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The case of a police officer and his beautician wife who drowned after leaving a dinner party 35 years ago is getting a fresh look and a $15,000 reward.

 The 1981 deaths of William and Michelle Becker were deemed an accident, but relatives and colleagues say they have nagging questions.

 Now, officers at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, where William Becker, 43, worked as a police officer, have put up reward cash in the hopes of getting some answers.

 "We don't know what happened after they left the dinner party," said DEC Police Maj. Scott Florence, who began looking into the mystery in the 1990s. "Some things at the scene raised a lot of questions."

 An undated photo of Michelle and William Becker, who drowned in 1981. Courtesy Michael Malkush

 The Beckers, married for 17 years and parents to three children, spent the evening of March 10, 1981, at a friend's house in Mattituck, Long Island, leaving shortly before midnight.

 William Becker's body was found in a marina the next morning and the body of Michelle, 36, who owned a local beauty parlor, was discovered the next day.

 The Suffolk County Police Department said there was no evidence of foul play and the case was officially closed in 1983.

 Michelle Becker's brother, Michael Malkush, said investigators told him their theory was that the couple went to the marina to find the boat that belonged to the dinner party host and "get romantic."

 "It made no sense," Malkush said, noting that it was dark and cold, the boat was under repair, his brother-in-law had a fear of water, and the couple's warm home was just a half-mile away.

 "We just feel that they didn't go down there on their own and accidentally fall in the water and both drown. We're just trying to find out the missing pieces."

 Florence noted that a kitchen table on the boat had come apart, and Becker's clip-on uniform tie was found on the floor, potential signs of a struggle.

 "It leads you to believe the tie was pulled off and the table was broken," he said.

 He said the 35th anniversary of the drownings was seen as an opportunity to bring attention to the case and perhaps dislodge some long-held secrets.

 The police union and a fraternal organizations came up with the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who might have been involved in the Beckers' deaths.

 In a statement, the Suffolk County Police Department said Homicide Squad detectives are "open to receiving any new information anyone had to provide."

 "I know we can't bring them back," Malkush said. "But there's got to be someone out there who has some answers. It just takes one person." ||||| Thirty-five years after police pulled the bodies of a conservation officer and his wife from Mattituck Inlet, his fellow officers are seeking new leads in a case that has long baffled the couple’s North Fork community.

 Department of Environmental Conservation officers said Tuesday that, in advance of the 35th anniversary of the case, they are offering $15,000 for new information in the deaths of William and Michelle Becker of Mattituck on the night of March 10, 1981.

 The case has hung for decades over William’s former colleagues at the DEC and the couple’s relatives, who said they could never quite accept police’s explanation that the pair accidentally drowned.

 “We’ve always had the case open. We’ve always pondered what happened,” said Maj. Scott Florence, who leads the DEC’s Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigation and probed the Beckers’ deaths in the 1990s.

 Suffolk County homicide detectives said in a statement Tuesday that they “would be open to receiving any new information anyone had to provide.”

 Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

 The DEC officers’ union and fraternal organization raised money for the reward, the largest in the department’s history.

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 Michelle, 36, raised three children while running her beauty salon that, despite changes in ownership, is still called Michelle’s, said her brother, Michael Malkush of Cutchogue.

 William, 43, he said, was a 15-year veteran of the DEC who took the North Fork assignment after patrolling elsewhere on Long Island.

 They were last seen leaving a dinner party at the Mattituck home of Arthur Siemerling, a local heating oil dealer, about 11 p.m. on a brisk Tuesday night, police said.

 William’s body was found 12 hours later in what was then called Matt-A-Mar marina, his foot caught on a boat’s swim platform and his arm tangled in electrical cable, in his forest green DEC uniform. He had a lump on his head, police said.

 A Suffolk County police diver found Michelle’s body 40 feet from her husband’s about 20 hours later. Her slippers were on the dock near Siemerling’s boat.

 Police said at the time that it appeared the couple took a detour to the boat on their way home from the dinner party. Yet relatives say a late-night trip to the dock seemed out of character for William, who was cautious and reserved.

 William seemed to have drowned trying to save Michelle, who could not swim, then-Southold Town Police Chief Carl Cataldo told Newsday in 1981.

 But Malkush said he felt police came to that conclusion too quickly, just hours after a marina worker found William’s body and before police discovered Michelle’s.

 “I’m there in shock saying, ‘Why aren’t you out there looking for my sister?’ ” said Malkush, 64, a retired teacher.

 Timothy Becker, the oldest of the couple’s three children, said he and his siblings are “so disenchanted with how the initial investigation took place” and want closure.

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 “My mother’s body wasn’t even found yet, and Southold Town police detectives already put together exactly what happened and sold it to us as fact,” said Becker, 51, who lives in Southern California.

 Malkush has hired two private investigators over the years. After 35 years, he said, police risk losing witnesses to old age.

 “It’s going to take somebody to talk,” he said. “Somebody on their deathbed, or somebody who finds religion, or somebody with a guilty conscience.” |||||

– It's been exactly 35 years since the mysterious March 10, 1981, drowning of a Long Island couple, but their family and community are still calling on somebody—anybody—to come forward with information so they can finally piece together what happened, reports NBC News. The Department of Environmental Conservation officers' union and fraternal organization has even raised $15,000, the largest reward in the department's history, reports Newsday, while homicide detectives say they are "open to receiving any new information." William Becker, who was 43, was a 15-year veteran of the DEC; wife Michelle Becker, 36, owned a beauty salon. Married 17 years, the parents of three had gone to a dinner party in Mattituck that cold winter's night and left shortly before midnight. Police said William's body was found 12 hours later in his forest-green DEC uniform at what was then called Matt-A-Mar Marina with a bump on his head and his arm tangled in electrical cable. By the time Michelle's body was found 40 feet away 20 hours later, her slippers on the dock, police had surmised that the couple had stopped by a friend's boat to "get romantic," Michelle's brother Michael Malkush says, and that William had died trying to save Michelle, who couldn't swim. But many felt this didn't make sense given their fear of the water, the cold, and their home being so nearby. Even an investigator in the late '80s concluded that accidental drowning didn't make sense, reports the Suffolk Times. The Beckers' oldest child says he and his siblings are "so disenchanted" with the police investigation, adding, "It's going to take somebody to talk. Somebody on their deathbed, or somebody who finds religion, or somebody with a guilty conscience." (A man recently confessed to this 1982 cold case.)


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– A tragic end for the Georgia couple who vanished while trying to buy a car on Craigslist. Police say two bodies found in the woods outside McRae, near where the couple's 2003 GMC Envoy was discovered submerged in a lake, are indeed those of Bud Runion, 69, and his wife, June, 66. Both were shot in the head with a small-caliber handgun, police say. Ronnie Adrian "Jay" Towns, who grew up 80 miles northwest of McRae in Macon, is now charged with malice murder and armed robbery, the AP reports. Entering a courtroom yesterday, Towns said, "I didn't do it," before a judge denied him bond, the Macon Telegraph reports. His mother seconded that claim, adding "evidence could have been planted" in her son's trailer. Bud Runion posted an ad on Craigslist on Jan. 19 looking to buy a 1966 Ford Mustang convertible, like the one he purchased after returning from the Vietnam War. "He said, 'You can't take money with you when you're gone,' " his daughter says. "You might as well spend and enjoy it." Police now say Towns—who has a wife and young daughter and was recently fired from a landscaping company—answered the ad with the intention of robbing the couple, who set out from their home in Marietta on Thursday. A cellphone used to contact them was traced to Towns, who police say doesn't own a Mustang, CBS News reports. In Marietta, the Runions are remembered as charitable people, who restored bicycles for kids and donated food, household supplies, and coats to the poor.

McRAE, Ga. -- A Georgia couple who vanished after embarking on a road trip to buy a car have been found dead, and both victims were shot in the head, officials say.

 The two bodies found in the search for the couple were positively identified Tuesday as Elrey "Bud" Runion and his wife, June E. Runion, according to a statement posted on Facebook by the Telfair County Sheriff's office. The man who was initially charged with making false statements in the case, Ronnie Adrian "Jay" Towns, is now facing charges of murder and armed robbery, according to the statement.

 Towns was set to be arraigned later Tuesday at the Telfair County Courthouse.

 Bud Runion posted an ad on the website Craigslist Jan. 19 that he was seeking to buy a 1966 Mustang convertible, and three days later, he and his wife - both in their 60s -- set out for a small farming community in southern Georgia to meet with a potential seller. Then they vanished.

 Police told CBS Atlanta they believe Towns was the person who answered that ad and said he had a car for sale - a car authorities now believe didn't exist. They told the station he likely lured the couple for cash.

 In Telfair County, about a three-hour drive south of the Runions' suburban Atlanta home, days of searching by authorities and volunteers ended Monday with a grim discovery and an arrest. Sheriff Chris Steverson said the couple's SUV had been found in a lake a few miles outside McRae, a tiny city of 5,700 about 80 miles southeast of Macon.

 Searches discovered two bodies - a man and a woman - nearby, now identified as the couple.

 The same day the authorities found bodies, investigators arrested the 28-year-old Towns of McRae on charges of giving false statements to authorities and criminal attempt to commit theft by deception.

 The sheriff said a cellphone used to make the last known contact with the Runions had been traced to Towns. He said the young man turned himself in Monday accompanied by family members.

 "For now, he's the only subject we are seeking," Steverson said.

 The Runions' daughters reported them missing last week after they didn't show up to babysit their grandchildren.

