Here is a news article: Update: Reports that Henry Cavill earned $14 m for Man of Steel are unconfirmed. Although the pay gap persists in Hollywood, this example is not adequately supported by the information available.

 Wonder Woman is a runaway success, and many critics have called it the best DC Universe movie so far. But is Wonder Woman herself subject to the same glass ceiling as the rest of us non-goddesses?

 Gal Gadot reportedly earned $300,000 for Wonder Woman, while Henry Cavill, as Superman, earned $14 million for Man of Steel. Aside from movie stars, there are regular people who make more than Gadot did for Wonder Woman. Your average anesthesiologist makes more than that in a year.

 While this huge difference certainly seems to reflect a gender pay gap—even for superheroes—this smaller fee doesn't seem to be totally without precedent. According to Variety, Gadot signed a contract in 2014 that gave her $300,000 for each DC movie she does, and she likely will make a lot more from bonuses. (Cavill's Man of Steel earnings do include such bonuses.) And as CBR points out, Chris Evans earned the same as Gadot for Captain America: The First Avenger.

 But there is something a little absurd about Cavill getting $14 million for a, by basically any standard, worse film. While critical acclaim and monetary success can only be measured long after actors' contracts are signed and a movie is released, Man of Steel grossed around $290 million domestically, while Wonder Woman, which is still in theaters, is up to $274 million, and was made for a far lower production budget. Man of Steel also wasn't the critically acclaimed blockbuster Wonder Woman is turning out to be.

 Then again, Robert Downey Jr. is rumored to be getting $200 million for the next two Avengers films. The moral of this story is that actors make a lot of money and you don't. ||||| Contrary to a story that Wonder Woman's Gal Gadot made millions less than her DC counterpart Henry Cavill as Superman, the two were paid the same for their debut standalone outings.

 That's according to a source familiar with both negotiations, who told The Hollywood Reporter that Gadot made the same amount upfront if not slightly more on Wonder Woman than Cavill made on 2013's Man of Steel.

 The alleged salary discrepancy story was based on a post from Elle magazine, which cobbled together salary information that had previously appeared in various publications and did not differentiate between upfront salary vs. bonuses and performance escalators.

 The story was later updated but caused a stir on the internet as Hollywood's gender gap on wages has become a popular issue. The Elle story said Gadot was paid $300,000 for Wonder Woman vs. $14 million Cavill received for Man of Steel. The source called the latter figure "ridiculous."

 Warner Bros., the studio behind both movies, declined to comment.

 A salary of low- to mid-six figures is standard fare for Hollywood tentpoles, especially for actors with short track records; Gadot had bit parts in movies such as Date Night and Knight and Day before landing a more substantial but still supporting role in the Fast & Furious movies. Chris Hemsworth made $150,000 for his starring debut in 2011's Thor, for example. Adam Driver was paid in the $500,000 range for his part in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, according to sources. Felicity Jones, who had an Oscar nomination under her belt before landing the lead in Rogue One, was paid more than $1 million for the Star Wars stand-alone.

 These salary figures do not take into account box-office bonuses, which hit when certain benchmarks are hit. And actors gets substantial increases when it comes to sequels, even in spite of having option agreements and especially if a movie is as successful as Wonder Woman (the film has earned $574 million worldwide to date). Gadot's deal will very likely be renegotiated.

 There was one person who cashed in on the Superman phenomena. THR previously reported that producer Jon Peters took home $80 million to $85 million combined for 2006's Superman Returns and Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, thanks to backend granted for his role in jumpstarting the franchise in the 1990s. Man of Steel earned $668 million worldwide. |||||
A summary of this is?

– Elle dropped a Hollywood bombshell Tuesday: Gal Gadot made a piddly $300,000 for Wonder Woman while Henry Cavill got a staggering $14 million for Man of Steel. This striking example of the gender pay gap sent shock waves through Twitter despite being, in the words of one inside source, "ridiculous." According to the Hollywood Reporter, the figures cited in Elle were "cobbled together" from multiple publications and weren't comparing the same things. Vanity Fair explains the $300,000 figure is Gadot's pre-negotiated base salary, while Cavill's reported payday would have included post-release bonuses. Still, no one can verify Cavill ever got anything close to $14 million. One source says of the figure: “It certainly isn’t for one picture. That’s insane.” Actors leading their first big blockbuster typically get something more in line with Gadot's reported base salary. Chris Hemsworth made $150,000 for Thor, Adam Driver got $500,000 or so for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Chris Evans is said to have made about what Gadot did for his first outing as Captain America. In fact, sources say that an "apples to apples comparison" between contracts for Gadot and Cavill show she made the same, if not slightly more, upfront as her fellow DC hero. And with the success of Wonder Woman, bonuses and contract re-negotiations should soon kick in. Elle updated its original story, adding: "Although the pay gap persists in Hollywood, this example is not adequately supported by the information available."


News article:

Nearly nine years after being kidnapped and held in a state of sexual slavery she describes as "my nine months of hell", Elizabeth Smart addressed her former captor face-to-face in a packed Salt Lake City courtroom, just moments before he was sentenced to life in prison.

 Brian David Mitchell, the homeless street preacher convicted of kidnapping Smart, sang a hymn and gently rocked in his chair as Elizabeth's father Ed and then Elizabeth herself took turns addressing him.

 "I hope at some time in your life you find what you have done is wrong," said Ed Smart. "Whether during your time on earth or in eternity, you're going to have to face the guilt."

