One of the things that came out of our conversations were the bands on the astrolabe — they’re the bands that surround the sun. We show three close-ups of those bands that tell the pre-history of the world in relief-sculpture form. They tell about dragons attacking Westeros. They tell about how the different houses on Westeros got together and defeated those dragons, and how those houses, represented by their respective animals, bowed in allegiance to the Baretheon stag.

 The title sequence was created by a company named Elastic. Here's a very interesting interview with the Creative Director of Elastic, ANGUS WALL, regarding the making of the opening sequence:The title sequence was inspired by the maps of Westeros that precede each novel in the series (and maps in fantasy novels in general). The creators decided to place the map on the inner surface of a sphere with an astrolabe-sun object at the center. The camera would then visit different parts of the map, whilst illustrations on the astrolabe covered some of the backstory to the series. The turning gears and cogs were meant to be reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions.So this Astrolabe is basically a close-up of the sun in the middle and several bands surrounding it. If you look closely, there are relief details visible on these bands.In Wall's words:References:Interview with Angus Wall:Wiki: ||||| Left By Explorer's Armada, Shipwreck Yields 'Earliest Known' Marine Astrolabe

 By early 1503, most of Vasco da Gama's armada was returning home to Portugal after his second voyage to the Indian coast. The explorer, now roughly five years removed from discovering a direct sea route from Europe to India, left behind several ships to patrol (and pillage) the waters near modern-day Oman — but the winds eventually rose and smashed several of the remaining ships in raging storms.

 Now, more than 500 years later, the sunken ruins of one of those ships have yielded a surprising discovery: the world's "earliest known" marine astrolabe, according to researchers at the University of Warwick. They say the navigation tool, which sailors would use to reckon time by gauging the position of the sun and stars, dates to between 1495 and 1500.

 The instrument was one of more than 2,800 artifacts recovered from the Esmeralda, which has been under excavation since 2013. When Blue Water Recoveries first pulled it from the depths in 2014, David Mearns, the group's expedition leader, said he and his team suspected the 7-inch bronze disc could be an astrolabe.

 "It was like nothing else we had seen and I immediately knew it was something very important because you could see it had these two emblems on it," he told the BBC. "One I recognised immediately as a Portuguese coat of arms... and another which we later discovered was the personal emblem of Don Manuel I, the King of Portugal at the time."

 But the centuries-old instrument no longer betrayed any discernible navigational markings. Mearns and his colleagues needed some help to find them.

 Enter Mark Williams, a professor at Warwick who used "pioneering analysis and 3D imaging" to reveal hidden "etches around the edge of the object, each separated by five degrees." These markings would help sailors of the day judge a celestial body's position with relation to the equator and their own position on the water — and, for researchers of today, they confirmed the identity of the mystery artifact.

 Enlarge this image toggle caption University of Warwick University of Warwick

 "It was fantastic to apply our 3D scanning technology to such an exciting project and help with the identification of such a rare and fascinating item," Williams said in a statement.

 "Usually we are working on engineering-related challenges, so to be able to take our expertise and transfer that to something totally different and so historically significant was a really interesting opportunity."

 For Mearns, the confirmation marked an important milestone for a project that dates back nearly two decades. The shipwreck Esmeralda was discovered off the coast of Oman in 1998, and Blue Water Recoveries has been collaborating with the country's Ministry of Heritage and Culture on its excavation for roughly four years.

 And though it's believed astrolabes were in use long before the end of the 15th century, the BBC reports this one is only the 108th confirmed and cataloged — and the oldest one "by several decades."

 "It's a great privilege to find something so rare, something so historically important," Mearns said, "something that will be studied by the archaeological community and fills in a gap." ||||| Details on earliest known marine navigation tool revealed by scanning technology at WMG, University of Warwick

 Late fifteenth-century astrolabe - used by mariners to measure the altitude of the sun – recovered from Portuguese explorer ship which sank in 1503

 - used by mariners to measure the altitude of the sun – recovered from Portuguese explorer ship which sank in 1503 Pioneering scanning analysis and 3D imaging revealed invisible navigational markings, proving the identity of the object

 Details of the earliest known marine navigation tool, discovered in a shipwreck, have been revealed thanks to state-of-the-art scanning technology at WMG, University of Warwick.

 Professor Mark Williams from WMG was tasked with scanning the artefact – an astrolabe from the late fifteenth century, used by mariners to measure the altitude of the sun during voyages – which was excavated in 2014 by Blue Water Recovery.

 When the team found the object, no markings were visible – they believed it was an astrolabe, but they could not see any navigational markings on it.

 They then approached Professor Williams, who conducts pioneering scanning analyses in his laboratory at WMG, to reveal the artefact’s invisible details.

 The scans showed etches around the edge of the object, each separated by five degrees – proving that it is an astrolabe.

 These markings would have allowed mariners to measure the height of the sun above the horizon at noon to determine their location so they could find their way on the high seas.

 The technology was able to accurately scan the item to within 0.1mm and reproduce a high-resolution 3D model.

 Professor Mark Williams commented:

 “It was fantastic to apply our 3D scanning technology to such an exciting project and help with the identification of such a rare and fascinating item.

 “Usually we are working on engineering-related challenges, so to be able to take our expertise and transfer that to something totally different and so historically significant was a really interesting opportunity.”

 The astrolabe is a bronze disc, which measures 17.5cm in diameter, and is engraved with the Portuguese coat of arms and the personal emblem of Don Manuel I, the King of Portugal from 1495-1521.

 It is believed to date from between 1495 and 1500, and was recovered from the wreck of a Portuguese explorer ship which sank during a storm in the Indian Ocean in 1503.

 The boat was called the Esmeralda and was part of a fleet led by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the first person to sail directly from Europe to India.

 David Mearns, from Blue Water Recovery, who led the excavation, commented:

 "It's a great privilege to find something so rare, something so historically important, something that will be studied by the archaeological community and fills in a gap.

 “It was like nothing else we had seen […] it adds to the history, and hopefully astrolabes from this period can be found."

 To read the BBC article about this, click here.

 To hear about this on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, click here (listen from 2:24:26)

 Image 1: Scan of the astrolabe artefact - credit University of Warwick (click for high res)

 Image 2: Scan of the astrolabe artefact, revealing the etches - credit University of Warwick (click for high res)

 Image 3: Scanning the artefact in the laboratory at WMG - credit University of Warwick (click for high res)

 24 October 2017 ||||| Image copyright Philip Koch Image caption The instrument was once used by mariners to measure the altitude of the Sun during their voyages

 An artefact excavated from a shipwreck off the coast of Oman has been found to be the oldest known example of a type of navigational tool.

 Marine archaeologists say the object is an astrolabe, an instrument once used by mariners to measure the altitude of the Sun during their voyages.

 It is believed to date from between 1495 and 1500.

 The item was recovered from a Portuguese explorer which sank during a storm in the Indian Ocean in 1503.

 The boat was called the Esmeralda and was part of a fleet led by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the first person to sail directly from Europe to India.

 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Divers uncover 500-year-old Vasco da Gama fleet treasure

 David Mearns, from Blue Water Recovery, who led the excavation and is the author of The Shipwreck Hunter, told the BBC: "It's a great privilege to find something so rare, something so historically important, something that will be studied by the archaeological community and fills in a gap."

 The astrolabe was discovered by Mr Mearns in 2014, and was one of nearly 3,000 artefacts recovered during a series of dives.

 The bronze disc measures 17.5cm in diameter and is less than 2mm thick.

 "It was like nothing else we had seen and I immediately knew it was something very important because you could see it had these two emblems on it," said Mr Mearns.

 "One I recognised immediately as a Portuguese coat of arms... and another which we later discovered was the personal emblem of Don Manuel I, the King of Portugal at the time."

 The excavation team believed the object was an astrolabe, but they could not see any navigational markings on it.

 However, a later analysis uncovered its hidden details.

 Laser scanning work carried out by scientists at the University of Warwick revealed etches around the edge of the disc, each separated by five degrees.

 Image caption The University of Warwick used laser scans to uncover etches on the astrolabe, which helped navigators work out the height of the sun

 This would have allowed mariners to measure the height of the sun above the horizon at noon to determine their location so they could find their way on the high seas.

 Mariners' astrolabes are relatively rare, and this is only the 108th to be confirmed catalogued. It is also the earliest known example by several decades.

 Mr Mearns said: "We know it had to have been made before 1502, because that's when the ship left Lisbon and Dom Manuel didn't become King until 1495, and this astrolabe wouldn't have carried the emblem of the King unless he was King.

 "I believe it's probably fair to say it dates roughly to between 1495 to 1500. Exactly what year we don't know - but it is in that narrow period."

 He added: "It rolls back this history by at least 30 years - it adds to evolution, it adds to the history, and hopefully astrolabes from this period can be found."

