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– Some children dream of being astronauts. Others of winning the World Series. But little Frank Giaccio just wanted to mow President Trump's lawn, the Washington Post reports. “Even though I’m only 10, I’d like to show the nation what young people like me are ready for,” Frank wrote in a letter read by Sarah Huckabee Sanders during a press briefing last month. “I admire your background in business, and I’ve started my own.” On Friday, the now 11-year-old owner of FX Mowing got his wish, USA Today reports. “That’s the real future of the country right there—we’re lucky,” Trump said while watching Frank mow the White House lawn in gloves and safety goggles. “Maybe he’ll be president someday.” Frank, who is foregoing his normal $8 lawn-mowing fee in this instance, was supervised by a US Park Service employee, CBS News reports. The president gave the young Virginian multiple pats on the back and high fives and then took Frank and his father on a tour of the Oval Office.

Frank Giaccio, an eleven-year-old from Falls Church, Virginia, got an unusual once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on Friday morning -- he mowed the White House Rose Garden lawn for the president.

 After writing a letter to the White House offering Mr. Trump landscaping service free of charge, a service for which he normally charges his neighbors eight dollars, the president agreed to let him show off his grass-clipping skills.

 When Giaccio was about three-quarters of the way through trimming the 50-by-100-foot area with a red-and-black power mower, Mr. Trump made a special appearance. Frank briefly acknowledged the president and greeted him but continued his work.

 Frank is hard at work in the Rose Garden and doing a great job! pic.twitter.com/u4f2DtLvu6 — Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) September 15, 2017

 "Future of the country right there. We're lucky. That's the real future of the country," the president said. "Maybe he'll be president."

 Mr. Trump gave Giaccio several high-fives and pats on the back as he continued cutting. He rooted him on and perused his line work on the tall, green fescue lawn.

 "Have you done this before?" the president joked as he followed Giaccio.

 During a brief mowing pause, the president asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up.

 "This is Frank. He is going to be very famous," Mr. Trump said. "He is going to be a Navy Seal one day. He's going to do great things for our country."

 A U.S. Park Service employee and Giaccio's father supervised his work, and afterward, Mr. Trump invited them in for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Oval Office and to snap pictures commemorating the occasion.

 After mowing the @WhiteHouse Rose Garden lawn - Frank and his father Greg Giaccio visit @POTUS @realDonaldTrump in the Oval Office.... pic.twitter.com/cy6ETme1jf — Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) September 15, 2017

 White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had talked about Giaccio's letter during a late-July press conference. Sanders applauded Giaccio's knack for combining his landscaping skills with business savvy, and she promised that the president would allow him into the White House one day. Giaccio wrote the letter to the president when he was 10 years old, but has since had a birthday.

 His letter read: "Dear Mr. President, It would be my honor to mow the White House lawn for some weekend for you. Even though I'm only 10, I'd like to show the nation what young people like me are ready for. I admire your business background and have started my own business. I've been mowing my neighbor's lawn for some time. Please see the attached flyer. Here's a list of what I have, and you're free to pick whatever you want: power mower, push mower, and weed wacker. I can bring extra fuel for the power mower and charge batteries for the weed wacker. I will do this at no charge. Sincerely, Frank."

 .@SHSanders45: "It is our duty to keep the American dream alive for kids like Frank." pic.twitter.com/kaUMlgHn75 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 2, 2017

 Giaccio concluded his freelance landscaping gig at the White House with a stop at the press briefing room. There, he posed for photographs and thanked the president and Sanders for inviting him. Afterward, Giaccio called it "probably the biggest day" of his entire life and promised he won't charge his neighbors more just because he can now add "White House lawn cutter" to his resume. ||||| 11-year-old mows the lawn at the White House, meets President Trump

 CLOSE A young boy named Frank offered his lawn-mowing services to President Donald Trump in August, and the kid got his wish. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

 When Frank Giaccio wrote to President Trump, he said it would be an honor to mow the lawn at the White House.

 That dream came true on Friday morning.

 Frank is hard at work in the Rose Garden and doing a great job! pic.twitter.com/u4f2DtLvu6 — Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) September 15, 2017

 Frank and his father, Greg Giaccio, arrived at the White House, and the 11-year-old — the proprietor of FX Mowing — got to work in the Rose Garden and met the president.

 According to the National Park Service, Frank received a safety briefing from professional grounds staff and was provided with protective equipment that included safety glasses, hearing protection and gloves. He then watered annuals and perennials and mowed the lawn.

 At one point, the president tried to commend the child.

 "Great job!" he says over the noise of the lawn mower.

 But Frank, called FX by his family, kept trucking along.

 Frank was all business. Didn't even stop to say hi when POTUS came out. pic.twitter.com/SpB43z1Jwp — Mike Sacks (@MikeSacksEsq) September 15, 2017

 Eventually, the pair shared a high five.

 Later, the president pat Frank on the back and called him the "future of our country," according to pool reports. He and his father also met Vice President Pence and got the chance to see the Oval Office.

 After mowing the @WhiteHouse Rose Garden lawn - Frank and his father Greg Giaccio visit @POTUS@realDonaldTrump in the Oval Office.... pic.twitter.com/cy6ETme1jf — Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) September 15, 2017

 Frank, who recently celebrated his birthday, aspires to be a Navy SEAL, the president said. But Trump has even bigger dreams for the young man.

 "Maybe he'll be president," he said.

 Contributing: Gregory Korte

 More: Child gets the change to mow the lawn at the White House

 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2xEN7Vy |||||


Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE GORILLA SHOT AFTER CHILD GETS INTO ENCLOSURE How boy got into gorilla enclosure | 0:51 How a 3-year-old boy dropped into the Gorilla World exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. The Enquirer/Mike Nyerges 1 of 5 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE GORILLA SHOT AFTER CHILD GETS INTO ENCLOSURE Mother calls 911 about child who fell in gorilla moat | 0:49 Listen to the 911 call from Michelle Gregg, whose son fell into the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's Gorilla World exhibit on Saturday. Provided 2 of 5 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE GORILLA SHOT AFTER CHILD GETS INTO ENCLOSURE 911 call about child who fell into Gorilla World moat | 1:31 Listen to the 911 call. Provided 3 of 5 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE GORILLA SHOT AFTER CHILD GETS INTO ENCLOSURE 'It was a life threatening situation' says director of Cincinnati Zoo | 2:35 Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo, gives details about Harambe, the gorilla shot and killed Saturday after a 4-year-old boy fell into a shallow moat surrounding the zoo's gorilla exhibit. The Enquirer/Cara Owsley The Enquirer/Cara Owsley 4 of 5 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE GORILLA SHOT AFTER CHILD GETS INTO ENCLOSURE Mourning Harambe | 1:11 Vigil at Cincinnati Zoo recalls rare gorilla who was fatally shot Saturday after child fell into exhibit habitat. The Enquirer/Mark Curnutte 5 of 5 Last VideoNext Video How boy got into gorilla enclosure

 Mother calls 911 about child who fell in gorilla moat

 911 call about child who fell into Gorilla World moat

 'It was a life threatening situation' says director of Cincinnati Zoo

 Mourning Harambe

 A child touches the head of a gorilla statue where flowers have been placed outside the Gorilla World exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Sunday, May 29, 2016, in Cincinnati. On Saturday, a special zoo response team shot and killed Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla, that grabbed and dragged a 4-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla exhibit moat. Authorities said the boy is expected to recover. He was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. (Photo: John Minchillo, AP)

 Update, Wednesday morning: A 3-year-old boy was examined further by his doctor after falling into a Cincinnati Zoo gorilla enclosure Saturday. The incident resulted in the shooting and killing a gorilla to ensure the boy's safety, zoo officials said.

 In a statement from the boy's family released Wednesday morning, the family said the boy is "still doing well."

 "We continue to praise God for His grace and mercy, and to be thankful to the Cincinnati Zoo for their actions taken to protect our child," the family said in the statement. "We are also very appreciative for the expressions of concern and support that have been sent to us. Some have offered money to the family, which we do not want and will not accept.

 "If anyone wishes to make a gift, we recommend a donation to the Cincinnati Zoo in Harambe’s name.”

 A family spokeswoman said the family is still declining all interview requests.

 Earlier reporting: A statue outside the temporarily closed Gorilla World became a makeshift memorial Sunday. Visitors left flowers and cards in honor of Harambe, the gorilla shot and killed Saturday after a 3-year-old boy fell into a shallow moat surrounding the Cincinnati Zoo's gorilla exhibit.

 The boy, who has not been identified, was released from Cincinnati Hospital Medical Center on Saturday night.

 The boy's family said he is "doing just fine" and thanked zoo staff for their quick action, in a statement released through Gail Myers Public Relations LLC.

 “We extend our heartfelt thanks for the quick action by the Cincinnati Zoo staff," the statement read. "We know that this was a very difficult decision for them, and that they are grieving the loss of their gorilla.”

 Buy Photo How the incident unfolded. (Photo: The Enquirer/Mike Nyerges)

 The statement did not identify the family or the boy.

 The boy climbed through the barrier around the gorilla enclosure just before 4 p.m. Saturday, then fell 12 feet into the moat surrounding the exhibit.

 On videos posted to social media, zoo visitors can be heard screaming. People can be heard yelling "stay calm" and "somebody call the zoo." One woman shouts "mommy loves you."

 Harambe, a 17-year-old, 450-pound western lowland gorilla, stood over the boy.

 Two female gorillas were also in the enclosure but they responded to zookeepers' calls to leave the exhibit.

 One witness said the Harambe initially seemed protective of the boy but was alarmed by the screaming.

 Videos posted on social media show the animal drag the boy through the moat before disappearing from view.

 First responders saw Harambe "violently dragging and throwing the child," according to the Cincinnati Fire Department.

 Fearing for the child's life, the zoo's dangerous animal response team shot and killed Harambe, according to Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.