 They told WSB-TV their parents left home with their cellphones and chargers, but no one had heard from them since 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

 "If someone has taken them, we have forgiven that person, because God tells us to love and forgive," daughter Virginia Owens said before her parents' vehicle was located. ||||| MCRAE-HELENA -- A Telfair County man was charged with murder Tuesday in the slayings of a Marietta couple last week.

 Telfair County Magistrate Judge Bryan Selph denied bond for 28-year-old Ronnie Jay Towns during a hearing late Tuesday afternoon. Afterward, Towns was taken to the Dodge County jail in Eastman.

 I didnt do it, Towns said softly as deputies led him into the courtroom for his hearing.

 Towns is charged with killing Bud Runion, 69, and his wife, June, 66, Thursday after he allegedly lured the couple to Telfair County through a response to a Craigslist ad. Bud Runion had been looking to buy a 1966 Ford Mustang convertible, but Towns answer to the ad was a ruse, authorities said.

 Telfair County Sheriff Chris Steverson said the Runions each were shot in the head with a small-caliber handgun. The bodies were found in the woods near Old Prison Camp Road, not far outside town. The couples 2003 GMC Envoy was found Monday afternoon in a lake.

 Towns has been charged with malice murder, armed robbery, making a false statement and criminal attempt to commit theft by deception.

 Steverson said although Towns had never been arrested previously for a crime in Telfair County, he had been questioned on several occasions during investigations into other theft-related crimes.

 In the past, in the course of previous investigations, his name came up, Steverson said. (Investigators) stopped to question him. But obviously, he doesnt have any arrest in his record before this week.

 Towns was initially being sought for making a false statement to authorities and an attempt to commit theft by deception.

 Steverson declined to talk in detail about what led investigators to Towns.

 Billy McKinnon, owner of McKinnon Inc. Landscape in Helena, said Tuesday that Towns had previously worked for his company, but he was fired several weeks ago for a violation of company policies. McKinnon declined to comment further.

 Towns family reacted with shock and anger at Tuesdays developments. Family members were upset that they found out about Towns hearing just a few minutes before it happened. They arrived near the conclusion as Selph was ending the hearing.

 For now, Steverson said, investigators arent looking at charging anyone else.

 Several of Towns family said they believe he isnt guilty of the charges.

 This is a bunch of crap, said Towns father, also named Ronnie. There is something else going on. ... I dont know if he did it or not. I think someone else is involved. Hes a good kid.

 The elder Towns extended his condolences to the Runion family.

 Gwen Towns, the mother of the accused, said, My son did not do this as she left the courtroom. Later, while members of the family were talking to Steverson outside his office, she added that evidence could have been planted in her sons trailer.

 The family asked Steverson if they could see the evidence, but he told them the case was now with the district attorneys office.

 Ashley McLaughlin, a public defender from Dublin, said he couldnt comment on the case.

 Anne Horton, Jay Towns aunt, said the news that her nephew had been charged made her ill.

 It floored me, she told reporters. Theres no way, no way! ... He was always loving, always had a smile on his face. I cant wrap my brain around this.

 Horton also expressed her sympathy for the victims family.

 I have so much sorrow for the family, for the Runions, she said. I hope they get to the bottom of this.

 Earlier, Steverson told national viewers of Fox News that Towns comes from a good family. The family, he said, is well established in the small community.

 As you can imagine, the family is as shocked as the rest of the community that hes been named as a suspect in this case, Steverson said.

 The sheriff said the community is a peaceful one despite difficult economic times. According to a 2014 report by the federal government, Telfair County is among the poorest counties in the country, with an average income of $17,536 -- about $6,000 below the federal poverty line.

 Although were rural and we dont have the resources that big city police departments do, when we see violent crimes, we pull out all the stops, he said. Weve made progress in this investigation from the beginning.

 Later in the day, Steverson said investigators and prosecutors have a mountain of evidence to go through in the case.

 A story on Bud Runion in The Atlanta Constitution in 1999 noted his work in repairing old bicycles for his church and delivering them to underprivileged children in the Woodstock community.

 Staff writer Liz Fabian contributed to this story. To contact writer Phillip Ramati, call 744-4334. ||||| McRAE, Ga. (AP) — Elrey "Bud" Runion posted an ad on Craigslist seeking to buy a piece of his youth, a replica of the 1966 Ford Mustang convertible he bought after returning from the Vietnam War decades ago.

 Jason Hoffman, left, places flowers at a makeshift memorial with his daughters Jaycee, 9, center, and Nolene, 11, outside the home of 69-year-old Elrey "Bud" Runion and his 66-year-old wife, June, Tuesday,... (Associated Press)

 Matthew Franden, 10, stands at a makeshift memorial outside the home of his neighbors Elrey "Bud" Runion and his 66-year-old wife, June, as an American flag flies at half-staff, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015,... (Associated Press)

 Neighbors gather as they stand across the street from the home of 69-year-old Elrey "Bud" Runion and his 66-year-old wife, June, where an American flag flies at half-staff, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, in... (Associated Press)

 Vietnam veteran R.C. Franden places an American flag by the mailbox belonging to fellow Vietnam veteran and neighbor Elrey "Bud" Runion, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, in Marietta, Ga. Authorities have positively... (Associated Press)

 A message reading "Bud and June" sits power washed in the driveway of the home of 69-year-old Elrey "Bud" Runion and his 66-year-old wife, June, as an American flag flies at half-staff, Tuesday, Jan.... (Associated Press)

 In this image released by the Telfair County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia shows 28-year-old Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns, who was charged Monday, Jan. 26, 2015, with making false statements to investigators... (Associated Press)

 Telfair County Sheriff Chris Steverson speaks to the media Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, in McRae, Ga. Stevenson said Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns, who answered a Craigslist ad from a couple who wanted to buy... (Associated Press)

 Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns enters Magistrate Judge Bryan Selph courtroom for his arraignment Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015 in McRae, Ga. Towns has been charged with murder and armed robbery in the deaths of Bud... (Associated Press)

 Telfair County Sheriff Chris Steverson speaks to the media Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, in McRae, Ga. Stevenson said Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns, who answered a Craigslist ad from a couple who wanted to buy... (Associated Press)

 Telfair County Sheriff Chris Steverson speaks to the media Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, in McRae, Ga. Stevenson said Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns, who answered a Craigslist ad from a couple who wanted to buy... (Associated Press)

 Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns listens to Magistrate Judge Bryan Selph at his arraignment Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015 in McRae, Ga. Towns has been charged with murder and armed robbery in the deaths of Bud and... (Associated Press)

 Judith Hine, holding her dog Heidi, embraces neighbor Dee Cox, right, as they stand across the street from the home of 69-year-old Elrey "Bud" Runion and his 66-year-old wife, June, Tuesday, Jan. 27,... (Associated Press)

 This photo combination of images provided Monday, Jan. 26, 2015, by the Cobb County Police Department, shows June Runion, of Marietta, Ga., and her husband, Elrey “Bud” Runion, 69. Authorities have positively... (Associated Press)

 Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns is lead from the courthouse to a waiting sheriff's cruiser after his arraignment in McRae, Ga., on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. Towns has been charged with murder and armed robbery... (Associated Press)

 A potential seller drew him to a small farming town in southern Georgia where authorities found the couple's SUV on Monday. Nearby, they discovered the body of Runion, 69, and his 66-year-old wife, June, authorities said. Both had been shot in the head.

 Ronnie Adrian "Jay" Towns, 28, of McRae, was accused Tuesday of killing the Runions, a couple from Marietta, Georgia, who were known for their charitable works throughout the South: from storm-damaged Alabama towns and impoverished pockets of West Virginia to housing projects in the Atlanta suburbs.

 "He said, 'You can't take money with you when you're gone," said the couple's daughter, Brittany Patterson. "You might as well spend and enjoy it."

 Years ago, driving through Marietta before Christmas Eve, Runion saw two young girls sorting through a dumpster, his daughter said. He fixed up two bicycles belonging to his own girls and delivered them as gifts.

 It was the beginning of "Bud's Bicycles," a charity run loosely out of Mount Paran Church of God in Marietta. Runion met his wife, a teacher, at the church in the 1970s.

 Neighbors said the Runions built a shed in their backyard to house the bikes. Their donations eventually expanded to include food, household and school supplies, coats, blankets — even Thanksgiving turkeys.

 "Basically, he had a food pantry in the basement of their house," Patterson said.

 Charity came in ways big and small. Patterson remembered as a child going to a doughnut shop with her father on Saturdays. They would often be joined by a man she did not know, and her father would pay the tab. Later in life she realized the man was homeless.

 While the family was unsure Tuesday morning what transpired in McRae, Patterson had her own assumptions. Her father served in Army's 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam, though he never talked to her about the experience in detail.

 "He's a survivor and fighter, and I know he wouldn't have gone out without fighting and trying to protect my mother," she said.

 Someone tied flowers to a child's bicycle and left it standing below a flag flying at half-staff in the couple's front yard in Marietta, three hours north of McRae.

 "If someone lives their life like this and this happens, it really tests your faith," said their neighbor, Tom Murphy.

 The suspect, Towns, was charged Tuesday with malice murder and armed robbery. A judge denied bond for Towns in his first, brief court appearance. Asked if he understood what he had been charged with, Towns replied: "I understand." His attorney, public defender Ashley McLaughlin, declined to comment afterward.

 Telfair County Sheriff Chris Steverson said robbery appears to be the motive for the couple's killings, but he would not say whether the Runions were carrying cash or disclose other details about the case. On Monday, he said investigators had found no evidence that Towns owned the sort of classic car Runion was seeking.

 The Runions' slaying shocked residents of McRae, a tiny city about 80 miles southeast of Macon, where a public mural in the downtown square proclaims it's the "6th Safest City in Georgia."