 Follow Rebecca Morelle on Twitter. ||||| The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties. |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– The world's earliest known navigational tool used by Vasco da Gama's fleet was discovered in a shipwreck off the Oman coast, NPR reports. Called a marine astrolabe, it's believed to date from 1495 to 1500. Unlike the Game of Thrones intro astrolabe, sailors used this one to figure out where they were on the high seas. It was found in the wreck of the Esmeralda, part of the Portuguese explorer's armada. Da Gama, who discovered the first sea route from Europe to India, was returning home from his second trip there when he left some ships in the Indian Ocean to "disrupt maritime trade," meaning pillage. Several of the ships sank during a fierce storm in 1503. The Esmeralda was discovered in 1998. Since excavations began in 2014, University of Warwick researchers have recovered 2,800 artifacts, the jewel of the cache being the astrolabe, a bronze disc measuring 7 inches in diameter. Emblems depict the Portuguese coat of arms and the personal stamp of King Dom Manuel I. "It was like nothing else we had seen, and I immediately knew it was something very important because you could see it had these two emblems on it," team leader David Mearns of Blue Water Recoveries tells the BBC. "It's a great privilege to find something so rare, something so historically important." At first, the team wasn't 100% sure it was an astrolabe, but laser scans revealed navigational marks around the edges every 5 degrees, which sailors would have used to calculate their location by measuring the sun's position above the horizon at noon. (A ship that sank in 1BC may hold priceless treasures.)


Write a summary based on this article:

A 90-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly killing his stepdaughter after investigators gained information from the Fitbit she wore at the time of the incident, according to police.

 When authorities responded to a welfare check Sept. 13 at the San Jose home of 67-year-old Karen Navarra, they found her dead at the scene, the San Jose Police Department said.

 She had a gaping laceration on her neck, a deep laceration on her head and a kitchen knife in her hand, according to the statement of facts written by police and provided by the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office.

 A medical examiner determined Navarra couldn't have caused all the wounds herself and detectives believed the scene was staged to appear as a suicide, the document said.

 Police spoke to Navarra's stepfather, 90-year-old Anthony Aiello, who is married to Navarra's 92-year-old mother.

 Aiello told police he last saw Navarra Sept. 8 when he brought pizza and biscotti to her at home; Aiello said he stayed there for about 15 minutes then drove home, the document said.

 San Jose Police Department

 Aiello told police when he was later outside his house, he heard a car honk and saw Navarra drive by waving with a second person in the passenger seat, the document said. Police recovered surveillance video from near Aiello's home and determined Navarra never drove by that day, the document said.

 Navarra had a Fitbit Alta HR on her left wrist when she was found, according to police.

 The data showed a significant spike in her heart rate Sept. 8 at 3:20 p.m., followed by a rapid slowing, the document said. The Fitbit stopped registering heart rate data that day at 3:28 p.m.

 “ ” He denied that he was present when she was killed and suggested that someone else might have been in the house.

 Police also checked surveillance video near Navarra's home and determined Aiello's car was parked in his stepdaughter's driveway from 3:12 p.m. to at least 3:33 p.m. on Sept. 8, the document said.

 Aiello, of San Jose, was arrested and charged with murder Sept. 25, police said.

 Aiello was read his Miranda rights and interviewed by police, during which he confirmed he was at his stepdaughter's home at about 3 p.m., the document said. Aiello told police he dropped off the pizza, didn't see anyone else in the home and left after five to seven minutes, the document said.

 Aiello said his stepdaughter walked him to the door and handed him two roses when he left, the document said.

 "During the interview, Aiello was confronted about the information from Fitbit and the corresponding surveillance video indicating that his car was in the driveway,” the document said. “After explaining the abilities of the Fitbit to record time, physical movement and heart rate data," investigators told Aiello his stepdaughter had died before he left.

 But Aiello "denied that he was present when she was killed and suggested that someone else might have been in the house," the document said.

 During the interview, investigators also told the 90-year-old man that police found two shirts with blood splatter in his garage; he responded that he cuts himself frequently, the document said.

 "He was told that the deposits of blood were not localized in one area and were more consistent with splatter," the document said. "Aiello indicated that he might have cut his hand and shaken it while he was wearing those shirts."

 Aiello appeared in court last Thursday before being remanded to custody, with no bail, authorities said, adding that he is scheduled to return to court this Thursday for plea proceedings and identification of counsel.

 A representative for Fitbit declined to comment to ABC News on the case.

 This isn't the first time a Fitbit was used as evidence to make a murder arrest.

 Richard Dabate is accused of killing his wife in Connecticut in 2015; a piece of evidence against Dabate is that the victim's Fitbit data contradicted what he told police, according to the Hartford Courant. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

 Also, when Iowa jogger Mollie Tibbetts vanished this summer, investigators said they were looking into what information could be gathered from her Fitbit. The data was not ultimately used in making an arrest in her killing.

 This report was featured in the Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, episode of ABC News' daily news podcast, "Start Here."

 "Start Here" is the flagship daily news podcast from ABC News -- a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, or the ABC News app. On Amazon Echo, ask Alexa to "Play 'Start Here'" or add the "Start Here" skill to your Flash Briefing. Follow @StartHereABC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for exclusive content, show updates and more. ||||| A woman’s Fitbit clocked a rapid rise in her heart rate before a sudden drop-off to nothing, helping San Jose police piece together clues and charge her 90-year-old stepfather with her murder, according to court records.

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 Tony Aiello was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of murdering his 67-year-old stepdaughter, Karen Navarra, on Sept. 8. Aiello is married to Navarra’s 92-year-old mother.

 Navarra, a pharmacy technician described by family as a “recluse,” was discovered deceased by a co-worker Sept. 13 after she failed to show up to her job.

 Police said Navarra was found slumped over in a chair, clutching a large kitchen knife with a “gaping” slit to her neck. To investigators, the scene appeared to be staged to look like a suicide.

 But a later autopsy revealed “multiple deep and intrusive wounds” to her head and facial area, most likely inflicted by a small hatchet or ax. The doctor told investigators Navarra couldn’t have inflicted the wounds herself and classified the case as a homicide.

 At his initial interview, Aiello told San Jose police that he dropped by Navarra’s home on Saturday, Sept. 8, to bring her pizza, according to court records. He also said he was outside his own home a few hours later, and witnessed his step-daughter drive by and honk with someone else in the passenger seat.

 But police say Aiello’s account didn’t match up with what they saw on surveillance footage.

 Nearby cameras captured his car at Navarra’s home for at least 21 minutes that day, between 3:12 p.m. and 3:33 p.m, but they didn’t show her car ever leaving in the direction Aiello described, police said.

 Investigators noted Navarra was wearing a Fitbit, a wristband device that can collect data like number of steps walked and heart rate, when she was found, and they later consulted with the company to see if the device could offer any clues. A company employee told police Navarra’s heart rate spiked at 3:20 p.m. Sept. 8 and then rapidly slowed. The device stopped registering a heartbeat at 3:28 p.m.

 Aiello repeated his initial story after his arrest and denied that he killed his stepdaughter, according to court records. When confronted with the Fitbit evidence Aiello suggested someone else could have been in the home. He told police she couldn’t have died when he was there, because she walked him to the door.

 Police also found clothes in his hamper covered in blood splatter. Aiello told police he cuts himself frequently, according to court records.

 Homicide investigators across the country have turned to fitness trackers to help piece together timelines, movements and other key information for their cases.

 A Connecticut man was arrested after his wife’s Fitbit data showed her last movements were more than an hour after her husband said she had been killed by intruders.

 In Wisconsin, another man’s Fitbit acted as an alibi. The device corroborated his story during a crucial window of time when police said his live-in girlfriend’s body was being dumped in a field.

 Aiello is being held without bail and is due in court Oct. 4.

 AlertMe |||||

– Police in San Jose believe a 90-year-old man murdered his 67-year-old stepdaughter—and he might have gotten away with it if she hadn't been wearing a Fitbit. Police say they found Karen Navarra dead at her home Sept. 13 with a kitchen knife in her hand and deep wounds to her head and neck, ABC News reports. After the medical examiner concluded that she had been murdered by somebody who tried to make the death look like a suicide, investigators used surveillance footage to determine that stepfather Anthony Aiello had visited her the day of her death. He told them he had seen her later in the day—but her Fitbit revealed that her heart rate spiked, slowed, then stopped while he was at the house. During a police interview, "Aiello was confronted about the information from Fitbit and the corresponding surveillance video indicating that his car was in the driveway," police said in a statement. After police explained "the abilities of the Fitbit to record time, physical movement and heart rate data," Aiello claimed somebody else must have been in the house. He also claimed that two shirts with blood splatter found in his garage must have gotten that way after he cut himself and shook his hand, KOAT reports. Aiello, who is married to Navarra's 92-year-old mother, was arrested and charged with murder last week. (A Fitbit told a different story after this man said a fat intruder killed his wife.)


Article:

Oprah Winfrey says she's "sorry" that a media frenzy emerged after saying she experienced racism during a trip to Switzerland.

 Oprah Winfrey arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Lee Daniels' The Butler" at the Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Stadium 14 on Monday, Aug. 12, 2013. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP) (Associated Press)

 Oprah Winfrey arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Lee Daniels' The Butler" at the Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Stadium 14 on Monday, Aug. 12, 2013. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP) (Associated Press)

 Oprah Winfrey arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Lee Daniels' The Butler" at the Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Stadium 14 on Monday, Aug. 12, 2013. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP) (Associated Press)

 "I think that incident in Switzerland was just an incident in Switzerland. I'm really sorry that it got blown up. I purposefully did not mention the name of the store. I'm sorry that I said it was Switzerland," Winfrey said Monday night at the Los Angeles premiere of "Lee Daniels: The Butler."

