several paparazzi started following her and she lost control of her car and struck 3 parked vehicles. Jones says the photogs were harassing her so she left her license and walked a half a block to her home and called 911. The dispatcher told Jones cops had just arrived on scene so she returned. We're told there will not be a hit-and-run investigation.And cops say they did not administer a field sobriety test because there was no evidence of alcohol.

– January Jones, who plays the beleaguered wife of Mad Men’s Don Draper, is accused of leaving the scene after hitting three parked cars. Jones allegedly lost control of her Range Rover last night and caused major damage, TMZ reports. She left on foot, saying, “I can’t deal with this commotion,” but returned during the investigation and explained she bailed because paparazzi were following her. Alcohol and drugs were not involved, cops say. Why, pray tell, was she so eager to lose the paps? Perhaps because of some recent embarrassing photos of her doing an obvious walk of shame. See them here.

BARRINGTON, R.I. (AP) — Women clad in yoga pants plan to parade through a coastal Rhode Island town in protest of a man who said the attire looks tacky and ridiculous. The women plan to hold a parade Sunday in Barrington to show they can wear whatever they want. Their outrage is in response to a letter that town resident Alan Sorrentino wrote to the Barrington Times about his dislike of yoga pants. He said women over age 20 shouldn't wear them. "Yoga pants belong in the yoga studio," he wrote. "What's next? Wearing a "Speedo" to the supermarket? Imagine if men did that. Yuck!" Sorrentino wrote that it's "bizarre and disturbing" to see the outfits on "mature, adult women," noting that it's "usually paired with a blousy top and a pony tail hairdo." He said it's the worst thing to happen in women's fashion since the miniskirt. He said women should wear a "nice pair of tailored slacks" or jeans instead. He told women who wear yoga pants that he's struggling with his own physicality as he ages and said, "I don't want to struggle with yours." He didn't return a call for comment Friday. Women in the town and around Rhode Island have called the comments sexist and are planning to parade down his street. In a Facebook page to promote the parade , women from as far as Texas and Australia said they'll wear yoga pants on Sunday in a show of solidarity. ||||| by Doug MacGunnigle, WPRO News Alan Sorrentino, the man who wrote the critical letter about women in yoga pants to the Barrington Times this week, spoke exclusively to WPRO’s John DePetro Saturday and asked organizers to call off a planned protest parade on his home Sunday, saying he has received threats on his life and property. “Please don’t invade my home,” Sorrentino said to DePetro. “It’s vicious and intimidating,” Sorrentino continued. “The fact that this is seen as an appropriate reaction to something I wrote in the paper is really disgusting.” Sorrentino shared several voicemails he received with DePetro, including threats such as “we’re showing up to your house you mother f—–,” “die alone b—-,”you’d better watch your f— ass,” and “go die you b—-.” Sorrentino compared the harassment he is receiving to threats he had received in the past as an openly gay man. “This brings back memories from when you were afraid to stand up for yourself because you didn’t know who was going to descend on you, what kind of physical harm or intimidation you were going to be subjected to.” The letter was written in jest as a respite from the current political climate, Sorrentino said. “I assumed the character of this grumpy old man that was railing about women in yoga pants because he was too tight to just relax and accept himself in his age and his own ways. It was meant to sound stupid and creepy.” Even after all the controversy, Sorrentino told DePetro he has no issue with yoga pants and he owns some himself. I have no problem with yoga pants. Wear them all you want! I actually have a pair myself that I was going to wear for the parade tomorrow but I’m really not happy about the parade.”