 Next, Elizabeth slowly walked to a podium to pick up a microphone before calmly turning to face Mitchell, who continued singing. It was the first time the 23-year-old has directly addressed Mitchell, who did not appear to look at her as she spoke.

 "I don't have very much to say to you," Elizabeth Smart began. "I know exactly what you did. I know that you know what you did was wrong. You did it with a full knowledge. I also want you to know that I have a wonderful life now."

 "You took away nine months of my life that can never be returned," she continued. "But in this life or next, you will have to be held responsible for those actions, and I hope you are ready for when that time comes."

 Addressing reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing, Elizabeth appeared relieved.

 "Today is the ending of a long chapter and the very beginning of a new chapter," she said, her father standing by her sid.

 Smart said she recently completed a mission for the Mormon church and plans to continue working as a child advocate to help stop and prevent kidnapping and sexual abuse.

 Before Wednesday's sentencing hearing got underway, Elizabeth sat with her parents, brothers and sisters in the front row of the packed courtroom. She smiled and seemed in good spirits.

 When Mitchell was brought into the courtroom wearing a tan prison jumpsuit, handcuffs and shackles, Smart sat stone-faced, staring straight ahead.

 Mitchell began singing as soon as he walked in, providing a bizarre background soundtrack for the remainder of the proceedings until he was led out.

 The sentence of life in prison was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Dale Kimball. Before sentencing, Kimball asked Mitchell if he had anything to say. Mitchell continued singing and did not answer.

 Today's proceedings are part of a final chapter in a story that began in the early morning hours of June 5, 2002, when a 14-year old Smart was kidnapped at knifepoint from her family's Salt Lake City home.

 During the four-week federal trial last fall, Smart testified that she endured "nine months of hell" that started when Mitchell forced her to become one of his wives. She said she was raped and sexually assaulted almost daily and made to smoke marijuana, drink alcohol and watch pornography.

 Smart said she was also tethered to a tree and told she'd be killed if she tried to escape.

 Smart testified that she once came agonizingly close to being rescued when a Salt Lake City police detective saw her at a library with Mitchell and his now-estranged wife Wanda Barzee.

 Smart was wearing a veil hiding her face. When the detective asked her to raise the veil, Mitchell objected on religious grounds. The detective eventually gave up and left.

 "I felt like hope was walking out the door," Smart testified. "I was mad at myself that I didn't say anything. I was mad at myself for just not taking the chance, that I just felt like I was so close, and I felt terrible. I felt terrible that the detective hadn't pushed harder, that he had just walked away."

 Smart's physical ordeal ended on March 12, 2003, when she was spotted walking down a Salt Lake City street with Mitchell and Barzee.

 Barzee eventually pleaded guilty to her role in the kidnapping and in May 2010 was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

 The case dragged on in state courts for years amid legal fights over Mitchell's mental competency.

 He was often removed from courtroom proceedings for singing hymns or screaming at judges.

 During his federal trial last fall, his attorneys argued Mitchell was not guilty by reason of insanity. A jury rejected that argument and in December found him guilty.

 ABC News producer James Nelson.contributed to this report. ||||| SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Elizabeth Smart finally got her chance Wednesday to confront the street preacher convicted of holding her captive and raping her for months when she was just 14. Now 23, she stood tall in the courtroom - stoic, with an even voice and a strength Brian David Mitchell clearly lacked.

 Mitchell, frail and skinny with a long, peppery white beard, sang hymns softly and closed his hollow eyes, just as he did throughout his trial, just as he would moments later as the judge gave him two life sentences without parole. That did not stop Smart from looking right at him and coolly speaking her piece.

 It took her about 30 seconds.

 "I don't have very much to say to you. I know exactly what you did," said Smart, wearing a houndstooth checked skirt, an ivory jacket and pearls. "I know that you know that what you did was wrong. You did it with full knowledge ... but I have a wonderful life now and no matter what you do, you will never affect me again.

 "You took away nine months of my life that can never be returned. You will have to be held responsible for those actions, whether it's in this life or the next, and I hope you are ready for when that time comes."

 Mitchell's sentencing closed a major legal chapter in the heartbreaking ordeal that stalled for years after he was declared mentally ill and unfit to stand trial in state court. A federal jury in December unanimously convicted the 57-year-old of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor across state lines for sex.

 When the judge asked if he had anything to say, Mitchell, whose hands and feet were bound, kept right on singing. His bizarre demeanor changed just once during the hearing: As he was sentenced, he sang louder.

 Outside the courthouse, a beaming Smart, now a Brigham Young University music student, told reporters that the sentencing "is the ending of a very long chapter and the beginning of a very beautiful chapter for me." She said she wants to work with other crime victims and lend her support to the cause of missing children.

 Smart was snatched from her Salt Lake City bedroom by knifepoint in the early hours of June 5, 2002. The massive search to find the blond-haired, blue-eyed girl riveted the nation, as did her improbable recovery while walking with her captor on a suburban Salt Lake City-area street on March 12, 2003.

 At trial, she testified in a steady, clear voice about her "nine months of hell." Mitchell whisked her away to his camp in the foothills near the family home. She was stripped of her favorite red pajamas, draped in white, religious robes and forced into a polygamous marriage with Mitchell. She was tethered to a metal cable strung between two trees and subjected to near-daily rapes while being forced to use alcohol and drugs.

 Mitchell, who outlined his religious beliefs in a rambling 27-page manifesto he called "The Book of Immanuel David Isaiah," took Smart to California for five of the months she was held captive. She recalled being forced to live homeless, dress in disguises and stay quiet or lie about her identity if ever approached by strangers or police. She said he threatened her life and the lives of her family every day.