 "I was just referencing it as an example of being in a place where people don't expect that you would be able to be there," she continued.

 In a recent interview with "Entertainment Tonight," Winfrey recalled a clerk at an upscale Zurich boutique refusing to show her a handbag. Winfrey said she was told she could not afford the $38,000 purse.

 "I'm in a store and the person doesn't obviously know that I carry the black card and so they make an assessment based upon the way I look and who I am," said Winfrey, who earned $77 million in the year ending in June, according to Forbes magazine.

 "I didn't have anything that said `I have money.' I wasn't wearing a diamond stud. I didn't have a pocketbook. I didn't wear Louboutin shoes. I didn't have anything," said Winfrey on the red carpet. "You should be able to go in a store looking like whatever you look like and say, `I'd like to see this.' That didn't happen."

 Swiss tourism officials and the boutique owner apologized for the incident last week, but Winfrey insists there's no need.

 "It's not an indictment against the country or even that store," she continued. "It was just one person who didn't want to offer me the opportunity to see the bag. So no apologies necessary from the country of Switzerland. If somebody makes a mistake in the United States do we apologize in front of the whole country? No!"

 "The Butler," which opens Friday, documents the civil rights movement through the story of a butler who served in the White House for seven presidents.

 ___

 Online:

 http://www.weinsteinco.com/sites/leedanielsthebutler

 ____

 Follow Nicole Evatt on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NicoleEvatt ||||| 'Oprah's a liar': Sales assistant in Swiss racist handbag row denies telling TV host that she could not view item because she couldn't afford it

 Sale assistant said she feels 'powerless' after the racism accusations

 Oprah Winfrey claimed assistant refused to show her a handbag because it was 'too expensive'

 Speaking anonymously, shop worker said claims were 'absurd'

 The shop assistant who allegedly refused to show Oprah Winfrey a handbag said the billionaire is a liar

 The sales assistant who refused to show U.S. talkshow billionaire Oprah Winfrey a luxury handbag costing nearly £25,000 claims the superstar lied about what happened in the luxury Swiss boutique where she works.

 Speaking anonymously to Sunday newspaper SonntagsBlick, the Italian bag lady said she felt 'powerless' and in the grip of a 'cyclone' after Winfrey went on TV in America to claim she had been the victim of racism.

 Winfrey was in Switzerland in July when she walked into the Trois Pommes boutique in Zurich looking for a handbag to match the outfit she was going to wear to old friend Tina Turner's wedding.

 She claims the sales assistant refused to show her the black crocodile leather bag because - seeing a black woman - she automatically assumed she would not be able to afford it.

 Now the saleslady has hit back, stating: 'I wasn't sure what I should present to her when she came in on the afternoon of Saturday July 20 so I showed her some bags from the Jennifer Aniston collection.

 'I explained to her the bags came in different sizes and materials, like I always do.

 'She looked at a frame behind me. Far above there was the 35,000 Swiss franc crocodile leather bag.

 'I simply told her that it was like the one I held in my hand, only much more expensive, and that I could show her similar bags.

 'It is absolutely not true that I declined to show her the bag on racist grounds. I even asked her if she wanted to look at the bag.

 'She looked around the store again but didn't say anything else. Then she went with her companion to the lower floor. My colleague saw them to the door. They were not even in the store for five minutes.'

 She emphatically denied ever saying to Winfrey: 'You don't want to see this bag. It is too expensive. You cannot afford it.'

 SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

 Speaking anonymously, the assistant at Trois Pommes, in Zurich, Switzerland (pictured) said it is 'absolutely not true that I declined to show her the bag on racist grounds' Ms Goetz said: 'Everyone wants to sell a crocodile bag. It’s a misunderstanding' and insisted her saleswomen put customers first and try to be 'kind' The shop assistant said she only sells a £25,000 handbag a few times a year and said the racist claims are 'absurd'

 The saleslady went on: 'This is not true. This is absurd. I would never say something like that to a customer. Really never. Good manners and politeness are the Alpha and the Omega in this business.

 'I don't know why she is making these accusations. She is so powerful and I am just a shop girl.

 'I didn't hurt anyone. I don't know why someone as great as her must cannibalize me on TV.

 'If it had all taken place as she claimed, why has she not complained the next day at the wedding of Tina Turner with Trudie Goetz, my boss? She was there also at the Turner wedding as a guest. I don't understand it.

 'I spoke to Oprah Winfrey in English. My English is okay but not excellent, unfortunately.

 'I didn't know who she was when she came into the store. That wouldn't have made any difference if I had.

 Miss Winfrey said of the encounter: 'I could have had the big blow-up thing and thrown down the black card and all that stuff. But why do that?'

 Shop owner Trudie Goetz holds up the handbag (right) that Winfrey wanted to see

 Girls' weekend: Oprah Winfrey and best friend Gayle King ahead of Tina Turner and Erwin Bach's wedding celebrations in Zurich, Switzerland

 'We work really hard to greet all the people who come into the store with the same level of respect and treat them all equally.

 'If someone asks me whether he or she can see an article, I always present these. Because that person is a potential buyer. And my job is to sell it.

 'I'm glad if I can sell an article. It is a reward for me, if I can sell a nice piece. This means that I'm good at my job.'

 She has worked in the store for five years, says 50 per cent of the clientele come from abroad and that a bag costing nearly £25,000 is sold 'only a few times a year.'

 Asked what she would say to Oprah now she added: 'I would apologize and say it was all a misunderstanding. I surely did not intentionally want to insult Ms. Winfrey. I hope this nightmare ends soon.' ||||| Article Excerpt

 Jesse Jackson hasn't yet declared Zurich the new Selma, but from some of the news coverage you'd think Oprah Winfrey was the next Rosa Parks. The former TV-talk superstar experienced what New York's Daily News calls "a disturbing racial incident" last month at "the posh Trois Pommes boutique" in Switzerland's largest city.

 In Winfrey's account, she wanted to examine a Tom Ford handbag and asked the clerk to retrieve it from its glass display case. "She says, 'No, it's too expensive,' " Winfrey told "Entertainment Tonight." "She said, 'No, no, no you want to see this one because that one will ... |||||
What is a summary?

– After her comments about getting dissed by a racist saleswoman at a chichi Swiss boutique, Oprah Winfrey is, well, trying to be Switzerland—sort of. "I'm really sorry that it got blown up," she said last night. "I purposefully did not mention the name of the store. I'm sorry that I said it was Switzerland." But, while she says "it's not an indictment against the country or even that store," she's not walking back her contention that racism was involved, reports the AP. "It was just one person who didn't want to offer me the opportunity to see the bag." The aforementioned saleswoman denies that racism was even in the same room, reports the Daily Mail. "It is absolutely not true that I declined to show her the bag on racist grounds. I even asked her if she wanted to look at the bag." Further, she says that the brouhaha, which she likens to a "cyclone," has made her feel "powerless." Over at the Wall Street Journal, James Taranto dismisses the whole thing, saying, "What Winfrey construes as a racial episode is actually a story about class—a wealthy, privileged celebrity aggrieved by a lowly saleswoman's lack of deference."


Here is a news article: Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption New York prosecutors dropped all criminal charges against Strauss-Kahn last month, though he still faces a civil suit

 Dominique Strauss-Kahn has described his liaison with a hotel maid in New York, over which he was charged with attempted rape, as "inappropriate".

 In his first TV interview since charges were dropped, the ex-IMF chief said he regretted the affair had lost him his chance to stand for French president, but denied using violence.

 He said he had been afraid and humiliated by the US justice system.

 Mr Strauss-Kahn, 62, resigned as IMF chief in May after his arrest.

 The maid, Nafissatou Diallo, is bringing a civil suit against him.

 The criminal charges were dropped in August when prosecutors said Ms Diallo's lack of credibility meant the case could not continue.

 'Missed appointment'

 Mr Strauss-Kahn was questioned by Claire Chazal, a friend of his wife Anne Sinclair, on the main Sunday night bulletin of France's TF1 - watched by a huge audience.

 "What happened was more than an inappropriate relationship. It was an error," he said, adding that he regretted it infinitely.

 Analysis Dominique Strauss-Kahn had waited a fortnight to give his side of the story. "Everyone has had their chance", he said, "except me." He brought with him a copy of the New York prosecutor's report. "There was neither violence nor coercion nor aggression or any criminal act," he said. "Neither scratches or injuries, no sign of violence. Not my words but the words of the prosecutor." Since his return to France, a team of lawyers and advisers have been heavily involved in the negotiations for this interview. But scripted or not, there was an apology to the French people and his family. This was a very astute politician who wanted to present himself as a victim. In all it was a polished performance from a politician who has had plenty of time to consider the questions he might be asked. The reaction in the coming days from his party and the public will tell us whether there is sympathy with that position and whether ultimately his rehabilitation is possible. Strauss-Kahn's 'moment of truth'

 "I think it was a moral failing and I am not proud of it," he told Ms Chazal.

