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Amazon.com Inc. plans to open a store in the middle of New York City, according to people familiar with the plans, the first brick-and-mortar outlet in its 20-year history and an experiment to provide the type of face-to-face experience found at traditional retailers.

 The site, set to open in time for the holiday-shopping season on the same busy street as Macy’s Inc.’s flagship store, would mark an attempt by Amazon to connect with customers in the physical world. Amazon has built its business on competitive pricing and... ||||| According to the report, Amazon's Manhattan location would function as a "mini-warehouse" for same-day delivery in New York, product returns and pickups of online orders. (Photo: LIONEL BONAVENTURE, AFP/Getty Images)

 LOS ANGELES — Could this be Amazon's Miracle on 34th Street?

 Online retail giant Amazon will take on Macy's and other Herald Square retailers with a physical store of its own for the holidays in New York, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the plans.

 The Manhattan location would function as a "mini-warehouse" for same-day delivery in New York, product returns and pickups of online orders, according to the report.

 Amazon has shaken up the retail world by offering lower prices than many brick-and-mortar stores and offering comparison app tools that brought forth the trend of "showroom buying" — folks going to a physical store to see the item, then going home and ordering it online to save money.

 The E-tailer, now with a line of its own tech products — several Kindle e-readers and tablets, a TV set-top box and new smartphone — would be able to put its homegrown goods in front of more eyeballs and tout its growing offering of same-day delivery. That service is available in 12 cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Phoenix.

 Richard Doherty, an analyst with the Envisioneering Group, says New York attracts many foreign tourists who shop on Amazon back home, but find many products only sold here.

 A retail store offering same-day delivery could be "a tremendous uptick for tourists" and generate "tremendous volume," Doherty says.

 Amazon declined to comment, with spokeswoman Kelly Cheeseman adding, "We have made no announcements about a location in Manhattan."

 Amazon would be expected to devote much of the floor space to its Kindle e-readers and tablets, which have sold well, as well as the underperforming Fire set-top box and Fire smartphone. The Fire phone started at $199 in July, but was marked down to $1 (with a two-year contract) just two months later.

 Tim Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies, sees this as an experiment for Amazon to get its products in front of consumers. Only a handful of retailers sell Kindles, including Best Buy and Wal-Mart.

 "There's still a segment of the population that's touchy-feely," says Bajarin. "They want to see the product up close, and have it shown to them."

 By opening in New York during the holidays, Amazon "gets high traffic, and the kind of feedback it needs to see if it wants to expand."

 Rob Enderle, an analyst with the Enderle Group, says Amazon wouldn't just stock its own products. "Even the Apple Store carries non-Apple products," he says. "They'll showcase Amazon, but also show off the breadth of Amazon's catalog."

 According to the Journal, the address for the store is 7 West 34th Street, across from the Empire State Building and a block east from busy Herald Square, home to the flagship Macy's, and site of the classic 1947 Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street, about a Santa Claus put on trial for believing that he is indeed Kris Kringle.

 Follow Jefferson Graham on Twitter.

 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1vUlJcM |||||

– After 20 years of selling a dizzying array of products online—including bricks and mortar—Amazon.com may be moving into new territory with plans for its first brick-and-mortar store. Sources tell the Wall Street Journal that the New York City store, in a prime 34th Street location across from the Empire State Building, will mostly function as a place where people can pick up goods ordered online, but it will also give people a chance to take a look at Amazon devices like Kindles before buying. Amazon plans to have the store open in time for holiday shopping, and it could be the first of many nationwide if the experiment is a success, the sources say. Retail analysts say the move could help the company take advantage of the growing popularity of ordering things online and picking them up in-store, as well as boost sales of Amazon gadgets. "There's still a segment of the population that's touchy-feely," an analyst at Creative Strategies tells USA Today. "They want to see the product up close and have it shown to them." Amazon, which was rumored to be planning a store in Seattle two years ago, declined to comment on its New York City plans, saying only that it has "made no announcements about a location in Manhattan."


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 – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today sent an open letter to San Diego Mayor Bob Filner. The text of the letter follows:Dear Bob,We’ve known each other for a long time, and have worked together on many issues that are important to the people of San Diego – from creating jobs to protecting the environment to helping our veterans.So I am speaking to you now on a personal and professional level, and asking you to step down as mayor and get the help you need as a private citizen.I have already said publicly that you should resign your office as mayor because of the shocking revelations by many women about your behavior toward them.But now I must say this directly to you: Bob, you must resign because you have betrayed the trust of the women you have victimized, the San Diegans you represent and the people you have worked with throughout your decades in public life.I have worked for so many years to prevent and punish sexual violence and sexual harassment, wherever they occur. As we fight in the Senate to stand up for the men and women in our military who are survivors of sexual assault, I have heard their stories, seen the anguish in their faces, listened to them talk about the pain that will always be with them. Let me be clear: The latest revelations regarding your behavior toward women recovering from sexual assault – women who desperately need our help – have shaken me to my core.Bob, you have already hurt so many people. To avoid hurting your victims and the people of San Diego more than you already have, you should step down immediately.Sincerely,Barbara ||||| SAN DIEGO — Mayor Bob Filner will complete his "voluntary" behavioral modification therapy on Saturday, earlier than anticipated, his lawyers said Friday.

 Filner will take "some personal time" and be unavailable for comment, said a statement by the law firm of Payne & Fears, which is assisting Filner in his defense against a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former staff member. He is set to return to City Hall on Aug. 19.

 Filner will continue therapy as an outpatient, his lawyers said.

 Filner had said he would be in the intensive therapy program the weeks of Aug. 5 and 12. But he reportedly started the program earlier than announced.

 The law firm's announcement came as the last two City Council members called for Filner to bow to numerous demands that he resign and "allow the healing of our city to begin."

 The call by Marti Emerald and Myrtle Cole, both Democrats, makes it unanimous: All nine council members want Filner gone because of accusations that he sexually harassed numerous women.

 Also Friday, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), a longtime ally, issued an open letter addressed to "Dear Bob," asking him to resign and seek long-term treatment. Boxer's letter had a personal tone, noting their long careers working for many of the same political causes.

 "Bob, you have already hurt so many people," Boxer wrote. "To avoid hurting your victims and the people of San Diego more than you already have, you should step down immediately."

 Filner, 70, elected in November as San Diego's first Democratic mayor in two decades, is hoping to ride out a tide of sexual misconduct accusations and demands by fellow politicians and others for him to resign.

 Some 14 women have accused Filner of making unwanted and unpleasant sexual advances. One, former communications director Irene McCormack Jackson, has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit in San Diego County Superior Court seeking unspecified damages.

 The accusations of the other 13 share a similar scenario: that they met Filner at a public event or while asking for his help on a public issue and that he made sexually inappropriate comments, asked them for dates, and, in some cases, kissed or touched them.

 Among the 13 are prominent businesswomen, a retired Navy admiral, a political consultant, two college officials, a nurse seeking help for a wounded Marine and a longtime city employee.

 Emerald and Cole said the breaking point came when two former military personnel, both victims of sexual assault during their military service, accused Filner of making crude advances starting at a conference designed to help women who have suffered sexual assault.

 Filner's alleged victims are being interviewed by San Diego County Sheriff's Department investigators and personnel from the state attorney general's office.

 With reporters scrambling to find where Filner was receiving the therapy, the most likely candidate was the Sexual Recovery Institute in Los Angeles.

 Founded in 1995, the Pico-Robertson clinic specializes in helping men who cannot "take a month away from work to deal with their compulsive behavior" but want a "treatment program that could cover the same territory in half the time."

 The clinic's website says it is "the nation's only comprehensive two-week intensive treatment program for sexual addiction."

 The institute has a program for the weeks of Aug. 5 and 12, when Filner announced that he would be undergoing therapy to begin to change a long pattern of disrespectful, abusive behavior toward women.

 A spokeswoman for the clinic declined Friday to confirm or deny that Filner was a client, citing federal laws about confidentiality of medical information.

 The clinic attempts to shield the privacy of its clients. Staffers this week ordered television reporters parked near the facility to move as clients were arriving in a van.

