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 The president-elect has taken yet more swipes at the intelligence community that will be under his command in just a few weeks, once again on Twitter.

 Donald Trump mocked intelligence officials on Tuesday evening, claiming they had delayed a scheduled briefing on alleged Russian hacking because they "needed more time to build a case."

 And on Wednesday, Trump continued to cast doubt on intelligence findings as he cited WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange's claim that a "14-year-old kid could have hacked" the emails of Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta. "Also [Assange] said Russians did not give him the info!" Trump added.

 Trump's tweets came after Assange once again claimed that Russia was not the source of Podesta's stolen emails, published by WikiLeaks. He told Fox News' Sean Hannity that our "source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party" and that "a 14-year-old kid could have hacked Podesta."

 Intelligence experts both inside and outside of the government say evidence suggests Russia had tried to influence the election. The Obama administration has said the hacking campaign went to the highest level of the Russian government.

 Trump has previously stated that it's nearly impossible to know who hacked what and when. The president-elect antagonized the intelligence community over the weekend, telling reporters gathered outside his New Year’s Eve party that hacking is a “very hard thing to prove” and that he knows “things that other people don’t know, and so [intelligence officials] cannot be sure of the situation."

 Trump has promised to reveal what he proclaims to know this week but there has been some confusion over when he will receive new intelligence briefings.

 He initially said he would be meeting with high-level intel briefers mid-week but that it was delayed.

 However, a senior U.S. intelligence official with direct knowledge of the situation told NBC News Tuesday night that the heads of the NSA, CIA, FBI and the director of national intelligence were always scheduled to meet with Trump on Friday.

 Another official had previously told NBC News that the briefing was scheduled for Wednesday, but that was apparently wrong.

 A senior intelligence official called Trump's tweet disturbing and "adversarial," telling NBC News: "He's calling out the men and women of the intelligence community the way he called out Lockheed and Boeing, but these are public servants."

 Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the new top Democrat in the Senate, said on MSNBC Tuesday night that Trump was being "really dumb" in taking on the U.S. intelligence community. "You take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday to get back at you," he told Rachel Maddow on her show.

 CIA Director John Brennan told PBS Newshour Tuesday that his report on Russian hacking was in the “final throes” and would be delivered to President Obama in days.

 Meanwhile, Trump earlier Tuesday tweeted that he would be holding his first news conference in over five months. The Jan. 11 date is a reschedule from when Trump had promised to hold a press conference in late December, but didn't. The last time Trump held a pre-scheduled open media availability was on July 27, 2016. ||||| Washington (CNN) President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter Tuesday evening to deride the US intelligence agencies due to brief him on alleged Russian hacking of American political groups.

 The "Intelligence" briefing on so-called "Russian hacking" was delayed until Friday, perhaps more time needed to build a case. Very strange!

 It was his latest attack on a key body he will rely on as commander in chief and again put him at odds with the agencies' unanimous conclusion that Russia hacked Democratic Party groups and individuals to interfere in the US presidential election.

 Trump suggested that intelligence officials postponed an " 'intelligence' briefing on so-called 'Russian hacking' " that they were set to deliver to him this week because they might need more time "to build a case." He called the alleged delay "very strange."

 Trump tweeted Wednesday , "Julian Assange said 'a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta' - why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info!"

 Julian Assange said "a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta" - why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info!

 Trump said last week that he would receive an intelligence briefing on the Russian breaches this week and suggested it would come early on, telling reporters on New Year's Eve that they would know more about the subject "Tuesday or Wednesday."

 But US intelligence officials disputed Trump's tweet alleging a delay.

 Top US intelligence officials have been scheduled to brief Trump on the full report on Russian hacking President Barack Obama ordered once it was completed, but the meeting was not set to take place until later in the week, according to US officials.

 The meeting was never scheduled for Tuesday, as even Obama has yet to receive the full-fledged briefing on the Russian hacking, one US official said.

 And a US intelligence official told CNN that Director of National Intelligence James Clapper was never scheduled to be in New York City, where Trump is, on Tuesday -- and was perplexed about the "delay" Trump claimed was taking place.

 Trump on Tuesday did receive a classified intelligence briefing -- the Presidential Daily Briefing -- which Trump has elected to receive only sporadically. But it did not dive deeply into the Russian hacking.

 US officials briefed on the matter said Clapper, National Security Agency Director Adm. Mike Rogers, FBI Director James Comey and CIA Director John Brennan are scheduled to attend the meeting with Trump providing him details on the Russian hacking.

 While Obama met with the heads of US intelligence agencies in his first weeks as president-elect, Trump has yet to do so eight weeks after he was elected, which US officials said was due to Trump's scheduling conflicts.

 Instead, the President-elect has repeatedly questioned their assessment of Russian cyber activity.

 Before the election, when 17 US intelligence agencies issued a public statement concluding that Russia orchestrated the hack of the Democratic National Committee, Trump immediately cast doubt on those conclusions, arguing it was impossible to distinguish between a Russian government operative and "somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds."

 After Obama then slapped a series of sanctions on Russia, Trump issued a statement calling for the country to "move on to bigger and better things" and then tweeted praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin for not retaliating against the sanctions.

 Trump continued his skepticism on New Year's Eve, telling reporters once again that it "could be somebody else."

 "I know a lot about hacking. And hacking is a very hard thing to prove," he said.

 He added that he also knows "things that other people don't know, so they can't be sure of the situation."

 On Tuesday, Russia again denied intervening in the US election campaign.

 Reacting to a US intelligence official who told CNN the administration traced the hack to specific keyboards, which featured Cyrillic characters, Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov said: "I don't understand what this means exactly but Cyrillic characters can be used everywhere."

 "Once again I reject any possibility that official Russia can be involved in any way," he added. ||||| Image copyright AP

 President-elect Donald Trump has backed Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in casting doubt on intelligence alleging Russian meddling in the US election.

 Mr Assange said Russia was not the source for the site's mass leak of emails from the Democratic Party.

 Mr Trump has now backed that view in a tweet. He wrote: "Assange... said Russians did not give him the info!"

 The president-elect has repeatedly refused to accept the conclusions of the US intelligence community.

 Several US agencies including the FBI and the CIA believe Russia directed hacks against the Democratic Party and the campaign of its presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

 The information, released through Wikileaks and other outlets, was intended to help Mr Trump win the election, say the FBI and CIA.

 On Tuesday evening, Mr Trump said an intelligence briefing he was due to receive on the issue had been delayed.