 Maynard said though Harambe didn't attack the child, the animal's size and strength posed a great danger. "In an agitated situation, it may take quite a while for the tranquilizer to take effect," he said, "At the instant he would be hit, he would have a dramatic response."

 The fire department said the boy was in between the gorilla's legs at the time of the shot.

 The zoo's response team includes full-time keepers, veterinarians, maintenance, zoo leadership and security staff. Members are trained and certified annually by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.

 Harambe, a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla, was killed Saturday after a four-year-old boy crawled through a barrier and fell into the moat in the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. The gorilla dragged the boy around before emergency responders shot and killed the gorilla. The boy sustained non-life threatening injuries. (Photo: Jeff McCurry/ Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden)

 Maynard said Saturday that no visitor has breached the exhibit in its 38-year history.

 Gorilla World, which opened in 1978, is inspected regularly by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and the United States Department of Agriculture, zoo officials said.

 Maynard said his staff will study this incident and work toward continuous improvement for the safety of visitors and animals.

 In a statement issued Sunday, a primatologist with animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said the zoo’s enclosure should have been surrounded by a “secondary barrier” to better separate humans from the gorillas.

 “This tragedy is exactly why PETA urges families to stay away from any facility that displays animals as sideshows for humans to gawk at,” the primatologist, Julia Gallucci, said in the statement.

 Gallucci’s statement continued: “Even under the ‘best’ circumstances, captivity is never acceptable for gorillas or other primates, and in cases like this, it's even deadly.”

 In January, the zoo announced plans for a new gorilla habitat. The $12 million greenhouse expansion will double the size of the current exhibit and offer a naturalistic setting.

 The indoor facility would also allow offer views of the gorillas year-round. It could open as early as next year. Maynard said Saturday's incident would not end the gorilla program, but the zoo has not commented on whether it has affected plans for the expansion.

 Eula Ray, of Hamilton, whose son is a curator for the zoo, touches a sympathy card beside a gorilla statue outside the Gorilla World exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Sunday, May 29, 2016, in Cincinnati. On Saturday, a special zoo response team shot and killed Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla, that grabbed and dragged a 4-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla exhibit moat. Authorities said the boy is expected to recover. He was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. (Photo: John Minchillo, AP)

 On Sunday, the zoo was open and many visitors laid flowers at gorilla statue near the exhibit.

 Tony and Melisa Bruce, of Delhi Township, were among the zoo visitors who stopped by the makeshift memorial Sunday afternoon.

 “Parents just aren’t paying attention to what’s going on,” said Tony Bruce. He said he’d seen a parent encourage a child to climb up a post at the cheetah exhibit earlier that day.

 “It’s just heartbreaking all the way around,” Melisa Bruce said. “I do feel that the zoo did what they felt they had to do, unfortunately.”

 Like Tony Bruce, many commenters on social media criticized the boy's parents. Some even called for charges against the boy's parents.

 Cincinnati Police Department spokesman Lt. Steve Saunders said police are not considering charging the boy's parents.

 A Facebook group called Justice for Harambe gathered more than 7,500 "likes" in less than a day.

 "This page was created to raise awareness of Harambe's murder," the page states. "We wish to see charges brought against those responsible!"

 A Change.org petition was created Sunday morning by a user named Shelia Hurt also called for action against the boy's parents. By Sunday evening, the petition had gathered more than 17,500 signatures.

 A second petition asked state legislators to hold zoo visitors legally accountable if their actions result in harm or death of an endangered animal.

 Plans for a memorial vigil at the zoo from noon to 2 p.m. Monday were announced on Facebook, as well. Organizers said they do not want the event to be a protest against the zoo, but instead reflect compassion for the loss.

 Reporter Kevin Grasha contributed.

 EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to say the boy is 3 years old. Police said late Tuesday they had received "conflicting reports" on the boy's age but confirmed Tuesday that he is 3.

 Read or Share this story: http://cin.ci/1TP3FfE ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Amateur footage shows the gorilla dragging the boy through the water

 The killing of a gorilla at a zoo in the US city of Cincinnati after a four-year-old boy fell into its enclosure has triggered outrage on social media.

 Many said male gorilla Harambe should not have been shot dead as he did not intend to hurt the boy, some using the hashtag #JusticeForHarambe.

 Others said the parents should be held responsible for not looking after their child during Saturday's incident.

 Zoo officials shot dead the gorilla after he grabbed and dragged the boy.

 The zoo said it had taken this action against the 400lb (180kg) gorilla as the situation was "life-threatening".

 Twitter user StrayanRepublic, wrote: "#HARAMBE wasn't dragging him to kill him... he was protecting the child from the threat of screaming tourists. @Xoxjlove @CincinnatiZoo."

 Kenz, another user, posted this message: "#JusticeForHarambe its so sad that an endangered animal had to be put down because of careless parenting."

 Meanwhile, Andrue wrote: "Why don't zoos have instant acting tranquilizer? First those 2 lions now Harambe #JusticeForHarambe."

 He was referring to last week's incident when two lions were shot dead in a zoo in Chile after a man entered their pen in an apparent suicide attempt.

 More than 60,000 people have also signed a special petition, calling for the boy's parents to "be held accountable for the lack of supervision and negligence that caused Harambe to lose his life".

 Image copyright Twitter

 Image copyright Twitter

 Image copyright Twitter

 'Devastated'

 Cincinnati zoo has temporarily shut its gorilla exhibit following the incident.

 The boy had climbed through a barrier and fallen about 3m (10ft) into the moat. Video shows the boy being dragged through the shallow moat. The gorilla then stops, with the child below him and looking up at him.

 But reports say this was only a partial picture, and the boy was dragged by the 17-year-old male western lowland gorilla for about 10 minutes.

 He was taken to a local hospital and although no information about his condition has been released, it is believed he will fully recover.

 Image copyright Reuters Image caption The 17-year-old male gorilla, Harambe, was brought to the zoo in 2014

 Zoo director Thane Maynard said: "[The officials] made a tough choice and they made the right choice because they saved that little boy's life. It could have been very bad."

 He said a tranquilliser would not have had a quick enough effect.

 Mr Maynard said that although the boy was not under attack, he "certainly was at risk".

 He added: "We are all devastated that this tragic accident resulted in the death of a critically endangered gorilla. This is a huge loss for the zoo family and the gorilla population worldwide."

 Harambe was born in captivity in Texas and moved to Cincinnati zoo in 2014, where it was hoped he could be part of a breeding programme. Cincinnati zoo has had the largest number of western lowland gorilla births in the US.

 Protective

 In a similar incident in 1986 on the island of Jersey, a Crown dependency of the UK, a five-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure.

 He lost consciousness and a silverback gorilla called Jambo famously stood guard over him, protecting him from other gorillas and stroking his back. When the boy came round he started to cry and the gorillas retreated, allowing keepers and an ambulanceman to rescue the child.

 A life-sized statue of Jambo fetched £18,000 ($26,000) at auction and he even appeared on Jersey stamps.

 The western lowland subspecies inhabits west African rainforests and is the most numerous, although exact figures are not known. There are more than 500 in zoos worldwide.

 The shooting of the lions last week in Santiago, Chile, brought criticism from activists. Zoo officials said no fast-activating tranquillisers were available.

 The man had jumped into the enclosure and stripped naked. ||||| Those are some of the words the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden used Sunday in a contrite explanation for the death of Harambe, a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla killed on Saturday to save a boy who slipped into the zoo's habitat.

 The boy was in "imminent danger," leaving the zoo's Dangerous Animal Response Team with no option but to shoot the 450-pound gorilla, zoo director Thane Maynard said in a statement on Facebook . Tranquilizers may not have taken effect in time to save the boy while the dart might have agitated the animal, worsening the situation, Maynard said.

 "We are heartbroken about losing Harambe, but a child's life was in danger and a quick decision had to be made," he said.

 The words did little to assuage an angry chorus of critics who believed the gorilla's death was unnecessary. Many blamed the boy's mother for failing to look after her son. Neither the boy nor his family have been identified.

 Beautiful animals sadly paying for utter human stupidity and negligence with their lives.#Harambe #CincinnatiZoo pic.twitter.com/4wnkYH1TWn — Chris Dusauchoit (@DusauchoitChris) May 29, 2016

 Some even suggested the boy's parents should be held criminally responsible for the incident. An online petition seeking "justice for Harambe" through criminal charges earned more than 8,000 signatures in less than 24 hours.

 Others criticized the zoo for responding with what they felt was excessive force. Demonstrators gathered outside the zoo on Sunday calling for a boycott.

 Protestors outside Cincinnati Zoo, demanding action for #Harambe, Gorilla shot after child fell in enclosure. @WLWT pic.twitter.com/DZNlP7AcZ7 — Tammy Mutasa (@TammyMutasaWLWT) May 29, 2016

 "In mourning? You all killed him for protecting a child [whose] parents couldn't contain their own children!!" said one commenter on the zoo's Facebook page.

 'Not a good scene'

 The boy, 4, was released unhurt from a Cincinnati hospital Saturday and the zoo opened on Sunday. Gorilla World, home to nine western lowland gorillas, was closed.

 The incident drew widespread attention as dramatic video spread across the Internet showing Harambe dragging the boy like a rag doll through the water across the habitat.

 The boy climbed through a barrier and fell some 15 feet to a shallow moat in Harambe's enclosure, Maynard said.

 Kimberley Ann Perkins O'Connor, who captured some of the incident on her phone, told CNN she overheard the boy joking to his mother about going into the water.

 Suddenly, a splash drew the crowd's attention to the boy in the water. The crowd started screaming, drawing Harambe's attention to the boy, O'Connor said.

 At first, it looked like Harambe was trying to help the boy, O'Connor said. He stood him up and pulled up his pants.

 As the crowd's clamors grew, Harambe tossed the boy into a corner of the moat, O'Connor said, which is when she started filming. Harambe went over to the corner and shielded the boy with his body as the boy's mother yelled "Mommy's right here."