– A Rhode Island man who penned a letter to the editor complaining about women wearing yoga pants says it was meant to be humorous and he doesn't have an issue with yoga pants. Alan Sorrentino tells WPRO-AM he hoped the letter published in the Barrington Times would be enjoyed as a break from the current political campaign rhetoric. Instead, the letter generated a huge outcry and a group of women say they'll parade through Sorrentino's neighborhood Sunday afternoon dressed in yoga pants. "Yoga pants belong in the yoga studio," Sorrentino wrote in the letter, via the AP. "What's next? Wearing a 'Speedo' to the supermarket? Imagine if men did that. Yuck!" Organizers say the march is not a protest against Sorrentino but part of a bigger movement against misogyny and men dictating how women should dress. Sorrentino says the response to his letter was "vicious" and he's received death threats. He asks marchers to stay away from his home. "I assumed the character of this grumpy old man that was railing about women in yoga pants because he was too tight to just relax and accept himself in his age and his own ways. It was meant to sound stupid and creepy."

Based on a ‘real’ story, the hit John Travolta film Saturday Night Fever became the prism through which the world viewed disco. Twenty years later it was revealed that the actual inspiration was a British mod called Chris... Picture it: a writer pens a magazine article and it’s an instant sensation. Producers come calling, he sells the rights for tens of thousands, the tabloids give him a nickname, acquaintances greet him as a friend, cheques flood in, he attends the premiere of his film in Los Angeles with a famous disco singer on his arm. It’s glitzy, it’s glam, it’s Hollywood, baby. But as he makes his way through the frenzy outside the theatre, through security, paparazzi and screaming teenage girls, he is filled with moral panic. Why? Saturday Night Fever was released in 1977, and has since grossed $285m worldwide. The soundtrack became one of the bestselling film album of all time after staying at No 1 for 24 consecutive weeks, reinvigorating the Bee Gees’ career, and its star, John Travolta, became one of the youngest actors to be nominated for the best actor Oscar. Decades on, not many remember that the phenomenon was down to one man: Northern Irish rock critic Nik Cohn and his report of 7 June, 1976 for New York magazine, Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Nights, which was published 40 years ago this month. Cohn was the author of a number of books including the 1969 rock history Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom. A protege of swinging London, he partied with rock stars, joined the Who on tour, and is said by some to have been instrumental in the genesis of Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. He had his portrait shot by Iain Macmillan – the photographer behind the Beatles’ Abbey Road cover – and from the age of 18 was contributing briefings about mods and rockers to the Observer. After crossing the Atlantic and signing on with New York magazine in 1975, the writer, who came to feel disenchanted with the establishment music business, persuaded the mag’s founder and editor Clay Felker to let him document disco – a new, largely ethnic, largely gay underground trend that had taken over parts of New York City. The writer was painfully aware that everything Fever had brought him – the fame, the fortune – was the result of a lie The result was the profile of an “ultimate Face”. Vincent, a young Italian-American worked in a hardware store during the week and partied at a disco club called 2001 Odyssey on the weekend. Vincent “was the very best dancer in Bay Ridge … he owned 14 floral shirts, five suits, eight pairs of shoes, three overcoats, and had appeared on American Bandstand”. He and his friends knew nothing of flower power, Bob Dylan or Ken Kesey. They were opulent but poor, proud but shy. “The new generation takes few risks,” Cohn wrote. “It goes through high school, obedient; graduates, looks for a job, saves and plans. Endures. And once a week, on Saturday night, its one great moment of release, it explodes.” The intro declared: “Everything described in this article is factual and was either witnessed by me or told to me directly by the people involved. Only the names of the main characters have been changed.