 "Perhaps more time needed to build a case. Very strange!" he wrote.

 But US intelligence officials insisted there had been no delay in the briefing schedule.

 In an interview with Fox News, Mr Assange repeated his claim that Russia was not behind the leak.

 He also said a 14-year-old could have carried out one of the hacks, on the email account of John Podesta, a top aide of Mrs Clinton.

 In 2010, several leading Republican figures were calling for the Wikileaks founder to be imprisoned after his website published thousands of embarrassing diplomatic cables leaked by former Army Pte Chelsea Manning.

 Mr Trump tweeted twice on Wednesday morning in support of what Mr Assange said on Fox News.

 Image copyright Twitter

 Image copyright Twitter

 However, Mr Trump has previously been critical of the Wikileaks organisation.

 When asked by a Fox News reporter in 2010 to comment on leaks, he responded: "I think it's disgraceful, I think there should be like death penalty or something."

 In another development, Mr Trump's pick for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, has agreed he will cut all ties with Exxon Mobil and comply with conflict-of-interest requirements. He departs with a $180m retirement package.

 Ethics row

 Meanwhile, Republicans have ditched a plan to gut the independent body that investigates political misconduct after a backlash.

 The lawmakers' surprise vote to strip the Office of Congressional Ethics of its independence prompted public uproar and a dressing down from Mr Trump on Twitter.

 The secretive move, which overshadowed the first day of the 115th Congress, was reversed in an emergency meeting.

 The ethics body was set up in 2008 following a slew of scandals that resulted in several House lawmakers being jailed.

 Mr Trump made cleaning up corruption in Washington a key theme of his campaign.

 Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan had argued unsuccessfully against the rule change, which was adopted on Monday night in a closed-door meeting.

 As the news spread, internet searches for "who is my representative" rocketed, according to Google Trends, and constituents tried to call and email lawmakers to object.

 House Republicans called an emergency meeting and abruptly voted to undo the change. ||||| Tweet with a location

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A summary of this is?

– Donald Trump launched what the BBC describes as a "fresh assault on America's intelligence community" with a tweet Tuesday night accusing them of delaying a briefing—and putting "intelligence" in quotes. "The 'Intelligence' briefing on so-called 'Russian hacking' was delayed until Friday, perhaps more time needed to build a case," Trump tweeted. "Very strange!" Officials, however, tell CNN that the briefing had never been scheduled for Tuesday, and even President Obama has yet to receive the final report from top intelligence officials on the alleged Russian hacking of the presidential election. Officials say Trump or his team may have mistakenly thought his regular intelligence briefing Tuesday would be the Russia-related one. A senior intelligence official tells NBC News that the director of national intelligence and heads of the NSA, CIA, and FBI are among those scheduled to meet with Trump on Friday. The Washington Post reports that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Trump's attitude toward intelligence services "really dumb" Tuesday night. "Let me tell you, you take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you," he told Rachel Maddow. "From what I am told, they are very upset with how he has treated them and talked about them." A source tells the Post that the report on Russian hacking could be on Obama's desk as soon as Thursday. A declassified version might be released to the public early next week, the source says. (At least one Trump adviser disagrees with the president-elect's skepticism.)


ENFIELD — A dentist was charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of a woman who stopped breathing while in his care, the town's police chief said Wednesday.

 Rashmi Patel turned himself in Tuesday night after a warrant for his arrest was issued, Chief Carl Sferrazza said. The dentist also was charged with tampering with evidence, he said.

 Patel, 45, who lives in Suffield, posted $25,000 bail and is scheduled to appear at Superior Court in Enfield on Feb. 24.

 Enfield detectives got involved in the case shortly after the death of Judith Gan, 64, of Ellington, at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield on Feb. 17, 2014 — exactly a year before Patel's arrest.

 "We were investigating it all along," Sferrazza said. The warrant for Patel's arrest is sealed, the chief said.

 According to a four-count statement of administrative charges filed against Patel, with Gan in his office that day, the dentist failed to "properly respond to J.G.'s oxygen desaturation and/or respiratory distress and/or cardiopulmonary distress" while performing a full-mouth extraction. Records indicate that Patel intended to do 20 tooth extractions.

 Patel ignored the patient's deteriorating condition and did not respond when changes in her oxygen levels and vital signs were reported to him by the dental assistants, state Department of Public Health inspectors said in the charging statement. One assistant begged Patel to stop the procedure, the report says.

 In response to the criminal charges, Patel's attorney, Paul Knag, released a statement that said, "After several months of deliberation, the state Dental Commission found that Dr. Patel's actions did not warrant the revocation of his license. In the Dental Commission proceeding, multiple expert witnesses testified that Dr. Patel followed the standard of care. The state's seeking of criminal charges is contrary to this evidence and inconsistent with the decision of the Commission not to revoke his license. Dr. Patel disputes the charges and urges that the charges be dropped."

 Rick Kenny, an attorney for Gan's husband, Michael, said: "I think he was very appreciative of the amount of work done by the detective bureau and by chief of police in Enfield."

 Kenny said he finds the charge of tampering with evidence the most alarming matter in the case. "If you've tampered with the evidence, that's a very serious situation," he said.

 He said that his client will cooperate in whatever way necessary.

 Judith Gan had an extensive medical history, including cardiac problems, the records say. During the procedure, the low-oxygen alarm went off repeatedly and the patient was making gurgling sounds before she stopped breathing, the records state.

 "The assistant begged [Patel] to stop working, and finally ran out and called 911, but the patient had already flat-lined," the inspectors reported.

 Patel's license was suspended on April 21. On Dec. 17, the dentist was told that he may never again treat a patient under sedation. He also must submit to five years of random monitoring.

 Knag has said in the past that the dentist's monitoring equipment wasn't working properly. He also said that his client did not violate any standard of care, and that expert witnesses called in Patel's defense during an administrative hearing testified that he was not negligent.

 This isn't the first time that Patel has been the subject of a health department investigation.

 On Dec. 19, 2013, while Patel was extracting another patient's teeth, the patient "aspirated the throat pack,'' DPH inspectors reported. In that case, Patel failed to properly monitor the patient's response to conscious sedation, and failed to remove the throat pack in a timely way, the DPH records state. That patient began to choke, and was transported to Bay State Medical Center with "grossly diminished breath sounds" and a "compromised airway." That patient survived, a DPH spokesman said.