 U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball said Mitchell deserved a life sentence because the facts of the case were "unusually heinous and degrading."

 Carlie Christensen, U.S. attorney for Utah, said the resolution was long overdue for Smart and her family. "It is a measure of justice for Elizabeth and it will certainly ensure Brian David Mitchell will never inflict such intolerable and unspeakable cruelty on anyone else again," Christensen said.

 The defense waived its closing remarks before sentencing. Parker Douglas, a member of Mitchell's defense team, said outside the courthouse that the sentence was not unexpected.

 "I wish Elizabeth Smart and her family the best. I hope they get to move on," Douglas said. He added that the decision about whether to appeal depends largely on what Mitchell wants.

 Though Smart testified at Mitchell's trial, she never addressed him directly then because he was removed from the courtroom each day after singing hymns to disrupt the proceedings. On Wednesday he sang songs including "Come Come Ye Saints" and "O Come O Come Emmanuel."

 "Exploitation of religion is not a defense," Smart's father, Ed, said at Mitchell's sentencing, in a statement that was even shorter than his daughter's. "You put Elizabeth through nine months of psychological hell."

 The facts of the case have never been in dispute, but defense attorneys have said Mitchell's actions were tainted by mental illness and long-held delusional beliefs that he had been commanded by God to fulfill important prophecies.

 Elizabeth Smart, who recently returned from a Mormon church mission in France, described her captor as vulgar and self-serving when she testified at trial. She said she believed he was driven by his desire for sex, drugs and alcohol, not by any sincere religious beliefs.

 "Nine months of living with him and seeing him proclaim that he was God's servant and called to do God's work and everything he did to me and my family is something that I know that God would not tell somebody to do," Smart said during the trial.

 Mitchell was deemed competent for a federal trial, though a parallel state case – where he remains charged with six felonies – stalled after a judge twice determined he was unfit and rejected a petition for forced treatment. A key witness for federal prosecutors, New York forensic psychiatrist Dr. Michael Welner, concluded that Mitchell was "malingering" or faking a mental disorder to avoid prosecution.

 Defense attorneys maintain Mitchell needs psychiatric attention and asked the judge to recommend incarceration in a federal prison hospital rather than a standard prison.

 Wanda Barzee, his estranged wife and co-defendant in the case, is already serving a 15-year sentence in a federal prison hospital in Texas for her role in the kidnapping.

 Barzee, 65, pleaded guilty to federal kidnapping and unlawful transportation charges in November 2009. Upon her release, Barzee is expected to be transferred to the Utah State Prison to serve a sentence on a conviction in a companion case involving the attempted abduction in 2002 of Smart's cousin.

 Mitchell's ex-wife, Debbie Mitchell, praised the Smart family for their courage.

 "There's some closure to it, knowing he'll never molest another child," she said. "We've never heard him say he's sorry. He got caught. We never heard him apologize or say he regretted his actions."

 Rebecca Woodridge, Mitchell's former stepdaughter, said she wants to thank Elizabeth Smart and confront her stepfather, who she says abused her for five years when she was a child.

 Woodbridge said she talked to Mitchell Tuesday and asked if he had anything to say to the public. He told her that he doesn't think the world is ready to hear what he has to say.

 ___

 Associated Press Writer Chi-Chi Zhang contributed to this report. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– Brian David Mitchell got a life sentence today for kidnapping Elizabeth Smart, but she got the last word in court. Confronting him for the first time, she kept it short and sweet: "I don't have very much to say to you. I know exactly what you did. I know that you know what you did was wrong. You did it with a full knowledge. I also want you to know that I have a wonderful life now. You took away nine months of my life that can never be returned. But in this life or next, you will have to be held responsible for those actions, and I hope you are ready for when that time comes." Mitchell did not appear to look at her during her statement, notes ABC News. He just kept rocking in his chair and singing to himself. Click for more details.


News article:

What advisors are telling their clients 3:15 PM ET Wed, 20 Jan 2016 | 07:09

 U.S. stocks closed lower Wednesday but well above session lows as the S&P 500 held a technical level and biotechs recovered in late trade. ( Tweet This )

 Traders noted that once the S&P 500 tested the 1,800 level in early afternoon trade, buyers started to come in.

 "Any rally that starts is going to be violent to the upside," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities.

 Read MoreWhy the wild market reversal

 Small-cap stocks and biotechs led the initial recovery. The major averages more than halved intraday losses, with the Nasdaq composite attempting gains as the close approached, but the late-day rally lost steam. The S&P 500 ended at its lowest level since April 2014.

 "People who caught a free ride on the way up are getting out of it," said Jeremy Klein, chief market strategist at FBN Securities.

 The major U.S. averages are down more than 9 percent for the year so far and are more than 10 percent below their 52-week intraday highs, in correction territory.

 The Dow Jones industrial average closed about 250 points lower after earlier falling nearly 566 points with IBM contributing the most to declines. UnitedHealth contributed the most to gains.

 The S&P 500 closed 1.17 percent lower, near 1,859, after earlier falling more than 3.5 percent through its October 2014 intraday low of 1,820 to hit its lowest since February 2014. Energy closed down nearly 3 percent after briefly dipping 6 percent.

 The Russell 2000 closed about half a percent higher after falling 3.66 percent intraday. The Dow transports briefly turned higher before closing down about half a percent, still well off an earlier decline of more than 3.5 percent.

 "The market's been hurt in the past two-and-a-half weeks by strong openings. That invites selling," said Bruce Bittles, chief investment strategist at RW Baird. "Today the market opened sharply down and that shows a lot of pessimism here and may help turn things around."