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Watch a trailer for Saturday Night Fever The rest is cinema history: film rights were sold to producer Robert Stigwood, who had just signed a three-picture deal with a young TV actor called John Travolta. Screenwriter Norman Wexler transformed Vincent into Tony Manero. So unprecedented was the fanfare that when Stigwood’s 23-year-old assistant Kevin McCormick traipsed through Los Angeles looking for a director, one agent, according to Vanity Fair, told him, “Kid, my directors do movies. They don’t do magazine articles.” Director John Badham had no such qualms, and in December 1977 his movie took $11m in its first 11 days and Travolta became an overnight sensation. Twenty years later came a bombshell. In December 1997 New York magazine published an article in which Cohn confessed that there never was a Vincent. There was no “Lisa”, “Billy”, “John James”, “Lorraine” or “Donna” either. While 2001 Odyssey existed, it wasn’t the way the writer described it in 1976. The whole scene of disco-loving Italians, as mythologised in Saturday Night Fever, was exaggerated. The most bizarre detail was that his disco protagonists were in fact based on mods Cohn had known in London. The writer was “painfully aware” that everything Fever had brought him – the fame, the fortune – was the result of a lie. The real story went like this: in 1976 Cohn met a disco dancer named Tu Sweet, who introduced him to the clubs of New York, including one in Bay Ridge called 2001 Odyssey. One night the two trawled through the underbelly of New York – a land of auto shops, transmission specialists and alignment centres – to find the place. A drunken brawl was in progress and as Cohn opened the cab door one of the guys reeled over the gutter and threw up over his trouser leg. So he just upped and returned to the safe comforts of Manhattan. One image stayed with the writer, though, that of a figure in flared crimson pants and a black body shirt standing in the doorway of the club and calmly watching the action. There was a style about him, Cohn said, a sense of his own specialness that reminded the writer of a teen gang in his hometown of Derry and a mod named Chris he’d met in London in 1965. How we made Sister Sledge’s We Are Family Read more When Cohn went back to Odyssey he didn’t see the young man in the doorway again. “Plus, I made a lousy interviewer,” he wrote. “I knew nothing about this world, and it showed. Quite literally, I didn’t speak the language. So I faked it. I conjured up the story of the figure in the doorway, and named him Vincent. Taking all I knew about the snake-charmer in Derry and, more especially, about Chris the mod in London, I translated them as best I could to Brooklyn. Then I went back to Bay Ridge in daylight and noted the major landmarks. I walked some streets, went into a couple of stores. Studied the clothes, the gestures, the walks. Imagined how it would feel to burn up, all caged energies, with no outlet but the dancefloor and the rituals of Saturday night. Finally, I wrote it all up. And presented it as fact.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest A premiere party for Saturday Night Fever with John Travolta, right, next to a bearded Nik Cohn, Travolta’s mother below them, and producer Robert Stigwood (far left). Photograph: Ron Galella/WireImage So how did he get away with one of the most daring acts of journalistic forgery? While Tribal Rites reads like a novelisation, it must be understood in the context of the time it was written: the tail-end of the era of New Journalism, where writers used literary techniques and a subjective perspective to present fact as fiction. It followed similar works by the likes of Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, Truman Capote, Hunter S Thompson and Norman Mailer. When I first approached Cohn for this article, he said he no longer wanted to discuss the topic. But after several back-and-forth emails, he did say that he doubted any magazine would publish the Tribal Rites piece today. “It reads to me as obvious fiction, albeit based on observation and some knowledge of disco culture. No way could it sneak past customs now. In the 60s and 70s, the line between fact and fiction was blurry. Many magazine writers used fictional techniques to tell supposedly factual stories. No end of liberties were taken. Few editors asked tough questions. For the most part it was a case of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’. “Magazine writing then was basically a boys’ club. There was a lot of wretched excess. Along with some great writing came reams of self-indulgent bollocks. Tribal Rites being fiction was never a great secret. I remember once, at the end of a long night, blurting out to a publisher that the story was made up. ‘You don’t say,’ the publisher drawled. ‘And Liberace is gay.’” For context, Gay Talese, now a bestselling author and one of the pioneers of new journalism and author of ‘Frank Sinatra Has a Cold’, explains that his intention as a young journalist was to write short stories using real characters. “I have always been inspired by great short story writers, the first being the French writer Guy de Maupassant,” he said. “Later I also began reading short stories by famous novelists – F Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and more contemporary writers such as John O’Hara, Irwin Shaw, Carson McCullers, John Cheever and others. My newspaper articles were all written as if short stories: there was scene-setting, dialogue, much