 The other counts in the charging statement in Gan's case allege that on various occasions, Patel "improperly delegated" to a dental assistant or hygienist the induction of nitrous oxide or Midazolam to a patient, as well as the monitoring of a patient's response to conscious sedation.

 Inspectors also found at least five expired medications in his office, the state said.

 On Sept. 16, 2011, a Superior Court jury in Litchfield ruled in favor of another Patel patient who had sued him for malpractice after he severely damaged her mouth and teeth in a reconstructive procedure, according to the lawsuit. The jury awarded Doreen Jasonis $442,000. After the verdict, Patel's lawyers filed an appeal, and both sides settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. ||||| Please enable Javascript to watch this video

 ENFIELD - A former Enfield dentist is now facing criminal charges following the death of a patient one year ago. Dr. Rashmi Patel was arrested Tuesday, Feb. 17, after turning himself into police.

 He's charged with criminally negligent homicide and tampering with evidence.

 In December, the state Dental Commission suspended his license pending a comprehensive review of his practice after finding he didn't properly care for two patients, including Judith Gan, 64, who died in February of 2014. The Dental Commission did not ultimately revoke his license.

 Here is a statement his lawyer released on his behalf:

 After several months of deliberation, the state Dental Commission found that Dr. Patel’s actions did not warrant the revocation of his license. In the Dental Commission proceeding, multiple expert witnesses testified that Dr. Patel followed the standard of care. The state’s seeking of criminal charges is contrary to this evidence and inconsistent with the decision of the Commission not to revoke his license. Dr. Patel disputes the charges and urges that the charges be dropped.

 Meanwhile, Gan's attorney, Richard Kenny, said the family is still taking in the arrest, which came exactly one year after Gan's death. "He's doing okay. It's tough, very tough," said Kenny of Gan's husband. "It was an emotional time to begin with."

 Kenny added that the Gan family is "not vindictive" and would like to see the criminal charges "thoroughly evaluated."

 Police launched a criminal investigation into Patel shortly after Gan died.

 "We were waiting for the medical examiner to come out with a manner of death and that took a little longer than usual," said Chief Carl Sferrazza of Enfield Police. "When it finally came out, the detectives resumed their investigation."

 Patel's arrest warrant was approved not long after, though Sferrazza couldn't get into the details of how the autopsy relates to criminal charges.

 Kenny talked about how the findings could help a possible civil lawsuit against Patel:

 She had a number of conditions when she went in to see him and that's of course an issue into whether she should have been sedated in the first place, but what I was pleased to see is that Dr. Sexton [the medical expert who did the autopsy] in doing it, ruled out a lot of potential problems as causes of her death. Her preexisting things did not, did not suddenly occur and cause her to die.

 State officials say Patel violated care standards when treating 64-year-old Judith Gan of Ellington, who died after being placed under conscious sedation to have 20 teeth extracted at his Enfield office. Officials said Patel failed to respond appropriately when Gan’s oxygen levels dropped and should not have planned so many procedures on her in one office visit.

 The state Dental Commission permanently banned Patel from performing conscious sedation and placed him on five years of probation.

 Kenny wonders if the tampering with evidence charge will entice the Commission to reopen its investigation and possibly revoke Patel's license for good.

 Patel is due in court to answer to his new criminal charges on Feb. 24 at 9 a.m. ||||| HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A dentist has been charged in the death of a patient who became unresponsive while having 20 teeth pulled and several implants installed.

 This photo provided by the Enfield, Connecticut Police Department shows dentist Rashmi Patel, who has been charged in the death of a patient who became unresponsive while having 20 teeth pulled and several... (Associated Press)

 Rashmi Patel turned himself in Tuesday at the Enfield Police Department and was charged with a misdemeanor count of criminally negligent homicide and a felony count of tampering with evidence, police said. Patel has offices in Enfield and Torrington.

 The charges came a year after Patel's patient Judith Gan died at a hospital on Feb. 17, 2014. State dental regulators concluded that Patel failed to adequately respond when Gan's oxygen levels dropped dangerously low as she was consciously sedated in the middle of the tooth extraction and implant procedures in his Enfield office that day.

 Patel, who posted $25,000 bail, has denied any wrongdoing in his treatment of Gan.

 "Dr. Patel disputes the charges and urges that the charges be dropped," his attorney Paul Knag said in a statement Wednesday.

 Gan's death and other incidents prompted the State Dental Commission in December to suspend Patel's license pending a months-long review of his practice and permanently ban him from performing conscious sedation.

 But, Krag said, the commission did not revoke Patel's license.

 "In the Dental Commission proceeding, multiple expert witnesses testified that Dr. Patel followed the standard of care," Krag said. "The state's seeking of criminal charges is contrary to this evidence and inconsistent with the decision of the Commission not to revoke his license."

 The commission said in a report that Patel "ignored" signs that Gan, of Ellington, was in distress, including the drop in her oxygen saturation, changes in the color of her face and hands and wheezing and gurgling sounds. The commission said Patel, who lives in Suffield, also ignored warnings from his dental assistants that Gan was in danger and continued with the procedures.

 When one of Patel's assistants yelled that Gan was "flat lining," Patel tried to revive Gan while the assistant called 911, according to the Dental Commission's report. Gan, 64, was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

 The commission also found that Patel should not have attempted to perform so many procedures on Gan in one office visit given that her medical history included a heart attack six months before the visit, two strokes within the last two years and medication that could have affected her response to the sedation.

 Patel also violated care standards in December 2013 when another patient under conscious sedation to have teeth extracted inhaled a piece of gauze called a throat pack, which was designed to protect him from swallowing foreign objects, the commission found. The patient began flailing, his blood pressure spiked and he was rushed to a hospital but recovered.

 A lawyer for Gan's husband has said a lawsuit against Patel is planned. ||||| A dentist is accused of letting his patient die while extracting 20 teeth and inserting several implants. The patient showed signs of distress as she was under anesthesia for the dental procedures.

 The suspect, Rashmi Patel, a 45-year-old dentist, turned himself in on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at the Enfield Police Department. He is now facing charges of criminally negligent homicide and tampering with evidence.

 One year ago, a 64-year-old patient of his, Judith Gan, was declared dead at the hospital. It was Feb. 17 2014. According to dental state regulators, Dr. Patel failed to take action when his patient’s oxygen levels dropped, hitting a dangerous level. She was consciously sedated and was undergoing several tooth extractions in order to be replaced by implants the same day.

 This event, along with other incidents convinced the State Dental Commission in December that it was necessary to suspend his license. This decision was taken after a careful, month-long analysis of his practice.

