– The social media platform Tsu.co has garnered more than 4 million users since its 2013 inception, but Facebook would have you believe it simply doesn't exist. Since late September, Facebook has blocked (and retroactively deleted 10 million) mentions of and links to Tsu.co from any of its platforms, including Instagram and Messenger, reports the New York Daily News. "You can post PornHub links on Facebook, but not Tsu.co," Tsu founder Sebastian Sobczak says. And while he claims that the reason for the block is having a model that is "dangerous to them," Facebook rep Melanie Ensign says it all boils down to user experience: "We do not allow developers to incentivize content sharing on our platform because it encourages spammy sharing and creates a bad experience for people on Facebook." While Facebook keeps all profits from ad revenue, Tsu keeps just 10%; the remaining 90% is shared between users who've created content and the chain of friends who invited said user. CNNMoney has spoken to a dozen Tsu.co users, most of them artists and models who have yet to make any money on the site, but they overwhelmingly agree that Facebook's block is unfair. "I don't believe that Facebook and Instagram want Tsu to go viral," one user from Colombia says. "It would cost them a lot of money." After posting a link to a Tsu.co video on Facebook, for instance, 50 Cent had his mention removed as well, reports the AP. Facebook, meanwhile, says it will lift the block if Tsu no longer allows its users to post simultaneously to Tsu and Facebook. For now, mention Tsu.co and you'll likely be met with this error: "The content you're trying to share includes a link that our security systems detected to be unsafe." (This model recently quit social media altogether.)

Expand this summary.

Try mentioning the social media website Tsu.co on Facebook or Instagram -- or even in a private conversation on Facebook Messenger. It won't work.

 Facebook (FB) is blocking any link to Tsu.co on every platform it owns, including Messenger and Instagram. It even went back and deleted more than 1 million Facebook posts that ever mentioned Tsu.co, making pictures, videos and comments disappear in an instant.

 You can type the name "Tsu," but you'll be blocked if you write "Tsu.co" or post any link from the site.

 Facebook claims Tsu links are spam that are annoying the community. Tsu thinks Facebook is a bully trying to kill off competition.

 "We're persona non grata," said Sebastian Sobczak, who founded Tsu. "You can type in all sorts of seedy websites, and you can get to them. But not us. We don't exist."

 Tsu is a tiny new social network that claims to share its advertising revenue with its users.

 Unlike most social media sites, including Facebook, which keep 100% of the profit from the ads displayed on your page, Tsu only keeps 10%. You keep 45%. The chain of friends that invited you to Tsu split the rest.

 That means there's a financial incentive to post on Tsu, invite people to Tsu, and direct people to your Tsu page. There's even incentive to send people to the Tsu pages of the folks who you brought into the Tsu network.

 Your Facebook feed could easily be flooded with Tsu.co links.

 And that's exactly what Facebook has encountered. Tsu users were creating fake accounts to boost their pages. Facebook says its users started reporting Tsu.co links as spam, which Facebook defines as "sending bulk messages, excessively posting links ... and sending friend requests to people you don't know personally."

 On September 25, Facebook cut off Tsu.co completely.

 Tsu said it had been receiving a decent amount of traffic from Facebook, averaging more than 2,534 visits a day. When that dropped to zero, Tsu appealed to Facebook, arguing that it didn't violate Facebook's terms of service, because it did not pay users to push content to Facebook.

 It didn't work.

 Facebook says it will unblock Tsu if it changes just one thing: Tsu users shouldn't be able to simultaneously post to Tsu and Facebook.

 "We do not allow developers to incentivize content sharing on our platform because it encourages spammy sharing," said Melanie Ensign, a Facebook spokesperson.

 CNNMoney spoke to a dozen Tsu users. Most are photographers, models and other artists drawn to what they say is Tsu's more equitable pay-for-content program. Most of them haven't made a dime yet. But they feel this Facebook block is unfair.

 Claudia Everest is a 47-year-old cancer survivor living in northern England. To pass the time during chemotherapy, she started A Dog A Day, drawing 25 dogs every day and selling her work from home. She's furious that Facebook deleted every post in which she ever mentioned Tsu.co -- 7,500 by her estimate.

 "Facebook either completely removed or labeled them as malicious content," she said. "If you take a look at my cartoons I think you will agree that the idea that my work is malicious is laughable."

 Carolina Franco, a 28-year-old model in Colombia, thinks Facebook's strategy is an attempt to keep its users from flocking to a competitor.

 "Very few people even know about Tsu," she said. "I don't believe that Facebook and Instagram want Tsu to go viral. it would cost them a lot of money." ||||| There's a new social media platform out there — but Facebook has blocked all mention of it.

 Try typing the name Tsu.co into Facebook, Messenger or Instagram and you'll find that you can't.

 Tsu, a competing social network with about 4.5 million users, launched in 2014 with a new view of social media in mind. On Tsu, users can earn money based on advertising revenue sharing. It's a business model that's not all that different from YouTube, which is not banned.

 Nonetheless, on Sept. 25, Facebook blocked all users from mentioning Tsu.co. Try messaging a friend about tsu.co and you'll get an alert: "The content you're trying to share includes a link that our security systems detected to be unsafe."

 tsu.co Facebook is blocking users from posting about Tsu.

 "You can post PornHub links on Facebook, but not tsu.co," Tsu founder Sebastian Sobczak told the Daily News.

 On top of that, Facebook went back and deleted about 10 million posts referencing Tsu.

 While some of the posts were cross-posted between Facebook and Tsu, about 80% were native to Facebook. For instance, if a user posted content — like a picture or video — and included links to their other social media accounts, that post has now vanished if one of those profiles was on Tsu

 Facebook This is the message Facebook users get if they try to post links to Tsu.

 Sometimes, Sobczak said, even links to media coverage about Tsu get blocked.

 "We have the same model that YouTube does," he said. "We want the same rights as YouTube. We have a model that is efficient and dangerous to them."

 Tsu users get paid when other people view ads associated with content they created. If you're just viewing content — and not creating it — you don't get paid.

 Facebook Facebook won’t let users talk to one another about social media site Tsu.co.

 Unlike Facebook, which keeps all of the profits from ad revenue, Tsu gives 90% back to users — you get 45% and the chain of friends who invited you get the rest.

 Normally, Tsu membership is invite-only, but Sobczak said that because of the increased media attention about Facebook's ban, he has decided to open it up to everyone for the time being.

 "It's so people can try it out and see that there's no malware on your computer," he said. "There's no voodoo magic, it's free."

 tsu.co Tsu.co has temporarily suspended its invite-only policy.

 It may seem like Facebook is just trying to stamp out competing platforms, but the social media giant says that's not the case.

 According to Facebook, financially incentivized content violates the company's Platform Policy.

 "We do not allow developers to incentivize content sharing on our platform because it encourages spammy sharing and creates a bad experience for people on Facebook," said Facebook spokesperson Melanie Ensign.

 Sobczak sees it a little differently. He thinks it's about squashing the competition.

 "We have a model that is efficient and dangerous to them," he said.

 kblakinger@nydailynews.com ||||| SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Suppose every time you posted on Facebook, the social network tallied up the ad revenue it earned against your update and passed a percentage back to you. Of course, Facebook does nothing of the sort — but its much smaller rival Tsu.co does.

 In this Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, photo, Sebastian Sobczak, CEO of Tsu.co, poses in his company's New York office. Tsu.co is winning converts to its social network by paying them for their posts. Facebook... (Associated Press)

 In this Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, photo, Sebastian Sobczak, CEO of Tsu.co, poses in his company's New York office. Tsu.co is winning converts to its social network by paying them for their posts. Facebook... (Associated Press)

 Though now Tsu (pronounced "Sue") appears to be paying a different sort of price. In late September, Facebook started deleting millions of posts that included links to Tsu — more than 9.5 million of them, the smaller company claims. Facebook also blocks new posts that merely contain the text "tsu.co" but no links, warns users that links to Tsu are "unsafe" and fails to deliver Instagram posts and texts via Facebook Messenger that mention Tsu's Internet address or link to the site.

 Facebook defends its Tsu ban as a way to prevent its service from turning into a hangout for scam artists and opportunists hoping to make a quick buck. Tsu says Facebook just doesn't want its users to realize that their photos, videos and personal observations might actually be worth something.

 Facebook, which has an understandable interest in protecting its 1.5 billion users from an onslaught of digital rubbish, is one of the Internet's largest gatekeepers. That gives it extraordinary sway in determining who can reach its vast membership — not to mention what those members can discuss using its apps and services.

 That can be a big issue when the subject involves a challenge to a company's core business — in this case, selling advertising against the material Facebook users contribute for free. Facebook has earned $2.1 billion on revenue of $12 billion during the first nine months of this year alone. The company now has a market value of about $300 billion, and no particular interest in generating traffic for a potential competitor.