 Towns grew up on a farm down a long dirt road where his father raised pine trees and grew soybeans, corn and peanuts. Now 28, he had a family of his own — a wife and a young daughter — in neighboring Wheeler County. Towns supported them by working construction jobs for a local homebuilder, said his uncle, Buddy Towns.

 "He's a good kid, and very smart," said the uncle, who sometimes hired his nephew to help install carpet and flooring customers had purchased from Buddy Towns' business in McRae.

 Buddy Towns said it had been six months or so since he needed his nephew's help on a job, but he saw the younger Towns' truck pass his storefront almost daily as he headed to work. He said his nephew remained close to his father, Ronnie Towns Sr., and they often went fishing and hunting together.

 Towns' family helped persuade him to turn himself in to authorities Monday. Buddy Towns said they were stunned that he would be charged in connection with the Runions' disappearance.

 "It just doesn't make any sense why this would even go down," Towns' uncle said. "It's hard for his parents. They're not understanding."

 The missing couple's friends and family near Atlanta were equally stunned.

 "The Bible tells us the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and he saves those who are crushed in spirit," said the Rev. Mark Walker, the family's pastor. "And that's what we are."

 ___

 Henry reported from Marietta, Georgia. |||||


The second-most noted death row execution yesterday will have at least one immediate consequence: Inmates scheduled to die in Texas will no longer be allowed to choose their final meal.

 Lawrence Russell Brewer, who was executed Wednesday for the hate crime slaying of James Byrd Jr. more than a decade ago, asked for two chicken fried steaks, a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger, fried okra, a pound of barbecue, three fajitas, a meat lover's pizza, a pint of ice cream and a slab of peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts. Prison officials said Brewer didn't eat any of it.

 "It is extremely inappropriate to give a person sentenced to death such a privilege," Sen. John Whitmire, chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, wrote in a letter Thursday to Brad Livingston, the executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. ||||| Just One More Thing...

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– Death row inmates in Texas can no longer request special last meals, and they can blame racist killer Lawrence Russell Brewer. Before he was executed this week, Brewer ordered up a Texas-sized feast, according to the Austin American-Statesman: "Two chicken fried steaks, a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger, a cheese omelet, large bowl of fried okra, 3 fajitas and a pound of barbeque with a half-loaf of white bread on the side." Plus a pint of ice cream for dessert. The problem: He barely touched it. When that tidbit surfaced, a state lawmaker complained: “Enough is enough. It is extremely inappropriate to give a person sentenced to death such a privilege … one which the perpetrator did not provide to their victim.” State prison officials quickly announced the end of the program: Those about to die will get what all the other prisoners are getting. Daily Intel has more on the fascination about last meals.


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– Police last night searched Germanwings co-pilot's Andreas Lubitz's apartment in Duesseldorf, Germany, and the home he shared with his parents in the small town of Montabaur, removing boxes of possessions and what one investigator called a potentially "significant clue" that will be taken for testing, reports the BBC. German prosecutors later announced that they found medical documents in the 27-year-old's home that indicate "an existing illness and appropriate medical treatment," reports the AP. Prosecutor Ralf Herrenbrueck further said that torn-up sick notes for the day of the crash "support the current preliminary assessment that the deceased hid his illness from his employer and colleagues." It's not clear if the notes and the "clue" are the same. Herrenbrueck says no suicide note or evidence of any political or religious motivation for Lubitz's actions were uncovered. An unconfirmed report in Germany's Bild newspaper stated that Lubitz was diagnosed with a "severe depressive episode" in 2009 and had to repeat flying classes because of depression. The German paper says Lubitz was having relationship problems with his girlfriend, and police are looking into whether he was having a "personal life crisis," the Guardian reports. So far, airline chiefs have said only that there "was a lengthy interruption in his training" six years ago and he passed all subsequent checks with "flying colors," reports Reuters.

BERLIN The pilot who appears to have deliberately crashed a plane carrying 149 others into the French Alps received psychiatric treatment for a "serious depressive episode" six years ago, German tabloid Bild reported on Friday.

 Prosecutors in France, after listening to the cockpit voice recorders, offered no motive for why Andreas Lubitz, 27, would take the controls of the Airbus A320, lock the captain out of the cockpit and deliberately set it veering down from cruising altitude at 3,000 feet per minute.

 Citing internal documents and Lufthansa sources, Bild said Lubitz spent a total of one and a half years in psychiatric treatment and that the relevant documents would be passed to French investigators once they had been examined by German authorities.

 Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told a news conference on Thursday that Lubitz had taken a break during his training six years ago, but did not explain why and said he had passed all tests to be fit to fly.

 "Six years ago there was a lengthy interruption in his training. After he was cleared again, he resumed training. He passed all the subsequent tests and checks with flying colors. His flying abilities were flawless," Spohr said.

 A Lufthansa spokeswoman said on Friday the airline would not comment on the state of health of the pilot.

 (Reporting by Victoria Bryan; editing by John Stonestreet) ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, seen here on his Facebook profile, controlled the plane's descent, Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin said

 The man suspected of deliberately crashing a Germanwings A320 plane in the French Alps required treatment for depression, German media say.

 Regular assessments were recommended in Andreas Lubitz's official notes after a serious episode some years ago.

 The Barcelona-Duesseldorf plane crashed on Tuesday, killing 150 people.

 Data from the plane's voice recorder suggest Mr Lubitz purposely started a descent as the pilot was locked out of the cockpit.

 Several airlines have now pledged to change their rules to ensure at least two crew members are present in the cockpit at all times.

 Police have searched two German properties used by Mr Lubitz, taking away boxes and a computer.

 'Heavily depressive'

 When Mr Lubitz finished training in 2009, he was diagnosed with a serious depressive episode and went on to receive treatment for a year and a half, the German news site Bild reports.

 Internal documents quoted by Bild and German broadcaster ARD say a note on Mr Lubitz's aviation authority file recommended regular psychological assessment.

 Andreas Lubitz: Germanwings co-pilot under scrutiny

 Started training in 2008, at Bremen and Arizona. Training was interrupted for some months - but he later passed all tests and was deemed fit to fly

 Working as co-pilot, or first officer, since 2013. Appeared pleased with his job

 Lived in town of Montabaur, near Frankfurt, reportedly with his parents. Kept a flat in Duesseldorf and had many friends

 Facebook profile suggests the active lifestyle of a keen runner, with an interest in pop music

 Who was Andreas Lubitz?

 Mr Lubitz's employers have confirmed that his training was interrupted for several months six years ago.

 But they have not said why. Carsten Spohr - the head of Lufthansa, the German carrier that owns Germanwings - said on Thursday that Mr Lubitz was only able to resume training after his suitability was "re-established".

 "He passed all the subsequent tests and checks with flying colours," Mr Spohr was quoted as saying.

 German media are also reporting that investigators have found evidence of mental health problems at Mr Lubitz's Duesseldorf flat.

 Earlier, another media report quoted a police spokesman as saying "a very significant clue as to what has happened" had been found during the search of the house the 27-year-old shared with his parents in Montabaur, north of Frankfurt, without specifying what.

 Police said the discovery was not a suicide note.

 French Prime Minister Manual Valls said the investigation was ongoing, but that "everything is pointing to a criminal, crazy, suicidal action that we cannot comprehend".

 He said investigators and Lufthansa would have to "shed light on the career and profile of this pilot".

 Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Lubitz is said to have been an enthusiastic runner and is here pictured running a half-marathon in September 2009

 Image copyright AP Image caption Police have been coming and going at the home of Mr Lubitz's parents north of Frankfurt, which is also the focus of a media spotlight

 Image copyright AFP Image caption Families of the crash victims visited Seyne-les-Alpes, a town close to the crash site

 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption In the hamlet of Vernet, a "viewing tent" was set up where families could look in the direction of the crash site. Families laid flowers and photographs in memory of those lost.

 Police continued to come and go at the Montabaur house throughout Thursday morning, reports the BBC's Anna Holligan who is outside.

 She says there are concerns for Mr Lubitz's parents, who have suffered not just one trauma - their son dying in a crash - but the subsequent shock of finding out he may have been responsible for the tragedy.

 Axe

 Based on data from the recovered "black box" voice recorder, Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin said on Thursday that Mr Lubitz appeared to want to "destroy the plane".

 The evidence suggested the pilot had left the cockpit, probably to go to the toilet, during which the door was barred. He fought unsuccessfully to get back in, he said.

 Bild quotes security sources as saying that the pilot used an axe to try to break down the door.

 A Germanwings spokesperson would only confirm that an emergency axe is part of the equipment on board an A320.

 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Rescuer Jean Sebastien Beaud describes the plane crash scene as "surreal"

 What happened in the final half hour?

 Family members of some of the 150 passengers and crew who died have visited Seyne-les-Alpes, near the crash site, reported Reuters news agency.

 They were accompanied by psychologists, paramedics and Red Cross workers, and a youth centre in the town was set up to receive them, it said.

 Families are providing DNA samples to allow for identification of victims' remains.

 Meanwhile, investigators continue to comb the crash site for body parts, debris and the second "black box", which records flight data and still has not been found three days after the plane crashed.

 Flight club

 Members of the Westerwald flight club, where the co-pilot was a member, expressed their shock at the revelations about Mr Lubitz's mental history.

 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Members of the flight club where Andreas Lubitz was a member have been talking about his personality

 "Andreas was a very nice young man, who did his training here. He was part of the club," Peter Reucker said.

 "[He was] funny, sometimes a bit quiet, but apart from that a young man like many others that we have here. He integrated well.

 "I'm absolutely speechless. I have no explanation for this," Mr Reucker added.