 Dr. Patel, who posted $25,000 bail said at first that he did nothing wrong during the treatment.

 According to the commission who filed a report, Patel “ignored” the fact that his patient was showing signs of distress (the low oxygen level, her face and hands changing color, the wheezing and gurgling sounds she was making).

 The report also stated that the dentist ignored the situation and continued with the procedure even when his assistants prompted him that the patient was in a bad state. It was only when one of the help shouted that the woman was “flat lining” that he reacted. Hospital

 The assistant called 911 and the patient was quickly taken to the hospital where she was declared dead.

 The Dental Commission concluded that Patel’s error lied in the number of procedures he planned on doing in one session. Another mistake he made was ignoring the patient’s medical history. Gan suffered from a heart attack six months prior to the appointment and two strokes within the last two years. She was also under medication that could have influenced the way she handled sedation.

 The attorney representing Gan’s husband said that there will be a lawsuit against the dentist. Neither Patel nor his lawyer could be reached for comments.

 Image Source: CBS 46 |||||

Write a summary.

– A woman who went to the dentist for a tooth extraction ended up dying after flat-lining in his chair, and now the Connecticut dentist has been charged with criminally negligent homicide in her death. Judith Gan, 64, went into Rashmi Patel's office on Feb. 17 of last year for a full-mouth extraction, during which 20 teeth would be removed and implants would be inserted. But during the procedure, Patel allegedly ignored the sedated woman's worsening condition—even though the low-oxygen alarm went off multiple times, Gan started gurgling, wheezing, and changing color, and one of Patel's assistants "begged" him to stop working on her, inspectors say. The assistant finally called 911, but by then Gan had stopped breathing and "flat-lined," according to a health inspectors' report. She was declared dead at a hospital; Patel has also been charged with evidence tampering. Gan had health problems, including a heart attack six months prior to her death and two strokes in the two years prior, the Monitor Daily reports; she was also on medication that could have interfered with sedation. "That's of course an issue into whether she should have been sedated in the first place," the Gan family lawyer says, per Fox Connecticut. But, he adds, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy "ruled out a lot of potential problems as causes of her death. Her pre-existing things did not ... suddenly occur and cause her to die." Officials also say Patel, 45, should not have planned so many procedures at once. The Dental Commission declined to revoke his license, but it did put him on five years of probation and banned him from performing sedation, the Hartford Courant reports. He has previously been accused of failing to monitor a sedated patient who choked on gauze but survived, the AP reports, as well as other problems. (A trip to the dentist may have saved this girl's life.)


Article:

Arsenio Hall Sues Sinead Over Prince Rant She's a Lying Attention Whore

 Arsenio Hall Sues Sinead O'Connor Over Prince Rant ... She's a Lying Attention Whore

 EXCLUSIVE

 Arsenio Hall just clapped back at Sinead O'Connor with a $5 MILLION defamation lawsuit over her claim he was fueling Prince's habit.

 His lawyers, Marty Singer and Lynda Goldman, filed the suit Thursday morning, in which Arsenio calls Sinead a "desperate attention-seeker" for posting an incendiary rant on Facebook earlier this week. She called Prince a "longtime hard drug user" who got his supply from "Arsenio Hall (AKA Prince's and Eddie Murphy's bitch)."

 In the suit, Arsenio flat out denies ever supplying Prince with illegal drugs -- and adds, he hasn't had contact with Sinead for 25 years. He also denies spiking her with drugs back in the day ... as she claimed.

 As for why she targeted him -- Arsenio says she's repeatedly said she met Prince a couple times and she "detested" him. She also says she told Prince "to go f*** himself."

 Arsenio implies this is par for the course with Sinead, saying she is "well known for her media antics and for seeking attention through inflammatory Facebook posts." ||||| Story highlights U.S. comedian Arsenio Hall is suing singer Sinead O'Connor for defamation

 O'Connor accused Hall of supplying Prince with hard drugs over "decades" in a Facebook post

 Hall is seeking special damages "believed to be not less than" $5 million

 (CNN) U.S. comedian Arsenio Hall is suing singer Sinead O'Connor for defamation.

 This is after she posted a note on Facebook accusing Hall of supplying Prince with drugs "over the decades" and of spiking her with drugs.

 The suit, filed in Los Angeles on Thursday, is seeking damages of "not less than" $5 million.

 "Desperate, attention seeker Sinead O'Connor has maliciously published outlandish defamatory lies about comedian Arsenio Hall, falsely accusing him of supplying illegal 'hard drugs' 'over the decades' to the recently deceased music artist, Prince, and of spiking her with drugs once years ago," the lawsuit says. |||||
What is a summary?

– The death of Prince has opened up an ugly feud between Sinead O'Connor and Arsenio Hall that is now in the courts. In a Facebook post Monday, the Irish singer accused Hall—"AKA Prince's and Eddie Murphy's bitch"—of supplying Prince with hard drugs over many years, adding that she had reported him to authorities and that "anyone" who thought Prince "was not a long time hard drug user is living in cloud cuckoo land." In a later post, she accused Hall of spiking her with drugs at Murphy's house. Hall fired back with a $5 million lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Thursday, accusing O'Connor of telling "despicable, fabricated lies" in a bid for attention, CNN reports. "Hall will not stand idly by while O'Connor attempts to get attention for herself by recklessly spreading malicious, vile lies that he engaged in egregious criminal conduct which falsely links Hall to Prince's death," the lawsuit states. Hall denies ever supplying drugs to Prince and says he has had no contact with O'Connor for 25 years. TMZ reports that Hall says O'Connor, whose biggest hit was a cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," only met the star a couple of times, and she "detested" him. (Prince was reportedly set to meet with an addiction specialist just before he died.)


Article:

 President Trump (Evan Vucci/AP)

 Once upon a time (like, three months ago), “fake news” had a precise meaning. It referred to total fabrications — made-up stories about Donald Trump suffering a heart attack or earning the pope's endorsement — and the phrase burst into the political lexicon as Facebook and Google vowed to clean up some of the garbage that had polluted the Internet during the presidential election.

 Since then, conservatives — led by President Trump — have hijacked the term and sought to redefine it as, basically, any reporting they don't like. At the extreme end of absurdity, Trump actually asserted on Monday that “any negative polls are fake news.”

 Any negative polls are fake news, just like the CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election. Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2017

 All but Trump's most lemming-like followers will recognize the logical fallacy of such a statement. The risk that voters, on the whole, will accept the idea that “negative equals fake” is probably very low.