 He said the incident had caused him to miss his "appointment with the French people", referring to his desire to be a Socialist candidate in France's 2012 presidential elections.

 Before his arrest, he had been expected to be a strong contender to challenge President Nicolas Sarkozy.

 He said he could "obviously" no longer be a candidate and would play no part in the forthcoming Socialist primaries.

 He would now "take time to reflect" on his future, he added.

 He said the sexual encounter "did not involve violence, constraint or aggression" and that Ms Diallo had lied, but he had no intention of negotiating with her in her civil case.

 But he reserved his harshest words for the US criminal justice system.

 "I was afraid, very afraid," he said, "and I was humiliated, trampled before I could even utter a word."

 In addition to the New York case, Mr Strauss-Kahn faces an allegation by French author Tristane Banon that he tried to rape her in 2003.

 But the former IMF chief said that Ms Banon's accusations were imaginary, adding that there was "no violence". He is suing for defamation.

 He was interviewed by French police last week. ||||| Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, maintained Sunday his sexual encounter with a New York hotel maid did not involve violence, constraint or aggression but still constituted a moral failing on his part.

 In his first interview since his May 14 arrest over accusations of sexual assault, Strauss-Kahn told France's TF1 television channel "what happened was more than an inappropriate relation. It was an error."

 He added "I regret it infinitely."

 Still, he maintained the encounter with the maid, Nafissatou Diallo, was consensual and that she "lied" in accusing him of attacking her after she came into his room at New York's Sofitel hotel to clean.

 Strauss-Kahn also dismissed as "imaginary" separate claims by a French writer that he tried to rape her during a 2003 interview, again insisting "no act of aggression, no violence" had taken place between the two.

 The writer, Tristane Banon, has maintained she and Strauss-Kahn tussled on the floor during an interview in an empty apartment, with the politician trying to open her jeans and bra and putting his fingers in her mouth and underwear.

 Because a police investigation into the claims is ongoing, Strauss-Kahn said he would not say anything more about the matter.

 If Paris prosecutors decide to pursue the case, Strauss-Kahn _ once among the luminaries of France's Socialist party who was widely considered a top contender in next year's presidential race _ could face a possible trial.

 New York prosecutors dropped all criminal charges against him in the Diallo case last month, though Strauss-Kahn is still facing a lawsuit brought by the maid, an immigrant from the African nation of Guinea.

 Asked whether he had any intention of returning to politics, Strauss-Kahn said he would "take time to reflect" and rest first.

 "But all my life was consecrated to being useful to the public good," he said, adding "we will see."

 The interview came off as somewhat scripted, with Strauss-Kahn _ in a dark suit and navy tie _ looking unruffled and responding calmly to the questions.

 The AP does not name people who report being sexually assaulted unless they agree to be identified or come forward publicly, as Diallo and Banon have done.

 ___

 Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report. |||||
A summary of this is?

– Making his first public appearance since his arrest on rape charges in New York four months ago, Dominique Strauss-Kahn admitted today to a moral failing: "What happened was more than an inappropriate relation. It was an error," the former IMF chief said on French television. "I regret it infinitely." But he insisted that his sexual encounter with a maid in a New York hotel was consensual and that she had "lied" about it, the AP reports. Strauss-Kahn also shrugged off a French writer's rape accusation as "imaginary," saying "no act of aggression, no violence" occurred between him and Tristane Banon. A police investigation into that claim is ongoing. Asked about his political ambitions, Strauss-Kahn said he would "take time to reflect" and rest. "But all my life was consecrated to being useful to the public good," so "we will see." Strauss-Kahn saved his strongest words for America's justice system, the BBC reports: "I was afraid, very afraid," he said, "and I was humiliated, trampled before I could even utter a word."


Police have charged a man they say shot and seriously injured an Army National Guard combat medic during a shootout in the stairwell of her east Charlotte home.

 Reco Latur Dawkins Jr., 23, was charged with attempted murder, felony breaking and entering and conspiracy. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said he turned himself in to the department’s violent criminal apprehension team Sunday morning.

 Semantha Bunce was feeding her baby just before 10 a.m. Tuesday when intruders knocked on the front door, rang the doorbell and then kicked in the door. Bunce grabbed her gun met them at her bedroom door and exchanged gunfire with them, family members told the Observer.

 She was shot several times and was recovering Sunday at Carolinas Medical Center. Her baby wasn’t injured during the exchange of gunfire at the home on Matlea Court, off the Plaza Road extension. Police initially said there was more than one intruder, but on Sunday they didn’t say whether investigators were looking for anyone else in connection with the shooting.

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 Bunce, 21, is a member of the U.S. Army’s 105th Engineer Battalion, based in Raeford. Paul Bunce III told WSOC-TV he believes his wife’s training as a combat medic allowed her to stay mentally focused and calm during what was a fight for her life.

 The case, which police and family members believe was an act of random crime, has made national headlines.

 Hollie Ritchie, Bunce’s friend and fellow soldier with the Raeford-based 105th Engineer Battalion, established a Go Fund Me site to help pay for Bunce’s utility bills, child care, travel expenses, home repairs, medical bills and missed wages.

 Paul Bunce’s employer, MAA, has also established a fund on YouCaring , a fund-raising site. The company manages apartment complexes in the Carolinas and 13 other states.

 Sunday’s arrest was Dawkins’ seventh in the past three years, including several on charges of breaking and entering, according to the Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Office.

 Dawkins has a criminal history dating to his teenage years, according to court records. He was convicted of breaking and entering in 2010 and sentenced to three years of probation. ||||| CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Police have charged a man with attempted murder after an alleged shootout with an Army National Guard combat medic in the stairwell of her Charlotte, North Carolina home.

 The medic's husband says 21-year-old Semantha Bunce was feeding her baby just before 10 a.m. Tuesday when intruders knocked on the front door, rang the doorbell and kicked in the door. Paul Bunce says his wife grabbed her gun and exchanged gunfire with them before they fled.

 Semantha Bunce was shot several times and is recovering in a hospital. The baby wasn't injured.

 The woman's father-in-law, Paul Bunce Jr., told CBS affiliate WBTV she was forced to defend her family.

 "I think it was a shock to the intruders just as it was to her," Bunce said. "Semantha is not out of the woods yet. Everybody is concerned about her."

 Neighbors told the station Bunce's husband was at work and her other child, a toddler, was at school when the shooting happened.

 Bunce's husband told the station his wife is a fighter.

 Local media outlets report that 23-year-old Reco Latur Dawkins Jr. is charged with attempted murder, felony breaking and entering, and conspiracy. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say he turned himself in Sunday morning.

 Hollie Ritchie, a family friend who served with Bunce in the National Guard, told WBTV that Bunce is receiving visitors, eating, talking and walking.

 Dawkins is being held in jail. ||||| A woman was taken to the hospital with critical injuries after police say she was shot when she interrupted a burglary inside her northeast Charlotte home.

 Police say the woman was inside her home along the 6000 block of Matlea Court just before 9:51 a.m. Tuesday morning with her infant child. That's when police say someone kicked in her front door and shot her.

 The shooter then ran from home.

 The woman, later identified as 21-year-old Semantha Bunce, had to be transported to Carolinas Medical Center-Main with critical injuries. The child was not injured.

 Neighbors tell WBTV Bunce's husband was at work and her other child was at school when the shooting happened.

 According to police, officers are searching for the person and say initial information indicates Bunce did not know the shooter.

 Neighbor Joseph Chambers said he thinks he heard the shots fired Tuesday morning.

 “I heard a couple gunshots but at the time I didn’t know they were gunshots. I thought it was the people behind me working on their house,” Chambers explained.

 He said the incident has him worried .

 “I got a son too and he’s not even quite two years old yet. It kind of scares me thinking that could be and him or my fiancé and him in there,” Chambers explained.

 Neighbor Nadine Gillen woke up to police knocking on her door. They were canvassing the neighborhood, hoping for information that would lead them to the shooter.

 "It's scary to come downstairs to such a terrible scene. Everyone around here is pretty friendly. It's just really scary," Gillen said.

 Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a Homicide Unit Detective. Detective Fitch is the lead detective assigned to the case.

 The public can also call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or visit the Crime Stoppers mobile app website at http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/.

 Copyright 2015 WBTV. All rights reserved. ||||| People on Matlea Court are concerned about their neighbor, a 21-year-old mother that was shot in her home Tuesday.

 Police say Semantha Bunce was taken to the hospital after they responded to a call regarding an assault with a deadly weapon. Investigators say Bunce was home with her baby just before ten o'clock in the morning when someone kicked in the front door.

 Bunce was shot. The baby was not hit or hurt.

 Semantha's husband, Paul Bunce III, said his wife is a fighter. She's in a lot of pain and still in the ICU. He also wanted everyone to know family is in town and taking care of their kids.

 Her father-in-law, Paul Bunce Jr, says Semantha was feeding the baby when someone knocked and rang the doorbell. She was hesitant to answer the door.

 “I think it was a shock to the intruders just as it was to her,” the father-in-law said. “Semantha is not out of the woods yet. Everybody is concerned about her.”

 He added that Semantha was in the National Guard, and did fight back. There are several bullet holes that are visible from the outside of the back of the home. One of the bullets entered John Marshall's home next door.