 In a video on the institute's website, founder Rob Weiss, a clinical social worker and sex addiction therapist, said the clinic helps people who have successful lives that are being disrupted by compulsive behavior involving sex.

 "We can help restore some integrity to your life," Weiss said.

 tony.perry@latimes.com ||||| Mayor Bob Filner is ending his intensive behavioral therapy triggered by sexual harassment allegations earlier than expected while officials on Friday said the locks had been changed at his office.

 Meanwhile, his political support continued to crater as his last two allies on the City Council called for his resignation, making it unanimous, and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer reiterated her call for him to step down in an impassioned open letter to the mayor.

 It was another head-snapping day in the monthlong scandal that has enveloped City Hall as investigations by state, federal and local agencies continue into the sexual harassment claims and more.

 City Attorney Jan Goldsmith confirmed that the locks were changed at the 11th-floor City Hall office of the mayor but said he couldn’t say why.

 On Saturday, Filner Chief of Staff Lee Burdick explained.

 "The fact is that I had the locks changed to protect the Mayor while he is away," Burdick told the Voice of San Diego via email. "My concern is/was that if anything was removed while the Mayor was away, it could raise all kinds of questions about preservation or spoliation of potential evidence. Because I could not possibly determine everyone who had keys, I believed it was necessary to ensure the integrity of his physical office in his absence. The Mayor will be given the keys upon his return."

 She did not respond to requests for comment from U-T San Diego.

 An attorney hired by Filner to represent him in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by his former top communications aide, Irene McCormack Jackson, said Filner will continue his therapy as an outpatient.

 “Upon completion of the treatment program, Mayor Filner is planning to continue therapy sessions on an outpatient basis,” said a statement from the office of attorney, James L. Payne of Los Angeles. “Mayor Filner is taking personal time next week and will be unavailable for comment. At this time, we do not have information as to when he will be available for comment.”

 Bob Filner leaves therapy

 The statement raised some confusion, saying Filner wouldn’t be completing his two-week intensive treatment program until Saturday. Burdick said he had already completed the program, according to news reports.

 That distinction is noteworthy because Filner was originally scheduled to give a deposition in the sexual harassment case on Friday but he received a delay because it would conflict with his treatment. He had said he would begin the program this past Monday, Aug. 5, and return to work Aug. 19.

 Even before all those developments, the day started out with big news: Councilwomen Myrtle Cole and Marti Emerald issued a joint statement demanding Filner resign, in which they said that more of his female staffers are reporting inappropriate behavior by the mayor.

 “Now, additional women in his own office are telling investigators about harassment and abuse they suffered on a daily basis,” their statement said. “Based upon the ongoing disclosure of evidence Mayor Filner’s conduct is reprehensible and cannot be excused.”

 Cole and Emerald, who had held out calling for Filner to step down, started of their statement by saying “enough is enough.” |||||

– San Diego Mayor Bob Filner promised to undergo two weeks of "intensive" therapy at a clinic after a spate of sex-harassment accusations, but he's ducked out after just a week, reports the Los Angeles Times. His lawyers say he'll continue therapy as an outpatient and remains on track to return to work as scheduled on Aug. 19. Let's hope he has the new keys: The Union-Tribune reports that the locks on the mayor's office were changed yesterday, though it's unclear why. Could it be that Filner is finally getting ready to quit? The number of women accusing him of making crude, sometimes physical, advances has risen to 14. That includes two former members of the military who were victims of sexual assault during their service; both say Filner hit on them—at a conference for sexual assault victims. Filner has now lost the support of every single member of the City Council, and Sen. Barbara Boxer yesterday implored him to resign in an open letter. "Bob, you have already hurt so many people," she wrote. "To avoid hurting your victims and the people of San Diego more than you already have, you should step down immediately."


Here is a news article: The Supreme Court won't get involved in a death penalty case in which a convicted killer in Illinois complained that prosecutors focused the jury's attention on the fact that he never testified on his own behalf.

 The court did not comment on its action Monday to leave in place the conviction and sentence of Ronald Mikos, a foot doctor who was facing allegations of Medicare fraud. He was sentenced to death in 2005 on charges that he shot a disabled nurse and former patient, Joyce Brannon, to keep her from testifying against him.

 He did not testify in his own defense during his trial. His lawyers said prosecutors told the jury his decision not to testify showed a lack of remorse for what he did. During the penalty phase, the jury said his lack of remorse contributed to the decision to sentence him to death.

 Mikos's lawyer said his silence did not show a lack of remorse and objected to the prosecution's tactic of using it against him.

 The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago upheld the sentence.

 The case is Mikos v. United States, 08-1280. ||||| Federal prosecutors announced Friday they will seek the death penalty for a former University of Illinois graduate student accused of kidnapping, torturing and killing a visiting scholar from China in June.

 In making the announcement, prosecutors alleged for the first time that Brendt Christensen “choked and sexually assaulted” another victim in 2013 in central Illinois. He also has claimed “additional victims” and expressed a “desire to be known as a killer,” according to prosecutors.

 Christensen, 28, who is being held without bond, had tentatively been set to go to trial Feb. 27 in federal court in Urbana on a charge of kidnapping resulting in a death stemming from the disappearance of 26-year-old Yingying Zhang, whose body has not been found.

 The decision to seek the death penalty — which required the approval of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions — means that the trial will likely be delayed for months.

 The death penalty was abolished in Illinois state court in 2011 after years of allegations of deep flaws in the state’s justice system. In certain cases, though, it remains a tool for federal prosecutors, but its use in federal courts is still rare. It also can take years for an execution to actually be carried out.

 The last person to be sentenced to death in a federal courtroom in Illinois was Dr. Ronald Mikos, who was convicted in 2005 in Chicago of murdering a former patient to keep her from testifying against him in a Medicare fraud trial.

 Mikos, 69, whose appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied nearly a decade ago, is still awaiting execution in federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind., federal records show.

 The announcement in Christensen’s case marks at least the third time in recent weeks that Sessions has opted to push for the death penalty. Earlier this month, it was revealed prosecutors would seek the death penalty against Billy Arnold, an alleged gang member accused of killing two rivals in Michigan. In December, Sessions greenlighted pursuit of the death penalty against Jarvis Wayne Madison, a Florida man who allegedly kidnapped and killed his estranged wife.

 In their five-page motion Friday, prosecutors said the death penalty was warranted because Christensen “is likely to commit criminal acts of violence in the future that would constitute a continuing and serious threat to the lives and safety of others.”

 No details of the alleged 2013 sexual assault by Christensen were provided other than the initials of the victim, “M.D.” The alleged assault occurred the year Christensen was admitted to the university’s highly competitive physics graduate program.

 Four years later, Zhang's sudden disappearance rattled the U. of I. campus and sent shock waves throughout China.

 Zhang, who began her research appointment last April, tried unsuccessfully to flag down a bus before walking to another stop the afternoon of June 9. Shortly after, federal authorities allege, Christensen approached Zhang in his black Saturn Astra sedan and lured her inside.

 Surveillance video from a nearby parking garage captured the exchange in which Zhang could be seen speaking to the driver for several moments before getting into the front passenger seat.

 The investigation focused on Christensen after police concluded his Saturn was the car seen in the video. He initially told the FBI he was home all day playing video games on the day Zhang disappeared.

 Yingying Zhang, 26, a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois, has been missing since June 9, 2017. Authorities say she is presumed dead. Brendt Christensen, 28, has been charged with kidnapping Zhang.

 When he was questioned a second time, Christensen changed his story, telling agents he got the date mixed up, according to court records. He said he was driving on campus, came across an Asian woman looking distressed and offered her a ride because she said she was late to an appointment, authorities said. Christensen said the woman panicked after he made a wrong turn, and he let her out of his car a few blocks from where they met, prosecutors said.

 Meanwhile, police searched Christensen’s car and determined that the area where Zhang would have been sitting had been cleaned in a way to conceal evidence, according to prosecutors. Police also searched his phone and found visits to a sadomasochism fetish website with discussion threads on kidnapping fantasies, prosecutors said.