 More insidious is the notion that a report qualifies as fake news if it requires a correction. Such an overly broad definition unfairly attaches malicious intent to the kinds of mistakes that inevitably appear in good-faith journalism.

 Trump seemed to endorse this definition on Wednesday when he tweeted a link to a Federalist article that purports to identify 16 fake news stories.

 '16 Fake News Stories Reporters Have Run Since Trump Won' https://t.co/0dHld5kiVc — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2017

 Some of the reports named by Federalist contributor Daniel Payne were indeed plagued by errors, but only a few could plausibly be called fabrications, and only one originated with a journalist.

 That singular case involved a tweet by Dana Schwartz, who (ironically) covers arts and entertainment for the Observer newspaper that was owned by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, before he became a White House adviser. Schwartz tweeted on Jan. 27 that “Trump 100% photoshopped his hand bigger” in an Inauguration Day photograph. There was no reporting to back up the claim. Other journalists, including The Washington Post's Philip Bump, quickly debunked it.

 On Jan. 29, the Daily Beast sloppily published a fictional news report on the Quebec City shooting by a parody Twitter account that was styled to resemble that of Reuters. The phony report that originated with the now-suspended Twitter account @ReutersBrk falsely claimed to have identified two shooters.

 In another fact-checking failure, a Fox affiliate in Detroit failed to corroborate the story of an Iraqi immigrant, who lied in an interview about the date of his mother's death. The man blamed Trump's travel ban for keeping his mother, who he said needed medical treatment, in Iraq. In fact, his mother died five days before Trump ordered the ban.

 Other reports cited by Payne were not made up; they were simply wrong. The best-known example is an erroneous White House pool report that originated with Time writer Zeke Miller, who emailed fellow journalists on the night of Trump's inauguration to say that a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. was no longer on display in the Oval Office. It turned out that the bust had been obscured by a door and a Secret Service agent while Miller was in the Oval.

 The King bust had replaced a Winston Churchill bust during Barack Obama's presidency. Trump told the New York Times shortly after his election that he was thinking about returning the Churchill bust to the Oval Office, which naturally put the King bust's status in doubt. The idea that the King bust might be removed was not a media invention; it originated with Trump himself.

 When Miller saw the Churchill bust on Inauguration Day but did not see the King bust, he thought one had replaced the other. He was incorrect, but that does not mean he was spreading fake news.

 Still other reports were not wrong at all; it's just that their framing irked conservatives. Payne objected to the way some left-leaning outlets, such as Slate, Vox, BuzzFeed and ThinkProgress, covered Education Secretary Betsy DeVos's remark during a confirmation hearing that a school in Wyoming probably had a gun “to protect from potential grizzlies.”

 The coverage by these outlets was full of mockery, no doubt. And perhaps, as Payne wrote, it missed DeVos's broader point about the need to empower local school districts to set their own policies on guns and other issues. But snarky and off-the-mark are not the same as factually inaccurate, and certainly not the same as fake news. ||||| Chris Cuomo told CNN colleague and SiriusXM radio host Michael Smerconish that he views the “fake news” label thrown at the media as the journalistic equivalent of the n-word.

 Cuomo spoke to a Democratic senator today who confirmed that Neil Gorsuch expressed his concern about President Trump‘s attacks on the judiciary. Trump tweeted this in response:

 Sen.Richard Blumenthal, who never fought in Vietnam when he said for years he had (major lie),now misrepresents what Judge Gorsuch told him? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017

 Chris Cuomo, in his interview with Sen. Blumenthal, never asked him about his long-term lie about his brave "service" in Vietnam. FAKE NEWS! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017

 Cuomo pushed back against Trump earlier today, but elaborated with this stunning remark to Smerconish:

 I see being called ‘fake news’ as the equivalent of the n-word for journalists, the equivalent of calling an Italian any of the ugly words that people have for that ethnicity.That’s what fake news is to a journalist. It is an ugly insult, and you’d better be right if you’re going to charge a journalist with lying on purpose.

 Listen above, via SiriusXM.

 UPDATE –– 4:32 pm ET: Cuomo has since apologized.

 [image via screengrab]

 — —

 Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

 Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com |||||
What is a summary?

– CNN's Chris Cuomo is tired of hearing the phrase "fake news" tossed around constantly, but he's apologizing for an analogy he made about it. In an interview with Michael Smerconish on SiriusXM Thursday, Cuomo said, "I see being called 'fake news' as the equivalent of the n-word for journalists," per Mediaite. (President Trump had accused Cuomo of being a purveyor of "fake news" earlier in the day.) Cuomo's analogy drew quick condemnation online, and he soon walked it back in a tweet: "I was wrong. Calling a journalist fake (is) nothing compared to the pain of a racial slur. I should not have said it. I apologize." Meanwhile, a blogger at the Washington Post makes the case that the charge of "fake news" has lost all meaning because it is used so often by politicians who simply dislike a story.


Article:

CLOSE The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk are both taking a close look at the Model S after car fires reported from striking road debris. VPC

 The electric car maker has sent through a software change to make its cars ride higher

 In this Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013 photo provided by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, emergency workers respond to a fire on a Tesla Model S electric car in Smyrna, Tenn. (Photo: AP) Story Highlights The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a probe into Tesla's Model S

 The probe of the electric car results from reports of battery fires

 Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he stands behind the car, but has ordered changes

 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today it has opened a formal investigation into the safety of the Tesla Model S electric car following two reports of battery fires after striking roadway debris.

 The agency said its safety investigation was prompted by recent "undercarriage strikes" in Washington state and Tennessee. In both cases, fires resulted after the cars both ran over debris on the road that pierced the battery compartment. After news of the probe broke, Tesla shares fell to $116 in pre-market trading but climbed back once the market opened. They closed 3.7%, or $4.51, up for the day at $126.09 a share.

 TESLA STOCK: Shares rise despite federal probe into fires

 Early Tuesday before NHTSA's announcement, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that he taking three steps as a result of the fires, but added that he stands behind their safety. The steps were:

 •Higher ground clearance to make them less likely to strike road debris that can potentially penetrate the battery pack and ignite a blaze.

 •Asking federal safety regulators to "conduct a full investigation as soon as possible into the fires." Musk gave no hint that NHTSA was about to open an investigation.

 •Amending the cars' warranty to cover damage due to fire.

 A NHTSA probe can lead to recall, but earlier this month Musk says he has no plans to order one because he doesn't think it is warranted.