 "I heard a big gunshot. Then all of a sudden I heard the mini-blinds make a loud noise," he said. "My wife saw it and told me, and I got scared."

 Marshall's wife was not home at the time of the shooting, and discovered the bullet hole in a bedroom about 20 minutes after the shots were fired. Marshall uses a wheelchair to get around and was not able to catch a glimpse of who fired at his neighbor. He says by the time he got downstairs the police were already there.

 WBTV asked Marshall if there is a lot of crime in his neighborhood.

 "We had a couple break-ins down the street and spray paint all over the neighborhood last summer," Marshal said.

 Police reports from the last month show there was a car stolen a block away from someone's driveway and there was an armed robbery. The victim of the armed robbery explained she was picking up a friend on Matlea Court when she was robbed at gunpoint in her car.

 She said she's been so freaked out about the incident that she doesn't really like to discuss it. She told police at the time the two men who robbed her were wearing bandanas. She's thankful she wasn't hurt, but sorry to hear about the mother being shot. She has no idea if her case is at all related to what happened to the mother down the street, and says she wishes she could give information that was more valuable to help with this woman's case.

 People who live on and near Matlea Court say they have been taking turns driving around the neighborhood since there has been no arrest.

 “Sometimes it takes something like this for the community to pull together and then possibly have some community watch,” Semantha's father-in-law said.

 Police say this is an active investigation. They have not released a description of the shooters.

 Semantha's husband told WBTV that they don't want to discuss the case because it's an ongoing investigation, but says he is thankful for the support. He says his job set up a fund to help the family.

 Copyright 2015 WBTV. All rights reserved. ||||| Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office (Photo: MCSD)

 CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The man who police believe shot a young mother, turned himself in Sunday. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say Reco Latur Dawkins, Jr. walked into the police station and surrendered. Police say Dawkins and another suspect broke into a house in the Hickory Grove neighborhood, Tuesday.

 "They left a lot of evidence,'" said Paul Bunce, husband of Semantha Bunce. Semantha was home with their 4 month old son when police say two men violently broke into their home. Police say Bunce was shot and then the suspects took off. Bunce was shot in the stomach and arm. Her husband says she is making progress but recovery isn't easy.

 "We have good days and bad days." Sunday became a better day when they heard the news of the arrest.

 "As soon as we heard the news we definitely uplifted our spirits."

 They say prayers and fundraising from friends and strangers has helped a lot too. The YouCaring page setup by Paul Bunce's coworkers has already exceeded it's $5,000 goal.

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What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Home invaders messed with the wrong woman in Charlotte, NC. Semantha Bunce, a 21-year-old Army National Guard combat medic, was breastfeeding her 4-month-old son in her bedroom when she heard the doorbell just before 10am last Tuesday, reports WSOC. Seconds later, intruders kicked in the door and opened fire, leaving several bullet holes in Bunce's home, per WBTV. Bunce, who grabbed her own weapon and fired at the intruders, was shot in the stomach and arm before they fled, per WCNC and CBS News; her infant was uninjured. She was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. She's "not out of the woods yet," her father-in-law says. "Everybody is concerned about her." Police say 23-year-old Reco Latur Dawkins Jr., who has twice been convicted of breaking and entering, turned himself in on Sunday. He's now been charged with attempted murder, felony breaking and entering, and conspiracy. Police say they're still searching for a second suspect. Bunce's husband—who was at work at the time of the shooting, per WBTV—says his wife's National Guard training likely helped her stay calm while fighting for her life, per the Charlotte Observer. "I think it was a shock to the intruders just as it was to her," her father-in-law adds. Two fundraising pages have been set up to help pay Bunce's medical bills, child care, travel expenses, and missed wages. (This woman foiled an intruder with her medieval skills.)


The idea sounds like an early April Fool - or maybe something that only a cat can do – but it in fact comes from plans filed by Apple to the US Patent Office.

 The “Protective Mechanism for an Electronic Device” patent application says it aims to prevent some or all of the damage to any electronic device with a processor – such as a tablet or a laptop – but specifically mentions the iPhone .

 The system needs a sensor to detect when the device is falling and how it is positioned relative to the ground, according to the website Appleinsider.com .

 Position and speed of falling could be measured using simple gyroscopes, accelerometers or position sensors, although the patent also mentions more sophisticated equipment such as GPS and imaging sensors.

 Data on how and when impact is going to occur is fed into a processor that must make a decision on how best to hit the ground to avoid damage.

 The system must then - and this is the really difficult part - reorientate the device in mid-air so it lands as flat as possible.

 Here, the patent application suggests a number of solutions: the movement of a weighted mass within the device; aeroplane-like foils that extend out from the surface of the device; and a thrust mechanism such as a small gas-propulsion device.

 Other methods mentioned look to counter the problem of a device being pulled onto the floor by a trailing power or headphone cable.

 The patent explores the possibility that cables could be forcibly ejected when rapid movement is detected to prevent the device being pulled to the ground.

 The system does not appear to be close to going into production, and leaks about such a seemingly fanciful system may be met with some cynicism at a time when Apple is under fire for ceding ground to rival Samsung.

 A phone that never smashed, however, would certainly capture the imagination of the smartphone-buying public. ||||| An Apple invention discovered on Thursday describes a system that could potentially save the most fragile components of an iPhone, such as the glass screen, by detecting when a device is falling and shifting the handset's center of mass to control its landing.

 Source: USPTO

 Illustration of mass motor drive with attached mass.

 Headphone plug clamp system.

 In one example, the protective mechanism is configured to alter the device orientation as the device is falling. This may allow a less vulnerable portion of the device to impact the surface at the end of a freefall. For example, the protective mechanism may be activated to rotate the device so that it may impact a surface on its edge, rather than on a screen portion.

 Lift members can be extended from the device chassis to provide aerodynamic lift during freefall.

 Published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple's "Protective Mechanism for an Electronic Device" patent filing looks to alleviate some or all of the damage when a device is accidentally dropped. While the invention can be applied to any electronic device with a processor, from a tablet to a laptop, it is most well-suited for those portables that users carry with them on a daily basis. For example, Apple's iPhone is specifically mentioned in the patent language.In order to work, the system needs a sensor or sensor array that can detect when a device is in freefall and how it is positioned relative to the ground. These can be simple gyroscopes, accelerometers or position sensors, but the patent also notes more advanced components like GPS and imaging sensors may be employed. Coupled to the sensor is a processor that can help determine a freefall state, including how fast a device is falling, how far away it is from the ground and time to impact, among other metrics. Statistics of various fall heights, speeds and other data can be stored on system memory to aid the processor in making a decision on how best to land the device.Finally, the system requires a mechanism to either reorientate the device while in flight, or otherwise protect certain sensitive device components in the event of a fall. Here, the patent calls for a number of solutions, including the movement of a weighted mass within the device, a means to "grip a plug" to prevent a freefall, lift foils that can be extended out from the surface of a device, and a thrust mechanism such as a can of gas, among other countermeasures.Basically, the sensor send signals to the processor, which determines if a device is in a freefall state. If such a determination is made, the protective mechanism is deployed. Many of the embodiments focus on repositioning the device while in flight to have it impact a non-vital area or portion of the unit. In order to lessen the blow, or avoid it entirely, the protective mechanism can substantially change the angular velocity, device positioning or device rotation.From the patent overview:Alternative embodiments focus on using internal motors used to grasp onto inserted cables to break a fall, extend air foils or aerodynamic lift members, and retract vital parts like switches. In addition, other options call for mechanisms that forcefully jettison cables which may be pulling a device off a table or weighty power supplies. In one example, a gas canister is used as thrust to counter gravitational acceleration.Such a complex system is unlikely to be integrated into an iPhone anytime soon, especially given the handset's increasing trend toward a thin-and-light design, but future iterations or products may see a similar method employed as component miniaturization technologies advance.Apple's protective mechanism application was filed in September 2011, and credits Nicholas V. King and Fletcher Rothkopf; Fletcher as its inventors. |||||

Write a summary.

– Ever cracked your cell phone by dropping it on a hard surface? You may be pleased to know that Apple has submitted a patent for a device that would flip over falling iPhones so they land without breaking the screen, the Telegraph reports. First revealed on Appleinsider, the mechanism would measure a phone's fall with position sensors, accelerometers, or gyroscopes. How to flip it around in mid-air? Apple considers using: "Lift foils" that emerge from the surface of the phone Thrusting gas to turn the phone around A weighted mass inside the phone The patent also looks at ways to stop iPhones from being dragged off tabletops by their cables—perhaps by ejecting the cables when pulled rapidly along a surface. Sadly, the Telegraph notes that none of these plans seem close to fruition.