 The Nasdaq composite closed mildly lower at its lowest since October 2014 after attempting to recover from an intraday decline of more than 3.5 percent. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) reversed a decline of more than 3 percent to end up 2.75 percent, but well off session highs of 4 percent gains.

 "My guess is what you're seeing right now is some short covering," said Paul Yook, portfolio manager at BioShares Funds, adding "the outlook for the sector is actually really good."

 Netflix ended mildly lower, while Apple closed a touch higher, both reversing sharp declines in intraday trade.

 "Obviously you're going to have to bounce at some point. The biggest thing I've seen is the reversal in the biotech stocks," said Peter Coleman, head trader at Convergex.

 "Once you start to get a lift off the lows you're always going to get short covering," he said, noting he remains a "little skeptical" the intraday recovery can hold.

 About 11 stocks declined for every four advancers on the New York Stock Exchange, with an exchange volume of nearly 1.5 billion and a composite volume of nearly 6.4 billion in afternoon trade. Earlier, about 30 stocks declined for every advancer.

 The number of new 52-week lows on the New York Stock Exchange (1,357) and Nasdaq (853) were the most on a single day since November 2008. ||||| Investors have noticed that the stock market has gone through a radical change in the past few months.

 Veteran investor Mark D. Cook, who pointed out red flags a year ago, feels vindicated. Finally, stock prices confirmed what he saw in 2014: We’re in a bear market and about to go over the cliff, he says. Here is a chat I had with Cook over the weekend.

 Why do you still believe we’re in a bear market?

 First, the oil and gas situation is a huge problem, and it will continue. We’re not getting bounces. Instead, oil investors just want to sell. The second problem, and it’s just getting started, is China. China is like an athlete that twisted his ankle and needs time to heal. If the ankle doesn’t heal, it will get worse, and that’s what is happening right now.

 Is there anything technical that you are looking at?

 Yes. First, every rally in a bear market has no traction. In a bull market, rallies will hold for days or weeks. Now we’re getting sharp “one-day wonders” that fail. Every hope is dashed. That is a strong characteristic of a bear market. Second, the NYSE Tick is registering no institutional activity on the buy side. Every rally is a chance for mutual funds to lighten positions. And this is only January. Wait until people look at their January statements. Many will be shocked.

 If this is a bear market, how will investors react in the months ahead?

 There are four psychological stages that people go through during a bear market. Right now, investors know the market is struggling but most believe it will come back. In fact, many see this as a buying opportunity. Here are the four stages:

 Stage 1: Denial

 Right now, we’re in the denial stage. Anyone who is bullish is too stubborn to change his or her view. Many people have their head in the sand, and some may not even look at their January statements. Many believe the market will come back. Right now, many are still buying the dips, which does not work in a bear market. This is similar to what has happened to oil.

 Stage 2: High Anxiety

 In this stage, many investors are like a deer in the headlights. They are frozen and nervous but don’t do anything. They are told by brokers and financial experts to stay calm and don’t panic. We haven’t reached this stage yet.

 Stage 3: Fear

 In this stage, the rampant bulls finally realize they are in trouble. If they have bought stocks on margin, they might be getting calls from their broker to add money to losing positions. In this stage, they are watching in fear as their portfolio burns. They reluctantly start to take action as fear increases. Often they say to themselves, “When my stock gets back to even, I will sell.”

 Stage 4: Panic

 This is what I call the “uncle” stage. This is when panicked investors throw in the towel and take action. They want to get out of the market while they still have something left. At this stage, there is huge downside volume and double-digit declines on the indexes. At the end of Stage 4, many people vow to never buy stocks again. We are not even close to this stage yet. Typically, we hit bottom when investors capitulate after losses of 20% to 50% in their stock portfolios. ||||| U.S. stocks fell Wednesday, but ended well off their lows as investors waded back into the market to buy some of the year’s most beaten-up companies.

 Stock-trading volume was heavy as the market swung back and forth, with 12.4 billion shares trading. It was the highest-volume session since August 24.

 The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell... |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– It might be the worst day yet in an already lousy year for the stock market: The Dow was down more than 500 points shortly after noon, a fall of about 3.3%, and the Nasdaq and S&P 500 were down similar percentages. The news comes after yet another bad day for Asian stocks, with Japan's Nikkei falling into bear territory—roughly defined as 20% below a recent high, reports the Wall Street Journal. One huge, familiar factor: Oil prices continue to fall, with the price of a barrel now under $27 a barrel. "Obviously we're in the throes of an environment where sentiment is not positive about risk assets, so it takes very little to put pressure ... pressure coming from falling oil prices continues to serve as a cues for equities to follow suit," a strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott tells CNBC. This MarketWatch piece suggests "the bear market in stocks has finally arrived" for US investors.


Write a summary based on this article:

Four of the five people shot to death in the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, including the al-Qaida leader himself, were unarmed and never fired a shot, U.S. officials told NBC News on Wednesday — an account that differs markedly from the Obama administration's original claims that the Navy SEALs came under heavy small-arms fire in a prolonged firefight.

 According to the officials' account, as the first SEAL team moved into the compound, they took small-arms fire from the guest house in the compound. The SEALs returned fire, killing bin Laden's courier and the courier's wife, who died in the crossfire. It was the only time the SEALs were shot at.

 The second SEAL team entered the first floor of the main residence and could see a man standing in the dark with one hand behind his back. Fearing he was hiding a weapon, the SEALs shot and killed the lone man, who turned out to be unarmed.