 Musk announced the steps in a lengthy post on Tesla's blog. In it, he offers yet another strong defense of the car's safety, especially as it relates to protection from fire. "We believe the evidence is clear that there is no safer car on the road than the Model S," he writes. His company expects to produce more than 20,000 of the electric cars this year, which sell for about $70,000 and up.

 He calls media reaction to the three fires a gross overreaction, especially given how thousands of conventional cars have been consumed by gasoline fires from ruptured tanks over the years.

 He says his battery-powered car is actually safer than just about any gas-powered car on the road.

 Elon Musk CEO of Tesla with a new Model S car outside the Tesla customer deliver area at the Tesla Fremont, Calif., factory (Photo: Jessica Brandi Lifland for USA TODAY)

 "Since the Model S went into production mid last year, there have been over 400 deaths and 1,200 serious injuries in the United States alone due to gasoline car fires, compared to zero deaths and zero injuries due to Tesla fires anywhere in the world."

 In the posting of its investigation, NHTSA noted that passengers in the Teslas that caught on fire were able to escape. "In each incident, the vehicle's battery monitoring system provided escalating visible and audible warnings, allowing the driver to execute a controlled stop and exit the vehicle before the battery emitted smoke and fire," NHTSA writes.

 CLOSE Tesla stock fell after reports of the electric cars catching fire after striking road debris VPC

 Two of the Tesla fires were caused when the vehicle struck road debris that pierced the battery compartment. The third happened in Mexico when a Model S crashed. In each case, the occupants escaped unharmed. Musk says it's proof of the car's safety.

 But given the media outcry, Musk indicates he decided to act even though he already stands by the car. He says the plan to create more ground clearance under the cars has already been implemented.

 Tesla has already sent a signal to the computers in all Model S cars to tell them to increase the vehicle's ground clearance at highway speeds. he says the goal is to reduce the chance of hitting objects on the road. Another software update in January is aimed at letting drivers set their preferred road height for themselves and passengers.

 As for the NHTSA involvement in probing the three accidents that led to fires, Musk says that if regulators offers suggestions on how to improve fire safety in the Model S, he will immediately implement them. he has previously said he does not expect that the Model S will need to be recalled over the fires.

 When it comes to extending the warranty on the sedan, Musk says his decision will apply to Tesla models and be applicable even if the driver is held to be a fault for the fire.

 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/I0PQdJ ||||| Federal safety regulators opened a probe into a series of fires in Tesla Motors Inc. electric cars following crashes.

 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday that it would investigate why two of the expensive Tesla Model S sporty hatchbacks have caught fire this year following accidents in which the battery casing that serves as the undercarriage of the car cracked open.

 LATEST: From the L.A Auto Show

 A third fire, which took place in Mexico, won’t be part of the investigation because it is outside the agency’s jurisdiction.

 NHTSA noted that in the two U.S. fires, one in Seattle and the other in Nashville, the battery monitoring system in the cars warned the drivers, allowing them to pull over and safely exit the vehicles before the battery emitted smoke and fire.

 The fires have become an issue for Tesla, contributing to 37% drop in the value of its stock since reaching a high of $193.37 on Sept. 30. The shares were down an additional 2% in overnight trading Tuesday.

 Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said the automaker requested the investigation to refute fears that electric cars are more prone to fires than other vehicles.

 [Updated 8:55 a.m. PST, Nov. 19: Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk claimed that the automaker requested the investigation to refute fears that electric cars were more prone to fires than other vehicles.

 But the NHTSA disputed that, saying its decision was an independent process.

 “In regards to Tesla, the agency notified the automaker of its plans to open a formal investigation and requested their cooperation," the agency said, "which is standard agency practice for all investigations.”

 Tesla is already taking action, changing its warranty to cover damage due to a fire, even if due to driver error.

 “Either our belief in the safety of our car is correct and this is a minor cost," Musk said, "or we are wrong, in which case the right thing is for Tesla to bear the cost rather than the car buyer.”

 The automaker believes the warranty change, which doesn’t apply if an owner purposefully sets the car on fire, will reassure buyers.]

 “If a false perception about the safety of electric cars is allowed to linger, it will delay the advent of sustainable transport and increase the risk of global climate change,” Musk wrote in a post to his blog on the Tesla website Monday night.

 PHOTOS: Tesla Model S

 The automaker is taking advantage of the car’s electronic capabilities to execute a wireless update to the air suspension that will result in greater ground clearance at highway speeds, Musk said.

 “This is about reducing the chances of underbody impact damage, not improving safety,” Musk said. “The theoretical probability of a fire injury is already vanishingly small and the actual number to date is zero.”

 Another software update expected in January will give the driver direct control of the air suspension ride height transitions.

 Musk also defended the automaker’s vehicles, writing that they have a lower fire risk than gasoline vehicles.

 “Since the Model S went into production mid last year, there have been over 400 deaths and 1,200 serious injuries in the United States alone due to gasoline car fires, compared to zero deaths and zero injuries due to Tesla fires anywhere in the world,” Musk wrote. ||||| Our goal when we created Tesla a decade ago was the same as it is today: to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing compelling mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible. If we could have done that with our first product, we would have, but that was simply impossible to achieve for a startup company that had never built a car and that had one technology iteration and no economies of scale. Our first product was going to be expensive no matter what it looked like, so we decided to build a sports car, as that seemed like it had the best chance of being competitive with its gasoline alternatives.

 I suspected that this could be misinterpreted as Tesla believing that there was a shortage of sports cars for rich people, so I described the three step “master plan” for getting to compelling and affordable electric vehicles in my first blog piece about our company. This was unfortunately almost entirely ignored.

 In order to get to that end goal, big leaps in technology are required, which naturally invites a high level of scrutiny. That is fair, as new technology should be held to a higher standard than what has come before. However, there should also be some reasonable limit to how high such a standard should be, and we believe that this has been vastly exceeded in recent media coverage.

 How Does the Tesla Model S Fire Risk Compare to Gasoline Cars?

 Since the Model S went into production last year, there have been more than a quarter million gasoline car fires in the United States alone, resulting in over 400 deaths and approximately 1,200 serious injuries (extrapolating 2012 NFPA data). However, the three Model S fires, which only occurred after very high-speed collisions and caused no serious injuries or deaths, received more national headlines than all 250,000+ gasoline fires combined. The media coverage of Model S fires vs. gasoline car fires is disproportionate by several orders of magnitude, despite the latter actually being far more deadly.