 The crowd's cries appeared to agitate Harambe anew, O'Connor said, and the video shows him grabbing the boy by the foot. He dragged him through the water and out of the moat atop the habitat, O'Connor said.

 By that point, "It was not a good scene," she said. When the boy tried to back away the gorilla "aggressively" pulled him back into his body "and really wasn't going to let him get away," she said.

 O'Connor left before the shooting. When asked if the the barrier could be easily penetrated by a child, she said it would take some effort.

 "Unfortunately, it was a bad situation where a 4-year-old didn't have the attention of his mother for seconds," she said. "I don't think it was as easy as standing up and falling in. He actually had to climb under something, through some bushes and then into the moat."

 'Captivity is never acceptable'

 The zoo defended its safety barriers, saying this is the first time Gorilla World has experienced a breach since the exhibit opened in 1978. The exhibit is inspected regularly by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and the United States Department of Agriculture, and adheres to safety guidelines, according to the zoo.

 "The safety of our visitors and our animals is our No. 1 priority," Maynard said. "The barrier that we have in place has been effective for 38 years. Nevertheless, we will study this incident as we work toward continuous improvement for the safety of our visitors and animals."

 Zoo officials said the incident lasted about 10 minutes. According to a Cincinnati Fire Department incident report, the gorilla was violently dragging and throwing the child, leading the zoo's emergency responders to decide to put the gorilla down "to save the child," the zoo said. The response team includes full-time keepers, veterinarians, maintenance workers, zoo leadership and security staff. All members are trained and certified annually by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.

 The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said on Twitter the tragic episode was the latest proof that "captivity is never acceptable for gorillas or other primates." Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered in the wild, numbering fewer than 175,000, according to the zoo. An additional 765 gorillas dwell in zoos worldwide.

 1/4 Yet again, captivity has taken an animal's life. The enclosure should have been surrounded by a secondary barrier to prevent this. — PETA (@peta) May 29, 2016

 2/4 Gorillas have shown that they can be protective of smaller living beings & react the same way any human would to a child in danger. — PETA (@peta) May 29, 2016

 3/4 Even under the "best" circumstances, captivity is never acceptable for gorillas or other primates & in cases like this it's even deadly. — PETA (@peta) May 29, 2016

 4/4 This tragedy is exactly why PETA urges families to stay away from any facility that displays animals as sideshows for humans to gawk at. — PETA (@peta) May 29, 2016

 The zoo had its share of defenders and supporters, who weighed in on Facebook acknowledging the difficulty of its decision.

 "I know that was a tough decision for the zoo to make," one commenter said. "Now if that child was killed because they (the zoo) didn't do anything then everyone would be up in arms."

 As another person said, "My heart goes out to all of the Zoo Family at this time. I am well aware of how difficult the decision was and it could not have been an easy one for the Zoo's Animal Response Team especially as the staff at the Zoo goes above and beyond providing compassionate care for all the animals entrusted to them.

 "It is unfortunate that to save the life of a child, an animal had to be sacrificed. Thank you to all the Zoo Staff for all you do for the animals. Wishing you peace." ||||| The creator of this petition wishes to extend her thanks and appreciation for the support in the quest to seek justice for Harambe. It is understood that the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office will make a statement on this matter on Monday, June 6. The creator of this petition will respect the decision made by the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office in this matter.

 There has been a lot of talk in the press (especially cable news), vilifying the petition, vilifying its creator, Sheila, and making this seem like a race-baited witch-hunt for the mother and that the intent of the petition is to get kids removed from the home. Nothing can be further from the truth. Ms. Hurt condemns the racially-motivated statements made on news channels and in news stories on the internet, especially the statements that involve the legal record of a family member who was not present during the incident. Ms. Hurt feels these journalistic attacks on the family are unnecessary, hurtful, and they do not further the cause of seeking justice for Harambe.

 It is understood that there is a petition is created in regards to closing down this one with claims that this is a racially-driven smear campaign that defames the mother involved in the incident. Once again, these allegations are false and upsetting toward Ms. Hurt whose only goal was to ensure that proper legal action was taken in this matter.

 It is important to note that Ms. Hurt’s petition has not, and will not mention the name of the family involved. There is a reason this petition has not and will not state the family members' names or any personal information about them: It is wrong and it is up to the proper authorities to have that information and any other information they need to investigate this matter. This information is only of use to Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, not the public, and certainly not of use to anyone who signs this petition.

 The creator of this petition requests that no one harasses, threatens, or otherwise disturbs the family involved in this sad incident. Please understand that any disturbance toward the family may result in legal action being taken against you by the family and any involved parties. Only Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, Hamilton County Job and Family Services, and Cincinnati Police Department should be in contact with the family.

 Three things matter in the case of Justice for Harambe:

 *Ensuring that the children of the involved family are safe.

 *That the parents have necessary support they need to keep the children safe and that they have access to supportive services that will help them provide a safe environment.

 *That proper LEGAL action is taken in this matter and responsible parties are held accountable if the investigation finds that there was negligence involved.

 We understand no parent is perfect, kids are curious and can slip away, but we do get concerned when a child was at risk for serious injury and death in one of the safest settings around. It is upsetting that people vilify the Cincinnati Zoo, an institution that has done so much work in trying to turn the tide against extinction in several critically endangered species. If any of you have heard of the Sumatran rhino calf born recently- that was made possible BECAUSE of the research on Sumatran rhino reproduction at Cincinnati Zoo. The sire was born at the Cincinnati Zoo, and research conducted at the zoo ensured that the mother maintained a healthy pregnancy resulting in a healthy female calf.

 The zoo has made modifications to its Gorilla World viewing area and as announced in September, 2015, a new Gorilla World viewing area will be ready in Summer 2017. A sad incident at the Cincinnati Zoo has prompted this petition. On May 28, 2016 an unattended four year-old boy was able to crawl through a series of barriers at the Gorilla World enclosure. The child fell an estimated 10 to 12 feet into the moat surrounding the habitat. The 17 year-old male Western Lowland Gorilla named Harambe then got a hold of the boy. The gorilla was perceived as dragging and throwing the boy. The zoo made the last-resort decision to shoot Harambe because of the increased risk of aggression if a tranquilizer was used in such close proximity to a human. This heartbreaking decision was made in the best interests of keeping the child and the public safe.This beautiful gorilla lost his life because the boy's parents did not keep a closer watch on the child. We the undersigned believe that the child would not have been able to enter the enclosure under proper parental supervision. Witnesses claim that they heard the child state that he wished to go into the enclosure and was actively trying to breach the barriers. This should have prompted the parents to immediately remove the child from the vicinity. It is believed that the situation was caused by parental negligence and the zoo is not responsible for the child's injuries and possible trauma.We the undersigned want the parents to be held accountable for the lack of supervision and negligence that caused Harambe to lose his life. We the undersigned feel the child's safety is paramount in this situation. We believe that this negligence may be reflective of the child's home situation. We the undersigned actively encourage an investigation of the child's home environment in the interests of protecting the child and his siblings from further incidents of parental negligence that may result in serious bodily harm or even death.Please sign this petition to encourage the Cincinnati Zoo, Hamilton County Child Protection Services, and Cincinnati Police Department hold the parents responsible. |||||

Write a summary.

– Did the gorilla have to die? The Cincinnati Zoo is facing an angry backlash for shooting Harambe, an endangered gorilla, dead after a 4-year-old boy fell in its enclosure Saturday, CNN reports. Protesters who accuse the zoo of using excessive force gathered outside the zoo Sunday and the #JusticeforHarambe movement has started a petition to have the boy's parents investigated for negligence. The zoo, however, says that while it is devastated by the death of the male western lowland gorilla, the boy was in imminent danger and tranquilizers would not have worked quickly enough. A witness says that after the boy fell 15 feet into in the enclosure, the gorilla seemed protective at first, but he became agitated as visitors screaming and started dragging the boy through a moat. A witness tells CNN that to get into the enclosure when his mother was distracted, the boy had to "climb under something, through some bushes and then into the moat." He was released from a hospital on Saturday night and his parents issued a statement thanking the zoo and saying the boy is "doing just fine," the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "We know that this was a very difficult decision for them, and that they are grieving the loss of their gorilla," they said. The BBC notes that a similar incident in Britain in 1986 had a happier ending. When a 5-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure on the island of Jersey and fractured his skull, a male silverback named Jambo stood guard, stroking the boy and keeping other gorillas away until he was rescued.


– Former University of Alabama student Megan Rondini would still be alive if not for the "mishandling" of her alleged rape, her parents say. In a wrongful death lawsuit filed Sunday, Rondini's parents accuse the university, school officials, sheriff's deputies, and Rondini's alleged rapist of enabling her suicide in February 2016. Rondini had been a 20-year-old student at the University of Alabama in July 2015 when she alleged she was raped by local businessman TJ Bunn Jr. But authorities "wrongfully acted or failed to act in response," the lawsuit alleges, per Buzzfeed. It adds deputies—who found the case didn't meet Alabama's legal definition for rape—didn't test Rondini's rape kit or interview witnesses, an "intentional" behavior that was due to Rondini's gender. Rondini—who allegedly stole $3 and a gun from Bunn—was "treated as a crime suspect," not a victim, the suit continues, per the AP, also alleging a school counselor refused to see Rondini unless she took anxiety medication. Rondini later dropped out of school, moved back to Texas, and suffered "extreme depression, anxiety, PTSD, fear, panic attacks, decline of cognitive functions and general well-being … all of which directly led to Megan's loss of life," the suit states. Per AL.com, two days before her suicide, she sent a text reading, "I wonder what I could've accomplished if one man didn't completely rip everything away from me." Bunn, who claimed the sex was consensual, was never charged with a crime. His lawyer tells AL.com that the lawsuit is "baseless" and "simply false."