– The family of an unarmed black motorist shot in the back by a South Carolina police officer has been given a settlement that lawyers say is "historic"—and the biggest in recent cases of its kind. North Charleston's city council voted unanimously on Thursday to settle with Walter Scott's family for $6.5 million, the New York Times reports. A city attorney tells the Post and Courier that they're proud they could "settle a case of this magnitude without a brick being thrown, without a fire being set, and without a lawsuit being filed." He says the city took the $6.4 million settlement in the Freddie Gray case and the $5.9 million settlement in the Eric Garner case into account during negotiations. As part of the settlement, Scott's family has agreed not to sue the city or its employees, the Times notes. The city lawyer says that while the payment is large, there was the potential for "a very large verdict" if the case went to court because there's video of the shooting and former officer Michael Slager has been charged with murder. "It's historic," an attorney for the Scott family tells the Washington Post. "It sets a good precedent for a city not tolerating this sort of behavior from police officers." Anthony Scott, Walter Scott's brother, says the settlement ensures that Scott's four children will be taken care of financially, and a portion of it will be donated to the Red Cross to help flood victims in the state, the Post and Courier reports. (Slager is in jail awaiting trial for the April 4 shooting, and he says video of the incident doesn't tell the whole story.)

Expand this summary.

The family of Walter L. Scott, the African-American man who was fatally shot by a white police officer in North Charleston, S.C., reached a $6.5 million settlement with the city Thursday that precludes Mr. Scott’s family from bringing civil claims over his death.

 The North Charleston City Council voted to authorize the settlement at its meeting Thursday night, according to lawyers for the Scott family and a statement issued by the city.

 A passer-by’s video of the April 4 killing appears to show the officer shooting Mr. Scott in the back while he was running away. The shooting sparked a national furor and became part of a broad and passionate conversation about American policing methods and the fate of African-Americans at the hands of some officers.

 The police officer, Michael T. Slager, was fired shortly after the shooting. He has been jailed since April 7. In June, he was indicted by a grand jury on a murder charge. Mr. Slager has not been arraigned, but Andy Savage, his lawyer, said that Mr. Slager denied any culpability for the killing. ||||| The family of Walter Scott will get a settlement of $6.5 million from the city of North Charleston, the largest such payout in the recent high-profile killings of black men by police officers.

 With members of Scott’s family seated in the audience, City Council unanimously voted Thursday to approve the settlement, which City Attorney Brady Hair called “the largest settlement for this type of case in the state of South Carolina,” adding that he feels it’s in line with settlements on similar cases nationwide.

 Scott, 50, a black man, was shot April 4 by white North Charleston police officer Michael Slager. Cellphone video captured by a passerby showed the officer shooting Scott in the back.

 Although the killing sparked protests at City Hall, there was no violence as there has been in other cities where similar incidents have occurred, such as Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore. City officials and family members credited the peaceful response of the public and the city’s swift action in arresting Slager with facilitating a settlement.

 “We are very proud that we were able to settle a case of this magnitude without a brick being thrown, without a fire being set and without a lawsuit being filed,” said Hair.

 North Charleston officials said they have been talking with Scott family lawyers for several months.

 “We agreed ... to try to resolve the case without a lawsuit,” Hair said. “We had lots of open, honest, cordial discussions with them. We didn’t agree on everything but it was a very unique way of handling the situation. We’ve never done it like this before. ... but we felt that if we could come to a resolution without a lawsuit being filed, without depositions and without press coverage of every step both sides made, that it would be healthier for both the family and the city.”

 Days after the Scott slaying, lawyers for the family said they planned to file suits against Slager, 33, for civil rights violation and wrongful death, but no suits were filed. During several meetings over the past few months, City Council has gone into closed session to receive advice from Hair on a potential lawsuit.

 Slager was indicted on a murder charge in June, and in September Circuit Judge Clifton Newman denied bail, calling the evidence against Slager “persuasive.”

 Anthony Scott, Walter Scott’s brother, said Thursday, “Though nothing can replace having Walter in our lives, the city of North Charleston’s historic actions ensure that he did not die in vain. This city sent a message loud and clear that this kind of reckless behavior exhibited by members of law enforcement will not and shall not be tolerated.”

 The settlement also protects current or former city employees from being sued in the case.

 “The Eric Garner case in New York and the Freddie Gray case in Baltimore really set the tone for the range of numbers that we thought was consistent with what was going on,” said Hair. “We think it is a really fair settlement and a good one. It’s a lot of money but we had to realistically face the fact that the potential for a very large verdict was there because of the video and because we have a police officer who is charged with murder.”

 Asked how the parties arrived at a figure, Chris Stewart, a lawyer for the Scott family, said, “You have to be realistic. There is no way that this city could pay $50 million ... You can go to your corner being unrealistic and just fight with the other side, and at the end of the day also harm the city and innocent people that had nothing to do with the situation.”

 Mayor Keith Summey said it was important for the city to acknowledge the harm done to Scott and his family.

 “(Nothing) negates the fact that (Slager) shot the guy in the back and we’re wrong,” said Summey. “From Day 1, we have said, ‘When you’re wrong, you’re wrong,’ and there was no doubt in our mind that it was going to cost us. Even though I think we handled it completely appropriately, it was still going to cost us.”

 The settlement will allow the family and the city to move on, Hair said.

 “We think that it is a good resolution and a fair one,” Hair said. “This would have been the thing that we dealt with the next several years and that’s not fair to our citizens, not fair to our Police Department and frankly, not fair to the family.”

 “It’s time to move on, bottom line,” said Police Chief Eddie Driggers. “It’s time to move on and do what people pay us to do — to serve and protect. We have 343 sworn officers trying to do what’s right by the citizens they serve.”

 Stewart said he could not address how the money will be divided among family members, “but his (four) children will be taken care of.”

 In addition, a portion of the settlement money will be donated to the Red Cross to aid flood victims, Anthony Scott said.

 Talks are ongoing with the state Insurance Reserve Fund, but as of now, about $1 million of the settlement will come from the Insurance Reserve Fund and the rest will come from the city’s fund balance, which currently is about $18 million. It will not affect the city’s bond rating, Summey said.

 “This entire situation has been almost a blueprint of how these situations should be handled,” Stewart said of the settlement. “They came to the table willing to talk, willing to work things out. They didn’t just give away $6.5 million. We had to fight, argue, battle, got at each other for a while, but peaceful resolution is always better.”

 Justin Bamberg, a state representative who is also a Scott-family lawyer, said, “From start to this point, to hopefully a criminal conviction of the officer, we have set a prototype, the standard, for how these types of situations can be handled and should be handled, in that when you keep faith, when you respect one another ... things can work out.”

 After the video was made public, Scott’s death became the focus of a nationwide discussion on police officers’ use of force against black men. The video showed Scott freeing himself from a struggle and running away as he was shot at eight times.

 “The criminal process still has to run its course,” Hair said. “Getting this part of the matter behind everyone will help so that the criminal justice system can focus on that.”

 Anthony Scott called the settlement a “bittersweet victory” and said the family will focus on the criminal trial.

 “It is our hope that after a jury of his peers reviews the evidence, they’ll send an equally important message to law enforcement that there is no place for unnecessary violence against unarmed, fleeing individuals.”

 Slager also is being sued by Julius Garnett Wilson, who has a history of drug arrests and a conviction for interfering with police, for allegedly shooting Wilson in the back with a Taser last year. The suit was filed in the wake of Scott’s shooting.

 In July, New York City reached a $5.9 million settlement with the family of Garner to resolve a wrongful-death claim over his killing by the police on Staten Island a year earlier. The officer, Daniel Pantaleo, was not indicted in the case.

 On July 17, 2014, two officers approached Garner, who was unarmed, and accused him of selling untaxed cigarettes. One of the officers used a chokehold to subdue Garner, and that hold, along with the compression of Garner’s chest by other officers who held him down, was cited when the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.

 Last month, the city of Baltimore approved a $6.4 million settlement with the family of Freddie Gray, who suffered a fatal spinal injury when the 25-year-old was handcuffed and shackled, but not buckled in, inside a police van in April.

 Six officers charged in the case have pleaded not guilty and will stand trial on charges ranging from assault to murder.

 In a case of an officer-involved shooting that went to trial recently, a federal jury last year awarded $97.5 million to the family of former Cottageville Mayor Bert Reeves. Reeves was fatally shot by a town police officer and the sum was settled earlier this year by both sides at $10 million. ||||| Officials in North Charleston, S.C., have reached a $6.5 million settlement with the family of Walter Scott, the unarmed black man whom a bystander video captured being shot in the back by a white police officer after fleeing a traffic stop on foot in April, according to the Scott family.

 “It’s historic,” said Chris Stewart, an attorney for the Scott family. “It sets a good precedent for a city not tolerating this sort of behavior from police officers.”

 Former police officer Michael Slager, who is charged with murder for shooting Walter Scott (Reuters/Randall Hill)

 Scott’s death was one of half a dozen cases of unarmed black men being killed by police officers in late 2014 and early 2015 that sparked protests in dozens of cities and prompted new discussions of police transparency and reform.

 “This is a very difficult period for the Scott family. I know they are glad to have this part behind them so their healing process can continue,” North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said in a statement. “As a result of this tragedy, important issues have been discussed, not only in North Charleston, but around the country. Citizens have become engaged in this process and government officials are listening.”

 He later added: “This settlement is a step in the right direction for the family, the city, the Lowcountry, and our state.”

 The settlement comes after the City of New York agreed to pay $5.9 million to the family of Eric Garner, whose death after allegedly being put in a chokehold by an NYPD officer was captured on bystander video, and the City of Baltimore agreed to pay $6.4 million to the family of Freddie Gray, whose death in the back of a police transport van prompted murder charges for six officers.