 There's a long history of similar disputes among technology companies, who almost always claim to be acting in the interests of their users. Amazon, for instance, recently yanked Google and Apple streaming-TV devices from its virtual shelves, clearing the way for its own such gadgets. In just the past few days, several banks have blocked outside financial-planning apps from connecting to their systems, citing security concerns.

 Tsu, which launched just over a year ago, has grown quickly; CEO Sebastian Sobczak says it has 4 million members. It has raised about $11 million in venture capital.

 Facebook's Tsu purge came without warning and affected a swath of users that included rap artist 50 Cent, who shared a link to a video on Tsu with more than 38 million Facebook fans. The team that handles 50 Cent's social media accounts didn't respond to requests for comment.

 Facebook says that Tsu pays its users to post links on other sites, an incentive that breaks its rules for connecting with its social network. In a statement, Facebook said it doesn't let outside publishers pay users to post links on its network "because it encourages spammy sharing." The Menlo Park, California, company declined to elaborate.

 Sobczak denies that his service is paying people to post links on Facebook. Tsu users are paid based on how much advertising it sells alongside their posts. That revenue-sharing setup is similar to financial models used by major digital services such as Google's YouTube; Facebook users widely share YouTube links with one another.

 "It feels like we are being singled out and they are trying to stop a competitor with a more efficient business model," Sobczak says. "What are they afraid of?" Sobczak, a former venture capitalist, says Facebook hasn't responded to his inquiries.

 Claudia Everest, a frustrated Facebook user who embraced Tsu to find buyers for her $30 drawings of dogs, says Facebook is trying to deflect attention from Tsu's revenue-sharing concept.

 "I don't think they are afraid of Tsu as much as they are of anything that lets people know their content has value," says Everest, who lives in Stoke on Trent in England. "That picture you posted of your dinner last night may not seem like it has value, but it does to the advertisers."

 Facebook does, however, frequently rejigger its algorithms in ways that sometimes limit how many people see any given post. Such changes have alienated some longtime users such as Kevin Hinkle of Lake Mary, Florida. Hinkle had built a Facebook following of nearly 5,000 people, but felt as if his posts weren't reaching as many people over time.

 For Hinkle, the reduced exposure meant fewer people to advise in his self-described role as a "joyologist." He's been pleased with the response on Tsu since he set up an account late last year. Hinkle says he has made about $4,100 on Tsu while averaging 10 to 20 posts per day.

 "Now it looks like it could become a Facebook competitor," Hinkle says. "I think Facebook sees where things could be heading and knows it wouldn't be good for them at all."

 ----

 Brandon Bailey contributed reporting to this article.

 Follow Michael Liedtke at twitter.com/liedtkesfc. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/michael-liedtke |||||


Article:
SAN ANTONIO -- Due to flooding, Louisiana is in urgent need of blood.

 The 'South Texas Blood and Tissue Center' wants to help, but is already facing a severe shortage. By donating much-needed blood, STBTC would be able to need San Antonio’s local needs and help fill the game in Louisiana.

 The center said the summer months are difficult for donations. A big portion of the donors are students, many who are on summer vacation. On top of that, the Zika virus is adding to the cause of a blood shortage.

 “The Zika situation has also affected our inventory because we can't take blood from people who have traveled to Zika-affected areas for 28 days after they've returned,” said Julie Vera of STBTC.

 One thing that has changed is that the center can now test for the Zika virus. It's just an extra consent form to sign.

 The center said there is no substitute for human blood and every type is needed. For those who would like to donate can find the nearest location at www.southtexasblood.org.

 (© 2016 KENS) ||||| Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE Once the floodwaters start to recede, there could be a different threat waiting. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

 An Aedes aegypti mosquito, known to carry the Zika virus, is photographed through a microscope at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. (Photo: AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

 The massive flooding across southeastern Louisiana over the weekend could bring an increased risk for the Zika virus after the waters recede, an expert in tropical medicine said Sunday.

 Strong floodwaters often wash away mosquito eggs, which would be good news.

 But mosquito eggs already laid in containers, such as empty buckets or tires, could be protected from surging water and then be stimulated to hatch after the flooding recedes, said Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

 “We could be seeing an increase number of Aedes aegypti now in the coming weeks,” he said about the mosquito species that carries the Zika virus. "This is crunch time."

 Ben Beard of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed that the coming weeks will be important for monitoring the number of mosquitoes, but he does not expect an increase in the ones that carry the Zika virus, although he admits there is uncertainty.

 "I wouldn’t say right off that there’s reason to believe that (the flooding) would have significant impact," said Beard, deputy incident manager for the Zika outbreak program.

 He said there could be an increase in other types of mosquitoes, but he pointed out that the Zika-carrying species is smaller and more easily washed away by floodwaters.

 Beard added that if the CDC and local monitoring authorities do begin to see increased numbers, it would trigger a massive response to prevent the spread of Zika.

 No local cases of Zika have been reported in Louisiana, but Hotez said there could possibly be cases that have gone unreported. Florida is the only state where Zika was contracted locally, and not from travel outside the country.

 Flooding could increase the risk for other mosquito-borne illnesses, such as West Nile Virus, Hotez said.

 Mustapha Debboun, director of mosquito control at Texas' Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services, told USA TODAY in April that flooding can "create plenty of breeding habitats for mosquitoes, which will increase in larger populations as the temperature and humidity rises."