 As the U.S. commandos moved through the house, they found several stashes of weapons and barricades, as if the residents were prepared for a violent and lengthy standoff — which never materialized.

 The SEALs then made their way up a staircase, where they ran into one of bin Laden's sons. The Americans immediately shot and killed the 19-year-old son, who was also unarmed, according to the officials.

 Hearing the shots, bin Laden peered over the railing from the floor above. The SEALs fired but missed bin Laden, who ducked back into his bedroom. As the SEALs stormed up the stairs, two young girls ran from the room.

 One SEAL scooped them up and carried them out of harm's way. The other two commandos stormed into bin Laden's bedroom. One of bin Laden's wives rushed toward the Navy SEAL, who shot her in the leg.

 Then, without hesitation, the same commando turned his gun on bin Laden, standing in what appeared to be pajamas, and fired two quick shots, one to the chest and one to the head. Although there were weapons in that bedroom, bin Laden was also unarmed when he was shot.

 Instead of a chaotic firefight, the U.S. officials said, the American commando assault was a precision operation, with SEALs moving carefully through the compound, room to room, floor to floor.

 In fact, most of the operation was spent in what the military calls “exploiting the site,” gathering up the computers, hard drives, cellphones and files that could provide valuable intelligence on al-Qaida operatives and potential operations worldwide.

 The U.S. officials describing the operation said the SEALs carefully gathered up 22 women and children to ensure they were not harmed. Some of the women were put in “flexi-cuffs” the plastic straps used to bind someone’s hands at the wrists, and left them for Pakistani security forces to discover.

 But despite the fact that only one of those killed was armed, everyone was considered a serious threat, the U.S. officials said.

 Accounts of the operation had varied widely in the first few days after it was completed.

 White House officials initially suggested bin Laden had been holding a gun and perhaps firing at U.S. forces. There was a report that he used his wife as a human shield.

 The Associated Press quoted U.S. officials on Tuesday as saying that the SEALs shot him after they saw him appear to lunge for a weapon.

 CIA Director Leon Panetta told "PBS NewsHour" that bin Laden "made some threatening moves" that "represented a clear threat to our guys" but was not more specific about what the he did. ||||| President Barack Obama ordered grisly photographs of Osama bin Laden in death sealed from public view on Wednesday, declaring, "We don't need to spike the football" in triumph after this week's daring middle-of-the-night raid. The terrorist leader was killed by American commandos who burst into his room and feared he was reaching for a nearby weapon, U.S. officials said.

 Pakistani security officers stand guard near the perimeter of the compound of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, May 4, 2011. Many of the residents of Abbottabad seem... (Associated Press)

 White House Press Secretary Jay Carney tells reporters that President Barack Obama will not release photos of Osama bin Laden's body, Wednesday, May 4, 2011, during the daily briefing at the White House... (Associated Press)

 The National September 11 Memorial and Museum is under construction, lower right, Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at the World Trade Center site in New York. President Barack Obama will meet at the memorial Thursday... (Associated Press)

 Local residents walk past the compound of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, May 4, 2011. The residents of Abbottabad seem to be confused and suspicious about the killing... (Associated Press)

 Several weapons were found in the room where the terror chief died, including AK-47 assault rifles and side arms, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they offered the most recent in a series of increasingly detailed and sometimes-shifting accounts of bin Laden's final minutes after a decade on the run.

 Obama said releasing the photographs taken by the Navy SEAL raiders was "not who we are" as a country. Though some may deny his death, "the fact of the matter is you will not see bin Laden walking this earth again," the president said in an interview taped for CBS' "60 Minutes."

 He said any release of the photos could become a propaganda tool for bin Laden's adherents eager to incite violence.

 White House press secretary Jay Carney said the president's decision applied to photographs of bin Laden, said to show a portion of his skull blown away from a gunshot wound to the area of his left eye, as well as to a video recording of his burial several hours later in the North Arabian Sea.

 The president made no public remarks during the day about the raid, apart from the taped interview. But he arranged a visit for Thursday to ground zero in Manhattan, where the World Trade Center twin towers once stood.

 After two days of shifting accounts of the dramatic raid, Carney said he would no longer provide details of the 40-minute operation by the team of elite Navy SEALs. That left unresolved numerous mysteries, prominent among them an exact accounting of bin Laden's demise. Officials have said he was unarmed but resisted when an unknown number of commandos burst into his room inside the high-security compound.

 The officials who gave the latest details said a U.S. commando grabbed a woman who charged toward the SEALs inside the room. They said the raiders were concerned that she might be wearing a suicide vest.

 Administration officials have said bin Laden's body was identified by several means, including a DNA test. Members of Congress who received a briefing during the day said a sample from the body killed at the compound in Pakistan was compared to known DNA from bin Laden's mother and three sons.

 After two days of speculation about releasing the photographs, there was no detectable public debate in the U.S. about the merits of the raid itself against the man behind the terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11, 2001.

 Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress the operation was "entirely lawful and consistent with our values" and justified as "an action of national self-defense." Noting that bin Laden had admitted his involvement in the events of nearly a decade ago, he said, "It's lawful to target an enemy commander in the field."

 Holder also said the team that carried out the raid had been trained to take bin Laden alive if he was willing to surrender. "It was a kill-or-capture mission," he said. "He made no attempt to surrender."

 Bin Laden had evaded capture for nearly a decade, and officials said he had currency as well as two telephone numbers sewn into his clothing when he was killed, suggesting he was prepared to leave his surroundings on a moment's notice if he sensed danger.