 Crash site close-ups

 Other incidents thought to be caused by deliberate pilot action

 29 November 2013: A flight between Mozambique and Angola crashed in Namibia, killing 33 people. Initial investigation results suggested the accident was deliberately carried out by the captain shortly after the first officer (also known as the co-pilot) had left the flight deck.

 A flight between Mozambique and Angola crashed in Namibia, killing 33 people. Initial investigation results suggested the accident was deliberately carried out by the captain shortly after the first officer (also known as the co-pilot) had left the flight deck. 31 October 1999: An EgyptAir Boeing 767 went into a rapid descent 30 minutes after taking off from New York, killing 217 people. An investigation suggested that the crash was caused deliberately by the relief first officer but the evidence was not conclusive.

 An EgyptAir Boeing 767 went into a rapid descent 30 minutes after taking off from New York, killing 217 people. An investigation suggested that the crash was caused deliberately by the relief first officer but the evidence was not conclusive. 19 December 1997: More than 100 people were killed when a Boeing 737 travelling from Indonesia to Singapore crashed. The pilot - suffering from "multiple work-related difficulties" - was suspected of switching off the flight recorders and intentionally putting the plane into a dive.

 Source: Aviation Safety Network |||||


BALTIMORE, June 2 (UPI) -- A discrepancy between galactic distances in the infant universe and more modern measurements suggests the universe is expanding at a faster pace than previously predicted.

 Astronomers recently used the Hubble Space Telescope to measure the distance between 19 galaxies with unprecedented accuracy. The numbers suggest the universe is expanding between 5 and 9 percent faster than the rate derived from galactic distances measured in the early universe, just after the Big Bang.

 Researchers believe the discrepancy may offer insights into the nature of dark matter.

 "This surprising finding may be an important clue to understanding those mysterious parts of the universe that make up 95 percent of everything and don't emit light, such as dark energy, dark matter, and dark radiation," Adam Riess, an astronomer with the Space Telescope Science Institute and Johns Hopkins University, said in a news release.

 Dark matter and the dark energy it carries may explain the acceleration of the universe's expansion.

 The most recent calculation of the universe's rate of expansion, called the Hubble constant, is believed to be the most accurate ever -- with a margin of error, or rate of uncertainty, of just 2.4 percent.

 Astronomers expected the new calculations to forge an agreeable link with those derived from observations of the Big Bang afterglow collected by NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe and the European Space Agency's Planck satellite.

 "You start at two ends, and you expect to meet in the middle if all of your drawings are right and your measurements are right," Reiss said. "But now the ends are not quite meeting in the middle and we want to know why."

 Astronomers are continuing to go over the data to try to reduce the margin for error even further, but it appears likely researchers will now be faced with the task of explaining the disagreement between the two Hubble constants. ||||| The universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. This is a generally accepted scientific understanding, the discovery of which yielded a Nobel prize in 2011. But what exactly is the speed of that expansion?

 According to new research, soon to be published in the Astrophysical Journal, the rate of expansion, or the Hubble constant, is about 73.24 kilometers per second per megaparsec (a unit equivalent to 3.26 million light-years): somewhere between five and nine percent faster than we thought.

 A multitude of reasons has been put forth for this discrepancy, including the possibility that these new calculations are inaccurate. But if they continue to withstand scrutiny, they could challenge some of the basic precepts surrounding the functioning of our universe.

 "If you really believe our number – and we have shed blood, sweat and tears to get our measurement right and to accurately understand the uncertainties – then it leads to the conclusion that there is a problem with predictions based on measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation, the leftover glow from the Big Bang," co-author Alex Filippenko, an astronomy professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a press release.

 "Maybe the universe is tricking us, or our understanding of the universe isn't complete," he added.

 If the science is correct, then one possible explanation has to do with the mere 95 percent of the universe constituted of mysterious elements that do not emit light, such as dark matter, dark energy, and dark radiation.

 Dark energy, thought to be responsible for the acceleration of our expanding universe, could be pushing galaxies apart with even greater vigor than scientists believed. Or dark matter, the "backbone of the universe," in NASA's words, could have some as-yet undiscovered oddities.

 And then there's dark radiation: subatomic particles that travel at velocities approaching the speed of light. Maybe one such particle exists, or existed, that is unknown to science, perhaps the much-hypothesized "fourth flavor of neutrino."

 Aside from all that darkness, there is another possible explanation: Einstein's theory of relativity could be inaccurate.

 "You start at two ends, and you expect to meet in the middle if all of your drawings are right and your measurements are right," study leader and Nobel Laureate Adam Riess, an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute, said in a NASA press release. "But now the ends are not quite meeting in the middle and we want to know why."

 The new numbers are based upon the team's efforts to acquire a more precise understanding of the universe's current expansion rate. Using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and Hawaii's Keck I telescope, they refined that to an uncertainty of only 2.4 percent.

 The new data were gleaned by analyzing two types of star: Cepheids and Type la supernovae. Cepheid stars allow astronomers to determine how far they are from us, and thereby how distant their galaxy is, by analyzing two characteristics: their true brightness, gleaned from the rate at which they pulsate, versus their apparent brightness as seen from Earth. Type la supernovae, a kind of exploding star, can be detected even further away.

 The researchers measured about 2,400 Cepheid stars occupying 19 nearby galaxies, compared the apparent brightness of both types of star, and were able to determine the true brightness of the Type la supernovae.

 Armed with this information, they could calculate the distance to some 300 Type la supernovae in distant galaxies.

 "We've done the world's best job of decreasing the uncertainty in the measured rate of universal expansion and of accurately assessing the size of this uncertainty," Dr. Filippenko said in the Berkeley release, "yet we find that our measured rate of expansion is probably incompatible with the rate expected from observations of the young universe, suggesting that there's something important missing in our physical understanding of the universe."

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 Some scientists uninvolved with this study urge caution, including NASA astrophysicist John Mather, Princeton astrophysicist David Spergel, and California Institute of Technology physicist Sean Carroll, who said that the most likely explanation is a mistake in the most recent calculations.

 "It's far too early to jump up and down to say the universe is messing with us," Dr. Carroll told The Washington Post, but he conceded that the research was carried out by scientists both solid and careful. ||||| Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the universe is expanding 5 percent to 9 percent faster than expected.

 "This surprising finding may be an important clue to understanding those mysterious parts of the universe that make up 95 percent of everything and don't emit light, such as dark energy, dark matter, and dark radiation," said study leader and Nobel Laureate Adam Riess of the Space Telescope Science Institute and The Johns Hopkins University, both in Baltimore, Maryland.

 The results will appear in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

 Riess' team made the discovery by refining the universe's current expansion rate to unprecedented accuracy, reducing the uncertainty to only 2.4 percent. The team made the refinements by developing innovative techniques that improved the precision of distance measurements to faraway galaxies.

 The team looked for galaxies containing both Cepheid stars and Type Ia supernovae. Cepheid stars pulsate at rates that correspond to their true brightness, which can be compared with their apparent brightness as seen from Earth to accurately determine their distance. Type Ia supernovae, another commonly used cosmic yardstick, are exploding stars that flare with the same brightness and are brilliant enough to be seen from relatively longer distances.

 By measuring about 2,400 Cepheid stars in 19 galaxies and comparing the observed brightness of both types of stars, the accurately measured their true brightness and calculated distances to roughly 300 Type Ia supernovae in far-flung galaxies.

 The team compared those distances with the expansion of space as measured by the stretching of light from receding galaxies. They used these two values to calculate how fast the universe expands with time, or the Hubble constant.

 The improved Hubble constant value is 73.2 kilometers per second per megaparsec. (A megaparsec equals 3.26 million light-years.) The new value means the distance between cosmic objects will double in another 9.8 billion years.

 This refined calibration presents a puzzle, however, because it does not quite match the expansion rate predicted for the universe from its trajectory seen shortly after the Big Bang. Measurements of the afterglow from the Big Bang by NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) and the European Space Agency's Planck satellite mission yield predictions which are 5 percent and 9 percent smaller for the Hubble constant, respectively.

 "If we know the initial amounts of stuff in the universe, such as dark energy and dark matter, and we have the physics correct, then you can go from a measurement at the time shortly after the big bang and use that understanding to predict how fast the universe should be expanding today," said Riess. "However, if this discrepancy holds up, it appears we may not have the right understanding, and it changes how big the Hubble constant should be today."

 Comparing the universe's expansion rate with WMAP, Planck, and Hubble is like building a bridge, Riess explained. On the distant shore are the cosmic microwave background observations of the early universe. On the nearby shore are the measurements made by Riess' team using Hubble.

 "You start at two ends, and you expect to meet in the middle if all of your drawings are right and your measurements are right," Riess said. "But now the ends are not quite meeting in the middle and we want to know why."

 There are a few possible explanations for the universe's excessive speed. One possibility is that dark energy, already known to be accelerating the universe, may be shoving galaxies away from each other with even greater -- or growing -- strength.

 Another idea is that the cosmos contained a new subatomic particle in its early history that traveled close to the speed of light. Such speedy particles are collectively referred to as "dark radiation" and include previously known particles like neutrinos. More energy from additional dark radiation could be throwing off the best efforts to predict today's expansion rate from its post-big bang trajectory.

 The boost in acceleration could also mean that dark matter possesses some weird, unexpected characteristics. Dark matter is the backbone of the universe upon which galaxies built themselves up into the large-scale structures seen today.

 And finally, the speedier universe may be telling astronomers that Einstein's theory of gravity is incomplete.

 "We know so little about the dark parts of the universe, it's important to measure how they push and pull on space over cosmic history," said Lucas Macri of Texas A&M; University in College Station, a key collaborator on the study.