 North Charleston’s decision to pay Scott’s family rather than face a civil suit comes as Michael Slager, the officer who killed Scott, remains imprisoned while he awaits trial on murder charges.

 [‘Look for justice.’ A shooting in South Carolina and the power of video]

 If convicted, Slager faces 30 years to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Reached via email, Slager’s attorney Andy Savage refused to comment on the settlement.

 So far this year, police officers have shot and killed more than 750 people, according to a Washington Post database tracking police shootings all year. There are just five cases this year that have resulted in charges for the officers involved, and in all but one of those cases video evidence was crucial to prosecutors’ decision to bring charges.

 “This is a small victory,” said Anthony Scott, Walter Scott’s brother. “And as long as we win the war, and get a conviction for murder, we will be pleased and feel like we got justice.”

 Related reads:

 Thousands dead, few prosecuted: An investigation into police shootings

 Fatal police shootings in 2015: An attempt to document a previously unknown number

 Distraught People, Deadly Results: Officers often lack the training to approach the mentally unstable, experts say

 Black and Unarmed: Unarmed black men are seven times more likely than whites to die by police gunfire |||||


Write an article based on this summary:

– While cops in France crack down on burkinis, police forces in two other countries have decided to embrace the hijab. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have decided to allow female officers to wear a hijab while on duty in a bid to encourage diversity among the Mounties, the Independent reports. Police officers in Scotland were already allowed to wear the hijab, but only with approval from senior officers, the Telegraph reports. The headscarf has now been made an official part of the uniform. "Like many other employers, especially in the public sector, we are working towards ensuring our service is representative of the communities we serve," Scottish Chief Constable Phil Gormley said in a statement. In Canada, officials say they hope the shift in uniform policy will encourage more Muslim women to join the Mounties, the AP reports. They note that hijabs were already allowed by police in Toronto, as well as by forces in Sweden, Norway, and London, which added the hijab to the uniform in 2001.

Muslim women serving with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP, have been given dispensation to wear a hijab while on duty.

 The change is meant encourage diversity in the ranks of the so-called Mounties, who normally don a uniform that dates all the way back to the 1800s and includes a felt Stetson hat, the government said.

 The outfit, which easily distinguishes the Mounties from other types of police officer and is regarded affectionately by many Canadians as a symbol of patriotic identity along with the maple leaf on the national flag, also includes leather riding boots and red serge tunics.

 While the Mounties themselves were informed of the new policy at the start of this year, it was only formally unveiled by the Ottawa government this week.

 It will be seen as Canada taking a stand against islamophobia and setting itself apart from other countries that remain politically uncomfortable with Muslim members of the community making their own choices about what kind of clothing attunes with their faith in which circumstances.

 In particular, France is currently in tumult over the issue after a court in Nice on Monday upheld a ban on so-called ‘burkinis’ - a full body swimsuit chosen by some Muslim women when visiting the beach - on the grounds that they offend some non-Muslims and exacerbate tensions between the different faith communities.

 The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, on Tuesday dismissed the notion of the country ever imposing a ‘burkini’ ban. “In Canada, can we speak of acceptance, openness, friendship, understanding? It is about where we are going and what we are going through every day in our diverse and rich communities,” he was cited as saying by AFP, the French news agency.

 RCMP change uniform policy to allow Muslim women Mounties to wear Hijab. Read more here: https://t.co/FjwbmoECgl pic.twitter.com/fec3dh8bhG — CBC Politics (@CBCPolitics) August 24, 2016

 The RCMP first relaxed its uniform requirements in 1990 when it granted Sikh officers the right to wear turbans instead of the Stetson hats. That too was a step taken to boost recruitment. There are roughly half a million Sikhs in Canada, with the largest number in and around Toronto.

 There have been roughly 30 recent cases of RCMP officers asking for some relaxation in the uniform rules, mostly men asking to wear beards again in accordance with religious tradition. There have as yet been no women stepping forward to take advantage of the hijab provision.

 (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Andrew Vaughan)

 According to local media reports, the RCMP tested three different variations on the traditional hijab and eventually chose the one that was least likely to interfere with the women officers carrying out their duties while at the same time being comfortable.

 The decision was approved by the RCMP commissioner and confirmed in a statement from a spokesman for the Public Safety Minister, Ralph Goodale.

 “The commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) recently approved this addition to the uniform,” Scott Bardsley said.“This is intended to better reflect the diversity in our communities and encourage more Muslim women to consider the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as a career option.”

 The RCMP is hardly the first to alter its stance with regard to head scarves for Muslim women. The metropolitan police forces of Toronto and Edmonton, both in Canada, had already given the green light for the hijab as have forces in several US states. They can also be seen worn by female police officers in London, Sweden and Norway. ||||| The hijab has become an optional part of the Police Scotland uniform as the force works to encourage Muslim women to join the service.

 Previously, officers could wear the religious headscarf with approval but it is now formally part of the force uniform.

 Police Scotland said it is working to make the force "representative of the communities we serve."

 The formal announcement was welcomed by the Scottish Police Muslim Association (SPMA), an organisation set up in 2010 to build closer ties with Muslim communities. ||||| TORONTO (AP) — Canada's national police force recently permitted its women officers to wear the hijab.

 The Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police recently approved the change in policy, allowing Muslim women to wear the garment, a veil that covers the head and chest, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale's spokesman said Wednesday.

 Scott Bardsley said it is intended to better reflect the diversity of Canada and to encourage more Muslim women to consider a career with the force.

 The Mounties faced a public backlash more than 25 years ago when a Sikh man took the government to court and won the right to wear his traditional turban instead of the usual Mountie headgear. Canadians have long since accepted the change.

 Bardsley noted police services in the cities of Toronto and Edmonton and those across the United Kingdom, Sweden and Norway, as well as some U.S. states, have adopted similar policies.

 Julie Gagnon, a spokeswoman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said the organization developed a special hijab but said no officer is wearing it as no members have requested to wear the hijab on duty since the policy was officially adopted in January. She said offering female Muslim officers the choice to wear it reflects the diversity of the force's workforce. It's unclear how many Muslim officers the Mounties have.

 The change in Canada is in contrast to France, where at least a dozen towns have banned body-covering burkini swimwear favored by some Muslim women, the latest skirmish in a long-running duel between some members of France's large Muslim population and the secular establishment. |||||


News article:

The conservative blogger who reported that a photo of a man's crotch had been sent from Rep. Anthony Weiner's Twitter account to a woman college student says he has an X-rated picture he'll publicize if the New York Democrat attempts reprisals against him.

 Conservative activist Andrew Breitbart of the website BigGovernment.com tells NBC's "Today" show he considers the image "an insurance policy" against attacks from Weiner, who on Monday admitted the crotch photo was of him. The married Weiner also acknowledged he had engaged in inappropriate contact with six women over three years through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook and occasionally over the phone.

 Breitbart told NBC Tuesday that if Weiner wants to open himself to further investigation, "there are a lot of women" who could come forward. Asked directly if he considered the purported unpublicized picture an insurance policy, Breitbart replied, "I don't like to think of it that way."

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 Thanks for sharing! Why not tell some other friends? ||||| What we can only assume is the worst couple of weeks in Rep. Anthony Weiner’s life continues. Andrew Breitbart appeared on The Opie and Anthony Show on Sirius Radio this morning in the latest stop on his “I Told You So” Tour and showed the hosts, Anthony Cumia and Gregg “Opie” Hughes a picture that he said he wouldn’t release; a fully uncensored photo that purports to be of Weiner’s genitals. Breitbart showed the picture on his cell phone which he passed around. Unsurprisingly, the hosts quickly snapped a shot of the screen and tweeted the image out to numerous news outlets.

 So, yeah, the picture’s out there now.

 It will be interesting to see how much this picture affects the story. After all, everyone’s basically already seen Weiner’s penis albeit covered by underwear. And the photo doesn’t add any new indiscretions. However, it’s quite possible that seeing an actual pornographic, fully nude image will be enough to put the final nail in the coffin.

 One interesting detail is that this image will not be allowed on television which means people, in all of their curiosity, will look it up online, making them more actively involved in the story. That’s something that could affect how strongly they feel about Weiner and the scandal either way.

 Whatever the case, this is not a good development for Rep. Weiner.

 Here is Hughes’ tweet with the image in question pixelated.

 (Update) Here is the exchange with Andrew Breitbart from the Opie And Anthony show below: |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– It was inevitable: A purported photo of Anthony Weiner's naughty bits (this time sans underwear) is now on the Internet, courtesy of radio hosts Opie and Anthony of Sirius, reports Mediaite. How it came to be: They had Andrew Breitbart on this morning, and he showed them the photo (yep, the one he said he wouldn't release) on his phone. As it made the rounds, a video camera captured an image, according to these tweets. If you must see, you can get an uncensored look here. "It will be interesting to see how much this picture affects the story," writes Mediaite's Jon Bershad. "The photo doesn’t add any new indiscretions. However, it’s quite possible that seeing an actual pornographic, fully nude image will be enough to put the final nail in the coffin."