Expand this summary.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — The parents of a Texas woman who said she was raped while attending the University of Alabama have sued the alleged attacker, school officials and others, claiming the episode led to her suicide last year.

 A federal wrongful death lawsuit filed over the weekend by Michael and Cynthia Rondini of Austin, Texas, claims the alleged assault and officials' subsequent mishandling of the allegations prompted Megan Rondini to kill herself.

 The lawsuit says Rondini, then a 20-year-old junior who planned to go to medical school, met a man at a popular Tuscaloosa bar in July 2015. She was later sexually assaulted at his home, possibly after being drugged, the suit contends.

 Police investigating the sexual assault were sympathetic toward the man and wrongly focused on Rondini's actions, which including taking a handgun and $3 for cab fare from his home, the lawsuit claims.

 "Megan ultimately was treated as a crime suspect and her status as a victim of a sex crime was completely disregarded," the suit said. The young woman withdrew from Alabama and returned home to Texas, where her mental condition deteriorated, according to the complaint.

 The man wasn't charged, and the lawsuit claims investigators and university officials mishandled her allegations. The suit contends Rondini afterward suffered depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, which her parents say led to her suicide.

 The lawsuit names the man, but The Associated Press is not using his name since he was not charged with a crime. It also names Beth Howard, Title IX coordinator at Alabama; Cara Blake of the school's Women and Gender Resource Center; Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ron Abernathy; and two county officers, investigator Adam Jones and deputy Joshua Hastings.

 In a statement, the university declined comment on specifics of the lawsuit but said school officials were "deeply saddened" by Rondini's death and are trying to raise community awareness and support victims of sexual assault.

 A lawyer for the man named in the lawsuit denied that he had sexually assaulted her.

 "The allegations against my client as set forth in this baseless lawsuit are simply false," the statement said.

 Abernathy said the case was referred to a grand jury, which declined to issue an indictment. Letting grand jurors consider evidence rather than filing immediate charges is standard practice in cases with "very conflicting statements," Abernathy said.

 The lawsuit was assigned to a federal magistrate judge Monday, but no hearing date was set.

 The complaint doesn't seek a specific amount of money. It asks for a court order requiring the sheriff's office to provide better training to officers and "to provide safe conditions to citizens around criminal investigations." ||||| A lawsuit accuses law enforcement and university officials of failing to give Megan Rondini, the subject of a BuzzFeed News story, the help she needed after she reported being assaulted by a wealthy man in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

 The parents of a young woman who killed herself after alleging she’d been raped by a wealthy Alabama man have sued the accused attacker, law enforcement officers, and a university Title IX official, alleging their “faulty practices” and “mishandling” of the case drove their daughter to hang herself. The story of Megan Rondini, who was a student at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa when the alleged rape occurred, was detailed in a recent BuzzFeed News story. The 25-page wrongful death suit filed Sunday by Rondini’s parents, Michael and Cynthia Rondini, charges that Tuscaloosa Sheriff's Department deputies were intentionally dismissive when Rondini reported in July 2015 that she was raped by T.J. Bunn, Jr., one of six defendants named in the suit. It accuses investigator Adam Jones and deputy Joshua Hastings of the Tuscaloosa Sheriff’s Department of conducting sloppy investigations. Also named in the suit is Tuscaloosa Sheriff Ronald Abernathy, for allegedly failing to properly train his department in how to handle sexual assault reports. In addition, the Rondinis are suing Beth Howard, the University of Alabama’s Title IX coordinator, who also held that position when their daughter reported she had been raped; and Cara Blakes, who was a graduate student working as a therapist at the school’s Women and Gender Resource Center. All of the defendants “negligently, recklessly, wantonly, and/or wrongfully acted or failed to act in response to Megan’s reported sexual assault,” the lawsuit alleges. As a result, it says, Megan Rondini suffered “extreme depression, anxiety, PTSD, fear, panic attacks, decline of cognitive functions and general well-being, weight loss, and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, all of which directly led to Megan’s loss of life.”

 W. Ivey Gilmore, Jr., an attorney for Bunn, said in a statement Monday that the accusations against his client in the suit are false. "It is, perhaps, natural to want to find someone to blame when a young woman takes her life," Gilmore said. "But accusing law enforcement and those who counseled this young woman for her actions is misguided. Unfortunately, bringing this matter before the courts in this civil action will only prolong grief without changing the reality." No one else named in the suit immediately responded to a request for comment. The suit, filed by Birmingham-based attorney Leroy Maxwell Jr., seeks an unspecified amount of damages. Megan Rondini’s death came to light in the BuzzFeed News report, which used law enforcement interrogation videos, text messages, and other documentation to show her growing frustration after she told Tuscaloosa law enforcement that she’d been raped after a night out with friends. Rondini accused T.J. Bunn Jr. in the assault, but Bunn said they had consensual sex. Tuscaloosa officers questioned why Rondini didn't kick or hit Bunn and concluded the incident did not meet Alabama’s legal requirements for rape. They also questioned Rondini about crimes she had allegedly committed, including taking money and a gun from Bunn’s car as she fled his home after the alleged assault. Rondini ultimately dropped the case, left the University of Alabama, and moved back to her native Texas, where she hanged herself in February 2016. Bunn was never charged with a crime. The article led to outrage in Congress. Last Wednesday, Rep. Ted Poe, a Republican from Texas, described Rondini's case and said "she got the death penalty” after reporting she’d been sexually assaulted. Poe criticized Tuscaloosa investigators, saying they treated Rondini “with disdain and disbelief." "It’s easy to second guess what someone should or should not have done after emotional trauma of sexual assault, but Megan believes she did everything a rape victim is supposed to do," Poe said on the House floor.

 The lawsuit says Tuscaloosa officers failed to test Rondini's rape kit, failed to interview witnesses, and failed to record all of the interviews they did conduct. Their behavior “was intentional and due to Megan Rondini’s female gender,” the suit alleges.

 “Megan ultimately was treated as a crime suspect and her status as a victim of a sex crime was completely disregarded,” the lawsuit alleges. "The only conclusive evidence gathered from the investigation was that Megan tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease that she contracted from non-consensual sex with Defendant Bunn," the suit states. Bunn's family is well-known in the Tuscaloosa area. His father and uncle own S.T. Bunn Construction, which took down its website following the BuzzFeed News story as people online directed outraged readers to their contact page. In a statement released shortly after the story appeared, Bunn's family called the article "an intentional distortion of facts in a tragic case," and said Rondini's family had previously sought to sue "various parties who are the targets of these unfounded accusations."

 "It is tragic that this young woman took her own life, but defaming an entire city, its leaders, its institutions and a prominent family brings no honor to this tragedy and no justice for anyone," the Bunn family said in its statement. The University of Alabama has said the BuzzFeed News story "ignored some significant facts," including that it gave Rondini information about services available to her on campus. It also noted that it referred Rondini to another counselor because the first one she met with after the alleged assault knew the Bunn family and recused herself from the case. However, the Rondini family claims in the lawsuit that the second counselor Rondini was referred to, Cara Blakes, "inexplicably denied Megan counseling services" until she began taking anti-anxiety medication. The lawsuit alleges this was a violation of Rondini's rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The suit also says that Beth Howard, the University of Alabama's Title IX coordinator, ignored calls and messages from Rondini's family requesting help for their daughter. The suit was filed in US District Court in Alabama. Anna Voremberg, a board member of End Rape on Campus, an advocacy group that has assisted Rondini's parents, accused investigators of appearing more sympathetic to Bunn in videotaped interviews than to Rondini, who was the one reporting a violent crime. "Why would someone come forward to report any violence at all? It was just like a good ol' boys club in there," Voremberg told BuzzFeed News. "Megan is just one example of many in which law enforcement officers truly fail survivors of sexual violence and their community." Katie J.M. Baker contributed reporting.

 Tyler Kingkade is a national reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York City. Contact Tyler Kingkade at tyler.kingkade@buzzfeed.com. Got a confidential tip? Submit it here.

 News moves fast. Keep up with the BuzzFeed News daily email! Sign up Great! You're almost there! Check your inbox and confirm your subscription now! ||||| The parents of Megan Rondini, the University of Alabama student who killed herself after alleging that she had been raped by a Tuscaloosa man, filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit Sunday against her alleged rapist, two university employees, the Tuscaloosa County sheriff, a sheriff's deputy, and a sheriff's office investigator.

 The lawsuit by Michael and Cynthia Rondini alleges that the school and law enforcement failed their daughter. It claims the sheriff's office inadequately pursued the investigation and did not take Megan's claims seriously, and the university did not give her adequate psychological treatment and support after the alleged rape.

 Leroy Maxwell Jr., the Rondinis' attorney, said the lawsuit was filed with the hope that it would prevent cases similar to Megan's.

 "There was a mediation with the Rondini family and the university, the details of which are confidential. The Rondini family is not in this for the money, they are only interested in shining a bright light on a tragic yet preventable situation," he said in a statement sent to AL.com. "The court will determine if this case rises to the level of punitive damages."

 Meanwhile, the school, DCH Regional Medical Center, victim advocates, the Tuscaloosa District Attorney's office and law enforcement are establishing two sexual assault programs that care for sexual assault victims.

 "While this long-term solution is being implemented, DCH is training its staff in the SANE [Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner] course curriculum," the groups said Friday in a joint press release.

 Terry Bunn Jr., Rondini's alleged rapist, could not immediately be reached for comment. The lawsuit identifies him as being part of a family that is "well connected and powerful in the Tuscaloosa community, and were major financial supporters of UA." Bunn works at ST Bunn Construction Company, which is across the street from the Innisfree Pub, where Megan was allegedly drunk or drugged before being raped for 30 minutes in July 2015.

 His lawyer, W. Ivey Gillmore, said in a statement to AL.com that the lawsuit is "baseless and "simply false."