 On June 29, Christensen attended a campus rally for Zhang with a girlfriend, who unbeknownst to him was wearing an FBI wire. He was captured on audio recordings describing his "ideal victim" as he pointed out people in the crowd, prosecutors have previously said.

 Other recordings made that day captured Christensen admitting to having kidnapped Zhang and describing how she fought back as he held her against her will, according to prosecutors.

 Earlier this week, a defense filing revealed that a few hours before Zhang’s kidnapping, a female U. of I. graduate student reported to police that a man wearing aviator sunglasses had pulled up to her in a black sedan and flashed a badge. She refused to get in the car and he drove off.

 A few days later, the woman picked out Christensen’s photo from among six shown her by the FBI, but Christensen’s lawyers are seeking to block the testimony, saying she couldn’t be certain because of the sunglasses.

 She did say that of the six photos, Christensen "shared the most characteristics" of the man because of his "short, dark hair and tan face," the filing said.

 jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

 Twitter @jmetr22b

 RELATED: Earlier abduction attempt reported on day Chinese scholar went missing at U. of I. »

 Parents of missing Chinese scholar: 'I don't know how to spend the rest of my life without my daughter' »

 At vigil for missing Chinese scholar, suspect talked about 'ideal victim,' prosecutor says » |||||
A summary of this is?

– University of Illinois graduate student Yingying Zhang disappeared in June. The Chinese woman's body has not been found, but federal prosecutors believe that Brendt Christensen is responsible for her murder—and they announced Friday that, with Attorney General Jeff Sessions' blessing, they will pursue the death penalty in their case against him. The Chicago Tribune looks at just how rare a thing such a conviction and sentence would be. Illinois did away with the death penalty in 2011, and its use in federal court is far from commonplace. More on the case, the move, and the growing allegations against Christensen: The Tribune reports the last instance of the federal sentence being imposed in Illinois court was in 2005, when Dr. Ronald Mikos was found guilty of murdering a one-time patient who was cooperating in a Medicare fraud trial against him. The Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in 2009, the AP reported at the time, but he still awaits execution.


– New York state's attorney general apparently is a little skeptical about the wonder claims of three popular energy drinks. Eric Schneiderman issued subpoenas to three big players—Monster Beverage; PepsiCo, maker of AMP; and Living Essentials, maker of 5-Hour Energy drink, report the Wall Street Journal and Reuters. The subpoenas request information about how the companies market the drinks, which are carbonated and high in caffeine. Critics say the drinks provide all their boost thanks to that caffeine, even if advertisements would lead you to believe it's a result of added vitamins and other healthy-sounding ingredients. Energy drinks are big money-makers for the soft-drink industry, but they're also more loosely regulated than traditional soda, notes the Journal. "You're better off drinking a cup of coffee," says one analyst of the beverages at ConsumerLab.com.

Expand this summary.

New York's attorney general is investigating whether the multibillion-dollar energy-drink industry is deceiving consumers with misstatements about the ingredients and health value of its products.

 Eric T. Schneiderman issued subpoenas in July to PepsiCo Inc., maker of AMP, Monster Beverage Corp., and Living Essentials LLC, maker of 5-hour Energy drink, according to a person familiar with the matter. The subpoenas asked for information on the companies' marketing and advertising practices.

 The caffeine-heavy, carbonated beverages have become ubiquitous at grocery stores, gas stations and checkout counters across the country. Makers of the drinks, which are often sweetened with flavors such as grape or mixed berry, say they boost energy with a mix of additives including B-vitamins, taurine and ginseng. AMP's website, for example, says the B-vitamins and caffeine in its Boost drinks offers "the kick you need to tackle the early morning meeting." On its website, 5-hour Energy says it gives "hours of energy" with "no crash later."

 The probe is the latest in a series of attention-getting moves by New York officials. In May, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans to restrict the sale of large sodas at restaurants, movie theaters and other locations, sparking criticism from the beverage industry. This month, New York's top banking regulator, Benjamin M. Lawsky, accused British bank Standard Chartered PLC of illegal dealings with Iranian entities, and the bank agreed to a $340 million settlement.

 Energy drinks are among the fastest-growing products in the beverage sector. U.S. retail sales of the drinks rose 16% last year to $8.9 billion, accounting for 12% of the carbonated-soft-drink category, according to Beverage Digest, a trade publication and data service. Monster leads in the U.S. by volume, ahead of Austria's Red Bull GmbH and Rockstar Inc.

 The drinks are regulated more loosely than traditional sodas such as cola. In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration said it was "concerned" certain ingredients such as botanical extracts were being added to beverages and foods beyond their traditional use, which it said raised questions about safety. The federal agency says the term "energy drink" isn't defined by any FDA regulation, describing it as an ill-defined marketing term with widely varying ingredients.

 The New York probe is focused on whether the drink makers are misleading consumers with inaccurate labeling and advertising, according to the person familiar with the matter. The investigation is in the early stages and could expand to other companies, that person said.

 Spokespeople for PepsiCo, Monster and Living Essentials declined to comment.

 Investigators are examining whether the companies overstated the benefits of exotic-sounding ingredients while understating the role of caffeine, a common stimulant that industry critics believe to be the main active ingredient, that person said.

 The products' labels often don't say how much caffeine is contained in the drink. The label on Monster's 16-ounce can says it contains caffeine but doesn't say how much; 5-hour Energy doesn't say how much caffeine is contained in one bottle, but its website says it is about as much as a cup of coffee.

 The Monster spokeswoman said that on a per-ounce basis, Monster contains half the caffeine of some cups of coffee. "Monster energy drinks are completely safe, and we stand behind our products," she said in an email. AMP's label says it contains 10 milligrams per fluid ounce.

 Investigators are looking into whether the addition of ingredients like guarana—another source of caffeine—violates laws that ban putting multiple sources of caffeine in one beverage without disclosing the overall amount, according to the person familiar with the investigation.

 If energy-drink makers are found to have violated certain New York state laws regulating food and drugs, they could be forced to pay civil fines and penalties, and to change their labeling and marketing.

 Enlarge Image Close Bloomberg New York state is probing the energy-drink industry over the ingredients and health value of the products. Above, cans of Monster.

 While the FDA generally has jurisdiction to regulate food and drink safety, state attorneys general also have powers to investigate and regulate almost any product sold within the boundaries of their states.

 California-based Monster disclosed in an Aug. 9 Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it received a subpoena in July as part of an unnamed state attorney general's probe into the "advertising, marketing, promotion, ingredients, usage and sale" of its energy drinks. 5-hour Energy disclosed in a July bond-offering memorandum a state attorney general recently requested documents about its product and marketing.

 Those disclosures are related to the New York attorney general's probe, people familiar with the matter said.

 Some scientists and health experts say energy drinks deliver all their kick from caffeine, and that other ingredients, while not appearing to be dangerous, are simply a marketing gimmick. It is safe for the average person to consume about 400 milligrams of caffeine per day, but overconsumption could cause heart problems, according to health experts.

 "You're better off drinking a cup of coffee," said Tod Cooperman of ConsumerLab.com, which has conducted a chemical analysis of 5-hour Energy and other energy drinks. A study Mr. Cooperman conducted on 5-hour Energy found it contains 207 milligrams of caffeine, far more than a typical cup of coffee's 80-100 milligrams. "It's a stimulant," he said of 5-hour Energy.

 —Matthieu Wirz contributed to this article.

 Write to Reed Albergotti at reed.albergotti@wsj.com and Mike Esterl at mike.esterl@wsj.com

 A version of this article appeared August 28, 2012, on page A1 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: New York Probes Energy-Drink Makers. ||||| The New York State Attorney General issued subpoenas in July to three firms that make energy drinks, including PepsiCo Inc, seeking information on the companies' marketing and advertising practices, a person familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

 Besides Pepsi, maker of AMP, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman also sent subpoenas to Monster Beverage Corp and Living Essentials LLC, maker of the 5-Hour Energy drink, said the source, who declined to be identified, citing lack of authorization to speak to the media.