 Follow Ryan Miller on Twitter @MILLERdfillmore

 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Scientists are getting closer to developing an effective Zika vaccine | 1:01 The U.S. is enrolling more than 2,000 people in experimental Zika vaccine tests. Video provided by Newsy Newslook 1 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Florida may deploy bats to fight Zika | 1:01 There are some hitches to the proposal, though. Video provided by Newsy Newslook 2 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS The CDC is worried about sperm from Florida carrying Zika virus | 0:49 CDC issues a warning for these Florida sperm banks. Veuer's Emily Drooby (@emilydrooby) has the story. Buzz60 3 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Zika risk was spread further than previously thought | 0:26 Local transmission of the Zika virus in Florida may have occurred as early as June 15 of last year. USA TODAY 4 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS A Zika solution? Researchers release promising initial reports | 0:58 Researchers are speeding up studies to find vaccines and drugs to treat Zika, which has spread worldwide at an alarming rate Time 5 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Florida lifts last Zika Zone, but risk remains | 1:09 Despite Florida Governor Rick Scott lifting the last Zika advisory on South Beach, health officials warn the disease can still be spread. Sean Dowling (@seandowlingtv) has more. Buzz60 6 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Genetically modified mosquitoes could battle Zika virus in Florida | 0:47 Officials want to use the mosquitoes to combat Zika, but some residents question the safety of the modified pests. Video provided by Newsy Newslook 7 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Miami Doctors Monitor Zika Infected Pregnancy | 1:10 Doctors say that so far there the unborn baby girl's head is developing normally, but they will continue to monitor fetal development. (Oct. 23) AP 8 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Zika is no longer an international health emergency | 0:37 But the World Health Organization says this announcement doesn't mean the virus isn't still a threat. Newslook 9 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Zika Vaccine Trials Begin In Baltimore | 1:46 Zika vaccine trials began Tuesday at the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine in Baltimore. Some volunteers say they are doing it in hopes that pregnant women one day will not have to fear the virus linked to severe birth defects. (Sept. 13) AP 10 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Obama: Hopeful After Zika, Budget Talks | 1:08 President Obama wrapped up a meeting with congressional leaders Monday by declaring himself hopeful that an agreement can be struck to keep the government running and provide money to take care of the worsening Zika crisis. (Sept. 12) AP 11 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Miami residents voice support for Zika spraying | 1:17 Aerial insecticide spraying to combat mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus is underway in Miami Beach. Despite some residents’ opposition to the spraying, others think it is the right thing to do. (Sept. 9) AP 12 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Funding for Zika Stalled on Capitol Hill | 1:41 Senate leaders from both parties came out Wednesday blaming the other side for not getting a bill approved with much needed funding for Zika. (Sept. 7) AP 13 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Congressman brings mosquitoes to House floor | 0:34 "This is the fear of Floridians, right here" Time 14 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Ryan: Senate totally partisan with Zika funding | 0:35 House Speaker Paul Ryan called out Senate members for being 'blatantly political' in blocking Republican measures to fund Zika prevention. (Sept. 7) AP 15 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Residents Protest Zika Spraying in Miami | 0:37 Some residents in Florida protested the aerial spraying oF an insecticide called naled for the second time this week. The protests prompted officials to delay the spraying by a day to Friday. (Sept. 9) AP 16 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS WHO: Zika Virus Still Spreading | 1:17 The World Health Organization said Friday that the Zika virus remains an international health emergency, as the virus continues to spread to new countries. (Sept. 2) AP 17 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS The latest on Zika, from America’s point man on infectious diseases | 7:34 Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, discusses prospects for a Zika vaccine with USA TODAY medical reporter Liz Szabo. Rene Alston 18 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS A public health emergency is declared for Puerto Rico | 0:45 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency for Puerto Rico which will free up funding to help with the fight against the Zika virus. Kelly Jordan, USA TODAY 19 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Could massive flooding in Louisiana increase the risk for Zika? | 1:07 Once the floodwaters start to recede, there could be a different threat waiting. Video provided by Newsy Newslook 20 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Obama administration to transfer $34 million to fund Zika vaccine efforts | 0:38 Obama will transfer over $30 million to help with Zika vaccines. USA TODAY 21 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS CDC encouraged by first aerial spraying for Zika | 1:44 The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says aerial spraying of the insecticide naled is killing many mosquitoes in a Miami neighborhood where the insects apparently transmitted Zika to 15 people. (Aug. 4) AP 22 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Obama: Zika is 'serious threat to Americans' | 2:10 As Zika escalates into a public health crisis, President Barack Obama on Thursday sought to pressure congressional Republicans over funding, encouraging voters to "call your members of Congress and tell them to do their job." (Aug. 4) AP 23 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Zika cases growing in Florida | 0:21 There are now 14 people with the Zika virus in south Florida. Florida Governor Rick Scott is calling on the CDC for an emergency response team. 24 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS CDC: Killing Zika-Spreading Mosquito Difficult | 2:48 CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden said Tuesday that it is proving harder than expected to eradicate mosquitoes in an area of Miami where the insects have been found to be spreading the Zika virus. (Aug. 2) AP 25 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Pregnant women getting tested for Zika in Miami | 2:10 Fearing devastating birth defects associated with the Zika virus, hundreds of pregnant women living near downtown Miami are getting tested. Obstetricians are handing out kits that include bug spray with DEET. (Aug. 2) AP 26 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Raw: Mosquito Spraying in Miami's Wynwood Area | 0:59 Mosquito spraying continues in Miami's Wynwood section. It's believed mosquitoes infected 14 people in Florida with Zika, all in that area. Pregnant women are warned to stay away. Zika infections in pregnant women can cause birth defects. (Aug. 2) AP 27 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Florida's Zika problem could be much bigger than numbers suggest | 1:06 Florida announced a second wave of Zika cases from local mosquitoes. Ten more cases have been confirmed after the first four were announced Friday. Video provided by Newsy Newslook 28 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS First cases of locally transmitted Zika confirmed in Florida | 0:56 More than 1,600 cases have been reported in the continental U.S. alone. Video provided by Newsy Newslook 29 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Rubio urges federal government for Zika funding | 1:41 Florida Sen. Marco Rubio urged both Congress and the Obama administration to take action on funding to combat the spread of the Zika virus. (Aug. 3) AP 30 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Baby with Zika virus born in New Jersey | 0:47 On Tuesday officials at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey revealed that a mother with the Zika virus gave birth to a baby with microcephaly at the hospital. USA TODAY 31 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS It looks like Zika Numbers have tripled in the U.S. in one week | 1:03 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says pregnancies can be affected even if women don't show symptoms. Video provided by Newsy Newslook 32 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Rio Mayor Tries to Ease Zika Fears | 1:05 Visitors to this year's Olympic Games in Brazil are safe from the Zika virus, according to the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, However, one medical expert disagrees. (May 16) AP 33 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS 6 Things To Know About Zika Virus | 2:39 CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden answers questions about the Zika virus and new guidelines issued by the health agency on Friday. (Feb. 5) AP 34 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS White House taps Ebola funds to temporarily stave off Zika | 1:08 The Obama administration says transferring over $500 million from the Ebola fight still won't be enough to properly combat Zika.Video provided by Newsy Newslook 35 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS The fight against the Zika Virus starts with mosquito control | 3:21 Following a Dengue Fever outbreak in 2009 the Key West Mosquito Control District ramped up their domestic mosquito control program to target the Aedes aegytpi mosquito which is also the mosquito most responsible for spreading the Zika Virus. Kelly Jordan, USA TODAY 36 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Dr. Anthony Fauci warns funding stalemate threatens to slow effort to contain Zika virus | 10:50 NAIAD Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top expert on infectious diseases, warned that a continuing funding stalemate between the White House and Congress threatens to slow efforts to contain the Zika virus "to a dangerous level". 37 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS U.S. swimmers address Zika, Michael Phelps, Rio Olympics | 1:44 Members and hopefuls from the 2016 U.S. Olympic swimming team address concerns over the Zika virus, Michael Phelps' return and competing in the Olympics for the first time. USA TODAY Sports 38 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS AP: Insecticide Shipments Stopped As Zika Spread | 2:38 An Associated Press investigation has found that Brazil's fight against Zika was hampered last fall because the Health Ministry ran out of larvicide. Shipments across the country were suspended between August and October. (March 18) AP 39 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Olympic media summit: Zika virus on athletes' minds | 1:56 USA TODAY Sports' Rachel Axon recaps it all. 40 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Rio de Janeiro firefighters, drones join Zika battle | 1:07 Firefighters in the state of Rio de Janeiro will use drones to identify potential Zika mosquito breeding areas Video provided by AFP Newslook 41 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Zika: Pain and panic in Brazil | 4:28 USA Today Sports travels across Brazil and finds out what action is being taken to combat Zika and its potential heartbreaking complications. USA TODAY Sports 42 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS WHO director: Zika is 'mysterious and tricky virus' | 1:11 USA TODAY Sports' Martin Rogers reporting from Brazil, where the Director General of the World Health Organization is addressing the growing Zika virus crisis. USA TODAY Sports 43 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Fauci: US Transmission of Zika Expected | 2:08 Disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, said Friday that there have not yet been any cases of locally transmitted Zika virus in the continental United States, bud added he wouldn't be surprised if that changes. (Feb. 12) AP 44 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS US Olympic Teams Preparing for Zika Threat | 1:17 The CEO of USA Track and Field says Olympic teams are looking into ways to minimize the threat of the Zika virus when athletes travel to Rio de Janeiro for this year's Olympic games. (Feb. 11) AP 45 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Hopes for Zika Vaccine Trials By Late Summer | 1:04 The director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) says that he hopes to have a Zika vaccine enter a "Phase 1 clinical trial" by late summer. (Feb. 11) AP 46 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Pa. Student Has Recovered After Contracting Zika | 1:11 Lehigh University said in a message to students, staff and faculty on Wednesday that a student had traveled abroad over winter break and later tested positive for Zika virus, but has since recovered "and is feeling well." (Feb. 11) AP 47 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS USOC addresses Zika virus concerns | 0:47 The USOC will add disease specialists to address added concerns about the spread of the Zika virus in Rio. USA TODAY Sports 48 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS CDC: Expect 'significant number' of Zika cases | 1:41 CDC Director Thomas Frieden told a congressional committee Wednesday that the U.S. should expect to see "significant numbers" of infections of the Zika virus in territories including Puerto Rico. (Feb. 10) AP 49 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Zika virus could keep Hope Solo out of Olympics | 0:56 Due to the spreading Zika virus, U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo told SI.com, If I had to make the choice today, I wouldn't go [to the Olympics]." Time_Sports 50 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Officials confirm first case of Zika virus in Indiana | 2:40 Zika virus, which has been linked to thousands of birth defects in Latin America, has spread rapidly and made its way to North America. Indiana has its first confirmed case of the Zika virus, state health officials said Feb 9, 2016. (Produced by Joe Wochit 51 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS The White House is asking For $1.8B to counter The Zika virus | 0:56 The money would go to mosquito control programs, research for a vaccine, health services for low-income pregnant women and more. Newslook 52 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Brevard Officials Give Tips on Helping Fight Against Zika Virus | 0:47 Bruh-VARD County officials are enlisting help from the public to fight the spread of the ZEE-ka virus. Virginia Barker, the county's Natural Resources Management Department director, says best defense is to reduce standing water outdoors. The wate Wochit 53 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS FL Residents Take Steps to Prep Against Zika | 1:41 Preparing for a fight against the mosquito-born virus Zika, concerned residents in Florida hire exterminators and get educated. (Feb. 5) AP 54 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Experts Call For More Resources to Combat Zika | 1:57 President Barack Obama is asking Congress for more than $1.8 billion in emergency funding to fight the Zika virus and the mosquitoes that spread it here and abroad. (Feb. 8) AP 55 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Sexually transmitted Zika virus reported in Texas | 2:38 The Dallas County health department has confirmed two people in the Texas county have tested positive for the Zika virus. One patient had sexual contact with another infected individual; the other patient contracted the virus while in Venezuela. WFAA-TV 56 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Zika Spread Through Blood Transfusion in Brazil | 1:13 2 people in Brazil contracted the Zika virus through blood transfusions, a municipal health official says, presenting a fresh challenge to efforts to contain the virus on top of the disclosure of a case of sexual transmission in the US. (Feb. 4) AP 57 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Guarding your home from the Zika virus | 1:10 A USA TODAY motion graphic showing how to prevent your home from becoming a breeding ground for the Aedes mosquito, known to spread the Zika virus. Source: National Environmental Health Association Ramon Padilla Berna Elibuyuk and Liz Szabo, USA TODAY 58 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Expert: Majority of Blood Supply Safe from Zika | 1:27 With Brazilian officials confirming two people contracted Zika virus through blood transfusions, there is concern more cases could appear. Experts say there are ways to pre-screen blood donors to "cut down significantly on the risk." (Feb. 4) AP 59 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Doctor: Many More Will Be Infected With Zika | 1:20 A sexually transmitted case of Zika in Texas has scientists scrambling to understand how much of a risk infection through sex is for the usually mosquito-spread illness. (Feb. 4) AP 60 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Wisc Mother Shares Experience with Microcephaly | 2:22 The Zika virus is drawing worldwide attention to a devastating birth defect that until now has gotten little public notice. A Wisconsin mother is all too familiar with the condition_ her infant son has microcephaly. (Feb. 4) AP 61 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Olympic committee dealing with Zika virus | 0:56 Update on the Zika virus and how it may impact the Summer Olympics in Rio. USA TODAY Sports 62 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS CDC Emergency Op. Center Tracks Zika Virus | 1:11 The Associated Press gets a look inside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is monitoring the spread of the Zika virus from their Emergency Operations Center. (Feb. 3) AP 63 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Health ministers convene in Uruguay over Zika | 0:43 Health ministers representing 15 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo on Wednesday to discuss a common policy to combat the regional expansion of the Zika virus. (Feb. 3) AP 64 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS 5 things to know about Zika virus | 1:00 Zika virus, which has been linked to thousands of birth defects in Latin America, has spread rapidly and made its way to North America. Here are five things you need to know about the virus. VPC 65 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Genetically modified mosquitoes released to take on Zika Virus | 2:07 Feb. 3 -- A small British biotech firm is taking a leading role in the fight against the Zika virus - by releasing genetically modified mosquitoes into affected areas. Bloomberg's Tom Mackenzie visited their breeding lab near Oxford to find out more Bloomberg 66 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Dallas County Patient Gets Zika Virus From Sex | 1:19 Health officials say a patient in Dallas County, Texas, has acquired the Zika virus through sex. Officials confirm the patient was infected after having sexual contact with an ill person who returned from a country where Zika was present. (Feb. 3) AP 67 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS WHO Expert says Zika Vaccine Likely "Years Away" | 1:22 A senior World Health Oranization (WHO) doctor on Tuesday told journalists that a vaccine for the Zika virus "may be years not months away." Dr. Antony Costello said it depends on the biology of the virus. (Feb. 2) AP 68 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Brevard Prepared to Fend Off Zika Virus | 0:30 The World Health Organization announced on Monday that the explosive spread of the Zika virus in the Americas is an "extraordinary event" that merits being declared an international emergency. (Feb. 1) AP The same type of mosquito spreading the Zik Wochit 69 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Sexually transmitted Zika virus reported in Texas | 2:38 The Dallas County health department has confirmed two people in the Texas county have tested positive for the Zika virus. One patient had sexual contact with another infected individual; the other patient contracted the virus while in Venezuela. 70 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS WHO declares Zika outbreak a global emergency | 1:55 The World Health Organization announced on Monday that the explosive spread of the Zika virus in the Americas is an "extraordinary event" that merits being declared an international emergency. (Feb. 1) AP 71 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Zika virus: 5 things you need to know | 1:00 Zika, a virus transmitted through mosquito bites, is affecting multiple countries in Latin America, and is expected to spread to the U.S. VPC 72 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Zika virus prompts Brazilian petition For more legal abortion access | 1:09 The Zika virus outbreak in Brazil prompted a petition for more access to legal abortion. Video provided by Newsy Newslook 73 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS WHO Holds Crisis Meeting on Zika Virus | 1:28 The World Health Organization (WHO) has begun a crisis meeting considering whether the explosive spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which is linked to birth defects in the Americas, should be declared a global health emergency. (Feb. 1) AP 74 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Expert Says Zika Outbreak Not Likely in the U.S. | 1:45 Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the chances of a Zika outbreak in the United States is not likely. Fauci spoke at a luncheon event in Washington, DC on Friday. (Jan. 29) AP 75 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Heat, Poverty, Fuel Brazil Zika Outbreak | 1:29 In Recife, Brazil, the epicenter of the country's Zika outbreak, authorities struggle to control the mosquitoes that spread the virus, while families struggle with birth defects that may be linked to the disease. (Jan. 29) AP 76 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Mosquitoes are spreading a rare virus | 0:44 In the past year, Zika has spread from Africa and Asia through the Americas. In Brazil, the number of infants born with shrunken, malformed brains has gone up by a factor of 10 since Zika entered the country. USA TODAY 77 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS CDC: Pregnant Women at Greatest Risk for Zika | 3:34 Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning pregnant women to postpone travel plans to areas where Zika virus has been reported in the hopes of reducing risks of birth defects and spread of virus. (Jan. 28) AP 78 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Concerns Zika Virus Could Spread Through Americas | 2:33 The Zika virus, which is spread by mosquitoes, has been found in nearly two dozen Latin American countries. The virus is suspected of causing birth defects. Health officials are concerned it could spread to the US and Canada. (Jan. 28) AP 79 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Rio Olympics monitoring spread of Zika virus | 0:35 With the Rio Olympics seven months away, daily inspections of stagnant water in Brazil are ongoing where mosquitoes spread the Zika virus. 80 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS WHO To Hold Emergency Session on Zika Virus | 2:14 The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday said it was convening an emergency committee on Monday to decide if the Zika virus outbreak should be declared an international health emergency. (Jan. 28) AP 81 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Recruiting Students in Fight Against Zika | 2:51 The mosquitoes that can spread Zika are already buzzing among us. The U.S. government could use some help figuring out exactly where. No experience is necessary for what the USDA envisions as a nationwide experiment in citizen-science. (May 16) AP 82 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS CDC Discusses Rise in Emerging Zika Virus | 2:09 The CDC says there is growing concern about the emerging, mosquito-borne Zika virus after a surge in cases of a rare brain defect among babies in Brazil. Although cases of the Zika virus are still rare in the U.S., they're on the rise. (Jan. 20) AP 83 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Texas border town prepares for Zika outbreak | 2:00 The U.S./Mexico border town of Brownsville, Texas is preparing for a full-on outbreak of the Zika virus as cases trickle north. 84 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Fighting the ZIka Virus with tiny fish | 0:45 The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District is fighting the Zika Virus with a tiny fish called gambusia or mosquitofish. The gambusia eat the larvae of the Aedes aegypti mosquito which is the one most responsible for the spread of the Zika Virus. Kelly Jordan, USA TODAY 85 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS CDC: Zika definitely causes severe birth defects | 1:28 US health officials say there is no longer any doubt that the Zika virus causes babies to born with abnormally small heads and other severe brain defects. (April 13) AP 86 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Miami-Dade Takes Steps to Prevent Spread of Zika | 1:49 After the Centers for Disease Control announced a more ominous situation of the Zika virus, Miami-Dade officials are trying to be proactive in managing its spread, evaluating waterlogged areas and trying to control mosquito populations. (April 12) AP 87 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS Miami-Dade Officials Proactive Against Zika | 0:59 Miami-Dade Officials Proactive Against Zika AP 88 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS 5 things you may not know about the Zika virus | 1:04 The CDC announced that the Zika virus may be 'scarier than we initially thought,' saying the mosquito-borne virus could be linked to more birth defects than previously believed. 89 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS CDC: Zika virus scarier than we thought | 1:36 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Puerto Rico could see "hundreds of thousands of cases of Zika virus." Officials also said the rest of the country needs to be prepared for possible outbreaks. (April 11) AP 90 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS White House Urges Congress to Act on Zika | 1:35 The Obama administration has been urging Congress to come up with nearly $2 billion dollars in emergency funding to combat the Zika virus. Wednesday, it announced that it's transferring leftover money from the recent fight against Ebola. (April 6) AP 91 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS CDC Hosts Zika Action Plan Summit in Atlanta | 1:57 The CDC hosted hundreds of state and local officials and experts for the Zika Action Plan Summit to provide information and tools to improve preparedness and response to the Zika virus. (April 1) AP 92 of 93 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE ZIKA VIRUS IN THE NEWS CDC: Sex can wait if you've been near Zika | 1:22 Americans who might have been exposed to Zika and are trying to get pregnant should know these new government guidelines. 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 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2bsxNQv |||||Summary:

– As thousands of people deal with treacherous flooding in southern Louisiana, a new danger may enter into the mix: increased risk of a mosquito surge over the next few weeks, and with them, the potential spread of the Zika virus, a tropical medicine expert tells USA Today. Peter Hotez of the Baylor College of Medicine says that mosquito eggs lying around in vessels such as tires and buckets may start hatching en masse once the floodwaters pull back, and if enough of those eggs come from Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti insects, it's going to be "crunch time." Hotez also warns the risk could similarly rise for other diseases linked to mosquitoes, including West Nile. Louisiana so far hasn't had a documented case of Zika contracted locally, though there have been around two dozen cases of travel-related Zika reported there, per the Shreveport Times. But another expert isn't so sure about the Zika risk. Ben Beard, who helps run the CDC's Zika outbreak initiative, concurs there may soon be a proliferation of the blood-hungry mosquitoes in Louisiana due to the massive flooding, but not necessarily of the Zika-carrying kind, as that variety is tinier and therefore more likely to be swept away with the floodwaters. Meanwhile, Zika is already affecting the Bayou State in another way: Per KENS, blood donors are desperately being sought there because locals who've recently traveled to Zika-affected regions can't give blood for about a month after they've come back from their trip, a logistical issue that, along with other factors, has caused a blood shortage in the state. (The Zika situation in Florida isn't improving.)