 The Hubble observations were made with Hubble's sharp-eyed Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), and were conducted by the Supernova H0 for the Equation of State (SH0ES) team, which works to refine the accuracy of the Hubble constant to a precision that allows for a better understanding of the universe's behavior.

 The SH0ES Team is still using Hubble to reduce the uncertainty in the Hubble constant even more, with a goal to reach an accuracy of 1 percent. Current telescopes such as the European Space Agency's Gaia satellite, and future telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an infrared observatory, and the Wide Field Infrared Space Telescope (WFIRST), also could help astronomers make better measurements of the expansion rate.

 Before Hubble was launched in 1990, the estimates of the Hubble constant varied by a factor of two. In the late 1990s the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale refined the value of the Hubble constant to within an error of only 10 percent, accomplishing one of the telescope's key goals. The SH0ES team has reduced the uncertainty in the Hubble constant value by 76 percent since beginning its quest in 2005.

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 The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C.

 For images and more information about the Hubble Constant finding and Hubble, visit:

 http://hubblesite. org/ news/ 2016/ 17 ||||| Measurements taken by Hubble space telescope conflict with studies of radiation left over from Big Bang – fuelling theories of ‘dark energy’ and mystery particles

 The universe is expanding faster than anyone had previously measured or calculated from theory. This is a discovery that could test part of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, a pillar of cosmology that has withstood challenges for a century.

 Nasa and the European Space Agency jointly announced the universe is expanding 5% to 9% faster than predicted, a finding they reached after using the Hubble space telescope to measure the distance to stars in 19 galaxies beyond theMilky Way.

 The rate of expansion did not match predictions based on measurements of radiation left over from the Big Bang that gave rise to the known universe 13.8bn years ago.

 Milky weigh: our galaxy has the mass of 700bn suns, say scientists Read more

 Physicist and lead author Adam Riess said: “You start at two ends, and you expect to meet in the middle if all of your drawings are right and your measurements are right.

 “But now the ends are not quite meeting in the middle and we want to know why.”

 The researchers arrived at a new expansion rate of 73.2 kilometres per second per megaparsec. A megaparsec is 3.26 million light years. The consequence of this adjustment in difficult-to-imagine speeds over unthinkable distances is that the distance between cosmic objects will double in another 9.8 billion years. The catch is that such speeds do not match predictions for an expansion rate from other observations made by Nasa’s Wilkinson microwave anisotropy Probe, or the European Space Agency’s Planck satellite. Both went into orbit to study the afterglow of the Big Bang, in which time, space and matter were created. And both delivered lower – and in each case slightly different – predictions for cosmic expansion, the first 5% and the second 9% lower.

 The latest discovery also stirs hypotheses about what fills the 95% of the cosmos that emits no light and no radiation, scientists said on Thursday.

 One possibility for the discrepancy is that the universe has unknown subatomic particles, similar to neutrinos, that travel nearly as fast as the speed of light, about 186,000 miles (300,000km) per second.

 Facebook Twitter Pinterest From left: Hubble is used to measure the distances to stars called Cepheid variables. Their brightness means they can be used as cosmic yardsticks to measure distances to galaxies. Astronomers then look for galaxies that contain Cepheids (centre) and Type Ia supernovae, and determine their distance. They then look for supernovae in more remote galaxies. The brightness of distant supernovae are compared to measure out to the distance where the expansion of the universe can be seen (right). Those measurements are compared with how light from the supernovae is stretched by the expansion of space. Illustration: A. Riess (STScI/JHU) and A. Feild (STScI)/NASA/ESA

 Another idea is that so-called “dark energy”, a mysterious, anti-gravity force discovered in 1998, may be shoving galaxies away from one another more powerfully than originally estimated.

 “This may be an important clue to understanding those parts of the universe that make up 95% of everything and that don’t emit light, such as dark energy, dark matter and dark radiation,” said Riess, with the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.

 Riess shared the 2011 Nobel prize in physics for the discovery that the expansion of the universe was speeding up.

 The speedier universe also raises the possibility that Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which serves as the mathematical scaffolding for calculating how the basic building blocks of matter interact, is slightly wrong, or at least incomplete.

 “We know so little about the dark parts of the universe, it’s important to measure how they push and pull on space over cosmic history”, said one of the team, Lucas Macri of Texas A&M University.

 Such research has a long history of revision and updates. Einstein’s original calculations for general relativity seemed to predict that the universe was expanding and – in what he is supposed to have described later as his greatest blunder – he confected a cosmological constant to correct what he thought was an error. In 1923, the great American astronomer Edwin Hubble stared through what was then the world’s biggest telescope at what he thought was a nebula - cloud of dust – in the night sky and realised that he was observing another distant star system: the island universe of the Andromeda galaxy. And within two years he had observed the light signature of a receding galaxies, and proposed that everywhere in the universe, galaxies were rushing away each other, the farthest away at a greater rate.

 But all astronomical observations depend on being able to calculate distances, and from that make ever more precise estimates of galactic recession. When the Hubble space telescope was first launched in 1990, estimates of the rate of cosmic expansion varied by a factor of two. Continuous observations seemed to narrow the range to ever more precise estimates.

 Until 1998, astronomers thought they had got the big picture. The universe was expanding at a steady rate, but it might still be possible that expansion could halt, or even that the universe could contract. A team of astronomers staring at a class of stars called type 1a supernovae across enormous distances realised that the furthest were not just receding at the predicted rate: they were accelerating as if being driven by a mysterious force briefly dubbed “antigravity”.

 It was the first hint of what, for want of a better term, is called dark energy: a so-far inexplicable force that is likely to keep the universe expanding forever. And it was at that point that cosmologists began to realise that all the gas, dust, planets, stars, galaxies and black holes they could account for added up to only about 4% of the universe.

 Stunning Hubble Bubble Nebula image marks telescope's 26th birthday Read more

 It also raised the possibility that, an unimaginable number of years from now, all the other galaxies will have receded over some cosmic horizon, leaving the Milky Way alone in the visible universe, and with no distant objects to provide any evidence at all of accelerating cosmic expansion.

 The latest advance on the speed of universal expansion builds on all these elements in a century of cosmological discovery. Riess and colleagues made their discovery by building a better cosmic yardstick to calculate distances. They used the Hubble Space Telescope to measure a particular type of star, known as Cepheid variables – the stars that gave Edwin Hubble and and his colleagues the first hint of an expanding universe - in 19 galaxies beyond our own Milky Way galaxy.

 How fast these stars pulse is directly related to how bright they are, which in turn can be used to calculate their distances, much like a 100-watt light bulb appears dimmer the farther away it is. They also used the type 1a supernovae as “standard candles” and it had been this class of objects that had illuminated not just another advance in speed but speculation about dark energy.

 The research will be published in an upcoming edition of the Astrophysical Journal. ||||| Add this to the list of existential fears that keep you up at night: the universe appears to be expanding faster than we thought. A lot faster.

 That’s according to new, highly precise measurements of the distance between 19 faraway galaxies acquired by the Hubble Space Telescope. The new numbers indicate that the rate of expansion of our universe (the so-called “Hubble constant”) is approximately 45.5 miles per second per megaparsec.

 In slightly less baffling terms, space is expanding fast enough to essentially double the distance between our galaxy and our nearest neighbors in about 10 billion years. The new Hubble constant is 5 to 9 percent higher than previous estimates. It might not seem like that much, but when it comes to the fate of the entire universe, it constitutes a major discrepancy.

 The discovery, which will be detailed in a forthcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal, presents a problem for cosmologists, because it does not match estimated expansion rates from the energetic leftovers of the Big Bang. Two missions—NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe and the European Space Agency’s Planck satellite mission—have both yielded smaller Hubble constants by examining the so-called “afterglow” of the mega-explosion that birthed our universe.

 The discrepancy still needs to be independently verified. But if it holds up, it implies that there are underlying physical processes pushing space apart which we haven’t fully accounted for. That’s not too surprising when you consider that some 95 percent of our universe is made up of dark energy, dark matter, and dark radiation, all of which emit no light and are barely understood at all. Alternatively, it could mean that Einstein’s theory of relativity is incomplete—which is also kind of understandable, given that the man single-handedly penned the laws of existence in his twenties without the aid of a computer.

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 Either way, it’s an exciting reminder that the very fabric of reality is being shaped and stretched by forces we can barely comprehend. But one day, those forces will ensure that all of our atoms are dispersed across trillions of light years of vast nothingness.

 [NASA] |||||

Write a summary.

– New calculations in the cosmos have revealed a surprise: The universe appears to be expanding faster than anyone thought. Using the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists measured the distance to stars in 19 galaxies and concluded that the universe is growing 5% to 9% quicker than expected, the researchers say in a press release. For the record, they calculate the rate to be 45.5 miles per second per megaparsec, the latter being the equivalent of 3.26 million light-years. It's surprising, UPI reports, because astronomers expected the calculations to jibe with previous ones conducted by NASA and the European Space Agency. If the new rate is confirmed, it could challenge some basic precepts about how the universe functions and challenge at least part of Einstein's theory of relativity, reports the Guardian. "If you really believe our number—and we have shed blood, sweat and tears to get our measurement right and to accurately understand the uncertainties—then it leads to the conclusion that there is a problem with predictions based on measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation, the leftover glow from the Big Bang," says co-author Alex Filippenko of Berkeley, per the Christian Science Monitor. While 5% to 9% may not seem like a big deal, it constitutes a "major discrepancy" in this particular case, notes Gizmodo. Part of the answer around the discrepancy may lie in the "mysterious parts of the universe that make up 95% of everything and don't emit light, such as dark energy, dark matter, and dark radiation," says another of the project's researchers. Their findings will be published in Astrophysical Journal.