 "Law enforcement investigated this matter; the district attorney's office reviewed the evidence; the evidence was even presented to a grand jury that found there was no justification for charges against my client. It is, perhaps, natural to want to find someone to blame when a young woman takes her life," Gillmore said. "But accusing law enforcement and those who counseled this young woman for her actions is misguided. Unfortunately, bringing this matter before the courts in this civil action will only prolong grief without changing the reality."

 The filing goes on to claim that authorities sided with Bunn's version of events and did not thoroughly follow-up on Megan's story, and that an investigating officer was more interested in finding out whether Megan committed any crimes on the night of the rape.

 The university allegedly "deliberately and repeatedly denied services and mishandled accommodations with hostility toward" Megan, the suit goes on to say. The lawsuit claims Megan confided in a UA counselor who told her she could no longer give her therapy because she was a family friend of the Bunns, and that a second counselor would not see Megan unless she first took anxiety medication.

 The lawsuit claimed UA did not accommodate Megan after the rape, alleging that she saw Bunn's car outside her apartment and saw her alleged rapist on the Tuscaloosa campus.

 Prior to the lawsuit, the university had issued this statement:

 "The University of Alabama has been deeply saddened by the death of Megan Rondini, and we continue to offer our sympathy to her friends and family. Information published by news outlets this week has unfortunately ignored some significant facts," UA said. "When Megan went to the hospital, a university advocate met her at the hospital to provide support and stayed with her throughout the examination process. Megan also received information from university representatives regarding services available to her on campus, including counseling through the university's Women & Gender Resource Center. When she sought counseling and her first therapist identified a potential conflict as defined by her professional obligations, Megan was immediately introduced to another therapist, who provided care and support. Additionally, the UA Title IX Office was in contact with Megan, including offering academic accommodations and helping to streamline her withdrawal when Megan elected to return to Texas."

 Megan returned home to Austin, Texas, where the trauma from the rape and the response from law enforcement and the university caused her to kill herself, the lawsuit claims.

 "The combined trauma due to Megan's treatment by the Tuscaloosa Sheriff's Department, the reporting process with UA, the additional anxiety of trying and failing to receive counseling as a result of her rape, and the influential position of her assailant in the community ultimately made Megan feel unsafe on campus and that she could no longer remain at UA," the lawsuit stated.

 Megan hung herself on February 26, 2016. Two days before, she sent a text that read: "When all is said and done, I wonder what I could've accomplished if one man didn't completely rip everything away from me."

 A copy of the lawsuit is posted below:

 Rondini Lawsuit by hkoplowitz on Scribd

 Updated at 6:30 p.m. to include a statement from Bunn's attorney. |||||


– Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, will stop carrying out public engagements this fall, Buckingham Palace announced Thursday. The palace said in a statement that Philip, who's 95, has the full support of the queen in his decision. He will continue heading numerous charitable organizations but will not play an active role attending engagements, the AP reports. In the past, Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has suffered heart problems but has maintained a vigorous public schedule. The palace did not offer any new details about his health. Earlier Thursday, there was frenzied speculation among palace-watchers as royal staff from across the UK were summoned to a meeting. (Prince Philip was all smiles hours before the announcement was made.)

Expand this summary.

FILE - In this Wednesday, May 3, 2017 file photo Britain's Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, smiles during his visit to Lord's Cricket Ground to open the new Warner Stand, in London. Buckingham Palace... (Associated Press)

 LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, will stop carrying out public engagements this fall, Buckingham Palace announced Thursday.

 The palace said in a statement that Philip, who is 95, has the full support of the queen in his decision. He will continue heading numerous charitable organizations but will not play an active role attending engagements.

 In the past Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has suffered heart problems but has maintained a vigorous public schedule. The palace did not offer any new details about his health.

 Earlier in the day, a report by Britain's Daily Mail of an unusual meeting of royal household staff sparked a worldwide wave of speculation about the health of the queen and Philip, including incorrect reports that the flag atop Buckingham Palace had been lowered to half staff.

 The two appeared to be in good health Wednesday. The queen met with Prime Minister Theresa May at the palace and Philip made an appearance at a London cricket club. ||||| Rumors spread Wednesday that Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh had passed away. The longtime husband to Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II is 95 years old. Throughout his life, Philip has been known for his rambunctious personality, off the cuff remarks and the occasional public gaffe. Now he will live out his final years in peace.

 Shortly before the announcement, Prince Philip was on hand for the opening of Warner Stand at Lord’s, a recently refurbished cricket arena in London.

 RELATED:Happy anniversary! Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have been married 69 years and are still going strong

 “Today is a landmark moment for the club and we are very grateful to His Royal Highness for joining us to celebrate the official opening of the Warner Stand,” Marylebone Cricket Club official Robert Ebdon said in a statement to the press.

 “This truly outstanding facility will be enjoyed by visitors to Lord’s for many years to come.”

 Photos of the appearance show Prince Philip laughing and joking around, while inspecting the cricket stand. |||||


Some Yazidis find new shelter in northern Iraq, as U.S airstrikes continue to target Islamic State positions. Meanwhile, Iraq’s president names a new prime minister to replace Nouri al-Maliki. (Reuters)

 Some Yazidis find new shelter in northern Iraq, as U.S airstrikes continue to target Islamic State positions. Meanwhile, Iraq’s president names a new prime minister to replace Nouri al-Maliki. (Reuters)

 Iraq’s president on Monday asked a veteran Shiite politician, Haider al-Abadi, to form a new government, setting the stage for a vicious political showdown in a country already struggling to contain an Islamist extremist insurgency.

 As his already limited political support crumbled, the incumbent prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, dug in for a fight. He argued that the appointment of the 62-year-old Abadi as prime minister-designate was legally invalid.

 The clash has raised deep concerns at home and abroad about Iraq’s teetering stability. Ominously, Maliki reminded the country in a televised address Monday of his position as head of the armed forces and assured soldiers that the “error” will be rectified.

 For a second day, blue-and-white armored personnel carriers belonging to security forces that answer directly to Maliki were stationed around the Green Zone. A hulking tank sat at one of the entrances to the secured zone, which houses government buildings. The armed forces remained on high alert, officials said, though Saad Maan, a spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command, maintained that the deployment was routine.

 “We are entering a potential clash,” said an Iraqi official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic. “On the ground, [there are] tanks and armored vehicles. It’s a very complicated situation with the army.”

 1 of 42 Full Screen Autoplay Close Aug. 10, 2014 Aug. 9, 2014 Saturday Aug. 7, 2014 Thursday Aug. 5, 2014 Tuesday Aug. 4, 2014 Monday Aug. 3, 2014 Sunday Skip Ad × Yazidis cross into Iraqi Kurdistan from Syria View Photos After being stranded on the parched Mount Sinjar for almost a week and then walking 12 miles to seek refuge in Syria, some of the persecuted civilians were able to safely return to the Kurdish region of Iraq with the help of Syrian Kurdish forces. Caption After being stranded on the parched Mount Sinjar for almost a week and then walking 12 miles to seek refuge in Syria, some of the persecuted civilians were able to safely return to the Kurdish region of Iraq with the help of Syrian Kurdish forces. Aug. 12, 2014 Displaced Iraqis from the Yazidi community gather for food at the Nowruz camp in Derike, Syria. Khalid Mohammed/AP Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

 In a sign of U.S. concern, President Obama on Monday publicly announced his backing for Abadi, saying that his nomination was “a promising step forward.” Both he and Vice President Biden called Abadi to express their support.

 Abadi now has 30 days to form a government, and during that time Maliki will remain the caretaker prime minister.

 The U.S. government has said it will significantly expand aid to Iraq in its battle with al-Qaeda-inspired militants only if it forms a government that embraces the country’s different religious and ethnic groups.

 “The only lasting solution is for Iraqis to come together and form an inclusive government,” Obama told reporters in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., where he is vacationing.

 In his eight years as premier, Maliki has consolidated power in his office, ruling in an authoritarian style that has chipped away at his support among minority Sunnis, as well as his fellow Shiites. He is widely blamed for fostering an environment that has allowed Sunni extremists from the Islamic State to seize control of huge chunks of Iraqi territory.

 But in the face of a chorus of calls for him to leave — from the country’s religious authorities, his political rivals and even members of his own bloc — Maliki has stubbornly refused. Pressure to form a new government has mounted amid fears that Islamist extremists will exploit any vacuum. Maliki maintains, however, that since his bloc won the most seats in parliament in national elections this spring, he should be the one leading the next government.

 Hours after Iraqi President Fouad Massoum asked Abadi to form a government, the enraged outgoing premier made a televised address lambasting the move and declaring that he personified the governing State of Law coalition.

 “I am Nouri al-Maliki, and I am the head of State of Law, and I am the head of Dawa [party], and no one has the right to deal under our name without my approval,” he said, in a speech that suggested his desperation.

 But his State of Law coalition has crumbled, with 38 of its 96 parliamentarians signing a letter to the president declaring their support for Abadi. They were among 127 Shiite politicians who supported Abadi’s bid in the 328-seat parliament. Abadi will probably be able to form a majority with support from Kurdish and Sunni factions, analysts said.

 Indeed, a late-night show of force Sunday — when Maliki announced that he would sue the president rather than acquiesce to the naming of a new prime minister and deployed security forces to strategic points in the capital — appeared to have galvanized efforts to oust him.

 “It has backfired and was unwise,” said Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd who served as foreign minister in the Maliki government. “We have passed the stage of military coups and taking power by force.”

 The army indicated Monday that its loyalties do not lie with Maliki.

 “We are the army of Iraq, not of Maliki,” the armed forces said on its official Twitter account. “We will continue to fulfill our promises, and for our nation we shall be defenders.”

 But Iraq’s security forces are fragmented and in disarray after a partial collapse of the army in June.

 Maliki has also built up a support base in Iraq’s militias, most notably the notorious Asaib Ahl al-Haq, whose fighters were out in force for a second night Monday. However, analysts argue that Asaib and others are ultimately loyal to Iran, which has also withdrawn its backing for Maliki.