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CANTON, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney's testimony from a 1991 court hearing related to the founder of Staples Inc appeared to contain little likely to damage the candidate's chances in the November 6 general election.The 192-page filing, released with a Massachusetts court's approval on Thursday, shows that the retailer, prior to its initial public offering, issued a new class of shares to help fund Staples founder Thomas Stemberg's divorce from Maureen Sullivan Stemberg.The Norfolk Probate & Family Court in Canton, Massachusetts, south of Boston, on Thursday approved the release of hundreds of pages of testimony Romney delivered at a hearing on Thomas Stemberg's divorce from Sullivan Stemberg, at the Boston Globe newspaper's request.The office-supplies retailer - in which Bain Capital, a private equity fund that Romney worked for before entering politics, was an early investor - had privately sold a new class of shares to facilitate the divorce, former Massachusetts Gov. Romney said, according to the transcripts."It was something which was done in my opinion, it was initiated as a favor. Tom needed to have a settlement with his wife so that was the genesis of it," Romney said, according to the transcripts.The "D" class of shares at issue could be converted to common stock, unlike earlier shares sold in three prior rounds of fundraising, which held greater voting rights, Romney said, according to the transcript.Thomas Steinberg spoke on Romney's behalf at the Republican National Convention in August.Sullivan Stemberg's attorney, Gloria Allred, had sought both to have the transcripts released and to free her client from a gag order that prevents both Sullivan Stemberg and her former husband from discussing terms of their divorce.Norfolk Probate & Family Court Assistant Judicial Case Manager Jennifer Ulwick agreed to the release of the documents but declined to lift the gag order.Allred warned that without Sullivan Stemberg's comments the testimony may mean little to the general public."Out of context, it is essentially meaningless to the public, and she can put it in context," Allred said, referring to her client.Romney provided testimony in 1991 on behalf of Stemberg, who was battling a post-divorce lawsuit.Sullivan Stemberg has disputed Romney's description of the value of the company, according to a filmmaker who interviewed her.A spokesman for Thomas Stemberg said he was pleased that the judge had upheld the order preventing him or his ex-wife from discussing the case."We are delighted that the court has upheld the confidentiality order in this case, which has nothing to do with Governor Romney," said George Regan, a spokesman for Stemberg. "It is and always has been a private family matter that should not be subject to public speculation."ROMNEY LAWYER DOES NOT OBJECTRomney attorney Robert Jones said the candidate had no objection to the testimony being made public."These tabloid charges being shopped by Gloria Allred, one of President Obama's most prominent supporters, are absolutely false," said Jones, of the Boston law firm Ropes & Gray. "There is no new information here."Allred, who has donated to Obama's re-election campaign, denied the moves were politically motivated.Staples also raised no objections to the release.At issue is how Romney described the value of Staples. An independent filmmaker who interviewed Sullivan Stemberg for an uncompleted movie project told Reuters on Wednesday that she felt he inaccurately described the value of the company.Staples, which went public in 1989, was worth $264.4 million on June 26, 1991, the first day of Romney's testimony.Three months later, the stock price had climbed 26 percent to push its market value to $334.28 million on September 26, 1991. A year after Romney's testimony, Staples was worth $507.1 million.Romney in testimony described Thomas Steinberg as a typical entrepreneur, placing high odds on the success of his business, according to the testimony."He spoke about the future as if it were here today and minimized the, you know, in raising money from board members individually minimized the, in his own mind, the risks and maximized the probability of a high degree of success," Romney said, according to the transcript.(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball in Washington; Editing by Mary Milliken and Eric Walsh) ||||| A Massachusetts judge will allow the release of testimony by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the decades-old divorce of Staples founder Tom Stemberg.

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 Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney campaigns at Landmark Aviation at The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (Associated Press)

 Maureen Stemberg Sullivan, left, ex-wife of Staples founder Tom Stemberg, and her lawyer Gloria Allred, right, arrive at Norfolk County Probate Court Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012, in Canton, Mass. Lawyers... (Associated Press)

 Lawyers for The Boston Globe argued that the public has a right to know what's in the testimony.

 Attorneys for Romney, Stemberg and Staples did not object to releasing the documents but had asked for a day to review them, which the judge granted.

 The hearing resumed Thursday and the judge said it was OK to release the documents.

 Lawyer Gloria Allred, representing Stemberg's ex-wife, also wanted the judge to lift a gag order that prevents Maureen Sullivan Stemberg from discussing the testimony. The judge said the former Mrs. Stemberg needs to file a separate request.

 Staples was founded with backing from Romney's firm, Bain Capital. |||||

– A Massachusetts judge rule today that Mitt Romney's sealed testimony from the divorce hearing of Staples founder Tom Stemberg can be released, after putting off the decision yesterday, the AP reports. The Boston Globe had argued that the court should reassess the gag order given that Romney is running for president. Stemberg's ex-wife, Maureen Sullivan Stemberg, believes Romney downplayed Staples' value to stiff her, a source confirms for Reuters. "He was stating for his best friend to save money in a divorce that the stock was worth very little." In the year after Romney's testimony, Staples' value almost doubled. Romney doesn't object to releasing the testimony. "From the governor's perspective, the sooner we get at it, the better," his lawyer told the court yesterday. But Stemberg does, and strongly. "This is not an issue involving Governor Romney," his lawyer said. "This is a private divorce matter." Staples also asked for time to make sure the documents didn't contain confidential information that might harm its business.


Article:

DeOrr Kunz Jr.'s parents (Photo: Paul Boehlke/KTVB)

 LEMHI COUNTY -- The Lemhi County sheriff announced Monday that the parents of missing toddler DeOrr Kunz Jr. have been named suspects in his disappearance.

 Sheriff Lynn Bowerman told KTVB that Jessica Mitchell and Deorr Kunz Sr. have been "less than truthful" since the investigation began.

 "They refused to give us any further information to clear up the untruthfulness and they've changed their story on numerous occasions," he said.

 DeOrr Kunz Jr. was reported missing July 10, 2015. His parents told authorities the boy disappeared during a family camping trip near Leadore. Search teams combed the area, but found no trace of the toddler.

 MORE: New details released in missing 2-year-old, DeOrr Kunz Jr., case

 Bowerman said he believes DeOrr's parents know where he is and whether he is dead or alive.

 "They're not able to tell the same story twice because they've told so many stories, you know, getting changes in the story all the time," he said.

 Bowerman says when he confronted the parents, they refused to give any additional information to clear up their inconsistencies.

 The pair are not under arrest, and no warrants have been issued. Bowerman said he has met with prosecutors, the FBI and the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office and plans to take his time and make sure the case is solid before bringing charges against Mitchell and Kunz.

 "We don't feel that the arrest is imminent, but we're leaving all options open," he said. "We don't want to jeopardize the investigation and charge them too early, for fear that we might find DeOrr and it might change."

 Private investigators with Klein Investigations and Consulting hired by the family said earlier this month they had ruled out the possibility of an abduction or attack by a wild animal in DeOrr's disappearance.

 Bowerman said he still hopes the public can help investigators by contacting authorities with any information that could help the investigation.

 "We're asking the public at this time to come forward with any information that they might have concerning the parents and their interaction with their son DeOrr that they might have witnessed," he said.

 The sheriff stressed that the naming of suspects in the case did not mean the hunt for the toddler was being pushed to a back burner.