 Administration officials said the two dozen SEALs involved in the operation were back at their home base outside Virginia Beach, Va., and the extensive debriefing they underwent was complete. Saluted as heroes nationwide, they remained publicly unidentified because of security concerns.

 In addition to bin Laden's body, the SEALs helicoptered out of the compound with computer files, flash drives, DVDs and documents that intelligence officials have begun analyzing in hopes the information will help them degrade or destroy the network bin Laden left behind.

 In New York on Thursday, Carney said, Obama will lay a wreath at the World Trade Center site and hold a private meeting with relatives of some of the victims of the attacks, in which jetliners hijacked by terrorists were flown into the side of first one tower, then the other.

 The buildings collapsed within minutes, dooming office workers as well as rescuers who had run in hoping to save them.

 A few days later, then-President George W. Bush stood amid the rubble and spoke through a bullhorn. When one worker yelled, "I can't hear you," the president responded, "I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people _ and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!"

 A decade _ and long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan later _ Obama said he had no intention of gloating.

 Obama's decision not to release any photographs was unlikely to be the final word, though.

 Some members of Congress have been shown at least one photo of bin Laden, and others have asked to see it, an indication of the intense interest generated by the raid.

 The Associated Press on Monday requested through the Freedom of Information Act photos of bin Laden's body as well as other materials, including video taken by military personnel during the raid and on the USS Carl Vinson, the ship that conducted bin Laden's burial at sea. The government has 20 days to respond.

 Some family members of those who died in the 9/11attacks have pressed to have the photographs released to document bin Laden's death, as have some skeptics in the Arab world. But many lawmakers and others expressed concern that the photographic images could be seen as a "trophy" that would inflame U.S. critics and make it harder for members of the American military deployed overseas to do their jobs.

 Obama said he had discussed his decision with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates "and my intelligence teams, and they all agree."

 Despite fears of revenge attacks, officials have yet to raise the national threat level.

 The disclosure that bin Laden was living in relative comfort inside Pakistan in Abbottabad has provoked some administration officials and lawmakers to question the Pakistani government's commitment to the decade-long search for the terrorist leader.

 Publicly, Pakistan issued a statement on Monday taking the U.S. to task for an "unauthorized unilateral action" that "cannot be taken as a rule."

 But privately, according to one official, Pakistani Army chief Ashfaq Kayani offered congratulations when Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called to inform him after the operation, and urged a public release of the news. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the conversation.

 The White House also announced Obama would visit Fort Campbell, Ky., on Friday to greet troops returning from Afghanistan, which the United States attacked in 2001 after its leaders refused to turn over members of the al-Qaida leadership living there.

 ___

 Associated Press writers Matt Apuzzo, Nedra Pickler, Nancy Benac, Jim Kuhnhenn, Julie Pace, Donna Cassata and Alan Fram contributed to this report. ||||| This account differs from an official version of events issued by the Pentagon on Tuesday, and read by the White House spokesman, Jay Carney , which said the Seal members “were engaged in a firefight throughout the operation.”

 In a television interview on PBS on Tuesday, Leon E. Panetta , the director of the C.I.A. , said, “There were some firefights that were going on as these guys were making their way up the staircase of that compound.”

 Photo

 Administration officials said the official account of events has changed over the course of the week because it has taken time to get thorough after-action reports from the Seal team. And, they added, because the Special Operations troops had been fired upon as soon as they touched down in the compound, they were under the assumption that everyone inside was armed.

 “They were in a threatening and hostile environment the entire time,” one American official said.

 When the commandos moved into the main house, they saw the courier’s brother, who they believed was preparing to fire a weapon. They shot and killed him. Then, as they made their way up the stairs of the house, officials said they killed Bin Laden’s son Khalid as he lunged toward the Seal team.

 When the commandos reached the top floor, they entered a room and saw Osama bin Laden with an AK-47 and a Makarov pistol in arm’s reach. They shot and killed him, as well as wounding a woman with him.

 The firefight over and Bin Laden dead, the team found a trove of information and had the time to remove much of it: about 100 thumb drives, DVDs and computer disks, along with 10 computer hard drives and 5 computers. There were also piles of paper documents in the house.

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 The White House declined to release any additional details about the operation, saying that further information would jeopardize the military’s ability to conduct clandestine operations in the future. The administration’s reticence came after it was forced on Tuesday to correct parts of its initial account of the raid, including assertions that Bin Laden had used his wife as a “human shield.”

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 “We’ve revealed a lot of information; we’ve been as forthcoming with facts as we can be,” Mr. Carney said.

 Mr. Carney said the president expressed doubts early on about releasing the photos, but consulted his senior advisers. All of them, Mr. Carney said, voiced concerns about the risks. Based on its monitoring of worldwide reaction to the announcement of Bin Laden’s death, Mr. Carney said, the administration also concluded that most people viewed the reports of his death as credible and that publicizing photos would do little to sway those who believed it was a hoax.

 Video

 Mr. Obama was direct in an interview with the CBS News program “60 Minutes,” to be broadcast Sunday, according to a transcript released by the network. “It is very important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence — as a propaganda tool.”

 “That’s not who we are,” Mr. Obama added. “You know, we don’t trot out this stuff as trophies.” He said, “We don’t need to spike the football.”

 “Certainly there’s no doubt among Al Qaeda members that he is dead,” he said on “60 Minutes.” “And so we don’t think that a photograph in and of itself is going to make any difference. There are going to be some folks who deny it. The fact of the matter is, you will not see Bin Laden walking on this earth again.”