 A spokeswoman for Schneiderman declined to comment, as did PepsiCo.

 Living Essentials also declined to comment beyond its July offering memorandum in which it said that it had recently received an inquiry from a state attorney general asking for documents relating to its product and marketing.

 The company said in the memorandum, which was distributed in connection with a debt offering, that it was responding to the inquiry.

 Monster also declined to comment beyond its August U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission where it stated that it had received a subpoena from an unspecified state attorney general. Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper Snapple, which make the NOS and Venom energy drinks respectively, said at the time that they did not receive subpoenas.

 Schneiderman is examining whether the companies overstated the benefits of ingredients in the drinks while understating the role of caffeine, a common stimulant that industry critics believe to be the main active ingredient, the source said.

 At least one Wall Street analyst found comfort in the narrow scope of the subpoenas.

 "We think changes to labeling and marketing related to source of stimulant are unlikely to materially impact energy drink sales," Stifel Nicolaus analyst Mark Astrachan wrote in a research note.

 Energy drinks, which can have less caffeine per ounce than strong coffee, make up a fast-growing sector of an otherwise stagnant market for carbonated soft drinks.

 Monster is the leading U.S. energy drink by volume with nearly 39 percent of the U.S. market, but Austria's Red Bull has the highest share by revenue, due to its premium price.

 The latest move on the energy drink industry follows New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to propose a far-reaching municipal ban on sales of large-size sugary beverages by restaurants, mobile food carts, movie theaters and delis.

 Monster shares were down less than 1 percent at $59.51 in afternoon trade on the Nasdaq. PepsiCo was up 2 cents at $73.19 on the New York Stock Exchange.

 (Additional reporting by Joy Ferguson in New York and Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by David Holmes and Dan Grebler) |||||


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– Roger Ebert loved good movies—here's his top 10—but those reviews aren't nearly as fun as the ones for god-awful flicks. Some of the slams getting passed around in the wake of his death today: Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo: "Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks." (After Rob Schneider questioned the credentials of an earlier reviewer.) North: "I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained it." Last Rites: "Was there no one connected with this project who read the screenplay, considered the story, evaluated the proposed film and vomited?" Brown Bunny: “I will one day be thin, but Vincent Gallo will always be the director of The Brown Bunny.” Mad Dog: “Watching Mad Dog Time is like waiting for the bus in a city where you're not sure they have a bus line." Little Indian, Big City: "There is a movie called Fargo playing right now. It is a masterpiece. Go see it. If you, under any circumstances, see Little Indian, Big City, I will never let you read one of my reviews again." Baby Geniuses: "This is an old idea, beautifully expressed by Wordsworth, who said, 'Heaven lies about us in our infancy.' If I could quote the whole poem instead of completing this review, believe me, we'd all be happier. But I press on." For more, see Today.com and the Daily Beast.

"You slide down in your seat and make yourself comfortable. On the screen in front of you, the movie image appears—enormous and overwhelming. If the movie is a good one, you allow yourself to be absorbed in its fantasy, and its dreams become part of your memories"

 Roger Ebert wrote those words in 1980 for The Atlantic magazine, a love letter to the medium that became his employer: the movies. After a 46-year tenure as film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, several decades hosting a hugely influential television show, a landmark Pulitzer Prize, and countless thumbs in both directions, Ebert died Thursday at age 70.

 He loved the movies, and loved writing about them—and he was damned good at writing about them. His reviews were a unique combination of scholarly, witty, occasionally sarcastic, and masterfully entertaining. His ability to craft an exhilarating rave of a film was equally matched by his stinging zingers. As we remember him, here’s a look back at what one lifelong admirer considers his 10 best reviews. Plus, no retrospective on Ebert’s work would be complete without a roundup of his most biting takedowns.

 E.T.—The Extra-Terrestrial

 “This movie made my heart glad. It is filled with innocence, hope, and good cheer. It is also wickedly funny and exciting as hell. E.T.—The Extra-Terrestrial is a movie like The Wizard of Oz, that you can grow up with and grow old with, and it won't let you down. It tells a story about friendship and love. Some people are a little baffled when they hear it described: It's about a relationship between a little boy and a creature from outer space that becomes his best friend. That makes it sound like a cross between The Thing and National Velvet. It works as science fiction, it's sometimes as scary as a monster movie, and at the end, when the lights go up, there's not a dry eye in the house.”

 —March 22, 2002

 Casablanca

 “If we identify strongly with the characters in some movies, then it is no mystery that Casablanca is one of the most popular films ever made. It is about a man and a woman who are in love, and who sacrifice love for a higher purpose. This is immensely appealing; the viewer is not only able to imagine winning the love of Humphrey Bogart or Ingrid Bergman, but unselfishly renouncing it, as a contribution to the great cause of defeating the Nazis…

 Seeing the film over and over again, year after year, I find it never grows over-familiar. It plays like a favorite musical album; the more I know it, the more I like it. The black-and-white cinematography has not aged as color would. The dialogue is so spare and cynical it has not grown old-fashioned. Much of the emotional effect of Casablanca is achieved by indirection; as we leave the theater, we are absolutely convinced that the only thing keeping the world from going crazy is that the problems of three little people do after all amount to more than a hill of beans.”

 —September 15, 1996

 Toy Story

 “Toy Story creates a universe out of a couple of kids’ bedrooms, a gas station, and a stretch of suburban highway. Its heroes are toys, which come to life when nobody is watching. Its conflict is between an old-fashioned cowboy who has always been a little boy's favorite toy, and the new space ranger who may replace him. The villain is the mean kid next door who takes toys apart and puts them back together again in macabre combinations. And the result is a visionary roller-coaster ride of a movie.

 Get The Beast In Your Inbox! Daily Digest Start and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast. Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't). By clicking “Subscribe,” you agree to have read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Subscribe Thank You! You are now subscribed to the Daily Digest and Cheat Sheet. We will not share your email with anyone for any reason.

 For the kids in the audience, a movie like this will work because it tells a fun story, contains a lot of humor, and is exciting to watch. Older viewers may be even more absorbed, because Toy Story, the first feature made entirely by computer, achieves a three-dimensional reality and freedom of movement that is liberating and new. The more you know about how the movie was made, the more you respect it.”

 —November 22, 1995

 Raging Bull

 “Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull is a movie about brute force, anger, and grief. It is also, like several of Scorsese's other movies, about a man's inability to understand a woman except in terms of the only two roles he knows how to assign her: virgin or whore. There is no room inside the mind of the prizefighter in this movie for the notion that a woman might be a friend, a lover, or a partner. She is only, to begin with, an inaccessible sexual fantasy. And then, after he has possessed her, she becomes tarnished by sex. Insecure in his own manhood, the man becomes obsessed by jealousy—and releases his jealousy in violence…

 The equation between his prizefighting and his sexuality is inescapable, and we see the trap he's in: LaMotta is the victim of base needs and instincts that, in his case, are not accompanied by the insights and maturity necessary for him to cope with them. The raging bull. The poor sap.”

 —January 1, 1980

 Platoon

 “It was Francois Truffaut who said that it's not possible to make an anti-war movie, because all war movies, with their energy and sense of adventure, end up making combat look like fun. If Truffaut had lived to see Platoon, the best film of 1986, he might have wanted to modify his opinion. Here is a movie that regards combat from ground level, from the infantryman's point of view, and it does not make war look like fun.”

 —December 30, 1986

 Beauty and the Beast

 "Beauty and the Beast slipped around all my roadblocks and penetrated directly into my strongest childhood memories, in which animation looked more real than live-action features. Watching the movie, I found myself caught up in a direct and joyous way. I wasn't reviewing an 'animated film.' I was being told a story, I was hearing terrific music, and I was having fun. The film is as good as any Disney animated feature ever made—as magical as Pinocchio, Snow White, The Little Mermaid. And it's a reminder that animation is the ideal medium for fantasy, because all of its fears and dreams can be made literal."