 The Obama administration has deployed its top officials to encourage a smooth transition to a government led by Abadi, a seasoned member of Maliki’s party.

 In a phone call Monday morning with Massoum, Biden commended the Iraqi president for nominating the prime minister and emphasized Obama’s “desire to boost coordination with a new Iraqi government and Iraqi Security Forces to roll back gains” by the Islamic State, according to a statement. So far, a U.S. air campaign against the insurgents has largely been contained to the country’s mostly Kurdish north.

 In his speech Sunday night, Maliki accused the United States of supporting a breach in the Iraqi constitution.

 Maliki on Monday filed a letter with Iraq’s Supreme Court arguing that Abadi’s appointment is null and void. His argument centers on a technicality: that his State of Law bloc, rather than a wider Shiite coalition, should have been allowed to nominate the president and that he is the only one who can speak for it. Human rights organizations have in the past complained that he controls the judiciary.

 “They stabbed us in the back,” Jumaa al-Adwani, a member of the State of Law coalition who is sticking by Maliki, said Monday, calling the move a coup.

 Iraqi and U.S. officials hope that a new leader will help bridge the country’s rifts and bring Iraq’s disaffected Sunni minority back into the political process, eroding support for the Sunni extremists.

 Abadi, a British-educated engineer who hails from the capital, Baghdad, still faces an uphill battle.

 “He’s a fresh face in a sense,” said Kirk Sowell, a political risk analyst and publisher of the newsletter Inside Iraqi Politics, who also described Abadi as a “gray suit kind of guy.” “But this isn’t a radical change, it’s a modest change.”

 Abadi, a former communications minister, told state television that his first task as prime minister would be to curb the influence of the Islamic State.

 Anne Gearan in Sydney, Mustafa Salim in Baghdad and Ahmed Ramadan in Beirut contributed to this report. ||||| BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's new president on Monday snubbed the powerful incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and nominated the deputy parliament speaker to form the new government, raising fears of more infighting in the government as country faces the threat of Sunni militants in the north.

 U.S. and Kurdish flags flutter in the wind as displaced Iraqis from the Yazidi community cross the Syria-Iraq border at Feeshkhabour bridge over the Tigris River at Feeshkhabour border point, in northern... (Associated Press)

 Iraqi security forces stand guard amid tight security by Iraqi security forces that sealed off roads around a pro-government demonstration supporting Embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq, Monday,... (Associated Press)

 Iraqis chant pro-government slogans and wave national flags to show support for embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during a demonstration in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 11, 2014. Al-Maliki is taking... (Associated Press)

 An Iraqi soldier stands guard amid tight security measures by Iraqi security forces during a pro-government demonstration to show support for embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, in Baghdad, Iraq,... (Associated Press)

 Displaced Iraqis from the Yazidi community settle at a camp in Derike, Syria, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014. Kurdish authorities at the border believe some 45,000 Yazidis passed the river crossing in the past... (Associated Press)

 Iraqis chant pro-government slogans and display placards bearing a picture of embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during a demonstration in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 11, 2014. Al-Maliki is taking... (Associated Press)

 Iraqis chant pro-government slogans and wave national flags in a show of support for embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during a demonstration in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 11, 2014. Al-Maliki... (Associated Press)

 Displaced Iraqis from the Yazidi community settle at a camp in Derike, Syria, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014. Kurdish authorities at the border believe some 45,000 Yazidis passed the river crossing in the past... (Associated Press)

 In a televised address Fouad Massoum gave Haider al-Ibadi 30 days to form a new government and present it to parliament for approval, expressing his hope he would succeed.

 Al-Ibadi, who pledged to form a government to "protect the Iraqi people," was nominated for the post by the Iraqi National Alliance, a coalition of Shiite parties that al-Maliki's State of Law is part of, but has turned against him.

 Al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated bloc won the most parliament seats in April elections and the prime minister sees himself as rightfully keeping the post. In a midnight speech, al-Maliki said he was filing a suit against the president for neglecting to name him prime minister by Sunday's deadline and all but demanded he be renominated.

 Critics say al-Maliki, a Shiite, contributed to the crisis by monopolizing power and pursuing a sectarian agenda that alienated the country's Sunni and Kurdish minorities.

 Al-Ibadi's nomination came hours after al-Maliki deployed his elite security forces in the streets of Baghdad, partially closed two main streets — popular spots for pro and anti-government rallies — as hundreds of his supporters took to the streets.

 "We are with you, al-Maliki," they shouted, waving posters of the incumbent premier, singing and dancing.

 Mohammed al-Ogeili, a lawmaker from al-Maliki's list, rejected the nomination of al-Ibadi arguing that this move "runs against the constitution" because al-Maliki's party is the largest bloc and the National Alliance has no right to present any candidate.

 "This decision would lead the country to a big problem and the president bears full responsibility for this situation," he told The Associated Press.

 Also Monday, senior U.S. officials said the Obama administration, which launched airdrops and airstrikes last week to support Kurdish and Iraqi forces battling militants from the Islamic State group, has begun directly providing weapons to the Kurdish peshmerga forces who have started to make gains against the al-Qaida breakaway group. |||||

Write a summary.

– The big question in Iraq today: Will Nouri al-Maliki go quietly? As expected, President Fouad Massoum snubbed the two-term prime minister and said he must step down to make way for someone new. Massoum picked deputy parliament speaker Haider al-Ibadi to be the next PM and gave him 30 days to form a government, reports the AP. "Now the Iraqi people are in your hands," said Massoum. The move comes after Maliki addressed the nation at midnight and insisted that he be allowed to remain in office because his is the largest bloc in parliament, reports the New York Times. He even deployed troops in the capital as a show of force. But those actions may have only hurt his cause further, reports the Washington Post. It quotes a Kurdish politician who says the speech triggered a "major defection" today against Maliki within his Shiite coalition. "We have passed the stage of military coups and taking power by force," says Hoshyar Zebari. The US, which has long seen Maliki as too polarizing, has already made clear that it expects Maliki to abide by Massoum's decision and warned against any use of force. (Meanwhile, Iraq is still battling militants from the Islamic State.)


Here is a news article: I think this is the right call, actually, but not for the usual reasons.

 Besides, O surely realizes that they’ll leak sooner rather than later.

 In an interview with Steve Kroft for this Sunday’s “60 Minutes,” President Obama says he won’t release post-mortem images of Osama bin Laden taken to prove his death… Republican House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said Wednesday that the Obama administration should not release the gruesome post-mortem images, saying it could complicate the job for American troops overseas. Rogers told CBS News he has seen a post-mortem photo… “Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaeda killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet,” Rogers continued. “Osama bin Laden is not a trophy – he is dead and let’s now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaida has been eliminated.”

 I can think of four arguments for releasing the photos. One: It’ll prove that he’s dead. Except, of course, that it won’t. Conspiracy cranks will screech about the pic being doctored or the victim being an impostor (“those aren’t his eyebrows!”) within five minutes of it being posted. There’s no such thing as “proof” anymore; the Internet age is proof-proof. If anything, the more evidence you provide, the more pretexts you create for kooks to pose moronic challenges to it. If the White House wants to reassure people that the photos exist, they can show them to Republican leaders, to members of the press, and maybe to 9/11 families for their satisfaction. (Scott Brown apparently has already seen them.)

 Two: It’ll warn the jihadis of the world of what awaits if they mess with America. Didn’t the Zarqawi death photos already warn them of that, though? How about killing scores of Al Qaeda commanders with drone strikes in Pakistan and elsewhere? The fact that Bin Laden and Zawahiri were in hiding for 10 years is pretty solid evidence that they know what happens when you mess with Uncle Sam.

 Three: Turnabout is fair play. If we had to endure photos of U.S. troops doing wrong at Abu Ghraib, let’s celebrate the photos of U.S. troops doing right by taking down a monster. I think that’s a better argument for why the Abu Ghraib photos shouldn’t have been released, though, than for why the Bin Laden photos should be. And in fact, Obama agrees: Remember when he broke his promise to the left to release photos of detainee abuse and filed suit to keep them suppressed in the name of national security? Also, Abu Ghraib was a case of exposing government malfeasance, which the public has a right to know about. They may not have a right to the photos, given the propaganda value of those photos to the enemy, but it’s not an apples and apples comparison with a national high-five like killing Bin Laden.

 Four: It’s a trophy. People want to see dead Osama’s face because they want to revel in it. They’d put it on t-shirts and coffee mugs even though, according to one of CBS’s sources, it’s beyond gruesome (the “bullet opened his skull, exposing the brain, and it also blew out his eye”). After watching Americans forced to choose between burning alive or jumping to their deaths on 9/11, the thinking goes, we deserve to plaster images of Bin Laden’s cortex on billboards. Fair enough, but I have to say, just knowing how the raid went down and that his skull ended up being popped like a balloon is already … deeply satisfying. I keep thinking of him in his bedroom, listening to the SEALs banging around downstairs and hyperventilating at the thought of what would happen when they opened the door. I don’t need an extra scoop of sugar on that hot fudge sundae. It’s already tastier than I could have hoped for.

 So those are the arguments in favor. The obvious argument against releasing the photo, per Bob Gates and Hillary, is that it’ll “inflame anti-American sentiment” and put troops in the field at greater risk. Didn’t we already cross that bridge, though, by … killing Osama Bin Laden? And haven’t we heard that same argument used before by our political leaders to pressure people like Terry Jones on free speech? The argument the administration could/should have made is that sometimes we have to accept a greater operational risk in the interest of protecting core values like the First Amendment — and that this isn’t one of those times, since there’s really no core value that would be served by releasing a “suck it, jihadis” Bin Laden death photo. It would feel great, but as I said above, it already feels great. And the “suck it” message has, I take it, already been received by all the important people via the fact that Osama now literally sleeps with the fishes.