 Reading the headlines, it is therefore easy to assume that the Tesla Model S and perhaps electric cars in general have a greater propensity to catch fire than gasoline cars when nothing could be further from the truth.

 Journalists with a deep knowledge of the car industry, such as the news editor of Automotive News, understand and attempt to rebut this notion, but they have been drowned out by an onslaught of popular and financial media seeking to make a sensation out of something that a simple Google search would reveal to be false. I would also like to express appreciation for the investigative journalists who took the time to research and write an accurate article.

 The degree to which this is outrageous is described well in the above-mentioned Automotive News article. There are now substantially more than the 19,000 Model S vehicles on the road that were reported in our Q3 shareholder letter for an average of one fire per at least 6,333 cars, compared to the rate for gasoline vehicles of one fire per 1,350 cars. By this metric, you are more than four and a half times more likely to experience a fire in a gasoline car than a Model S! Considering the odds in the absolute, you are more likely to be struck by lightning in your lifetime than experience even a non-injurious fire in a Tesla.

 Those metrics tell only part of the story. The far more deadly nature of a gasoline car fire deserves to be re-emphasized. Since the Model S went into production mid last year, there have been over 400 deaths and 1,200 serious injuries in the United States alone due to gasoline car fires, compared to zero deaths and zero injuries due to Tesla fires anywhere in the world.

 There is a real, physical reason for this: a gasoline tank has 10 times more combustion energy than our battery pack. Moreover, the Model S battery pack also has internal firewalls between the 16 modules and a firewall between the battery pack and passenger compartment. This effectively limits the fire energy to a few percent that of a gasoline car and is the reason why Dr. Shibayama was able to retrieve his pens and papers from the glove compartment completely untouched after the recent fire (caused by a high speed impact with a tow hitch). It is also why arsonists tend to favor gasoline. Trying to set the side of a building on fire with a battery pack is far less effective.

 What About Safety Overall?

 Our primary concern is not for the safety of the vehicle, which can easily be replaced, but for the safety of our customers and the families they entrust to our cars. Based on the Model S track record so far, you have a zero percent chance of being hurt in an accident resulting in a battery fire, but what about other types of accidents? Despite multiple high-speed accidents, there have been no deaths or serious injuries in a Model S of any kind ever. Of course, at some point, the law of large numbers dictates that this, too, will change, but the record is long enough already for us to be extremely proud of this achievement. This is why the Model S achieved the lowest probability of injury of any car ever tested by the US government. The probability of injury is the most accurate statistical figure of merit, showing clearly that the Model S is safer in an accident than any other vehicle without exception. It is literally impossible for another car to have a better safety track record, as it would have to possess mystical powers of healing.

 Further Actions

 While we believe the evidence is clear that there is no safer car on the road than the Model S, we are taking three specific actions.

 First, we have rolled out an over-the-air update to the air suspension that will result in greater ground clearance at highway speeds. To be clear, this is about reducing the chances of underbody impact damage, not improving safety. The theoretical probability of a fire injury is already vanishingly small and the actual number to date is zero. Another software update expected in January will give the driver direct control of the air suspension ride height transitions.

 Second, we have requested that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conduct a full investigation as soon as possible into the fire incidents. While we think it is highly unlikely, if something is discovered that would result in a material improvement in occupant fire safety, we will immediately apply that change to new cars and offer it as a free retrofit to all existing cars. Given that the incidence of fires in the Model S is far lower than combustion cars and that there have been no resulting injuries, this did not at first seem like a good use of NHTSA’s time compared to the hundreds of gasoline fire deaths per year that warrant their attention. However, there is a larger issue at stake: if a false perception about the safety of electric cars is allowed to linger, it will delay the advent of sustainable transport and increase the risk of global climate change, with potentially disastrous consequences worldwide. That cannot be allowed to happen.

 Third, to reinforce how strongly we feel about the low risk of fire in our cars, we will be amending our warranty policy to cover damage due to a fire, even if due to driver error. Unless a Model S owner actively tries to destroy the car, they are covered. Our goal here is to eliminate any concern about the cost of such an event and ensure that over time the Model S has the lowest insurance cost of any car at our price point. Either our belief in the safety of our car is correct and this is a minor cost or we are wrong, in which case the right thing is for Tesla to bear the cost rather than the car buyer.

 All of these actions are taken in order to make clear the confidence we have in our product and to eliminate any misperceptions regarding the integrity of our technology and the safety of our cars. |||||
What is a summary?

– Tesla is facing more scrutiny following three car fires in six weeks. First, investors launched a lawsuit; now, the government is getting involved, USA Today reports. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now investigating two of the fires, both of which occurred after Model S undercarriages hit debris on the road (the other happened during a crash). In a blog post, CEO Elon Musk says his company asked for the investigation and writes that "if something is discovered that would result in a material improvement in occupant fire safety, we will immediately apply that change to new cars and offer it as a free retrofit to all existing cars." But the NHTSA tells the LAT a different story: "The agency notified the automaker of its plans to open a formal investigation and requested their cooperation, which is standard agency practice for all investigations." Musk also says the company will increase the cars' ground clearance to help prevent them from hitting debris, and warranties will start covering fire damage, even in the event of driver error, "to reinforce how strongly we feel about the low risk of fire in our cars." To that end: "We believe the evidence is clear that there is no safer car on the road than the Model S," Musk notes. "Since the Model S went into production mid last year, there have been more than a quarter million gasoline car fires in the United States alone, resulting in over 400 deaths and 1,200 serious injuries ... compared to zero deaths and zero injuries due to Tesla fires. The media coverage of Model S fires vs. gasoline car fires is disproportionate by several orders of magnitude, despite the latter actually being far more deadly."