 The deliberations were reminiscent of Mr. Obama’s decision in May 2009 to fight the release of photos documenting the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan by American military personnel. The administration said originally that it would not oppose releasing the pictures, but the president decided he would fight making them public after his military commanders warned that the images could provoke a reaction against troops in those countries.

 The White House said Mr. Obama would take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the site of the Sept. 11 memorial in Lower Manhattan on Thursday. He is also to meet with relatives of the victims of the terrorist attacks, but he will not make a speech. The next day, he is to travel to Fort Campbell in Kentucky to speak to troops returning from Afghanistan.

 Seeking to quell any legal questions about the raid, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said, “It was justified as an act of national self-defense,” citing Bin Laden’s role as the architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

 There were divided opinions on Capitol Hill about the photographs, with some lawmakers saying the United States needed to show proof that Bin Laden was dead, while others worried about the possibility of blowback against American troops.

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– There was fire, but no real firefight. That's the latest revision in the White House's version of events during the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound. The fire came from some 20 Navy Seals who shot dead bin Laden and three other men and a woman, only one of whom was armed, officials say now. Bin Laden's courier, Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, fired on the Seals as they launched the raid. After he and his wife were shot dead, the Americans weren't fired on again, reports AP. The others were killed because US forces believed they all posed a "serious threat," said a federal source. Initially, White House officials said the special forces came under heavy, prolonged small-arms fire as they moved into bin Laden's hideout. Instead of chaos amidst a hail of gunfire, the team moved methodically from room to room in what the New York Times characterizes as a "one-sided" 40-minute operation, confronting bin Laden aides and gathering some 22 children and women, some of whom were placed in plastic handcuffs. The US forces ended up in bin Laden's bedroom, shooting his wife in the leg and the apparently pajama-clad al-Qaeda leader in the head and chest, reports MSNBC. Bin Laden was shot as he appeared to be reaching for a nearby weapon, said a spokesman. CIA Chief Leon Panetta had reported that the men were "engaged in a firefight throughout the operation." White House officials said all details of the raid were not initially clear. "They were in a threatening and hostile environment the entire time," one official told the Times.


– The family of Swedish DJ Avicii has suggested the 28-year-old committed suicide, and a new report from TMZ has troubling details on the method. The website cites multiple sources who say that Avicii used a shard of glass from a broken bottle to fatally cut himself. Avicii had been a leading figure in the genre of electronic dance music but had reportedly fought alcoholism and depression for years. One lesser-known aspect that has come to light since his death: The entertainer, real name Tim Bergling, had donated millions to charity over the years, particularly ones to fight hunger, reports Page Six.

Expand this summary.

Avicii Suicide by Broken Glass ...

 Avicii's Suicide Caused by Self-Inflicted Cuts from Glass

 EXCLUSIVE

 Avicii committed suicide with broken glass he used to cut himself ... TMZ has learned.

 Multiple sources familiar with the circumstances surrounding the famous DJ's death tell us, he did indeed take his own life ... something his parents alluded to last week.

 Our sources say the method of death was a shard of glass that caused massive bleeding. Two sources tell us Avicii broke a bottle and used the glass to inflict the fatal wound. One of the sources says it was a wine bottle.

 Two sources tell us the point of injury was Avicii's neck but another strongly denies that, saying it was his wrist. We cannot confirm this, but the sources were privy to specific information about Avicii's death.

 As TMZ reported ... the 28-year-old was found dead April 20 in the Middle Eastern country of Oman. He battled alcohol problems for years, and his friends worried those issues would eventually kill him.

 Avicii's family released a statement that included the clear message it was suicide ... "He really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness. He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace." ||||| The full extent of Avicii’s generous nature has been revealed just a week after his death in Oman, with the DJ giving away millions to charities.

 Due to his chart-topping songs such as “Wake Me Up” and “Hey Brother” as well as being able to command fees around $250,000 for a club gig the Swedish DJ is believed to have amassed a fortune of around £60million.

 But the 28-year-old, real name Tim Bergling, gave millions away to charities to help hunger relief.

 He is said to have given away $1m from his 27-date House for Hunger tour of the United States in 2012 to the charity Feeding America.

 The following year he gave another million euros to the Swedish aid organization Radiohjälpen.

 Avicii said in a 2013 interview: “I discovered when I started making money that I didn’t really need it.”

 “When you have such an excess of money you don’t need, the most sensible, most human and completely obvious thing is to give to people in need.”

 In 2015, he tackled the issues of human trafficking and gang violence when he directed the videos for his tracks “For a Better Day” and “Pure Grinding.”

 “All the songs have a story I wanted to tell,” Avicii said at the time.

 Although he gained recognition for a string of singles he really became a global success with the song Levels in 2011 which sampled Etta James and hit platinum status in at least ten countries.

 Avicii also worked with a host of big names outside of the EDM (electronic dance music) world, namely Coldplay, Robbie Williams, Rita Ora, Lenny Kravitz and Leona Lewis.

 According to Forbes magazine, he earnt $19m from a worldwide arena tour in 2015.

 The Swedish DJ quit touring in 2016 after life on the road seriously impacted his health.

 Avicii’s health problems began in January 2012, when he spent 11 days in hospital with acute pancreatitis, reportedly caused by heavy drinking.

 “Drinking became routine for me, but it’s impossible to keep up touring and drinking at the same time, because you are going to crash,” he told the Evening Standard in 2014.

 Two years later, in 2015, Tim chose to highlight the issues of gang violence and human trafficking when he directed the music videos of his two songs “Pure Grinding” and “For A Better Day.”