Summarize this article:

UPDATED: Megyn Kelly’s two-day bad streak just got worse. Deadline hears that the NBC News host who caused such a ruckus with her on-air remarks about blackface and her ensuing apology is no longer a client of CAA and will not be repped by UTA. Kelly has hired leading Hollywood attorney Bryan Freedman as she is heading to likely settlement talks with NBC. She is not expected to be hosting her 9 AM show for the rest of the week.

 The news comes as the backlash continues over her comments during Megyn Kelly Today on Tuesday about why it’s not OK for people to wear blackface as a Halloween costume. Fallout from the comments continued today as NBC News chief Andy Lack criticized Kelly during a town hall with staffers and praised the work done by his Today, Nightly News and late-night teams.

 Kelly reportedly had plotted a move from CAA to UTA shortly before the controversy erupted earlier this week. She had left CAA and was close to signing with UTA but the agency now would not proceed with bringing her in as a client under the circumstances. She instead has retained an attorney in Freedman.

 NBC

 It also was revealed this afternoon that cast members and EPs of Netflix’s House of Cards pulled out of guesting on Megyn Kelly Today amid the controversy.

 On her show Tuesday, Kelly and a panel were discussing campus attempts to discourage “inappropriate and offensive costumes” during the trick-or-treat season when Kelly asked: “What is racist? … You do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface for Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween.”

 The outcry on social media was swift, and Kelly was forced to apologize later in the day. In a note to colleagues, she wrote: “Today is one of those days where listening carefully to other points of view, including from friends and colleagues, is leading me to rethink my own views.” Kelly added that she “now” realizes that it is “indeed wrong” and that “the history of blackface in our culture is abhorrent, the wounds too deep.” ||||| New York (CNN Business) Two years of pent-up bitterness and backbiting about Megyn Kelly have finally come to a head at NBC News.

 Her exit from the 9 a.m. hour of the "Today" show appears to be imminent. Variety reported on Wednesday evening that Kelly and NBC News executives have been holding conversations about a new role for her.

 Two people familiar with the matter confirmed that to CNN Business and said Kelly's show will be ending. Negotiations about the end date and other details are still underway. But Kelly will not be hosting Thursday's program, and she is unlikely to return later, one of the people said. So "Megyn Kelly Today" may end very soon.

 Kelly has parted ways with her talent agency, CAA, according to two sources, and she has hired attorney Bryan Freedman.

 Kelly's offensive remarks about blackface Halloween costumes on Tuesday have raised more questions about her future at NBC. Spokespeople for NBC News declined to comment, and most staffers at the news division remain in the dark.

 Tuesday's controversy made national news and stoked disappointment and resentment within NBC, according to multiple sources at the network.

 Kelly started her show on Wednesday by apologizing for comments made the previous day. Her audience gave her a standing ovation, but disappointment inside NBC News runs deep and isn't likely to fade anytime soon.

 NBC News chair Andy Lack condemned her racially insensitive comments during a town hall meeting with staffers on Wednesday morning. (The meeting was scheduled well before the controversy ensued.)

 Lack spearheaded Kelly's hiring and championed her 9 a.m. show. But this week his news division has covered the Kelly controversy on multiple programs. Instead of promoting the "Today" show as a happy family, NBC has aired the family's fight — giving time to Al Roker and others who strongly criticized Kelly's comments.

 Tuesday's blackface talk — featuring an all-white panel of guests — was a major misstep. But the Kelly rancor is about more than one segment.

 The New York Times reported on Wednesday evening that Kelly and Lack "discussed a possible winding-down of her portion of the 'Today' show by the end of the year," meaning the conversations pre-dated this week's controversy.

 Kelly has many critics and rivals within the famed news division — people who say she never should have been hired from Fox News, certainly not for such a huge salary, and certainly not for a morning show like "Megyn Kelly Today."

 These NBC staffers routinely call Kelly's show a "disaster" and other disparaging terms.

 Most of the anger isn't directed at her, exactly, but at the management of NBC News — the men who hired her away from Fox in January 2017.

 "We're lucky to have her," Lack said on the day her new deal was announced.

 At the time, some other TV executives agreed. After all, there had been a bidding war for Kelly when it became clear that she wanted to leave Fox.

 Lack called her an "exceptional journalist and news anchor."

 But Kelly was best known for fiery segments on Fox's staunchly conservative prime time schedule. There was widespread concern that she was being miscast at NBC.

 The network said she would have two main jobs: A 9 a.m. talk show and a Sunday night newsmagazine. Her reported salary of $23 million a year for three years, totaling $69 million, became a bit of a scandal inside NBC, even before she started on the air.

 Kelly's morning show premiered in September of 2017. Television critics found a lot to criticize. And Kelly had some early stumbles, like an awkward exchange with Jane Fonda that made headlines for a long time afterward.

 Some of the controversies stoked curiosity about her new show, but mostly it just caused embarrassment and snickering about how long she would last at NBC. Most importantly, the 9 a.m. show did not meet ratings expectations.

 As the Wall Street Journal put it in a headline earlier this year, "NBC bet $69 million on Megyn Kelly — then viewers vanished."

 Kelly's rivals noted that the earlier iteration of the 9 a.m. hour was more profitable back when Roker and Tamron Hall were the hosts. That's partly because they were paid a lot less.

 Some people in the TV business said Kelly was given bad career advice. Others said NBC was unrealistic about expectations for her show. And still others said Kelly's talent was not easily transferable from Fox to other networks.

 NBC introduced Kelly's Sunday newsmagazine, but the program didn't last long. As predicted, it suffered in the ratings versus long-running competitors like "60 Minutes," and it was hobbled by scheduling issues.

 On the air, Kelly's morning show has notched some wins — her show has been full of fascinating conversations and candid interviews. But it is still a ratings laggard. And the blackface controversy reinforces the perception — to the public at large — that Kelly is a Fox News personality, not a member of the "Today" show family.

 During the offending segment on Tuesday, Kelly said it was OK when she was growing up for white people to dress up as black characters, and she spoke out against a controversy that erupted last year over a reality star who portrayed Diana Ross.

 "But what is racist?" Kelly asked. "Because you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid that was OK, as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character."

 Later in the day, Kelly said sorry to her colleagues in an email: "Today is one of those days where listening carefully to other points of view, including from friends and colleagues, is leading me to rethink my own views."

 On Tuesday evening, "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt" covered the Kelly story when few other networks paid it much attention. Roker, Melvin and other members of the "Today" show cast had a remarkably candid conversation about the controversy during the 7 a.m. hour of the show on Wednesday.

 The situation demonstrates the continuing unease about and disarray within NBC News over Kelly, whose hire and installation in the network's morning hours was controversial.

 Roker said "she owes a bigger apology to folks of color across the country."

 His blunt words expressed a point of view shared by many within the news organization.

 "Today" colleague Craig Melvin also called out Kelly's comments for being "stupid" and "indefensible." He pointed out that this controversy is an opportunity to inform people — but said most people already knew how offensive blackface is. ||||| Megyn Kelly and NBC News have engaged in conversations about her taking a new role at the news division, according to a person who has spoken with the anchor, suggesting both sides have grown weary of the intense scrutiny being placed on her morning program, “Megyn Kelly Today” and casting significant doubt on its future.

 Word of the shift comes after Kelly stirred outrage on Tuesday during a segment in which she questioned why it was wrong for people to don “blackface” for Halloween costumes. The backlash contributed to CAA dropping Kelly as a client on Wednesday, according to an industry source (and first reported by the Hollywood Reporter).

 But the conversations about ending the 9 a.m. daytime show began before the controversy, the latest since the anchor joined NBC News in March of 2017.

 ”Where do you think Megyn Kelly would be happier, as part of big breaking news or forced to cover light-hearted stories that traditionally work at 9 a.m.?” the source close to Kelly said. Kelly participated in NBC News’ coverage of the confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanaugh and is slated to take part in NBC News’ election-night coverage on Nov. 6.

 Related NBCUniversal Chief on Megyn Kelly, Andy Lack and Future of NBC News Megyn Kelly, NBC Reach Agreement on Exit

 NBC News declined to comment.

 After Tuesday’s segment, social-media opprobrium came quickly, as did an apology from the anchor. NBC News has continued to cover the fallout for Kelly over the incident on “NBC Nightly News” and “Today,” prompting speculation about the relationship between the high-priced star anchor and others in the news division.

 Success in daytime TV has always been elusive. Other famous anchors have tried their hand in mornings and afternoons in the recent past, and met with middling success. Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper and Meredith Vieira are among the personalities who tackled daytime talk programs in the last few years. All three lasted just two seasons before ending their respective efforts.

 “Megyn Kelly Today” has been a work in progress. At times, it has garnered good notice for Kelly’s willingness to examine tough issues and the #MeToo social-justice movement. She did not shy away from a discussion about the late-2017 ouster of Matt Lauer after NBC News found allegations of sexual harassment levied at him. The anchor has denied some of the charges made against him. In other instances, however, the show has brought unwanted attention, including Kelly’s scolding of actress Jane Fonda. Media buyers said Wednesday that the program had proven to be a disappointment after NBC hyped Kelly’s arrival to its air.

 NBC News Chairman Andy Lack addressed this week’s controversy Wednesday at a town hall meeting with news staffers. “There is no other way to put this but I condemn those remarks, there is no place on our air or in this workplace for them. Very unfortunate,” Lack said, according to people present at the meeting. He added: “As we go forward, my highest priority remains, and as we sort through this with Megyn, let there be no doubt that this is a workplace in which you need to be proud and in which we respect each other in all the ways we know is foundational to who we are.”