description of people and places.” But while the articles were presented as stories, they were never fictionalised. “Nothing was invented, all the names of the characters were real, and verifiably truthful.” Caroline Miller, who edited New York magazine at the time of Cohn’s confession, said her predecessor, Felker, wouldn’t have published Tribal Rites if he thought it fabricated. “That said, remember that 70s Brooklyn was a foreign country to most New York magazine editors,” she told me. “It wasn’t cool, and some of them had probably never been there – even to Brooklyn Heights, which was Norman Mailer territory. So they may not have had good radar for credibility. Also, after the zeitgeisty opening about the blue-collar disco tribe, [Tribal Rites] is all narrative, and that much narrative detail tends to read as real. Conversation in cars. What Vincent was thinking as he looked in the mirror…” Miller and her team published Cohn’s admission because it was newsworthy. “Here’s a guy basically bragging about fabricating a legendary story and getting away with it,” she said. “And it certainly added to our understanding of pop culture myth-making – the idea that a mashup of people and scenes Nik had collected on both side of the Atlantic could go essentially unchallenged, and have such staying power.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night by Nik Cohn as featured on a 1976 New York magazine cover. Cohn has said that were it not for Jim McMullan’s accompanying illustrations the piece might never have seen daylight. McMullan based these on the photographs he took in 2001 Odyssey but, fundamentally, he never met Cohn’s protagonist. “I went to the club twice and moved around, taking my photos without interacting much with any of the patrons,” McMullan recalled. “Nik took a different path through the crowds so we didn’t exchange notes. It’s a universal story... working-class kids going out and getting off their heads to American black music Bill Brewster “I finished my paintings several weeks before Nik finished his story so I wasn’t really reacting to how he saw the scene at the club. It did seem like an amazingly dramatic story arc and the kind of ‘working-class’ story he was already famous for.” It so happened that the design director of New York magazine, Milton Glaser, was amazed by the reportage style of the paintings. “Clay also came to see the work that way... I suspect that because the art was all ready to go before Nik finished writing, it put some pressure on him to get it written. Had the paintings not already impressed Milton and Clay, I suppose it might have been easier to scuttle the whole project.” Did McMullan’s art indicate a truth to the piece? While Cohn’s descriptions of the club’s “Faces” were based on the working class in England, they weren’t entirely off the mark. “Just like the Italian-Americans, the mods shopped for that perfect shirt,” Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy, an American radio broadcaster, DJ, producer and founder of Classic Album Sundays, explained to me over coffee in London one morning. “It was about looking like they were better off than they really were, sticking their money into things like music and clothes. They bought records, certain types of trousers, certain types of jackets. It was an attitude. “It’s that culture of people who have their regular job during the week and live to go out on the weekend. A blue-collar worker in Brooklyn isn’t going to be defined by their job. Who they really are is who they are when they go out. Just like a mod. A mod might be bricklayer, but they’re a mod.” Bill Brewster, former editor of Mixmag USA and founder of Djhistory.com, echoed this: “It’s a universal story that had been going on for decades even before there were DJs playing records,” he said. “Working-class kids going out on a Friday and Saturday and getting off their heads to American black music. It was happening in the cellars of Paris during the occupation in terms of jazz records. Those archetypes, even though Cohn based them on people in London, were obviously happening in New York as well. I think it was an educated guess on his part, and a correct one.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest The multi-million-selling soundtrack album featured hits from the Bee Gees and topped the US chart for 24 consecutive weeks. Disco as a genre and culture had already been gathering pace in New York so Saturday Night Fever was just the tipping point of something that had been going on for a while. “Even before disco was officially called disco, you had David Mancuso’s loft parties, in the late 60s, in downtown Manhattan, where he played danceable acid-rock, R&B, mixing it all up,” said Murphy, who has collaborated with Mancuso in the past. “They were all about integrating different kinds of people, whether it was class, race, sexual orientation. People like David Morales and Larry Levan were going