 The reason I think this is a good call is that I like the idea of Bin Laden being reduced to an afterthought, even in death. He had already reduced himself to that status after 10 years of hiding like a rat and churning out the occasional audio message that no one paid much attention to. Then, on Sunday, in the span of 12 hours, he went from quietly doing whatever he was still doing for Al Qaeda to quietly having a chunk of his head blown off to quietly being kicked off the deck of a U.S. carrier into the sea. Just like that, gone from the face of the Earth; I’ll bet the carrier crew didn’t even hear the splash. That’s a sweet ending for a messianic fanatic. Release the photo and you undo some of that, though, by treating him like a big enough deal that the world should gawk at his fate. Why give his followers that satisfaction? He wasn’t a big deal. He was to us because we had unfinished business with him, but nearly everyone else — possibly even Al Qaeda — had moved on. And now we get to move on too. Next.

 Update: Ah, looks like Scott Brown only saw one of the fake photos circulating online. I’m sure the GOP leadership can view the real thing if it asks Obama to make them available. Although Boehner says he doesn’t need to:

 “That’s a decision for the administration to make,” Boehner said when asked if it was necessary to release any of the bin Laden photos, which U.S. officials have described as carrying the gory imprint of a gunshot wound to the head. “They have to decide what to do. I’m convinced. I have no doubts.”

 Update: A Pakistani security official showed up at the compound shortly after the raid ended and snapped a few pics, which he then sold to Reuters. If you want to see what happens to jihadis when they come face to face with SEALs, brace yourself and click here. ||||| Elsewhere in Slate, William Saletan explains why the human-shield myth was a bad idea, Dave Weigel talks about how Osama's death proved everyone right, John Dickerson looks at Obama's secret meetings, Dahlia Lithwick says it's time to end the war on terror, Chris Beam explains the mood in Pakistan, Heather Murphycompiles a slideshow of the elite Navy SEALS, and Maura O'Connor looks at how the war still continues in Afghanistan. For the most up-to-date-coverage, visit theSlatest. Slate's complete coverage is rounded up here.

 In a world where every form of splatter, dismemberment, and slaughter has found a home on the Web—a place in which tens, perhaps hundreds, of millions have watched blood bubble out of Neda Salehi Agha Soltan's face and pool on the asphalt beneath her head—it seems nuts that President Barack Obama has decided not to release the photos of Osama Bin Laden's bullet-dented cranium.*

 In a 60 Minutes interview to be aired Sunday, Obama said he thought it important that "very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence or as a propaganda tool."

 White House Press Secretary Jay Carney spoke yesterday about the "sensitivities involved" in releasing the "gruesome" and potentially "inflammatory" photos, and mused about whether allowing their publication would "serve or in any way harm our interests" at home and abroad. Today, he said the administration didn't want the photos to become "icons" that would help rally support against the United States.

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 Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., the chairman of the House Intelligence panel, opposes making the photos public for similar reasons, saying he doesn't want the images to "make the job of our troops serving in places like Iraq and Afghanistan any harder than it already is. The risks of release outweigh the benefits."

 Obama and Rogers' idea that news should be calibrated by the government to ease the job of the U.S. military makes for a First Amendment loophole you could drive a motorized regiment through. If al-Qaida and its supporters are more irate with the United States this week than they were last week, it's because U.S. commandos killed Bin Laden. Obama should never have marked him for death if tending the "sensitivities" of al-Qaida and its allies was U.S. policy.

 It's hard to imagine that a death photo of Bin Laden would elevate al-Qaida and its supporters to some fury that his killing didn't. Or, as @knifework tweeted this afternoon, "Who hasn't shot someone in the face, fed their corpse to the sharks, and then fretted over how their followers would feel about the photo?"

 I don't advocate the photos' release because I think it will convince the unconvincible that Bin Laden is dead or because I desire a "trophy" or a football "spiked," as Obama puts it in his 60 Minutes interview. I'm for the publication of the pictures because they're an essential part of the war on al-Qaida. Withholding the photos and couching their suppression in the name of national security misjudges what makes al-Qaida tick and infantilizes the nation. It also sets a precedent for "news that's too gruesome to reveal."

 Here's how CBS News reporter David Martin describes the photos, based on a description provided to him:

 It does sound very gruesome. Remember, bin Laden was shot twice at close range, once in the chest and once in the head, right above his left eye, and that bullet opened his skull, exposing the brain, and it also blew out his eye. So these are not going to be pictures for the squeamish.

 Barbie Zelizer, author of the recent book About To Die: How News Images Move the Public, finds it paradoxical that the administration would recoil from releasing the photos but gladly provides verbal descriptions of the spectacular raid and Bin Laden's killing.

 "You can't have it both ways," Zelizer told me in an interview.

 The Bin Laden photos, Zelizer says, are "part of the record, part of the news event" and locking them away ascribes "magical powers" to the photos that wouldn't otherwise exist. If we conceal them from public view, we board a slippery slope that flows toward ignorance, timidity, doubt, and conspiracy-mongering.

 Part of the ambivalence about releasing the photos, Zelizer says, is that a universally accepted narrative for Bin Laden's killing has yet to emerge. As I wrote the day after the raid, the press and the government had huge trouble agreeing exactly how the operation unfolded. Did Bin Laden make a human shield of his wife? Was she killed? Did he shoot at the SEALs? Or did the SEALs summarily execute an unarmed man?

 If such an accepted narrative existed, it might be easier for the administration to predict how the photos would be received at home and overseas. But it's not the White House's business to control and manage news for the good of the nation based on some imagined worst-case reaction to events. That's Soviet thinking.

 If a nation can be trusted to view the horrors of 9/11 in real time, flip through the Abu Ghraib picture book, witness the made-for-video murder of Daniel Pearl, see images of dead Uday and Qusay on the evening news, and gaze upon pictures of dead soldiers coming home as air freight (photos that President Bush, incidentally, tried to ban in the name of managing the news), then it can be trusted to stomach the last photos of Osama Bin Laden—and whatever turmoil those photos might cause. Why? Because that's what sort of country the United States is.

 ******

 What about the helmet-cam video of the operation? Yeah, I'm for its release, too, although I can see the case for why it should be edited to withhold secret operational details that led to the mission's success. Make the case for the release of the unexpurgated video in email to . Expurgate my Twitter feed. (Email may be quoted by name in "The Fray," Slate's readers' forum; in a future article; or elsewhere unless the writer stipulates otherwise. Permanent disclosure: Slate is owned by the Washington Post Co.)

 Track my errors: This hand-built RSS feed will ring every time Slate runs a "Press Box" correction. For email notification of errors in this specific column, type Dead Laden in the subject head of an email message, and send it to .

 Correction, May 5, 2011: This article originally misspelled the last name of Neda Salehi Agha Soltan. (Return to the corrected sentence.)

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 Like This Story Follow Slate's Press Box ||||| The president's decision to withhold photographs of the dead Osama bin Laden is only the last in a series of terrible mistakes in the handling of his body. Although there should be no doubt that bin Laden is actually dead, there are grave doubts as to the circumstances surrounding his death. Was he shot in cold blood? Was he shot in the back or in the front? Were his hands raised in surrender? Was he actively resisting?

 Many of these doubts could have been resolved if bin Laden's body had been subjected to the usual investigatory techniques routinely employed in homicide cases. His body should have been subjected to an autopsy, to forensic testing by an experienced medical examiner, to extensive photographing of entrance and exit wounds, to paraffin testing for gun-powder residue, and to other such forensic examination.

 Editorial Board Member Matt Kaminski on the bin Laden photos.

 Burying his body at sea constituted the willful destruction of relevant evidence, which naturally gives rise to suspicions that there was something to hide. I fully credit the administration's explanation that the reason for the hasty burial at sea was the desire not to offend religious Muslims and not to create a shrine to a dead mass murderer. But many reasonable people around the world will wonder whether the decision may also have been based on a desire to suppress the whole truth.

 In my nearly half-century of representing defendants charged with homicide, I have come to know that the best evidence of how a person died comes from the body of the deceased. Dead bodies often talk more loudly, clearly and unambiguously than live witnesses. Bin Laden's body should have been preserved as long as necessary to gather all relevant evidence, notwithstanding the requirements of Shariah Law.

 When a Muslim or a Jew is the victim of a homicide in the United States, religious considerations do not trump civil requirements. Their bodies are generally sent to the medical examiner for thorough examination. Notwithstanding religious prohibitions, autopsies are performed and organs removed for testing. No special exception should have been made for bin Laden's body.

 View Full Image Getty Images Inside Osama Bin Laden's compound, where he was killed during a raid by U.S. special forces

 The president's decision to suppress the remaining photographic evidence is disturbing on many levels. First, it is wrong on its merits. The public is used to seeing visual portrayals of dead bodies on television and in movies. Anyone who has served as a juror or a courtroom observer in a homicide case has seen bodies riddled with bullets or afflicted with stab wounds. We are mature enough to endure viewing such visual evidence if we choose to. Nor is there any real risk that these photographs will inflame Muslim or Arab sensibilities any more than the photographs of Saddam Hussein did.

 In a democracy, doubts must always be resolved in favor of disclosure, particularly in a matter of such great public interest and controversy. Surely Congress has at least equal authority to decide what to do with the photographs. Moreover, the press may have the right to obtain and publish these highly relevant items of evidence as part of its duty to inform the public. Some media will surely challenge the president's decision—and if they do I hope they win.

 The great Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis taught us nearly a century ago that "sunlight is the best disinfectant." The remaining evidence of how bin Laden was killed—the photographs and the results of any forensic tests that may have been hastily performed—should be exposed to the sunlight of publication.

 Mr. Dershowitz is a law professor at Harvard. His latest book is "Trials of Zion" (Grand Central Publishing, 2010). |||||
A summary of this is?