 "I want to find Deorr. That's my top priority. He's my victim here. That's my goal is to find Deorr Kunz and to solve this investigation," said Bowerman.

 DeOrr is now three years old. He was two when he disappeared, but he turned three on Dec. 30.

 The sheriff says he was holding off naming the parents as suspects because he wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, and to see if any other information would come out that would prove otherwise.

 Sheriff reponds to fundraising questions

 Bowerman also says he wanted to release this information because his office has gotten a lot of calls from the public about whether they should donate money to help find DeOrr.

 On Jan. 16, the family held a dinner, raffle, auction to help raise money to pay for the private investigator.

 Trina Clegg, Jessica Mitchell's mother and DeOrr's grandmother, says the family has raised $15,000, and every penny of that is going to pay for the private investigator out of Texas.

 We asked the sheriff about fundraising efforts, here is what he had to say:

 "I'm getting a lot of calls from the public - should we donate money to help find Deorr Kunz? And I can't honestly say yes or no knowing that the family is less than truthful. I think it's only fair that the public knows that they are suspects that we are continuing our investigation and that they aren't being truthful."

 DeOrr's grandmother says the family is no longer asking for money, but the website -- Miracles For Little Man -- will remain online.

 Trina Clegg says someone else is running the website. Any future money that comes in will go toward other missing children's cases.

 Click here to see all of KTVB's continuing coverage of this search.

 Read or Share this story: http://on.ktvb.com/1RIYUFE ||||| What DeOrr Kunz and Jessica Mitchell told us after their son disappeared

 0

 Updated at 11:34 am, January 25th, 2016 By: Nate Eaton, EastIdahoNews.com

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 IDAHO FALLS — Since their son disappeared on July 10, DeOrr Kunz Sr. and Jessica Mitchell have consistently said they don’t know what happened to their two-year-old boy.

 In their only on-camera interview, recorded three days after DeOrr went missing, the couple shared their account of what they say happened during the camping trip.

 The video above is their unedited conversation with EastIdahoNews.com reporter Nate Eaton. ||||| LEADORE, Idaho (KBOI) -- The Lemhi County Sheriff's Office has officially named the parents of missing toddler DeOrr Kunz as suspects in the boy's disappearance.

 Sheriff Lynn Bowerman told KBOI 2News on Monday that Jessica Mitchell and DeOrr Kunz Sr., have been "less than truthful" with investigators during recent interviews.

 "They are the top persons of interests," Bowerman said over the phone. "Does that mean they're suspects? Yeah I think so."

 The boy has been missing since July 10 after he was last seen at his family's campsite at Timber Creek Campground, just south of the town of Leadore near the Montana border.

 Bowerman says the couple agreed to a polygraph test, but when asked if they knew where there son was, red flags were raised.

 "They are being less than truthful," Bowerman said. "They know something, I just don't know what they know. It causes me alarm. I believe they know where he is absolutely."

 RELATED LINK: 911 call for missing Idaho Falls toddler released

 The sheriff said the investigation began to turn in the second week of January after the FBI and behavior analysts turned over their findings. Detectives brought them in yet again for follow up interviews and they continued with their story, the sheriff says.

 "I thought I'd give them another opportunity to tell us what happened, " he said. "I decided it was time the public knew what my concerns were -- I don't believe we have an abducted child."

 Bowerman said he's been asked numerous times whether he'll file charges against the parents. But he says it's just too early.

 "I'm not willing to jeopardize the investigation and filing (charges) too early," he said. "I want to make sure I got this right.

 The boy's aunt, Tanisha O'Neal Tompkins, told our media partner KIFI in an exclusive interview that both Kunz Sr. and Mitchell are innocent.

 "They have no motive at all," O'Neal Tompkins said. "They would gain nothing out of doing anything. I just want people to not be judgmental anymore and until there's facts, just please be quiet."

 Tompkins says the family knows just as much as the public does, and that they want answers first.

 Bowerman has asked the public to come forward if they had ever noticed any strange behavior between the couple and their son before his disappearance.

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– After Idaho toddler DeOrr Kunz went missing during a family camping trip in July, his parents said they were holding out hope that the 2-year-old was with someone, and that he would be returned to them. Six months later, the Lemhi County Sheriff's Office says "I don't believe we have an abducted child"—and the boy's mother and father are the top suspects in his disappearance, KBOI reports. "They know something, I just don't know what they know. It causes me alarm. I believe they know where he is absolutely," Sheriff Lynn Bowerman says, adding that DeOrr Kunz Sr. and Jessica Mitchell "are being less than truthful." Mitchell and Kunz Sr. say they left DeOrr with Mitchell's grandfather and went on a walk a short distance away but the grandfather thought DeOrr had gone to his parents. Bowerman says the investigation just recently took this turn, after behavior analysts and the FBI submitted their findings, and detectives brought DeOrr's parents in again for follow-up interviews. "I thought I'd give them another opportunity to tell us what happened," Bowerman says. Per KTVB, the sheriff says the parents "refused to give us any further information to clear up the untruthfulness and they've changed their story on numerous occasions." EastIdahoNews.com is re-running its interview with the parents from three days after their son went missing; the news organization notes it's the only on-camera interview they've given. "He's a goer and a mover but he does not go away from his parents," Kunz Sr. says in the video. "He's very attached to us," Mitchell adds.


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 A person helps one of those shot in the gunfire (Mr_Mookie)

 Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters today that cops inadvertently wounded nine people yesterday after a disgruntled ex-employee killed his former boss near the Empire State Building. Kelly said the bystanders were not hit directly by police, but rather the officers' struck "flowerpots and other objects around, so ... their bullets fragmented and, in essence, that's what caused the wounds." Altogether, the two officers who confronted Jeffrey Johnson fired 16 rounds—one officer shot nine while another one shot seven.

 Investigators believe at least 7 of those 16 rounds struck the gunman, according to NYPD Spokesman Paul Browne. Browne stressed that the officers were justified in using deadly force though: “They were approaching this man with a gun, and he turns on them, and he is eight feet away, pointing a gun right at them.” You can see surveillance video of the two officers confronting and shooting Johnson below.

 Besides Johnson and victim Steve Ercolino, who were both killed, seven men and two women, including a Bronx mom and a North Carolina yoga instructor, were wounded on Friday—six of them were taken to Bellevue Hospital and three to New York Cornell Presbyterian with non-life threatening injuries.

 Erica Solar, the 30-year-old Bronx mother of two, didn't realize she was shot until she felt a searing pain in her right leg: “She heard the shots,” her brother, Louis Lleras, told the News. “She didn’t know she was shot. It was crazy.” Media Rosario, from Queens, also didn't realize at first: “Everything happened so fast,” her sister-in-law, Auselis Rosario, told them. “The bullet went through her leg. She was crying to me.”

 Robert Asika, 23, told the Times he was one of those people grazed by the bullets: “One of the cops shot me in my arm,” he said outside Bellevue Hospital Center, noting the gunman was moving toward him, and suggesting the officers “shot me probably trying to shoot him.” He said he wasn't mad at police: “I get they were doing their job, but they have to be a little more careful when they are aiming the gun at the suspect and not hit the innocent victims,” he said.

 But Asika took on a harsher tone in an interview with the Guardian UK, accusing those cops of "shooting randomly", and hitting at least two other people: "If you're gonna aim try and aim perfectly. If you wanna aim at the target, you got to know what you're doing because it's the street," Asika said. "I could have been dead right now. I could have been dead."

 Dr. David Klinger, a former Los Angeles police officer and current criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis who has interviewed hundreds of police officers involved in shootings, told Buzzfeed that “no matter how realistic their training is, it can never prepare an officer for a shooting...There are professionals I work with who you would see that they're going to be able to stop a threat, will shoot the right number of bullets, and keep civilians as safe as possible,” says Klinger. “But unless this is something you train for on a daily or weekly basis, it's not something you can be truly prepared for.”

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 Multiple People Shot, Two Dead, Outside Empire State Building

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 Video: Police Shoot Midtown Shooting Suspect Dead

 ESB Shooter Jeffrey Johnson Described As Friendless Loner With A Grudge

 Cop Who Shot At ESB Killer Previously Sued NYPD Over Quotas ||||| The encounter was breathtakingly brief: a surveillance video showed a gunman outside the Empire State Building on Friday pulling a pistol, pointing it at two police officers, their firing at him and his falling to the sidewalk.

 All the yelling and cries of pain occurred out of camera view, just north of where the gunman, Jeffrey T. Johnson, collapsed and died: nine bystanders were struck, cradling bloody arms or lying on the sidewalks and curbs.

 The police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, confirmed on Saturday that all nine were wounded by police bullets, bullet fragments or shrapnel from ricochets. Mr. Kelly also confirmed that the shooter, Mr. Johnson, never fired another shot after killing a former co-worker, Steven Ercolino, moments earlier.