as kids. At the same time Francis Grasso became the first DJ to start mixing records together with two turntables. In the mid-70s these other clubs started rising – Studio 54, which was the glitzy manhattan club, where Andy Warhol, Grace Jones and Liza Minelli hung out, and places like 2001 Odyssey, which were for the working-class Brooklynites.” But in the end it was Cohn’s article and Saturday Night Fever that gave the decade its cultural identity. “As a child I was living in Massachusetts, in a white suburban New England small town, listening to rock and pop ,” Murphy said. “Then this article happened, the movie came out and disco blew up across white America overnight. Me and my friends would dance to the soundtrack at slumber parties. I had aunts and uncles who were taking disco-dancing lessons.” Build, baby, build: when radical architects did disco Read more Then came the backlash. DJ Steve Dahl headed up a Disco Demolition Night in Chicago in July 1979. People wore “disco sucks” T-shirts. The Bee Gees became cheesy, Chic became cheesy, and by the 80s disco was a dirty word. “Saturday Night Fever was probably the thing that killed off disco in the end,” Murphy said. Cohn, now 70, lives in Ghent, New York. His life reads like a blockbuster of its own – after Tribal Rites he continued writing, true stories mostly, and in 1983 was arrested for conspiring to import millions of dollars worth of heroin and cocaine into the US. The more serious charges were dropped and Cohn was given five years’ probation for possession. His life, the writer then realised, had been unravelling and it was time for a change. “Why did I decide to come clean in 1997? It simply felt like time,” he told me. “What seemed OK to me when I was young and stoned no longer sat right. Accountability, let’s say.” Cohn has always maintained that what was genuine was the staying power of Saturday Night Fever itself. That central figure, with all his grace, energy and passion. A nobody who once a week was a somebody. “Tribal Rites is about identity,” he said. “Finding a place in the world where you can shine. What still resonates, to me at least, is the sense of yearning. If I was writing the story today, Vincent might be trans…” ||||| Based on a ‘real’ story, the hit John Travolta film Saturday Night Fever became the prism through which the world viewed disco. Twenty years later it was revealed that the actual inspiration was a British mod called Chris... Picture it: a writer pens a magazine article and it’s an instant sensation. Producers come calling, he sells the rights for tens of thousands, the tabloids give him a nickname, acquaintances greet him as a friend, cheques flood in, he attends the premiere of his film in Los Angeles with a famous disco singer on his arm. It’s glitzy, it’s glam, it’s Hollywood, baby. But as he makes his way through the frenzy outside the theatre, through security, paparazzi and screaming teenage girls, he is filled with moral panic. Why? Saturday Night Fever was released in 1977, and has since grossed $285m worldwide. The soundtrack became one of the bestselling film album of all time after staying at No 1 for 24 consecutive weeks, reinvigorating the Bee Gees’ career, and its star, John Travolta, became one of the youngest actors to be nominated for the best actor Oscar. Decades on, not many remember that the phenomenon was down to one man: Northern Irish rock critic Nik Cohn and his report of 7 June, 1976 for New York magazine, Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Nights, which was published 40 years ago this month. Cohn was the author of a number of books including the 1969 rock history Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom. A protege of swinging London, he partied with rock stars, joined the Who on tour, and is said by some to have been instrumental in the genesis of Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. He had his portrait shot by Iain Macmillan – the photographer behind the Beatles’ Abbey Road cover – and from the age of 18 was contributing briefings about mods and rockers to the Observer. After crossing the Atlantic and signing on with New York magazine in 1975, the writer, who came to feel disenchanted with the establishment music business, persuaded the mag’s founder and editor Clay Felker to let him document disco – a new, largely ethnic, largely gay underground trend that had taken over parts of New York City. The writer was painfully aware that everything Fever had brought him – the fame, the fortune – was the result of a lie The result was the profile of an “ultimate Face”. Vincent, a young Italian-American worked in a hardware store during the week and partied at a disco club called 2001 Odyssey on the weekend. Vincent “was the very best dancer in Bay Ridge … he owned 14 floral shirts, five suits, eight pairs of shoes, three overcoats, and had appeared on American Bandstand”. He and his friends knew nothing of flower power, Bob Dylan or Ken Kesey. They were opulent but poor, proud but shy. “The new generation takes few risks,” Cohn wrote. “It goes through high school, obedient; graduates, looks for a job, saves and plans. Endures. And once a week, on Saturday night, its one great moment of release, it explodes.” The intro declared: “Everything described in this article is factual and was either witnessed by me or told to me directly by the people involved. Only the names of the main characters have been changed.