– Reactions to President Obama's decision not to release the Osama bin Laden death photos are rolling in—and most seem to disagree with the prez: "While gory photographs would have inflamed some jihadists and wannabes, I believe they would have disillusioned and deflated others," writes Eugene Robinson in the Washington Post. "A heroic myth of invulnerability had been built around bin Laden," which the photos would soundly refute. "The reason to display the photos is to show bin Laden for what he really was: not a holy warrior, not a holy anything, but a deluded mass murderer who met the end he so richly deserved." But, writing on Hot Air, Allahpundit disagrees with Robinson. The Zarqawi death photos, not to mention the numbers of al-Qaeda commanders killed by drone strikes, already warned jihadists "of what awaits if they mess with America." Releasing the photos means treating bin Laden "like a big enough deal that the world should gawk at his fate." By not releasing them, he is "reduced to an afterthought." Many have argued that releasing the photos would put American troops in greater danger from al-Qaeda, but the "idea that news should be calibrated by the government to ease the job of the US military makes for a First Amendment loophole you could drive a motorized regiment through," writes Jack Shafer on Slate. "It's hard to imagine that a death photo of bin Laden would elevate al-Qaeda and its supporters to some fury that his killing didn't." In the Wall Street Journal, Alan Dershowitz calls the decision not to release the photos "only the last in a series of terrible mistakes" in handling bin Laden's body. He's more aghast that the corpse was not subjected to routine forensic techniques, which could have answered many of the lingering questions: "Was he shot in cold blood? Was he shot in the back or in the front? Were his hands raised in surrender? Was he actively resisting?" Burying bin Laden at sea "naturally gives rise to suspicions that there was something to hide."


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 A California lawmaker recently introduced legislation that would prohibit servers from offering plastic straws at sit-down restaurants unless one is requested.

 Assembly Bill 1884, proposed by Majority Leader Ian Calderon, D-Whittier, would make providing a straw without being asked punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a fine not to exceed $1,000, under the existing California Retail Food Code.

 That law states, "except as otherwise provided, a person who violates any provision of the code to be guilty of a misdemeanor with each offense punishable by a fine of not less than $25 or more than $1,000, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding 6 months, or by both."

 However, Calderon noted the law would eventually be amended to eliminate the tough penalties.

 "The penalties are attached to the code section the bill is currently in. That will change. Amendments are part of the legislative process," he responded in a tweet when specifically asked about the $1,000 fine.

 The law would only apply to sit-down restaurants, and not bars and fast-food restaurants, according to the bill.

 Calderon also emphasized the bill isn't a ban on plastic straws. The law's intention, he said, is not to make it a crime for servers to hand out plastic straws.

 I’d like to clarify that #AB1884 (Straws Upon Request) is (a) NOT a ban; (b) should it become law, it will NOT make it a crime for servers to provide plastic straws. My intention is simply to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of plastic straws on our environment. — Ian C. Calderon (@IanCalderon) January 26, 2018

 Instead, the bill is aimed at reducing the environmental damage from plastic that winds up in landfills, waterways and ocean, as well as to raise awareness of the environmental impacts of straws, according to Calderon.

 About 500 million straws are used every day in the U.S., a news release from his office stated. ||||| Sacramento, CA – Majority Leader Ian Calderon (D-Whittier) introduced Assembly Bill 1884 this week, a measure that calls upon dine-in restaurants to have a straws-upon-request policy.

 “We need to create awareness around the issue of one-time use plastic straws and its detrimental effects on our landfills, waterways, and oceans,” stated Majority Leader Calderon. “AB 1884 is not ban on plastic straws. It is a small step towards curbing our reliance on these convenience products, which will hopefully contribute to a change in consumer attitudes and usage.”

 Plastic is a material that lasts forever, yet 33 percent of all plastics are used just once and thrown away. Only 9% of all plastics are recycled, but due to their small size and lack of a resin code, no straws are ever recycled. After their one-time use, non-biodegradable plastic straws often end up in our oceans and waterways where they break down into smaller, micro-size pieces that are discarded into our environment. They are oftentimes mistaken as food by marine life.

 An estimated 500 million straws are used in the United States every day. This number is enough to fill over 127 school buses each day and is calculated to be about 1.6 straws per person in the U.S. In a summary of all trash collected as part of California’s Coastal Cleanup Day between 1989 and 2014, straws and stirrers rank as the 6th most common item collected. AB 1884 is a step toward lowering these alarming figures and is a simple way for consumers to change their plastic use behavior.

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 Contact: Lerna Shirinian (562) 692-5858 |||||

– Restaurant servers who give customers plastic drinking straws they haven't asked for will have to suck up a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine or six months in prison under a controversial bill in California. The bill was introduced in the State Assembly by Majority Leader Ian Calderon last week, and the Democrat says it will eventually be amended to drop the harsh penalties, 10News reports. "The penalties are attached to the code section the bill is currently in," he said when asked about the fines. "That will change. Amendments are part of the legislative process." The proposed ban on handing out straws without being asked will apply only to sit-down restaurants, not fast-food outlets or bars. In a tweet, Calderon said the "Straws Upon Request" bill "is (a) NOT a ban; (b) should it become law, it will NOT make it a crime for servers to provide plastic straws. My intention is simply to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of plastic straws on our environment." Calderon, whose office noted in a press release that some 500 million plastic straws are thrown away in the US every day and that they're one of the most common items collected in coastal cleanups, says the bill is part of wider efforts to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in waterways and the ocean, KTLA reports. (California banned single-use plastic bags in 2014.)


Here is a news article: The taste of beer, without its alcoholic effects, may be enough to trigger the release of the pleasure chemical dopamine in the brain, a study finds.

 To see how the taste of beer affects the brain, researchers gave a group of men tiny tastes of beer, and as the men sipped the beer, the researchers scanned the men’s brains. After a taste of beer, the men's brains showed a notable release of dopamine, a brain chemical associated with the pleasurable experience of consuming alcohol and other drugs. The effect was even greater among men who had a family history of alcoholism.

 The findings are not surprising, scientists say, but having a way to assess predisposition to alcohol abuse could be useful.

 "We believe this is the first experiment in humans to show that the taste of an alcoholic drink alone, without any intoxicating effect from the alcohol, can elicit this dopamine activity in the brain's reward centers," the study's senior author, neuroscientist David Kareken of the Indiana University School of Medicine, said in a statement. The findings were detailed online today (April 15) in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

 Dopamine, a brain chemical widely associated with pleasure, has long been linked to the consumption of alcohol and other drugs. Sensory cues — such as tastes, smells or the sight of a bar — can elicit cravings to drink and cause relapses in recovering alcoholics. Dopamine may be critically involved in such cravings, scientists believe. [11 Interesting Facts About Hangovers]

 In the study, researchers gave 49 male volunteers a tiny taste (half an ounce, or 15 milliliters) of their favorite beer over the course of 15 minutes — enough to taste the beer but not enough to cause a change in blood-alcohol level or intoxication. At other times, the volunteers were given a sports drink or water, for comparison.

 To study the effect of beer's taste on dopamine receptors, the researchers scanned the volunteers' brains using Positron Emission Tomography, which uses the radiation emitted by a radioactive chemical to produce a 3D image of the brain.

 The scans revealed higher increases in dopamine after the men tasted beer compared with tasting the sports drink or water — suggesting that the taste of alcohol is enough to prompt a pleasurable response in the brain. The men also reported higher beer cravings after tasting beer than water or the sports drink.

 Furthermore, the men who had a family history of alcoholism showed an even greater spike in dopamine levels after they tasted the beer, so the dopamine response may be a heritable risk factor for alcoholism.

 "This paper demonstrates that taste alone impacts on the brain functions associated with desire," Peter Anderson, a professor of substance use, policy and practice at Newcastle University, U.K., said in a statement. But Anderson noted that “With regard to the family history effect, this is quite difficult to assess and know what it means so we can’t be too sure of an effect or how strong it might be."

 The effects of the alcohol itself on the brain, and not just the taste, could not be ruled out, Anderson added.

 Follow Tanya Lewis on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. ||||| Remember that Jamie Foxx song "Blame It (On the Alcohol)"? If not, perhaps it’s just as well, because scientists say that even the taste of beer (without the intoxicating effects of alcohol) can trigger that flow of striatal dopamine in the brain.

 The findings, published online Monday in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, "demonstrate for the first time the important role of an alcoholic drink's flavor, absent alcohol’s pharmacological effects," the study authors wrote.

 Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis asked 49 men to try two beverages: Gatorade and their preferred beer. They sipped a mere 15 milliliters over 15 minutes, which allowed them to experience the taste of both without getting even close to buzzed by the beer’s alcohol content.

 The scientists scanned the men’s brains during this demure drinking game using positron emission tomography, looking for signs of dopamine release. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with alcohol and other drugs. They found that the dopamine levels rose much higher when the participants tasted their beers, compared with when they just drank the Gatorade. The effect was more pronounced in participants who had a family history of alcoholism.

 The findings suggest that the jacking-up of dopamine levels in response to alcohol-related triggers could be a hereditary risk factor for alcoholism.

 This effect persisted even though many of the participants actually said that the Gatorade tasted better than the beer.

 Follow me on Twitter @aminawrite. |||||
A summary of this is?

– Beer drinkers start feeling happy at the smallest sip, even before any alcohol registers, a new study suggests. Indiana University researchers found that dopamine levels in the brain rose when drinkers had just a tiny amount of beer, before any alcohol buzz was possible, reports LiveScience. The not-so-funny part: Dopamine levels shot up the most in those who had a family history of alcoholism, suggesting that some kind of hereditary risk factor was at play, reports the Los Angeles Times. "We believe this is the first experiment in humans to show that the taste of an alcoholic drink alone, without any intoxicating effect from the alcohol, can elicit this dopamine activity in the brain's reward centers," says the lead author. If the connection to those with a family history of alcoholism holds true, the dopamine test might help gauge the vulnerability of those predisposed to alcohol abuse.