 “We had a witness that said that Johnson fired at the police,” Mr. Kelly said Saturday. “But the final count of the shells, it appears that that is not the case.”

 It was the second time in two weeks that police officers fired fusillades on the crowded streets of Midtown — 28 shots fired between the two episodes — and with it, there were once again questions of police protocol in urban settings. In the first shooting, no bystanders were struck when officers fired 12 shots at a man with a knife just south of Times Square.

 The nanosecond speed at which a shooting plays out is followed by hours of analysis, second-guessing and study.

 There is no national data on how often bystanders are struck by police bullets; Geoffrey P. Alpert, a criminologist at the University of South Carolina and an expert on the police use of force, said that hitting innocent civilians “doesn’t happen very often, but it happens.”

 He added: “The rule of thumb is that you do not put civilians in the line of fire, but the rule of thumb is also that you don’t let a murderer get away.”

 In many police shootings, stray shots are almost inevitable; a study based on New York’s annual firearms discharge reports indicated that officers hit their targets 34 percent of the time.

 “It’s a tense situation, people are scared and moving,” Professor Alpert said. “It’s not like the movies, where you can shoot the gun out of his hand.”

 The New York Police Department does include such episodes in its firearms discharge report. In 2010, for example, the police hit three bystanders in a shootout with a gunman; the year before, one bystander was struck when an officer struggled with a suspect who was trying to take his gun, and the gun fired.

 Those encounters are some of the more trying for officers.

 “One of the grim realities of police work,” reads a recent annual report, “is the terrible contradiction that can arise when it becomes necessary to protect life by using deadly physical force.”

 The patrol guide, the department’s manual, states that officers should not fire their weapons when, “in their professional judgment, doing so will unnecessarily endanger innocent persons.”

 In the shooting in Midtown, Mr. Kelly said on Friday that the two officers “had absolutely no choice.” In Mr. Johnson’s bag, officers found a clip loaded with six rounds, the police said.

 The courts tend to come down on the side of officers in lawsuits brought from bystanders injured by police bullets.

 A variety of outcomes after having been struck by a police bullet — physical, psychological, legal — can be found in a gun battle in Harlem in 2005 outside the restaurant Sylvia’s, another New York City landmark.

 A suspect opened fire on officers, and five of them fired back 25 times, killing him. When it was over, a woman was kneeling in the street over her baby and bleeding from a gunshot wound to the elbow, and a 78-year-old man carrying groceries was stooped to help them.

 “I got up,” the man, Garnold M. King, recalled in an interview, “and put my hand on my back and said, ‘Oh my God, I was shot too!’ ”

 The Police Department was sued. One lawsuit, filed by the wounded woman, Tammy Johnson, went all the way to the Court of Appeals before being thrown out in 2010 in a 4-to-3 decision; the majority opinion stated that the officers “clearly had probable cause to fire their weapons at the suspect: they were in pursuit of an armed individual who opened fire on them on a public street, endangering the lives of the officers and the public.” New York City officials say they believe that finding strengthens their position in cases like these.

 Ms. Johnson, then 39, had been playing with her 17-month-old daughter when she was struck. That moment changed her. She quickly moved to Atlanta.

 “I didn’t feel safe in New York City anymore,” she said in an interview Friday. ||||| Story highlights A woman says she was chatting with Steven Ercolino when a man opened fire

 Ercolino apparently filed a complaint fearing the gunman would try to kill him, police say

 Police gunfire wounded nine people in Empire State Building shooting, commissioner says

 Police: Investigation under way after officer shot nine rounds while another shot seven

 On a busy Friday morning in Manhattan, nine pedestrians suffered bullet or fragment wounds after police unleashed a hail of gunfire at a man wielding a .45 caliber pistol who had just killed a former co-worker.

 The officers unloaded 16 rounds in the shadow of the Empire State Building at a disgruntled former apparel designer, killing him after he engaged in a gunbattle with police, authorities said.

 Three passersby sustained direct gunshot wounds, while the remaining six were hit by fragments, according to New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. All injuries were caused by police, he said Saturday.

 One officer shot nine rounds and another shot seven.

 Police identified the gunman as Jeffrey Johnson, 58, who was apparently laid off from his job as a designer of women's accessories at Hazan Import Co. last year.

 Johnson, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard in the mid-1970s, had two rounds left in his pistol. It holds eight, Kelly said.

 Police identified the slain co-worker as Steven Ercolino, 41, who had apparently filed a prior complaint against his assailant, claiming that he thought Johnson would eventually try to kill him.

 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, center, and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly brief reporters on the Empire State Building shooting Friday, August 24. Two people were killed, including the suspected shooter, and nine others wounded, police said. Authorities shot the gunman, whom they described as a disgruntled former employee of a business near the landmark skyscraper. Hide Caption 1 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – Law enforcement, including the FBI and New York police, are at the scene Friday in a photo from CNN iReporter Vladimir Dusio. Hide Caption 2 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – A New York police officer keeps watch near the crime scene Friday. Authorities closed several streets around Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street, snarling traffic in the heart of Manhattan. Hide Caption 3 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – FBI agents gather at the scene, which some witnesses said sparked memories of the 2001 terrorist attacks. Authorities said the shooting was not related to terrorism. Hide Caption 4 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – New York police confer at the shooting scene. Hide Caption 5 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – A New York police officer directs pedestrians near the crime scene Friday. The Empire State Building is one of New York's best-known tourist attractions. Hide Caption 6 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – Police tape marks off the scene of Friday's shooting outside the Empire State Building. Hide Caption 7 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – Law enforcement officers stand near the covered body of the suspected shooter on Fifth Avenue. The man opened fire outside the building's Fifth Avenue entrance, triggering a gunbattle with police, authorities said. Hide Caption 8 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – A shooting victim lies covered on the ground at West 33rd Street. Hide Caption 9 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – FBI authorities gather near a body outside the Empire State Building. Hide Caption 10 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – Law enforcement at the scene of the shooting. Hide Caption 11 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – Vladimir Dusio, an iReporter who says he lives across the street from the Empire State Building, photographed police at the scene Friday. Hide Caption 12 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – Kelly Wilson, another iReporter, captured this image of the crowd gathering near the shooting scene. Hide Caption 13 of 14 Photos: Shooting at the Empire State Building Shooting at the Empire State Building – Police closed down the streets near the Empire State Building, which attracts 3.6 million visitors a year. Hide Caption 14 of 14

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 Both men had filed harassment complaints against each other in April 2011, Kelly added.

 Ercolino was listed as a vice president of sales at Hazan Import Corp., according to his LinkedIn profile.

 "It's not something that should happen to a loving person like that," said his brother, Paul. "He's going to be so missed by everybody. He was a light of so many lives."

 His longstanding dispute with the gunman "apparently centered on the fact that Ercolino was not selling -- at least in Johnson's opinion -- as much of his product ... as he wanted him to," Kelly said.

 The suspect lost his job last year at Hazan "as a result of downsizing" but continued to return to the company regularly, engaging in "a confrontation with Ercolino virtually every time he went back."

 The violence erupted Friday morning just as visitors began to queue up to ascend the famous New York skyscraper in one of Manhattan's busiest neighborhoods.

 Six of the injured were treated and released at hospitals by Friday evening, while three others remained hospitalized, Kelly added.

 One of those wounded, Erica Solar, was on her way to get a cup of coffee at Dunkin' Donuts when a bullet tore through the back of her leg, her brother said. The Manhattan receptionist is being treated at the city's Bellevue Hospital.

 Others like Robert Asika, a 23-year-old city tour guide, were on their way to work and got caught in the crossfire.

 "When I turned around, I saw a guy reach in his suit and he pulled out a gun," he told CNN affiliate WCBS-TV . "I guess he shot at the police officer. And the police officer shot him. And one of them shot me in the arm, and I fell."

 Irene Timan recalled to CNN affiliate WABC how she was walking down West 33rd Street and chatting with Ercolino on Friday morning, when she spotted Johnson.

 "I was like, 'Oh my God, that's Jeff Johnson.' And I was like, 'He's going to kill him, he's going to kill him, I know he's going to kill him,'" said Timan, who knew there was "bad blood" between Johnson and Ercolino but didn't know why.

 Then, as Ercolino was talking to Timan in mid-sentence, Johnson fired at him -- "right next to me," she recalled.

 Kelly, the police commissioner, said that Johnson -- who was wearing a business suit and carrying a briefcase as he waited -- shot Ercolino once in the head and then in the torso.

 An emotional Timan said Saturday that she has been replaying the incident "over and over in my mind. And I thought, 'Maybe you could have kicked the gun out of his hand and Steve would have only gotten shot once instead of five or six times.' ... I just ran, I didn't know what else to do."