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Watch a trailer for Saturday Night Fever The rest is cinema history: film rights were sold to producer Robert Stigwood, who had just signed a three-picture deal with a young TV actor called John Travolta. Screenwriter Norman Wexler transformed Vincent into Tony Manero. So unprecedented was the fanfare that when Stigwood’s 23-year-old assistant Kevin McCormick traipsed through Los Angeles looking for a director, one agent, according to Vanity Fair, told him, “Kid, my directors do movies. They don’t do magazine articles.” Director John Badham had no such qualms, and in December 1977 his movie took $11m in its first 11 days and Travolta became an overnight sensation. Twenty years later came a bombshell. In December 1997 New York magazine published an article in which Cohn confessed that there never was a Vincent. There was no “Lisa”, “Billy”, “John James”, “Lorraine” or “Donna” either. While 2001 Odyssey existed, it wasn’t the way the writer described it in 1976. The whole scene of disco-loving Italians, as mythologised in Saturday Night Fever, was exaggerated. The most bizarre detail was that his disco protagonists were in fact based on mods Cohn had known in London. The writer was “painfully aware” that everything Fever had brought him – the fame, the fortune – was the result of a lie. The real story went like this: in 1976 Cohn met a disco dancer named Tu Sweet, who introduced him to the clubs of New York, including one in Bay Ridge called 2001 Odyssey. One night the two trawled through the underbelly of New York – a land of auto shops, transmission specialists and alignment centres – to find the place. A drunken brawl was in progress and as Cohn opened the cab door one of the guys reeled over the gutter and threw up over his trouser leg. So he just upped and returned to the safe comforts of Manhattan. One image stayed with the writer, though, that of a figure in flared crimson pants and a black body shirt standing in the doorway of the club and calmly watching the action. There was a style about him, Cohn said, a sense of his own specialness that reminded the writer of a teen gang in his hometown of Derry and a mod named Chris he’d met in London in 1965. How we made Sister Sledge’s We Are Family Read more When Cohn went back to Odyssey he didn’t see the young man in the doorway again. “Plus, I made a lousy interviewer,” he wrote. “I knew nothing about this world, and it showed. Quite literally, I didn’t speak the language. So I faked it. I conjured up the story of the figure in the doorway, and named him Vincent. Taking all I knew about the snake-charmer in Derry and, more especially, about Chris the mod in London, I translated them as best I could to Brooklyn. Then I went back to Bay Ridge in daylight and noted the major landmarks. I walked some streets, went into a couple of stores. Studied the clothes, the gestures, the walks. Imagined how it would feel to burn up, all caged energies, with no outlet but the dancefloor and the rituals of Saturday night. Finally, I wrote it all up. And presented it as fact.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest A premiere party for Saturday Night Fever with John Travolta, right, next to a bearded Nik Cohn, Travolta’s mother below them, and producer Robert Stigwood (far left). Photograph: Ron Galella/WireImage So how did he get away with one of the most daring acts of journalistic forgery? While Tribal Rites reads like a novelisation, it must be understood in the context of the time it was written: the tail-end of the era of New Journalism, where writers used literary techniques and a subjective perspective to present fact as fiction. It followed similar works by the likes of Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, Truman Capote, Hunter S Thompson and Norman Mailer. When I first approached Cohn for this article, he said he no longer wanted to discuss the topic. But after several back-and-forth emails, he did say that he doubted any magazine would publish the Tribal Rites piece today. “It reads to me as obvious fiction, albeit based on observation and some knowledge of disco culture. No way could it sneak past customs now. In the 60s and 70s, the line between fact and fiction was blurry. Many magazine writers used fictional techniques to tell supposedly factual stories. No end of liberties were taken. Few editors asked tough questions. For the most part it was a case