Here is a news article: Antonio Sierra, AP

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 (Dec. 3) -- A 14-year-old boy suspected of being a paid assassin for Mexican drug smugglers and taking part in beheadings was arrested as he tried to flee to his native California , media reports said.The boy -- who allegedly says he has worked for the South Pacific drug cartel since he was 11 years old -- was arrested Thursday night as he tried to board a plane in Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City. He was traveling with two of his sisters.Known by the nickname "El Ponchis," the teen has allegedly admitted to participating in at least four decapitations, The Associated Press reported . His first name is Edgar, but AOL News is withholding his last name because he is underage."I participated in four executions, but I did it drugged and under threat that if I didn't, they would kill me," the teen said, according to the AP.Drug-related violence has intensified in Mexico as cartels battle one another and the army to gain access to the multibillion-dollar U.S. market. The bloodshed has increasingly moved south from the border region to previously quiet locations such as Cuernavaca and business center Monterrey.Edgar was born in San Diego and thus has U.S. citizenship. He was arrested as he tried to fly to the Mexican border city of Tijuana. Once there, he reportedly planned to cross the border to San Diego.Authorities are checking to see if he is also a Mexican citizen, Reuters reported.Rumors about the existence of a child hit man nicknamed "El Ponchis" have been circulating for weeks. He was tied to a string of murders, including beheadings.Edgar allegedly received $2,500 for each killing, Reuters reported, citing a local media story. The minimum wage in Mexico is less than $5 a day.The teen and six men allegedly confessed to killing people and hanging their bodies from bridges in Cuernavaca, Agence France-Presse reported . Cartels have taken to displaying their victims in public as a means of intimidating local authorities and the media.Authorities say Edgar's teenage sisters were accomplices in the killings, often acting as decoys to lure victims. Some media reports even say that one of the sisters was the lover of a cartel boss. The AP quoted a source as saying that one of the sisters was accused of disposing of victims' bodies by dumping them on streets.It is not clear what the nickname "El Ponchis" refers to. ||||| In cargo pants and a T-shirt, the skinny, American-born 14-year-old looked like he should be in middle school. Instead he was surrounded by three armed Mexican soldiers in ski masks and camouflage as he told reporters that he helped a Mexican drug gang behead four people.

 Mexican army soldiers escort a 14-year-old suspected of working as a killer for a drug cartel in the city of Cuernavaca, Mexico, Friday Dec. 3, 2010. The much-rumored alleged young assassin nicknamed... (Associated Press)

 Mexican officials say they arrested the youth known as "El Ponchis" late Thursday at an airport south of Mexico City with a 19-year-old sister who is accused of helping him dump the bodies. Authorities said he was caught with two cell phones that held photographs of tortured victims.

 Many youths have been used by drug cartels in their bloody battles against the government and each other, but the story of El Ponchis may be the most shocking. A YouTube video that emerged a month ago sparked talk of a child hit man _ said by some to be as young as 12.

 "I participated in four executions, but I did it drugged and under threat that if I didn't, they would kill me," the boy said calmly when he was handed over to the federal prosecutor Friday morning, showing no remorse.

 Authorities identified the curly-haired suspect by his first name only _ Edgar.

 He told reporters early Friday he was kidnapped at the age of 11 and forced to work for the Cartel of the South Pacific, a branch of the splintered Beltran Leyva gang, and that he had participated in at least four decapitations.

 Authorities said the siblings were detained at an airport near Cuernavaca in Morelos state with paid tickets to flee the country.

 Morelos Gov. Marco Adame Castillo said the boy was born in San Diego, California, and Mexican officials were researching whether he has dual nationality. A U.S. Embassy official who spoke on condition of anonymity due to embassy policy said American officials had not yet confirmed his citizenship.

 The boy's sister said they were headed for Tijuana, where they planned to cross the border and seek refuge with their stepmother in San Diego. Their mother sent them money for the tickets, she said, but it was not clear where their parents are.

 The army did not say whether the children had passed security when they were detained. Neither has been formally charged.

 The two allegedly worked for Julio "El Negro" Padilla, who has been fighting for control of the drug trade in Morelos, formerly part of the territory under the Beltran Leyva gang, which broke up with the killing of leader Arturo Beltran Leyva by Mexican marines a year ago. The battle among remnants of the gang has caused an unprecedented spike in violence in Morelos and in neighboring Guerrero state, where the resort city of Acapulco is located.

 El Ponchis' sister said she was the girlfriend of Padilla and part of a group of girls called Las Chabelas, who helped dump bodies on streets and freeways in and around Cuernavaca, a city about 56 miles (90 kilometers) south of Mexico City. She said her brother introduced them.

 An adult sister picked up at the airport appeared with the two Friday, but authorities said she has no ties to drug trafficking.

 Stories of a hit boy, maybe as young as 12, spread after a YouTube video appeared last month with teens mugging for the camera next to corpses and guns. One boy on the video alleged that "El Ponchis" was his accomplice. State and federal authorities refused to confirm El Ponchis even existed.

 In the video, the youth told an unseen questioner that his gang was paid $3,000 per killing.

 "When we don't find the rivals, we kill innocent people, maybe a construction worker or a taxi driver," the youth is heard saying.

 Figures obtained by The Associated Press from Mexico's attorney general's office show that the number of youths 18 and under detained for drug-related crimes has climbed steadily since President Felipe Calderon launched his assault on cartels in 2006. There were 482 that year and 810 in 2009. There were 562 in the first eight months of this year, on track to surpass last year.

 Calderon has acknowledged that "in the most violent areas of the country, there is an unending recruitment of young people without hope, without opportunities."

 The federal government has said the cartels are recruiting ever younger assassins to replace those killed or arrested in the current wars among the gangs and with the government. The government also has said that cartels prefer underage youths because they shorter sentences if caught.

 Unlike the United States, Mexico has no system for trying juveniles as adults, though a bill that would establish such a provision is before the Mexican Senate. In Mexico, juveniles are sentenced to youth detention centers and are freed at age 18.

 Although state courts handle crimes by juveniles in Mexico, authorities in Morelos have asked Mexico's federal government to take over the case because of the gravity of the crimes.

 Neighbors said the siblings were living in a cartel safehouse in a poor neighborhood of Jiutepec, a working-class suburb of Cuernavaca. The area has an industrial area with Nissan, Unilever and other factories, rustic single-level concrete homes and some farms.

 ________

 Associated Press Writer Mark Stevenson contributed to this report from Cancun. |||||
A summary of this is?

– A notorious hit man in Mexico known for beheading his victims and displaying them in public is a US-born kid all of 14 years old, reports AP. Mexican authorities arrested the youth identified only as Edgar—who they say goes by "El Ponchis," or the cloaked one—as he tried to leave the country by plane. He said he's worked for a cartel since he was 11, after being kidnapped. "I participated in four executions," he said, "but I did it drugged and under threat that if I didn't, they would kill me." He carried two cell phones with photos of tortured victims, say police, who also arrested an older sister accused of helping him dispose of corpses. Mexican authorities say the youth is a native of San Diego, though his US citizenship remains unconfirmed. Rumors of the young hit man emerged about a month ago with a YouTube video that showed teens mugging for the camera next to corpses. One of them named "El Ponchis" as an accomplice. Click here for more.