 —November 22, 1991

 Titanic

 “James Cameron’s 194-minute, $200 million film of the tragic voyage is in the tradition of the great Hollywood epics. It is flawlessly crafted, intelligently constructed, strongly acted, and spellbinding. If its story starts well within the traditional formulas for such pictures, well, you don’t choose the most expensive film ever made as your opportunity to reinvent the wheel. …

 Movies like this are not merely difficult to make at all, but almost impossible to make well. The technical difficulties are so daunting that it’s a wonder when the filmmakers are also able to bring the drama and history into proportion. I found myself convinced by both story and saga.”

 —December 19, 1997

 Hoop Dreams

 “A film like Hoop Dreams is what the movies are for. It takes us, shakes us, and makes us think in new ways about the world around us. It gives us the impression of having touched life itself.

 Hoop Dreams is, on one level, a documentary about two black kids named William Gates and Arthur Agee, from Chicago’s inner city, who are gifted basketball players and dream of someday starring in the NBA. On another level, it is about much larger subjects: about ambition, competition, race, and class in our society. About our value structures. And about the daily lives of people like the Agee and Gates families, who are unusually invisible to the mass media, but have a determination and resiliency that is a cause for hope.”

 —October 21, 1994

 Star Wars

 “Every once in a while I have what I think of as an out-of-the-body experience at a movie. When the ESP people use a phrase like that, they're referring to the sensation of the mind actually leaving the body and spiriting itself off to China or Peoria or a galaxy far, far away. When I use the phrase, I simply mean that my imagination has forgotten it is actually present in a movie theater and thinks it's up there on the screen. In a curious sense, the events in the movie seem real, and I seem to be a part of them.

 Star Wars works like that. My list of other out-of-the-body films is a short and odd one, ranging from the artistry of Bonnie and Clyde or Cries and Whispers to the slick commercialism of Jaws and the brutal strength of Taxi Driver. On whatever level (sometimes I'm not at all sure) they engage me so immediately and powerfully that I lose my detachment, my analytical reserve. The movie's happening, and it's happening to me.”

 —January 1, 1977

 Fargo

 “Fargo begins with an absolutely dead-on familiarity with small-town life in the frigid winter landscape of Minnesota and North Dakota. Then it rotates its story through satire, comedy, suspense and violence, until it emerges as one of the best films I've ever seen.

 To watch it is to experience steadily mounting delight, as you realize the filmmakers have taken enormous risks, gotten away with them and made a movie that is completely original, and as familiar as an old shoe—or a rubbersoled hunting boot from Land's End, more likely.”

 —March 8, 1996

 Ebert’s Best Burns

 "Was there no one connected with this project who read the screenplay, considered the story, evaluated the proposed film and vomited?"

 —from Last Rites review, November 19, 1988

 "This is an old idea, beautifully expressed by Wordsworth, who said, 'Heaven lies about us in our infancy.' If I could quote the whole poem instead of completing this review, believe me, we'd all be happier. But I press on."

 —from Baby Geniuses review, March 12, 1999

 “I will one day be thin, but Vincent Gallo will always be the director of The Brown Bunny.”

 —from The Brown Bunny review, September 3, 2004

 “Watching Mad Dog Time is like waiting for the bus in a city where you're not sure they have a bus line."

 —from Mad Dog Time review, November 29, 1996

 "Valentine's Day is being marketed as a Date Movie. I think it's more of a First-Date Movie. If your date likes it, do not date that person again. And if you like it, there may not be a second date."

 —from Valentine’s Day review, February 10, 2010

 "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo makes a living cleaning fish tanks and occasionally prostituting himself. How much he charges I'm not sure, but the price is worth it if it keeps him off the streets and out of another movie."

 —from Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo review, August 12, 2005

 "There is a movie called Fargo playing right now. It is a masterpiece. Go see it. If you, under any circumstances, see Little Indian, Big City, I will never let you read one of my reviews again."

 —from Little Indian, Big City review, March 22, 1996

 "Battlefield Earth is like taking a bus trip with someone who has needed a bath for a long time. It's not merely bad; it's unpleasant in a hostile way."

 —from Battlefield Earth review, May 12, 2000

 "If you want to save yourself the ticket price, go into the kitchen, cue up a male choir singing the music of hell, and get a kid to start banging pots and pans together. Then close your eyes and use your imagination."

 —from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen review, June 23, 2009

 "I hated this movie. Hated, hated, hated, hated, hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it."

 —from North review, July 22, 1994 ||||| >>> a personal look at the life of one of the best-known film critics of our time. roger ebert is out with a new autobiography and natalie sat down with him recently.

 >> good morning to you, matt. roger ebert 's battle with thyroid cancer left him without his jaw and the ability to speak and eat. but he has not lost his voice as america's most beloved and prominent film critic and now blogger. in fact he's busier than ever with a new memoir called "life itself."

 >> at that moment i was thinking i don't like it.

 >> they were the famed duo that gave us the trademarked, thumb's up or thumb's down at "at the movies."

 >> initially, roger ebert and gene siskel were film critics . they were stars, their routine became legendary.

 >> we have to review the character on the screen, gene, not your theories about what these guys are like.

 >> but it came to a saddened when gene siskel died of cancer in 1999 . three years later, ebert was diagnosed with thyroid and salivary gland cancer. the disease took his lower jaw and his ability to speak, eat and drink.

 >> top on my list is " citizen cane ." now he speaks through alex, his computer-generated voice. we sat down to talk about his new memoir, "life itself."

 >> you did not know at the time that you had thyroid cancer , that you would never be able to speak again. as you began to realize that, what went through your mind?

 >> there was never a time when anyone told me i would never speak again. naturally, i felt awful. but i had to accept reality.

 >> a reality that included a new voice. and when ebert blogs, over 100 million people are reading. no surprise, last year, he was awarded a webby for person of the year.

 >> the conversations that you have with your readers online, writing your blogs, how much is that like sitting down at the dinner table with you, roger ebert ?

 >> with facebook, twitter and the comments on my blog, i feel i'm involved in an actual conversation with me, the social media really are social.

 >> but his bluntness online took some heat this summer, after "jackass" star, ryan dunn 's deadly crash. dunn had posted this photo of himself drinking before the accident. ebert tweeted -- friends don't let jackasses drink and drive. he later explained in his blog, i was probably too quick to tweet. but recently told us, the tweet was the truth. for ebert , honesty is the best policy. even when it's about his own appearance.

 >> you say the best thing that happened to you was when they showed a full-page photo of what you look like now in "esquire" magazine. why is that?

 >> well, this is what i look like, so there's no purpose in hiding it. what you see is what you get.

 >> your memories growing up are so descriptive about having root beers and frosty mugs with your father.

 >> i find that when i am actually writing, memories appear in my mind.

 >> vivid childhood memories , he writes i was born inside the movie of my life. he describes a good life. eating steakburgers at the steak and shake and chuckles candies at the movies. a childhood as american as a normal rockwell painting.

 >> i was always extroverted. now i am forced to live more within my mind.

 >> a beautiful day .

 >> ebert credits his wife of 20 years for encouraging him to keep going. he writes, she was like a wind pushing me back from the grave.

 >> chaz is a force of nature . when she decides on something, her determination is awesome. she knew i could still work as a film critic and she was right. she has done a great deal to make that possible.

 >> ebert still travels to film festivals , attends at least five screenings a week, and with his wife, chaz, produces " ebert presents at the movies."

 >> gene siskel , who you spent 23 years with, you two had a little bit of that love/hate relationship.

 >> it's thiler week on " siskel and ebert week at the movies."

 >> you said if you had a sitcom it would be called "best enemies." he really was like a brother to you. if he were alive today, what woe say to you now?

 >> he would have been wholehearted in my corner through the troubles. although as a way of life we shared a deep understanding of one another. he would also have continued to make jokes about me. well, at least you don't need a bookmark any more to find your chin.

 >> well, we saw roger walking in and they said, one of everything to go.

 >> you once asked your doctor to put coca-cola through your g-tube. why?

 >> i still have cokes once in a while . i like a caffeine.

 >> these guys, right? this is eventage.