of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’. “Magazine writing then was basically a boys’ club. There was a lot of wretched excess. Along with some great writing came reams of self-indulgent bollocks. Tribal Rites being fiction was never a great secret. I remember once, at the end of a long night, blurting out to a publisher that the story was made up. ‘You don’t say,’ the publisher drawled. ‘And Liberace is gay.’” For context, Gay Talese, now a bestselling author and one of the pioneers of new journalism and author of ‘Frank Sinatra Has a Cold’, explains that his intention as a young journalist was to write short stories using real characters. “I have always been inspired by great short story writers, the first being the French writer Guy de Maupassant,” he said. “Later I also began reading short stories by famous novelists – F Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and more contemporary writers such as John O’Hara, Irwin Shaw, Carson McCullers, John Cheever and others. My newspaper articles were all written as if short stories: there was scene-setting, dialogue, much description of people and places.” But while the articles were presented as stories, they were never fictionalised. “Nothing was invented, all the names of the characters were real, and verifiably truthful.” Caroline Miller, who edited New York magazine at the time of Cohn’s confession, said her predecessor, Felker, wouldn’t have published Tribal Rites if he thought it fabricated. “That said, remember that 70s Brooklyn was a foreign country to most New York magazine editors,” she told me. “It wasn’t cool, and some of them had probably never been there – even to Brooklyn Heights, which was Norman Mailer territory. So they may not have had good radar for credibility. Also, after the zeitgeisty opening about the blue-collar disco tribe, [Tribal Rites] is all narrative, and that much narrative detail tends to read as real. Conversation in cars. What Vincent was thinking as he looked in the mirror…” Miller and her team published Cohn’s admission because it was newsworthy. “Here’s a guy basically bragging about fabricating a legendary story and getting away with it,” she said. “And it certainly added to our understanding of pop culture myth-making – the idea that a mashup of people and scenes Nik had collected on both side of the Atlantic could go essentially unchallenged, and have such staying power.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night by Nik Cohn as featured on a 1976 New York magazine cover. Cohn has said that were it not for Jim McMullan’s accompanying illustrations the piece might never have seen daylight. McMullan based these on the photographs he took in 2001 Odyssey but, fundamentally, he never met Cohn’s protagonist. “I went to the club twice and moved around, taking my photos without interacting much with any of the patrons,” McMullan recalled. “Nik took a different path through the crowds so we didn’t exchange notes. It’s a universal story... working-class kids going out and getting off their heads to American black music Bill Brewster “I finished my paintings several weeks before Nik finished his story so I wasn’t really reacting to how he saw the scene at the club. It did seem like an amazingly dramatic story arc and the kind of ‘working-class’ story he was already famous for.” It so happened that the design director of New York magazine, Milton Glaser, was amazed by the reportage style of the paintings. “Clay also came to see the work that way... I suspect that because the art was all ready to go before Nik finished writing, it put some pressure on him to get it written. Had the paintings not already impressed Milton and Clay, I suppose it might have been easier to scuttle the whole project.” Did McMullan’s art indicate a truth to the piece? While Cohn’s descriptions of the club’s “Faces” were based on the working class in England, they weren’t entirely off the mark. “Just like the Italian-Americans, the mods shopped for that perfect shirt,” Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy, an American radio broadcaster, DJ, producer and founder of Classic Album Sundays, explained to me over coffee in London one morning. “It was about looking like they were better off than they really were, sticking their money into things like music and clothes. They bought records, certain types of trousers, certain types of jackets. It was an attitude. “It’s that culture of people who have their regular job during the week and live to go out on the weekend. A blue-collar worker in Brooklyn isn’t going to be defined by their job. Who they really are is who they are when they go out. Just like a mod. A mod might be bricklayer, but they’re a mod.” Bill Brewster, former editor of Mixmag USA and founder of Djhistory.com, echoed this: “It’s a universal story that had been going on for decades even before there were DJs playing records,” he said. “Working-class kids going out on a Friday and Saturday and getting off their heads to American black music. It was happening in the cellars of Paris during the occupation in terms of jazz records. Those archetypes, even though Cohn based them on people in London, were obviously happening in New York as well. I think it was an educated guess on his part, and a correct one.