 Johnson then walked east, before eventually turning north. A construction worker was among those who dashed after the gunman after the initial gunshots. Eventually, the worker alerted two police officers in front of the Empire State Building that the suspect "just killed a man around the corner," Kelly said.

 The police commissioner said the suspect pulled his gun out of his briefcase as the officers approached, pointing at them. The officers then fatally shot Johnson.

 A brief surveillance video released Friday night by police shows the man walking behind a large planter on a busy street. He appears to point something as two officers approach, coming to within a few feet of him. Then, as bystanders run in all directions, the man falls abruptly to the ground after apparently being shot.

 Witnesses said police shot Johnson at least three times.

 "I heard the gunshots," said Anika Basu, who was on a bus near the building when the shooting happened. "I looked toward the left and saw three people fall. ... The whole entire crosswalk emptied and people were running.

 When she heard the shots and saw people running, this time toward her, Timan said she feared Johnson was "going on a shooting spree."

 "And I really thought he was coming back for me," she said.

 Police say Johnson used a semiautomatic handgun and was carrying extra ammunition in his briefcase. He purchased the weapon legally in 1991 in Florida but did not have a permit to carry it in New York City.

 The former Manhattan resident did not appear to have had a criminal record, but authorities were still checking, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

 Johnson's neighbor, Gisela Casella, described him as a quiet animal lover whose death left her "shocked."

 "He was the nicest guy. He must have snapped or something. I don't know," she said.

 His landlord, Guillermo Suarez, said he lived alone and that he'd seen Johnson leave the building around 8 a.m. in a suit.

 By around 9 a.m., the shootings had prompted local and federal authorities to close several streets around Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street, snarling traffic in the heart of Manhattan.

 The Empire State Building is one of the most famous skyscrapers in the world and one of New York's best-known tourist attractions.

 Each year, about 4 million people visit the building's two observation decks. At more than 1,453 feet tall, the landmark building reaches more than a quarter-mile into the sky. |||||

– NYPD chief Ray Kelly confirmed today that all nine bystanders wounded in yesterday's shooting near the Empire State Building were injured by police bullets, reports CNN. The two officers who approached Jeffrey Johnson fired 16 rounds after he pulled his gun on them at point-blank range, and authorities think at least seven rounds hit Johnson, reports Gothamist. (See surveillance video of the shooting here.) “We recovered whole bullets from two of the victims," Kelly said. "Actually, we think a total of the three out of the nine bystanders were struck with bullets, the rest were struck with fragments of some sort.” Of the nine, six were treated and released from local hospitals by this morning. The other three were in stable condition, reports the New York Times. It remains unclear whether Johnson got off any rounds himself after pointing his gun at police. (Click to read details emerging about the shooter.)


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– Investigators are re-examining overheard conversations in which Russian government officials discuss dealings with Donald Trump's associates, given confirmation of Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer, US officials say. Though the conversations were recorded by US intelligence in early 2015, months before Trump announced his campaign for the presidency, investigators are interested in mentions of meetings between Russian officials and Trump associates, some of which reportedly occurred outside of the US, the Wall Street Journal reports. It isn't clear if the associates referred to were involved in Trump's business interests in Russia or later became part of his presidential campaign. Officials say it's commonplace for Russian officials to discuss players with major business interests in the country, Trump among them. Indeed, intelligence agencies initially took little from the conversations. But Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Kremlin-connected lawyer who claimed to have damaging information on Hillary Clinton has since renewed interest. President Trump said Wednesday he only became aware of the meeting with the lawyer "a couple of days ago," per Reuters. Hours after Trump Jr. confirmed the meeting on June 7, 2016, however, Trump promised in a speech to address Clinton's "corrupt dealings" to give "favorable treatment" to "the Russians," in what the White House is calling a coincidence, reports the New York Times.

WASHINGTON—Investigators are re-examining conversations detected by U.S. intelligence agencies in spring 2015 that captured Russian government officials discussing associates of Donald Trump, according to current and former U.S. officials, a move prompted by revelations that the president’s eldest son met with a Russian lawyer last year.

 In some cases, the Russians in the overheard conversations talked about meetings held outside the U.S. involving Russian government officials and Trump business associates or advisers, these... ||||| The younger Mr. Trump said the meeting with the Russian lawyer yielded no useful information about Mrs. Clinton, and instead turned into a discussion about a Russian-American diplomatic dispute. By happenstance or not, in the days and weeks after the meeting with the Russian lawyer, emails purloined from Democratic computers were made public, which investigators tied to Russian hacking.

 As a candidate, the elder Mr. Trump, who had expressed admiration of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, took positions that summer that caused head scratching. He expressed openness to lifting sanctions on Russia that were imposed after its annexation of Crimea, and suggested he might not defend NATO allies that did not spend enough money on their own security. The Republican platform at the party convention in July 2016 was crafted to keep out a call to provide arms to Ukraine to fight pro-Russian separatists.

 The president’s legal team declined to comment about the close timing of some of these events. A White House official said the president’s threat to air allegations about Mrs. Clinton on June 7 was part of a long-planned speech and was not related to his son’s decision to meet with the Russian lawyer. At a briefing on Wednesday, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a White House spokeswoman, dismissed the latest articles about the emails and meeting as “much ado about nothing.”

 Mr. Trump said on Wednesday that he was not aware of the June 2016 meeting with the Russian lawyer at the time. “No, that I didn’t know until a couple of days ago when I heard about this,” he told Reuters. He did not fault his son for sitting down with the lawyer. “I think many people would have held that meeting,” Mr. Trump said. ||||| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he did not fault his son Donald Trump Jr. for meeting with a Russian lawyer during the 2016 presidential election campaign and that he was unaware of the meeting until a few days ago.

 Asked if he knew that his son was meeting with lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June last year, the president told Reuters in a White House interview: “No, that I didn’t know until a couple of days ago when I heard about this.”

 (Transcript highlights: reut.rs/2sRVuHc)

 Trump Jr. eagerly agreed to meet the woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who might have damaging information about Democratic rival Hillary Clinton as part of Moscow’s official support for his father’s campaign, according to emails the son released on Tuesday.

 Seated at his Oval Office desk, Trump said he did not fault his son for holding the meeting, writing it off as a decision made in the heat of an upstart, non-traditional campaign.

 “I think many people would have held that meeting,” Trump said.

 “It was a 20-minute meeting, I guess, from what I’m hearing,” Trump said. “Many people, and many political pros, said everybody would do that.”

 The emails were the most concrete evidence that Trump campaign officials might have been willing to accept Russian help to win the Nov. 8 election, a subject that has cast a cloud over Trump’s presidency and prompted investigations by the U.S. Justice Department and Congress.

 Donald Trump Jr., in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, said: “In retrospect, I probably would have done things a little differently.”

 U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump in Washington, U.S. July 12, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 TRUST PUTIN?

 In the White House interview, the president said he directly asked Russian President Vladimir Putin if he was involved in what U.S. intelligence says was Russian meddling in the presidential campaign and that Putin had insisted he was not.

 Trump said he spent the first 20 or 25 minutes of his more than two-hour meeting with Putin last Friday in Germany on the election meddling subject.

 “I said, ‘Did you do it?’ And he said, ‘No, I did not. Absolutely not.’ I then asked him a second time in a totally different way. He said absolutely not,” Trump said.

 Asked if he believed Putin’s denial, Trump paused.

 “Look. Something happened and we have to find out what it is, because we can’t allow a thing like that to happen to our election process. So something happened and we have to find out what it is,” he said.

 About Putin, he added: “Somebody did say if he did do it, you wouldn’t have found out about it. Which is a very interesting point.”

 Slideshow (3 Images)

 While U.S. intelligence agencies and even members of Trump’s Cabinet have said Russia meddled in the election, Trump has wavered on the subject, at times suggesting that other actors might have been involved.

 Trump equivocated on whether he felt he could trust Putin. He said Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both look out for their countries’ interests, as he looks out for U.S. interests.

 “I am not a person who goes around trusting lots of people. But he’s the leader of Russia. It is the second most powerful nuclear power on earth. I am the leader of the United States. I love my country. He loves his country,” Trump said.

 As in the past, Trump said there was no collusion between his campaign and Russia.

 “There was zero coordination. It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” he said.

 The Republican president said Democrats had used the accusations to justify Clinton’s loss in November, saying: “The White House is functioning beautifully despite the hoax made up by the Democrats.”

 Although he and Putin were able to forge a ceasefire agreement in part of Syria, Trump said their interests collided over other issues. He said his U.S. military buildup and drive to increase U.S. energy production were in direct conflict with Putin, whose nation is dependent on energy exports.

 Their differences made him wonder whether Putin really had supported him last year, as many news reports have suggested.

 “It’s really the one question I wish I would have asked Putin: Were you actually supporting me?” |||||