 >> while ebert may be robbed of his ability to eat and drink, he still enjoys some guilty pleasures. two thumbs up. there's a beautiful passage in the book, really talks about how roger looks at life and ha he's been through. can you read that for me?

 >> we must try to contribute joy to the world . that is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. we must try. i didn't always know this, and i'm happy i lived long enough to find it out.

 >> i feel i'm lucky that i can still do what i love, and be of some use to people. it's a waste of time feeling sorry for yourself. because it doesn't change anything or help anything. you just have to keep on keeping on.

 >> and matt, one thing that roger ebert told me is that a lot of people say he's courageous for continuing to do and be busier than ever. but in fact, he says, that's not the case. because he continues to be the same person. he's just doing what he always did. don't call him courageous.

 >> a remarkable guy.

 >> he really is. so vibrant. |||||


Summarize this article:

___

 Good evening. Today I authorized two operations in Iraq — targeted airstrikes to protect our American personnel, and a humanitarian effort to help save thousands of Iraqi civilians who are trapped on a mountain without food and water and facing almost certain death. Let me explain the actions we're taking and why.

 First, I said in June — as the terrorist group ISIL began an advance across Iraq — that the United States would be prepared to take targeted military action in Iraq if and when we determined that the situation required it. In recent days, these terrorists have continued to move across Iraq, and have neared the city of Irbil, where American diplomats and civilians serve at our consulate and American military personnel advise Iraqi forces.

 To stop the advance on Irbil, I've directed our military to take targeted strikes against ISIL terrorist convoys should they move toward the city. We intend to stay vigilant, and take action if these terrorist forces threaten our personnel or facilities anywhere in Iraq, including our consulate in Irbil and our embassy in Baghdad. We're also providing urgent assistance to Iraqi government and Kurdish forces so they can more effectively wage the fight against ISIL.

 Second, at the request of the Iraqi government — we've begun operations to help save Iraqi civilians stranded on the mountain. As ISIL has marched across Iraq, it has waged a ruthless campaign against innocent Iraqis. And these terrorists have been especially barbaric towards religious minorities, including Christian and Yazidis, a small and ancient religious sect. Countless Iraqis have been displaced. And chilling reports describe ISIL militants rounding up families, conducting mass executions, and enslaving Yazidi women.

 In recent days, Yazidi women, men and children from the area of Sinjar have fled for their lives. And thousands — perhaps tens of thousands — are now hiding high up on the mountain, with little but the clothes on their backs. They're without food, they're without water. People are starving. And children are dying of thirst. Meanwhile, ISIL forces below have called for the systematic destruction of the entire Yazidi people, which would constitute genocide. So these innocent families are faced with a horrible choice: descend the mountain and be slaughtered, or stay and slowly die of thirst and hunger.

 I've said before, the United States cannot and should not intervene every time there's a crisis in the world. So let me be clear about why we must act, and act now. When we face a situation like we do on that mountain — with innocent people facing the prospect of violence on a horrific scale, when we have a mandate to help — in this case, a request from the Iraqi government — and when we have the unique capabilities to help avert a massacre, then I believe the United States of America cannot turn a blind eye. We can act, carefully and responsibly, to prevent a potential act of genocide. That's what we're doing on that mountain.

 I've, therefore, authorized targeted airstrikes, if necessary, to help forces in Iraq as they fight to break the siege of Mount Sinjar and protect the civilians trapped there. Already, American aircraft have begun conducting humanitarian airdrops of food and water to help these desperate men, women and children survive. Earlier this week, one Iraqi in the area cried to the world, "There is no one coming to help." Well, today, America is coming to help. We're also consulting with other countries — and the United Nations — who have called for action to address this humanitarian crisis.

 I know that many of you are rightly concerned about any American military action in Iraq, even limited strikes like these. I understand that. I ran for this office in part to end our war in Iraq and welcome our troops home, and that's what we've done. As commander in chief, I will not allow the United States to be dragged into fighting another war in Iraq. And so even as we support Iraqis as they take the fight to these terrorists, American combat troops will not be returning to fight in Iraq, because there's no American military solution to the larger crisis in Iraq. The only lasting solution is reconciliation among Iraqi communities and stronger Iraqi security forces.

 However, we can and should support moderate forces who can bring stability to Iraq. So even as we carry out these two missions, we will continue to pursue a broader strategy that empowers Iraqis to confront this crisis. Iraqi leaders need to come together and forge a new government that represents the legitimate interests of all Iraqis, and that can fight back against the threats like ISIL. Iraqis have named a new president, a new speaker of Parliament, and are seeking consensus on a new prime minister. This is the progress that needs to continue in order to reverse the momentum of the terrorists who prey on Iraq's divisions.

 Once Iraq has a new government, the United States will work with it and other countries in the region to provide increased support to deal with this humanitarian crisis and counterterrorism challenge. None of Iraq's neighbors have an interest in this terrible suffering or instability.

 And so we'll continue to work with our friends and allies to help refugees get the shelter and food and water they so desperately need, and to help Iraqis push back against ISIL. The several hundred American advisers that I ordered to Iraq will continue to assess what more we can do to help train, advise and support Iraqi forces going forward. And just as I consulted Congress on the decisions I made today, we will continue to do so going forward.

 My fellow Americans, the world is confronted by many challenges. And while America has never been able to right every wrong, America has made the world a more secure and prosperous place. And our leadership is necessary to underwrite the global security and prosperity that our children and our grandchildren will depend upon. We do so by adhering to a set of core principles. We do whatever is necessary to protect our people. We support our allies when they're in danger. We lead coalitions of countries to uphold international norms. And we strive to stay true to the fundamental values — the desire to live with basic freedom and dignity — that is common to human beings wherever they are. That's why people all over the world look to the United States of America to lead. And that's why we do it.

 So let me close by assuring you that there is no decision that I take more seriously than the use of military force. Over the last several years, we have brought the vast majority of our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan. And I've been careful to resist calls to turn time and again to our military, because America has other tools in our arsenal than our military. We can also lead with the power of our diplomacy, our economy, and our ideals.

 But when the lives of American citizens are at risk, we will take action. That's my responsibility as commander in chief. And when many thousands of innocent civilians are faced with the danger of being wiped out, and we have the capacity to do something about it, we will take action. That is our responsibility as Americans. That's a hallmark of American leadership. That's who we are.

 So tonight, we give thanks to our men and women in uniform — especially our brave pilots and crews over Iraq who are protecting our fellow Americans and saving the lives of so many men, women and children that they will never meet. They represent American leadership at its best. As a nation, we should be proud of them, and of our country's enduring commitment to uphold our own security and the dignity of our fellow human beings.

 God bless our armed forces, and God bless the United States of America. ||||| In a statement made Thursday night, President Obama said he has authorized military strikes on Islamic State militants if they continue their advancement on the city of Irbil, where military personnel and the U.S. consulate are located. (AP)

 President Obama said Thursday night that he has authorized two new, major actions by the U.S. military in Iraq: airstrikes against militants with the Islamic State if U.S. interests or personnel are threatened, and humanitarian assistance for thousands of civilians who have fled the Islamist advance in northwest Iraq and are now trapped on a mountain.

 Even those two specific missions are more complicated than that, however.

 First, the U.S. humanitarian mission on Mount Sinjar began Thursday with airdrops by military aircraft, but it could require targeted airstrikes in order to “break the siege” at the base of the mountain and allow authorities to provide more assistance to the civilians, Obama said. They would be conducted in coordination with the Iraqi government and Iraqi Kurdish security forces known as pesh merga.

 Second, the advance of the Islamic State near Irbil appears to be a line in the sand for the Obama administration. The United States has both diplomats and military advisers in the city, which is the capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The United States also has a consulate in Irbil, creating enough interests that the United States wants to protect the city from harm.

 “To stop the advance on Irbil, I’ve directed our military to take targeted strikes against [Islamic State] terrorist convoys should they move toward the city,” Obama said. “We intend to stay vigilant, and take action if these terrorist forces threaten our personnel or facilities anywhere in Iraq, including our consulate in Irbil and our embassy in Baghdad.”