 Kelly kicked off her morning show in the fall of a 2017 with a stated desire to get away from the political commentary that fueled her rise at Fox News Channel. “I’m kind of done with politics for now,” Kelly told the audience during her first morning broadcast, noting she she hoped instead to help viewers “get yourself through the day, to have a laugh with us, a smile, sometimes a tear – and maybe a little hope to start your day. Some fun! That’s what we want to be doing.”

 In recent days, however, the anchor has steered the panel discussions that open “Megyn Kelly Today” toward hotter topics, such as the nomination hearings around Justice Kavanaugh and debates around political correctness. |||||

– The blackface controversy may have sealed the fate of Megyn Kelly Today. Sources tell Variety that Megyn Kelly has been in talks with NBC execs about abandoning the 9am morning show for a possible new role at NBC News. An insider close to Kelly says both sides are ready for a change and discussions about ending the show began even before the latest controversy. "Where do you think Megyn Kelly would be happier, as part of big breaking news or forced to cover light-hearted stories that traditionally work at 9am?" the source says. CNN, citing "two people familiar with the matter," reports that Kelly's show is definitely ending, and probably soon: The sources say Kelly will not be hosting Thursday's show and might not return at all. In another setback for Kelly, she has parted ways with talent agency CAA but a planned move to UTA has fallen through because of the controversy, Deadline reports. She has instead hired Hollywood attorney Bryan Freedman for expected settlement talks with NBC. Sources tell Variety that NBC News chairman Andy Lack, who hired Kelly away from Fox in early 2017, addressed the issue in a town hall meeting with staffers Wednesday, saying: "There is no other way to put this but I condemn those remarks, there is no place on our air or in this workplace for them. Very unfortunate." (On Wednesday's show, Kelly said that she had learned blackface is not OK as part of a costume, "Halloween or otherwise.")


News article:

An unknown visitor arrives at a gated house in Woodland Hills on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017. Homicide detectives are investigating the death of Fabio Sementilli, an internationally known hairdresser and beauty company executive found beaten and stabbed outside his Los Angeles home. Police say paramedics found Sementilli bleeding profusely Monday afternoon at the gated house in the upscale Woodland Hills neighborhood. The 49-year-old suffered multiple stab wounds and died at the scene. AP Photo/Richard Vogel

 WOODLAND HILLS >> Homicide detectives are investigating the stabbing death of a hairdresser in his Woodland Hills home and the disappearance of his 2008 black Porsche 911 Carrera, authorities said Tuesday.

 Paramedics were sent to the home in the 5000 block of Queen Victoria Road shortly after 5 p.m. Monday for a medical emergency call regarding “hemorrhaging,” the Los Angeles Police Department reported.

 Canadian-born Fabio Sementilli, 49, died at the scene.

 “The paramedics observed a male in the outdoor patio of the residence with injuries to his face and a significant amount of blood,” a police statement said.

 Paramedics contacted Topanga Division officers, according to police.

 “When the officers arrived they found the victim ... suffering from multiple stab wounds,” police said.

 Homicide detectives determined that Sementilli suffered several stab wounds to his neck and upper torso, police said.

 Detectives found that the victim’s car was missing from his home. It was described as a black 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera with paper license plates.

 Detective Steve Castro of LAPD’s Operations-Valley Bureau Homicide Unit did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case.

 The upscale neighborhood where Sementilli lived was quiet by midmorning Tuesday.

 Sementilli’s house and patio are partially concealed by lush shrubbery, and the home is secured by an automatic gate.

 Craig Smith, 68, has lived next door for 10 years and was home when Sementilli’s body was discovered by his wife and daughters.

 “I heard the screaming,” Smith said Tuesday morning. “I heard them upset on the deck. I thought he had fallen and hurt his head.”

 He hurried up the sloping street to see what was wrong and got as far as the garage when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics turned him away.

 “From what I hear it was horrible,” Smith, a retired U.S. Postal Service inspector, said of the crime scene.

 But he thinks police will get some help from area residents in their investigation.

 “There are cameras all over the neighborhood,” Smith explained.

 One of those security systems is on Michael and Leslie Geyer’s home across the street at Oakdale Avenue, and it captures video of anyone entering or leaving the neighborhood.

 “We had detectives in the house going through the video. There was definitely a timeline from the cameras. There is definitely information on the tape that will help them,” said Michael Geyer, 55.

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 He burned CDs for the detectives, who were in the home until about 4 a.m.

 Geyer reviewed the video but declined to discuss what it showed because of the police investigation.

 He put the system in because crime has been increasing.

 Sementilli was an established hairdresser who served as vice president of education for Wella.

 The company said in an email that over the past 25 years Sementilli had become an industry leader “recognized as an exceptional stylist, educator and visionary.”

 “We are devastated by this tragedy. Fabio was an icon in the hairdressing industry, a pillar of his team at Wella and our dear friend. He will be very sorely missed,” the company said in a statement.

 “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family,”

 Sementilli was a decorated competition hair stylist before joining Wella in 2007 as creative director in Canada. He was named creative director for North America Professional in 2010 and vice president of education in 2013.

 Coty Inc. acquired Wella in October of 2016.

 Sementilli’s Twitter page had dozens of posts from friends and colleagues mourning his death and celebrating his life.

 Meanwhile, back in the neighborhood where he died, some residents stopped to see why TV news vans were parked on the street.

 Bruce Goodman and his wife Tracey were walking their three dogs Tuesday and noticed all of the media.

 They’ve lived in the neighborhood for 21 years and have joined a local Facebook group that often discusses crime in the neighborhood and surrounding area.

 “It’s not as quiet as it used to be. We’re not sure if it (crime) is increasing or us being more aware of it because of being in the Facebook group. But there have been a lot of car break-ins,” said Bruce Goodman.

 Sementilli’s murder, and the violent manner in which it happened, is unnerving, said Bruce Goodman, 59, who works as a freelance colorist in the motion picture industry.

 “It’s a little unsettling when it happens this close to home,” he said

 City News Service contributed to this report. ||||| It is with great sadness MODERN SALON reports the passing of Coty Professional Beauty Vice President of Education Fabio Sementilli, who died suddenly and tragically Monday evening January 23, 2017, at his Woodland Hills home. His death leaves a devastated family in Los Angeles and Toronto and thousands of bereft professional brothers and sisters all over the world. Arrests have been made.

 A champion competitor, the Canadian-born Semintelli has used his success to give back. He was the heart behind Wella’s Hairdressers at Heart program and, as reported in MODERN in 2012, “Humor, gratitude and paying it forward guide Fabio Sementilli’s approach to life and work.”

 Sementilli, who was 49 years old at the time of his death, mentored tens of thousands of hairdressers with a hands-on approach either on a one-to-one basis or on a grander scale. Among his mentors was his sister Mirella Rota Sementilli, who he once told MODERN was "the best hairdresser in the world."

 Sementilli was continuously available to share advice and direction to the thousands of salon professionals he touched on a daily basis. He was always there with a thought or quote to just simplify matters. His favorite quote was his own: “Being a leader is not about age; instead, it’s all about attitude toward others.”

 Some of our favorite Sementilli quotes that we've gathered over the years:

 ON HAPPINESS: “To be truly happy, you must be ready to give 100% and expect nothing in return.”

 ON LEADERSHIP: "Leadership is not about a title. It's about attitude…the right attitude."

 ON ATTITUDE: "You must have a positive attitude. Surround yourself with people who add to your life who are positive and have a great attitude.”

 ON INTEGRITY: “You need to make sure you have integrity. Make sure it’s with your clients, friends and co-workers.

 ON MENTORSHIP: “There are so many great hairdressers out there, and the best way to be successful is to give it away and pass on to the next generation.”

 ON VISION: “It's more than just having an idea. It's not enough. It's taking that vision and making it come to life...following through."

 PAYING IT FORWARD: "The next level of greatness is about being a human. We are all in the same business - we must pay it forward."

 There are very few details available at this point, but we will continue to update this report. We ask you to share your thoughts and memories of Fabio Sementilli. He was a special person in our industry.

 In this video interview, Sementilli shares his thoughts on attitude and integrity with Maggie Mulhern:

 MODERN offered Sementilli the opportunity to interview HIS hero, sister Mirella Rota Sementilli:

 Sementilli and Maggie Mulhern at the Jeremy Scott show during NYFW: ||||| WOODLAND HILLS (CBSLA.com) — Was it a random or targeted attack? Los Angles police detectives Tuesday were trying to find out as they investigated the stabbing death of a renowned hairstylist in his Woodland Hills estate.

 Fabio Sementilli, 49, was found dead around 5 p.m. Monday on the back patio of his home in the 5000 block of Queen Victoria Road.

 The victim’s wife and daughter discovered his body. He had been stabbed several times in the face, neck and upper body, police said.

 They believed two men broke into Sementilli’s home and drove off in his black 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera with paper plates.

 Sementilli was Vice President of Education for Wella, a major German hair-care company.

 He was affectionately called “big daddy” and passionate about mentoring others in the hair styling industry.

 Wella Education posted on Facebook: “Our hearts are broken. He will be sorely missed.”

 At the victim’s home, friends and family came and left but were too shocked and sad to say much.

 If anyone knows what an impact Sementilli made on the hairstyling industry, it’s certainly Eden Sassoon, the daughter of another industry icon Vidal Sassoon and star of Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills.

 “A man that truly cared. Excuse my French, he gave a (expletive). It made a difference,” said Sassoon, who called Sementilli a mentor and friend.