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest The multi-million-selling soundtrack album featured hits from the Bee Gees and topped the US chart for 24 consecutive weeks. Disco as a genre and culture had already been gathering pace in New York so Saturday Night Fever was just the tipping point of something that had been going on for a while. “Even before disco was officially called disco, you had David Mancuso’s loft parties, in the late 60s, in downtown Manhattan, where he played danceable acid-rock, R&B, mixing it all up,” said Murphy, who has collaborated with Mancuso in the past. “They were all about integrating different kinds of people, whether it was class, race, sexual orientation. People like David Morales and Larry Levan were going as kids. At the same time Francis Grasso became the first DJ to start mixing records together with two turntables. In the mid-70s these other clubs started rising – Studio 54, which was the glitzy manhattan club, where Andy Warhol, Grace Jones and Liza Minelli hung out, and places like 2001 Odyssey, which were for the working-class Brooklynites.” But in the end it was Cohn’s article and Saturday Night Fever that gave the decade its cultural identity. “As a child I was living in Massachusetts, in a white suburban New England small town, listening to rock and pop ,” Murphy said. “Then this article happened, the movie came out and disco blew up across white America overnight. Me and my friends would dance to the soundtrack at slumber parties. I had aunts and uncles who were taking disco-dancing lessons.” Build, baby, build: when radical architects did disco Read more Then came the backlash. DJ Steve Dahl headed up a Disco Demolition Night in Chicago in July 1979. People wore “disco sucks” T-shirts. The Bee Gees became cheesy, Chic became cheesy, and by the 80s disco was a dirty word. “Saturday Night Fever was probably the thing that killed off disco in the end,” Murphy said. Cohn, now 70, lives in Ghent, New York. His life reads like a blockbuster of its own – after Tribal Rites he continued writing, true stories mostly, and in 1983 was arrested for conspiring to import millions of dollars worth of heroin and cocaine into the US. The more serious charges were dropped and Cohn was given five years’ probation for possession. His life, the writer then realised, had been unravelling and it was time for a change. “Why did I decide to come clean in 1997? It simply felt like time,” he told me. “What seemed OK to me when I was young and stoned no longer sat right. Accountability, let’s say.” Cohn has always maintained that what was genuine was the staying power of Saturday Night Fever itself. That central figure, with all his grace, energy and passion. A nobody who once a week was a somebody. “Tribal Rites is about identity,” he said. “Finding a place in the world where you can shine. What still resonates, to me at least, is the sense of yearning. If I was writing the story today, Vincent might be trans…”

– The Guardian revisits a fascinating piece of pop culture that may be a surprise to those who either love or hate Saturday Night Fever. The 1977 movie that helped turn disco into a phenomenon and John Travolta into a mega-star was actually based on a New York magazine article by British rock critic Nik Cohn after a visit to a New York City dance club. There, he claimed to have spotted the real-life "Vincent" played by Travolta, whom he described as a blue-collar kid who let loose with his friends once a week. “Everything described in this article is factual and was either witnessed by me or told to me directly by the people involved," wrote Cohn in a preface to Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Nights. "Only the names of the main characters have been changed.” Twenty years later, however, Cohn confessed to the same magazine that his story was largely a work of fiction. “Why did I decide to come clean in 1997? It simply felt like time,” he tells Nadia Khomami of the Guardian. “What seemed OK to me when I was young and stoned no longer sat right. Accountability, let’s say.” Cohn based the Travolta character on "mods" he knew in London, and the Guardian story recounts the context of the time in which the article was written—days when big-name writers such as Tom Wolfe and Hunter S Thompson blended fact with fiction in their work. Now 70, Cohn insists that a fundamental part still rings true. “Tribal Rites is about identity,” he says. “Finding a place in the world where you can shine. What still resonates, to me at least, is the sense of yearning. If I was writing the story today, Vincent might be trans ..." (Click for the full story.)