Article:

A loyal dog has been waiting patiently at his owner's door step for over two weeks, not realizing he's never coming back."You could just tell that he was a lost dog," said Cassandra Eubanks who lives at an apartment complex near Hobby Airport.Eubanks said every day, she would see the German shepherd at the front gates of the apartment complex, looking and searching for his owner to drive in."He would follow the cars and when he would realize that it was not his owner's car, he would just stand there and look helpless," said Eubanks.Neighbors said they would also see the dog waiting outside of an apartment door. Not long after, they understood why the dog was waiting for so long. His owner, and convenience store clerk was killed this past month during an armed robbery.How do you explain that to a dog?"Of course he's confused because he doesn't know what's going on. He hadn't seen his owner in two weeks," said Eubanks.The dog would not come close to anyone. Residents left behind food and water. Finally, after a plea on social media for help, Maranda Perez responded with her dog."As a German shepherd, he didn't stand a chance," said Perez. "It just broke my heart to hear that the poor animal lost his owner, his best friend."For nearly an hour, Perez slowly gained the dog's trust. The dog ran up three flights of stairs before it finally was able to trust Perez enough to put a leash around his neck."He was still very shaken-up whenever I touched him," added Perez.The next hurdle was putting the dog in her car. It was a struggle, but the pup finally had to let go.Perez said she can keep the dog for a week. The victim's brother said he would like to keep the dog after that. ||||| The bond a man and his best friend shared was put on full display in Houston when a loyal dog waited for weeks for his owner to come home after he was killed while working at a convenience store.

 Neighbors saw the German shepherd waiting at the front gate to the apartment complex where he lived with his owner, 54-year-old Hatem Abuharbid, who was killed during a robbery on Feb. 7.

 "You could just tell that he was a lost dog," neighbor Cassandra Eubanks, who lives nearby, told ABC-owned station KTRK in Houston.

 "He would follow the cars, and when he would realize that it was not his owner's car, he would just stand there and look helpless," Eubanks added.

 Abuharbid was shot in the thigh when two men robbed the Kay-B convenience store where he worked in Houston, police said in a press release. The bullet pierced an artery in his leg, and he later died at the hospital.

 But there was no way for Abuharbid's German shepherd to know any of this had happened.

 "Of course he's confused, because he doesn't know what's going on, Eubanks said. "He hadn't seen his owner in two weeks."

 KTRK

 Residents at the apartment complex left food and water for the dog, but he wouldn't go near anyone, KTRK reported. It took a good Samaritan and her dog to coax the orphaned pup away from the apartment on Monday.

 "It just broke my heart to hear that the poor animal lost his owner, his best friend," Maranda Perez told KTRK.

 It took an hour for Perez, who answered a plea for help on social media, to gain the dog's trust. He ran up three flights of stairs before she was able to get close enough to put a leash on him, she said.

 "He was still very shaken up whenever I touched him," she said.

 Perez will foster the dog for a week, she said, adding that Abuharbid's brother would like to adopt the pup after that.

 The investigation into Abuharbid's death is ongoing, police told ABC News. |||||
What is a summary?

– Loyalty between dog and man once again has no bounds, this time via a German shepherd who waited two weeks for an owner who'd never come home again. The dog was first spotted at an apartment complex near Houston's Hobby Airport, KTRK reports—sometimes on the steps, sometimes at the complex's front gates, sometimes camped out at one particular apartment's front door. "You could just tell that he was a lost dog," neighbor Cassandra Eubanks says. "He would follow the cars and when he would realize that it was not his owner's car, he would just stand there and look helpless." What the poor pup didn't realize: His owner, 54-year-old Hatem Abuharbid, had been killed in a robbery Feb. 7 at the convenience store where he worked, ABC News reports. "Of course he's confused, because he doesn't know what's going on," Eubanks says. The dog wouldn't approach neighbors who left food and water out for him, but he was eventually rescued by a woman who had heard about his plight on social media. "It just broke my heart to hear that the poor animal lost his owner, his best friend," Maranda Perez tells KTRK. She brought her own dog along and worked patiently for about an hour to make the now-ownerless dog comfortable around her. After following him up three flights of stairs, Perez was finally able to place a leash around his neck and get him, with some resistance, into her car. "He was still very shaken up whenever I touched him," she says. Perez says she'll take care of him for the next week or so before Abuharbid's brother takes the dog in. (This loyal pooch stuck by its owner's body until rescuers found them.)


LAS VEGAS—Auto makers aim to make 2014 the year that cars connect to the Web in a big way, and they are stepping up their land rush with Silicon Valley to compete for customers who go online on the road.

 General Motors Co. and Audi AG said they plan to use this week's International Consumer Electronics Show here to roll out strategies for equipping cars with built-in 4G high-speed broadband—the mobile technology now common on... ||||| Autos

 That kid—the one in the back of the SUV with the iPad—is the automotive industry’s worst enemy. He’s also the reason some of the world’s biggest automakers are working with Google to bring its Android software into vehicle infotainment systems.

 Early this morning, Google (GOOG) announced the Open Automotive Alliance. It’s a group of technology and automotive companies, including General Motors (GM), Honda Motor (HMC), Audi, Hyundai, and chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA), that want to customize Google’s popular mobile operating system for vehicles. The technology companies get a chance to place their wares into hundreds of millions of cars. Meanwhile, the automakers have an opportunity to modernize the software inside their vehicles and try to keep pace with the mobile devices that are starting to make high-profit infotainment systems obsolete.

 The announcement comes the day before the official opening of the International Consumer Electronics Show held this week in Las Vegas, where the theme of car-as-gadget (also called “the connected car”) is expected to dominate. Volkswagen’s (VOW) Audi unit and GM are among the slate of auto companies at CES, which is promoting the growth of car-related exhibits.

 Car companies have traditionally rejected the latest and greatest gizmos, preferring stable, proven technology. It’s a stance that makes sense given the safety and reliability concerns they face. The rise and rapid evolution of smartphones and tablets, however, has put a great deal of pressure on these automotive traditions. The mapping services that come free with smartphones have become a compelling alternative to pricey built-in navigation systems. Similarly, a parent might prefer to hand a child a tablet or phone loaded with movies, games, and apps rather than rely on a single DVD playing on backseat screens.

 So far, carmakers have largely responded with custom in-car software systems. Ford Motor (F) and Microsoft (MSFT) collaborated on MyFord Touch, which ties cars to mobile devices and allows for things like voice commands. Other carmakers use the QNX software acquired by BlackBerry (BBRY), homegrown software, or variants of the Linux operating system. While the strategy helps car companies create products that differ from their rivals’, it also requires software companies to write different applications for each carmaker—a costly and time-consuming process.

 There have already been attempts to solve this problem through partnerships. In 2009, BMW, GM, Intel (INTC), and others, for example, announced the Genivi Alliance, a stab at collaborating around the Linux operating system and supporting software that has had modest results. (Genivi is sponsoring a panel at CES called, alarmingly, “Collaborate or Die” (PDF).)

 Android, a variant of Linux, has an advantage over other software because of its dominance in the mobile device industry. The electronics and computing supply chain throughout Asia, Europe, and the U.S. tends to test and tune new components first for Android, providing intense interest and deep expertise around the software. For the automakers, this could translate into access to newer, better technology and lower costs for testing equipment. App makers are also used to creating software for Android. In addition, the likes of BMW, Kia, Audi, and Toyota Motor (TM) already use Google technology for search, maps, and other functions.

 Tesla Motors (TSLA) is among the cutting-edge automakers that have popularized the notion of a computer on wheels as the next evolution of the car. The company’s all-electric Model S sedan ships with a 17-inch touch screen and ready access to things like streaming radio. With a few finger swipes, you can split the screen to have a massive top section for Google Maps and a lower section for music.

 Elsewhere in Silicon Valley, new companies like CloudCar are working to bridge the technology and automotive realms. The company has built a small computing device that can be plugged into a car to give it a modern infotainment system. The idea is that automakers could then upgrade the small unit as needed to bring new features to their vehicles. In addition, software makers would have a common device to aim at with their applications. Ford has also set up a research center in Palo Alto and open-sourced some of the innards of its cars’ control software to let people create things like custom speedometers. |||||

Write a summary.

– The big news from the Consumer Electronics Show—where the expected theme is "the connected car"—is a plan to make your new vehicle a little more like your smartphone. General Motors and Audi tell the Wall Street Journal they have plans to give their vehicles built-in 4G high-speed broadband, and the services sound pretty cool: GM says it'll offer weather and music apps, viewable on an in-dash screen, plus a Vehicle Health app for troubleshooting problems with the car itself. But that's only the beginning of what Google calls the Open Automotive Alliance: a teaming with automotive companies to bring Google's Android system to the road, Businessweek reports. Honda and Hyundai are also in on the deal, while Nvidia will make the chips for automotive displays. But you'll have to pay up for the services, expected later this year, and automakers are already being met with grumbling about distracted drivers. "To take mobile technology and give the driver distractions that don't even relate to driving is just not the right direction," a National Safety Council director said, adding, "I don't blame the automakers, but they are now in an arms race to be more connected." With those complaints in mind, automakers are working to integrate technology so as to be "glanceable." As an Nvidia rep says, "Holding a phone and interacting with a phone while driving is just not safe."