 “To lose your father, your husband, your son to a crime like that, my heart truly just goes out to them. I don’t know. I can’t imagine,” Sassoon said as she got choked up. “It’s a huge loss for them, a huge loss. I don’t know when and if in their lifetime those shoes can be filled. He really stood out. When you say his name, you smile.”

 It seems Sementilli will be remembered just as he had wanted.

 In a 2015 Youtube video, he said: “I want to be remembered for the relationships I’ve built and how maybe I’ve made people feel.”

 Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the LAPD’s Homicide Bureau at (818) 374-1925. ||||| A local news crew reports from a house in the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017. Homicide detectives are investigating the death of Fabio Sementilli, an internationally known... (Associated Press)

 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police on Tuesday were investigating the killing of internationally known hairdresser and beauty company executive Fabio Sementilli, who was found beaten and stabbed at a Los Angeles home.

 Detectives did not immediately provide a possible motive. They said his black 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera was missing from the home.

 Paramedics found the 49-year-old Sementilli on Monday on the patio of a gated house in the upscale Woodland Hills neighborhood. He was bleeding profusely and died at the scene.

 The Canadian-born Sementilli worked for decades as a trendsetting hair stylist and served as vice president of education for beauty products giant Coty Inc.

 The company said in a statement that he was an icon in the industry.

 Sementilli had established himself as a "mentor and positive role model to so many," said Alison Alhamed, editor in chief of the journal Modern Salon.

 "He could barely walk a few feet on a trade show floor without someone stopping him to take a selfie with him and share how much he impacted their career," Alhamed said.

 On Friday, Sementilli posted a photograph on Facebook of his 1987 hairstylist certification and reminisced about how his 30-year career was aided by a strong work ethic and support from colleagues.

 "I'm optimistic, I'm driven and I don't accept the habit of negativity around me," he wrote. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– One of the most renowned hairstylists in Los Angeles was murdered on Monday by intruders who made their getaway in his Porsche, police say. Fabio Sementilli was stabbed several times and was found on his home's patio by his wife and daughter, CBS Los Angeles reports. Paramedics were called but the 49-year-old was bleeding profusely and died at the scene. Police say the Canadian-born hairstylist's 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera was missing from the scene and they believe it was stolen by two men who broke into the upscale Woodland Hills home and attacked Sementilli. Police aren't sure whether the murder was random or a targeted attack, the AP reports. Sementilli gained international recognition during his 30 years as a hairstylist and also served as an exec at companies including Wella, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. He was "recognized as an exceptional stylist, educator, and visionary," Wella said in a statement that describes him as "an icon in the hairdressing industry." A post at Modern Salon says he was a VP of education for cosmetics company Coty, adding that he "mentored tens of thousands of hairdressers with a hands-on approach either on a one-to-one basis or on a grander scale." (This man was murdered just two months after President Obama commuted his sentence.)


Here is a news article: Media playback is not supported on this device Garrincha scores against England in 1962

 The remains of deceased Brazilian football legend Garrincha are missing, members of his family say.

 The remains of the winger, who died in 1983 aged 49, may have been lost in an exhumation, relatives told O Globo.

 Garrincha played 50 times for Brazil between 1955 and 1966, helping his nation to World Cup victory in 1958 and 1962, when he shared the golden boot.

 His daughter Rosangela Santos said: "My father did not deserve this. It's very upsetting not knowing where he is."

 She added: "The mayor has promised him a mausoleum but they need to find him first."

 Garrincha's cousin Joao Rogoginsky told O Globo that when another member of the family died and was buried in the same place 10 years ago, Garrincha's bones were removed to be placed in a niche.

 However, he said he did not attend the exhumation and "the family did not receive any documents".

 An administrator of the cemetery in Mage reportedly said: "There's no certainty that he's buried. We have information that the body was exhumed but there is no document that proves this."

 Local mayor Rafael Tubarao has proposed exhuming the grave again, with the family's permission, to conduct a DNA test on what remains there are.

 Brazilian cemeteries are usually split into two sections - those with tombs where bodies are buried, and walls with drawer-like concrete niches where ashes or bones are stored.

 There are two tombs with Garrincha's name on them, O Globo said. One is a plot where Garrincha was originally laid in 1983 alongside other members of his family. The second is marked with an obelisk and was built in 1985.

 Garrincha, which means "little wren" in Brazilian Portuguese, was regarded by many as the greatest dribbler of all time.

 But his career was blighted by drink problems and he died of of cirrhosis of the liver. ||||| Born on October 28, 1933, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Garrincha overcame a series of physical defects to become one of his country's greatest soccer players. He starred for the 1958 World Cup–winning team, and was named the best player of the tournament when Brazil repeated as champions four years later. His body ravaged by the effects of alcoholism, Garrincha was just 49 when he died in 1983.

 Manuel Francisco dos Santos was born on October 28, 1933, in Pau Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A series of birth defects left him with a deformed spine and a left leg that was six centimeters shorter than his right one; furthermore, he was small for his age, prompting his sister to nickname him "Garrincha," the Portuguese word for wren. Regardless, the youngster overcame the physical odds to become one of the impoverished area's most talented soccer players.

 Professional Career

 Garrincha joined the Rio Janeiro club Botafogo in 1953, and recorded a hat trick in his first-team debut that July. Although he was passed over for a spot on the Brazilian team for the 1954 World Cup, he quickly became known for his dazzling dribbling displays and confounding moves that left defenders helpless. His entertaining style of play earned him more nicknames, including "Alegria do Povo"—Joy of the People.

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 The winger was named to the Brazilian squad for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, and with A Seleção boasting a formidable unit that included Didi, Zagallo, Vava and a gifted 17-year-old named Pelé, they claimed the country's first championship.

 Four years later, when Pelé was injured early during the World Cup in Chile, Garrincha took center stage. He knocked home a pair of goals against England in the quarterfinals and two more against the host country in the semifinals, and after Brazil held off Czechoslovakia for its second straight championship, he was named the tournament's best player.

 Due in large part to Garrincha's struggles with a knee injury, the Brazilians failed to advance from the first round of the 1966 World Cup in England. Garrincha's final game in the tournament was a 3-1 loss to Hungary; remarkably, it was his only loss in 50 career international appearances.

 After winning three Carioca State Championships and a pair of Rio–São Paulo Tournaments with Botafogo, Garrincha was sold to the São Paulo–based Corinthians in 1966. He won one more Rio–São Paulo Tournament with Corinthians before moving on to stints with Atlético Junior and Flamengo, and finishing his career with Olaria in 1972. ||||| Garrincha won two World Cups with Brazil, in 1958 and 1962.

 The remains of legendary Brazil winger Garrincha have gone missing, according to his family and local authorities.

 The two-time World Cup winner who formed an unbeatable partnership with Pele died in 1983 and was buried in Mage's Raiz da Serra Cemetary, located in the Baixada Fluminense region of Rio de Janeiro.

 However, on Tuesday, the city government and Garrincha's relatives confirmed that the former Botafogo star's remains could not be found, with cemetery officials theorising they were lost during an exhumation.

 "From what we have studied, there is no certainty that he is buried," cemetery director Priscila Liberio told Brazil's O Globo. "We have information that the body was exhumed and taken to a niche [cemetery drawer], but there is no document to prove this."

 There are two grave sites with the name Garrincha, which means "Little Wren," at the Raiz da Serra Cemetary. One is at the lower part of the ground, where football star was originally buried. The other is some 200 metres away, on higher ground.

 Garrincha formed an unbeatable partnership with Pele during their time with Brazil.

 If the exhumation theory is true, Garrincha's body would have been removed around 10 years ago from it's original burial site.

 "My father doesn't deserve this," Garrincha's daughter, Rosangela Santos, said.

 According to Garrincha's cousin, Joao Rogoginsky, another family member needed to be buried at the original site. And Joao was told at the time Garrincha's bones were taken and placed in a drawer, however Joao did not accompany the exhumation.

 "And they didn't give the family any documentation," Joao said.

 The mayor of Mage, Rafael Tubarao, wants to honour the former Selecao legend in October, on the occasion of his 84th birthday, and vowed to find the remains with the family's blessing.

 "If the family agrees, I will make an exhumation of the graves, and a DNA test to know if one of the bodies is Garrincha's," Tubarao said.

 Follow @ESPNFC on Twitter to keep up with the latest football updates. |||||
A summary of this is?

– What happened to Garrincha's body? That's what Brazilians are asking after the soccer great's remains went missing. The one-named, two-time World Cup champ's family revealed the odd disappearance on Tuesday, telling O Globo via the BBC that Garrincha's body may have been lost during an exhumation, though nobody knows for sure. A cousin says per ESPN FC the remains were removed from a grave in a cemetery near Rio 10 years ago, after another family member was buried there. Garrincha's bones were supposed to be transferred to a niche, but cemetery officials concede they have no idea if that ever happened. "It's very upsetting not knowing where he is," says daughter Rosangela Santos. Cemeteries in Brazil are typically divided into two parts, one with tombs and another with concrete niches set like drawers into walls, per the BBC. Two tombs carry Garrincha's name: the original grave where he was laid to rest in 1983, and a second one constructed in 1985 and marked with an obelisk. If the family agrees, Mage Mayor Rafael Tubarao says he'll order an exhumation of the graves and DNA tests of any bones. Garrincha, a nickname meaning "little wren" in Brazil's Portuguese dialect, is widely revered as the nation's greatest dribbler of all time. As one of Pele's teammates, he helped the soccer-crazed nation clinch the World Cup in 1958 and 1962. He died at the age of 49 after years of heavy drinking. (A father revealed his son's remains 20 years after his murder.)