 In this image released by The White House, President Obama meets with the National Security Council in the Situation Room of the White House on Thursday in Washington. (AP Photo/The White House, Pete Souza)

 Here’s what we know now about the specifics of these missions:

 Humanitarian air drops

 The U.S. military launched one C-17 and two C-130 cargo planes near Mount Sinjar on Thursday, dropping 8,000 prepackaged meals and 5,300 gallons of water, senior U.S. officials said. The aircraft were accompanied by two F/A-18 fighter jets, which came out of an undisclosed air base in the Middle East. The Pentagon did not indicate which units or branch of service operated any of the aircraft.

 Pentagon officials said in a statement that the three cargo planes released a total of 72 bundles of supplies. They flew over the drop area for less than 15 minutes, and left the area before Obama announced the actions in his 9:30 p.m. address.

 Senior U.S. officials left open the possibility that the United States could conduct more airdrops in coming days if it’s needed. That appears possible, considering human rights workers have estimated that up to 40,000 civilians may be trapped on the mountain, unable to return their homes for fear of being killed by militants.

 “We feel that this is a unique and urgent humanitarian challenge,” one senior officials said Thursday night.

 This image made from video taken on Sunday shows Iraqis people from the Yazidi community arriving in Irbil in northern Iraq after Islamic militants attacked the towns of Sinjar and Zunmar. Around 40,000 people crossed the bridge of Shela in Fishkhabur into the northern Kurdish region of Iraq after being given an ultimatum by Islamic militants to either convert to Islam, pay a security tax, leave their homes, or die. (AP Photo via AP video)

 Preparing for airstrikes

 The advance of militants across northern Iraq has been watched closely this week, but a new wave of attacks threatened Irbil in a way it had not been before, U.S. officials said. That led the president to authorize airstrikes if necessary.

 U.S. officials also said that with the increased threat now facing Irbil, the United States has either surveillance drones or manned aircraft flying over the area almost constantly, keeping tabs on militant movements.

 Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement Thursday night that U.S. military advisers in Iraq will continue to assess ways to help train and assist Iraqi forces, and will provide undisclosed “increased support” once Iraq has formed a new government. Most of the troops there are U.S. Army Special Forces.

 Outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malikihas faced fierce criticism for appointing friends to key positions, allowing corruption and cutting Iraq’s Sunni population out of the political process, fueling the insurgency. A new prime minister could be selected in coming days, U.S. officials signaled Thursday night.

 UPDATED, Friday, Aug. 8, 9 a.m.: U.S. airstrikes in Iraq have begun after militants launched artillery rounds at Kurdish troops defending Irbil. Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, posted this tweet: ||||| WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama stepped in front of the cameras on Thursday to utter words he hoped he would never say as commander in chief.

 "I've therefore authorized targeted airstrikes if necessary to help forces in Iraq," Mr. Obama said in a statement from the White House. "Today America is coming to help."

 The... ||||| Photo by Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images

 This post has been updated with the latest developments in Iraq.

 President Obama has authorized U.S. airstrikes against the Sunni militant group ISIS in northern Iraq. If you’re just catching up on the story now, here’s a quick FAQ.

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 What’s been going on with ISIS for the last few weeks?

 While the world’s attention has been mainly focused on the war in Gaza, the deteriorating situation in eastern Ukraine, and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, ISIS’s campaign of terror in both Syria and Iraq has continued. In Syria, fighting between ISIS and Bashar al-Assad’s forces has led to some of the bloodiest days of the conflict so far.

 Joshua Keating Joshua Keating is a staff writer at Slate focusing on international affairs and author of the forthcoming book, Invisible Countries.

 In Iraq, things seemed to have reached a stalemate, with ISIS’s rapid advance through the country stopped short of Baghdad and the predominantly Shiite areas of southern Iraq. All the same, more than 1,700 Iraqis were killed in July, making it one of the deadliest months since the height of the Iraq war.

 Then, earlier this week, ISIS captured three towns in northern Iraq from Kurdish forces and now appears to have taken control of the country’s largest dam. It marks the first defeat of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, and there are reports that the Kurdish capital, Erbil, is now threatened.

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 Members of the small Yazidi ethnic group in northern Iraq have perhaps fared the worst. Having been driven from their towns, between 10,000 and 40,000 predominantly Yazidi civilians are now stranded on a barren mountain with few supplies. They are facing an extraordinarily grim choice, between death by dehydration if they stay where they are or being slaughtered by ISIS if they flee.

 Who are the Yazidis?

 There are about 600,000 Yazidis worldwide, mostly in Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria. Though often considered an offshoot of the Kurds, they consider themselves a distinct ethnic group. They follow a unique religion that blends elements of Sufi Islam and Zoroastrianism. Like Shiites, Christians, and a number of other groups in Iraq, ISIS considers them apostates and has killed at least 500 Yazidis thus far.

 Why is the U.S. intervening only now?

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 While the U.S. sent 300 military advisers to Iraq last month, the Obama administration has been wary of direct military intervention on behalf of the Iraqi government, making such aid contingent upon the formation of a more inclusive government that gives greater political representation to Sunnis and Kurds, and preferably one without Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in charge.

 But Maliki has shown no willingness to form such a government, and in the meantime the lay of the land in Iraq has worsened. The situation facing the Yazidis has been called a potential genocide, with President Obama himself using the G-word Thursday night. The taking of the Mosul Dam could portend catastrophic consequences. And Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces, thus far considered the only fighting force in Iraq capable of rolling back ISIS, have now been dealt a string of major defeats. Meanwhile, ISIS fighters are reportedly getting dangerously close to Baghdad.

 In short, things got much worse, much more quickly than anticipated.

 What will a U.S. intervention entail?

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 So far, the U.S. says it has bombed ISIS artillery positions outside of Erbil that were threatening Kurdish defenses.

 There doesn’t seem to be much reason to doubt the president, though, when he says that “American combat troops will not be returning to fight in Iraq." This administration has shown little enthusiasm for intervention in either Iraq or Syria and will likely try to keep this mission as limited as possible.

 Of course, all interventions are subject to mission creep, and a limited campaign of airstrikes to “prevent a potential act of genocide,” as the president put it, could easily turn into a longer air campaign on behalf of the Iraqi government against ISIS, a somewhat awkward proposition given Iran’s role as Baghdad’s primary patron.

 While it’s seems unlikely that a significant number of American boots will be back on Iraqi soil anytime soon, one of the Obama administration’s signature achievements—ending the long U.S. military engagement in Iraq—looks a lot more tenuous than it did a few months ago.

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 How does this end?

 While essentially every government in the Middle East is united in its opposition to ISIS, nobody seems able to stop it. (In addition to its gains in Iraq, the group recently made its first major foray into Lebanon.) So far, it has worked to the group’s advantage that many of the governments it is fighting—Syria, Iraq, the United States, Iran, Kurdistan—are also at odds with each other. Whenever the group faces a setback on one front, it seems to melt back into the wilderness and launch a new campaign somewhere else.

 Ironically, ISIS’s campaign against the Kurds may end up helping unify the Iraqi state. Until last week, it looked like the destabilization caused by ISIS’s rampage through the country would aid the cause of Kurdistan, which has been pushing for full independence from Iraq for years and had been feuding with Maliki’s government over oil revenues. Now, Maliki is ordering his air force to help the Kurds. Iraq’s various factions, as well as Baghdad’s odd-couple patrons, Iran and the United States, may be forced to work together to confront the most serious threat the country has faced since the worst days of the Iraq war. |||||

– President Obama gave the green light last night for the US military to launch airstrikes in Iraq, but why now? Some explanations: Twofold mission: The US has already dropped food and supplies to Iraqis trapped on Mount Sinjar by extremist fighters from the Islamic State, or ISIS, and it may drop more. As for the airstrikes, targeted ones may be necessary near the mountain to "break the siege" there, says Obama, and allow more help to arrive and avert a "genocide." The bigger reason for the possible airstrikes, however, seems to be to halt the advance of the extremist fighters in the north. 'Line in the sand': Though the US did not intervene as the Islamic State swept across much of Iraq in recent weeks, the city of Irbil in northern Iraq "appears to be a line in the sand," writes Dan Lamothe in the Washington Post. It's the Kurdish capital, and the US has diplomats and military advisers stationed there among the American allies. (The Islamic State also reportedly controls the country's largest dam, in the northern city of Mosul.) How far? "The question arises: How far is Mr. Obama willing to go?" writes Peter Baker in the New York Times. Obama said "there is 'no American military solution' to the Iraqi insurgency, pointing again to the need for a new politically inclusive government in Baghdad. What he might do if that fails he did not say. And while aides stressed this is a narrow mission, they acknowledged scenarios in which it could expand." Reversal: "The return to military engagement in Iraq is a reversal for Mr. Obama, whose early opposition to the war that toppled Saddam Hussein, and his promise to end it, fueled his long-shot campaign for the White House," write Carol E. Lee and Felicia Schwartz at the Wall Street Journal. "It also puts a spotlight on what has become a familiar feature of the Obama presidency, in which the leader of the most powerful military in the world has become defined by his reluctance to use it." Unity after all? "Ironically, ISIS's campaign against the Kurds may end up helping unify the Iraqi state," writes Joshua Keating at Slate. The Kurds have long been at odds with Nouri al-Maliki's government, but now he's ordering his air force to help them. "Iraq’s various factions, as well as Baghdad’s odd-couple patrons, Iran and the United States, may be forced to work together to confront the most serious threat the country has faced since the worst days of the Iraq war." Full text: Read the president's statement here.


Article:

CLOSE A series of three earthquakes shook Arizona Sunday night. The epicenters were just north of Black Canyon City in central Arizona off Interstate 17.

 Residents reported shaking across metro Phoenix on Sunday night amid at least three quakes that struck near Black Canyon City.

 A 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck near Black Canyon City, Arizona, on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015. (Photo: U.S. Geological Survey)

 A string of earthquakes north of Phoenix gave the Valley a rare jolt Sunday night, and the largest – a magnitude 4.1 just before 11:30 p.m. – rattled homes across the region.

 The series of at least three Arizona earthquakes generated no reports of notable damage, but left people swaying or stunned from Black Canyon City, closest to the epicenter, to Camp Verde and across metro Phoenix as far as Queen Creek.

 Michael Conway of the Arizona Geological Survey said Monday morning that scientists had not identified the causative fault line yet. Because the earthquake was small and did not rupture the ground, it will be hard to identify where it originated, Conway said.He also said there will be aftershocks over the next few days, many of them too small to feel.

 What happened?

 In central Phoenix and elsewhere, the largest quake came as one quick rap – a bit like a distant explosion without the sound, or an unexpected bang on the door.

 Tempe City Councilwoman Lauren Kuby lives in central Tempe near Alameda Drive and College Avenue.

 "I just heard this rumble and this movement and I thought it was my dog falling off the bed," she said. "It felt like a rumble and a slight movement and then like a thud."

 Norris Nordvold and his wife were up late and felt the rumble. Like others startled by earthquake, he posted on Facebook.

 "I was on the couch and my wife was at the table and our house definitely moved at 11:31 p.m," he said. "We were babysitting our granddaughter … and she woke up, too."

 Where was it?

 The quakes were centered along the Agua Fria River a few miles north of Black Canyon City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

 Black Canyon City is located about 20 miles north of Phoenix, a community bisected by the I-17 with a population of about 2,600 people. Before the highway opened, it formerly was a settlement along the scenic main route from Phoenix to Prescott. Now, Black Canyon City is perhaps best known to Valley residents as just another name on a road sign on the drive up to Flagstaff – along with Bumble Bee, Cordes Junction and the like – as well as the home of Rock Springs Cafe. (Indeed, when news of the earthquake spread, one reader's first reaction was to "Save the pies!!!!")

 Was it a big one?

 Earthquakes are rare in Arizona, which is removed from the major fault lines of the West Coast. Still, Sunday night's quakes were far from the first. A 4.7-magnitude quake shook the Oak Creek Canyon fault near Sedona in December 2014, and others shook the Arizona-New Mexico border in June of that year.

 But perhaps the more memorable recent shaking came in 2009, when a series of powerful quakes in Baja California, ranging from magnitude 5.0 to 6.9, sent their tremors as far north as Phoenix. Those rumbles, around 11 o'clock on a Monday morning, were far easier to feel in a Valley that was up and about, at work in offices, schools and downtown towers.

 Sunday night's tremors were comparatively less significant, both for their magnitude and their timing, said Zachary Reeves with the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo.

 "In general, it's relatively small," he said of the 4.1-magnitude peak earthquake Sunday, the largest of the series. "If people are in bed then people may not even be woken up by it."

 Still, the quakes were notable for at least two reasons beyond their simple rarity in the region.

 First, the largest apparent temblor was preceded by a 3.2-magnitude foreshock, first reported at about 9 p.m.

 "It's not common, but it does happen where you get small foreshock and that triggers a larger event," Reeves said. "Typically the first shock is the main one and everything after is at least a magnitude smaller. This is definitely not common."

 Second, the quake hit relatively close to the Earth's surface, which may have made its effect more pronounced. Quakes are measured both in their magnitude – the power of their shaking – and their depth. Their destructive power varies with both those factors, as well as local building standards.

 Sunday's largest jolt came at 6.5 kilometers – about 4 miles – beneath the surface. By comparison, the destructive Northridge earthquake in Southern California in 1994 struck at more than 18 kilometers deep.

 Will there be more?

 Reeves couldn't say as of late Sunday what fault line had triggered the quakes.

 The 4.1 was the largest quake recorded on continental North America on Sunday, according to the USGS, though sensors did register a 4.3 quake in the Pacific off northern California, and a 5.1 off El Salvador.

 Though the Arizona shaking wasn't destructive, it was unsettling in its own way.

 Kyle Greene said he was in bed in Queen Creek when the shake happened. "I had no idea what could have made a noise like that," Greene said. "I actually grabbed a gun and went out in to the front room to see what was going on."

 In north Scottsdale, Mario Diaz was less stunned.

 "Having lived in Los Angeles for 20 years and having gone through several earthquakes," he said, "I knew what I was feeling."

 Black Canyon City Fire Capt. Jason Tilson said the department was flooded with calls after the earthquake. People were panicked and curious about what had happened, he said.

 "Our phones lit up like crazy," Tilson said. "But there were no reports of injuries and no reports of damage."

 Republic reporters Josh Susong, Dianna M. Náñez, Amy B Wang, Anya Rogers and Whitney Woodworth contributed to this article.

 Did you feel the quake? Have damage? Let us know at azcentral.com/facebook.

 Read or Share this story: http://azc.cc/1NjZiHI ||||| Story highlights The quakes ranged in magnitude from 3.2 to 4.1

 No injuries were immediately reported

 (CNN) A series of minor earthquakes jolted the Phoenix area Sunday night, sending shock waves through several cities.

 All three took place near Black Canyon City, Arizona, about 45 miles north of Phoenix.

 The first, a magnitude 3.2 quake, struck at 8:59 p.m. (10:59 p.m. ET), the U.S. Geological Survey said.

 The second, a magnitude 4.1 tremor, happened at 11:29 p.m.

 The third, a magnitude 4.0 quake, took place at 11:49 p.m.

 Read More |||||
What is a summary?

– A councilwoman in Tempe, Ariz., thought her dog fell off the bed Sunday night—but the cause of the rumble and thud she heard turned out to be more earthshaking than that. At least three earthquakes startled the Grand Canyon State Sunday night, with the largest weighing in at a 4.1 magnitude, the Arizona Republic reports. The tremors, a relatively rare occurrence in Arizona, were all near Black Canyon City, about 45 miles north of Phoenix, notes CNN. Even though a US Geological Survey rep says the 4.1 quake was "relatively small," two things made it stand out, per the Republic: the fact that a 3.2-magnitude temblor came right before it, and that the quakes hit close to the Earth's surface. "This is definitely not common," he says. (Meanwhile, the Bay Area has been shaken by 408 quakes in two weeks.)