 He also battled mental and physical health problems, in part caused by his heavy drinking, and friends expressed concern he was overdoing it.

 Earlier this week, Tim’s family released an open letter in which they hinted he had taken his own life.

 In their letter published on Aftonbladet and translated from its original Swedish, they wrote: “Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions.

 “An over-achieving perfectionist who traveled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress.

 “When he stopped touring, he wanted to find a balance in life to be happy and be able to do what he loved most – music.” |||||


Write an article based on this summary:

– A fiery car wreck on Memorial Day has left five California teens, including two sisters, dead and the city of Newport Beach in shock over what authorities say is the worst solo crash in memory, reports the LA Times. Police say a 17-year-old student was speeding when he swerved off the road, hitting a tree. The car split into two and burst into flames, scattering bodies across the pavement. "When we arrived, we found what we thought were two vehicles," says a fire captain who responded. "One was on fire." Several bodies had to be identified through fingerprints. "There are simply no words to convey the sorrow felt by our students and staff, nor are there answers sufficient to explain why five vibrant teenagers who were with us on Friday are gone today," says the local school district superintendent. A schoolmate of driver Abdulrahman M. Alyahyan said he "loved cars. He took care of his car as if it was a human being," the AP reports. The Times adds that someone of the same name was cited last month for improperly modifying a car exhaust system and violating his provisional driver's license, but police would not confirm if it was the same person.

Five Southern California high school students who died in a fiery car wreck on their way to the beach included a pair of sisters and best friends who bonded over their immigrant experiences, friends said Tuesday.

 Skid marks show the path of an Infiniti that left the roadway Monday, in Newport Beach, Calif.,Tuesday, May 28, 2013, killing five. Coroner officials were still working to positively identify all five... (Associated Press)

 Cars drive past the scene of a Monday fiery car crash that killed five, Tuesday, May 28, 2013 in Newport Beach, Calif. Coroner officials were still working to positively identify all five victims who... (Associated Press)

 Cars drive past the scene of a Monday fiery car crash that killed five, Tuesday, May 28, 2013 in Newport Beach, Calif. Coroner officials were still working to positively identify all five victims who... (Associated Press)

 The victims _ three girls and two boys _ were students at two high schools in the Irvine Unified School District, said Orange County Sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino.

 "There are simply no words to convey the sorrow felt by our students and staff, nor are there sufficient answers to explain the loss of five vibrant teenagers from our schools and this community," Irvine Unified School District Superintendent Terry Walker said in a statement.

 The driver was identified as 17-year-old Abdulrahman Alyahyan, a senior at University High School.

 The passengers included 17-year-old Robin Cabrera, a senior at Irvine High School, and her 16-year-old sister Aurora, a sophomore at the same school.

 Also killed in the Monday crash were Cecilia Zamora and Nozad Al Hamawendi, both 17-year-old juniors at Irvine High School.

 Friends who gathered Tuesday outside Irvine High said the five were headed to the beach for a fun Memorial Day when the accident happened.

 The Infiniti sedan veered off a road about 5:20 p.m. and hit a tree, said Kathy Lowe, Newport Beach police spokeswoman. The impact split the car and it caught fire, she said.

 The tree the car hit was stripped of its bark on Tuesday and bore huge gouge marks along the trunk.

 "It was a horrific accident," Lowe said, adding that investigators were on scene for nearly 12 hours overnight.

 Speed was believed to be a factor in the wreck, she said.

 The posted speed limit on Jamboree Road, a major, six-lane street in south Orange County, is 55 mph. Lowe declined to say how fast the Infiniti was going, citing the ongoing investigation.

 Four of the teens were thrown from the car and died immediately. The other was declared dead at a hospital.

 No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

 The coroner had to use fingerprints to identify two of the bodies in what officials were calling one of the worst car accidents in Newport Beach in recent memory.

 There were no classes at the high schools on Tuesday because of a teacher development day, but students gathered at Irvine High late in the afternoon to console each other and remember their friends.

 The Cabrera sisters were their parents' only two children and were both accomplished dancers in the school's dance program, friends said. They had performed in a three-day recital over Memorial Day weekend, said Brie Martinez, 15.

 "(Aurora Cabrera) was kind of nervous for her dance but I heard she did really good," said Martinez, as she began to cry.

 "I saw something about the crash on the news last night, but I never would have guessed it was them," she added.

 Zamora was also in the dance program and performed over the weekend, said her friend, Paloma Douglas, a junior at the school.

 Douglas last saw Zamora on Friday afternoon, when the two attended the same history class _ the last course of their day.

 "She was sitting next to me, so it's going to be tough seeing that empty seat," said Douglas.

 Alyahyan, the driver, was obsessed with his car and spent hours working on it and driving it around with his best friend, Al Hamawendi, said Zach Darwish, an 18-year-old senior at University High who was also close friends with both boys.

 "Abdul loved cars. He took care of his car as if it was a human being," said Ibrahim Razzak, a junior.

 The two were inseparable and were part of a larger group of about 10 close friends who were either first- or second-generation immigrants from various Middle Eastern countries, Darwish said. The teens all spoke Arabic together when they hung out, which was constantly, he said.

 Alyahyan came to the Irvine from Saudi Arabia about three years ago, said Mohamad Abdul Razzak, a 16-year-old junior and close friend who also arrived in the U.S. last year from Lebanon.

 He played excellent soccer, but wasn't on the school team, and planned to attend community college next fall.

 Al Hamawendi came to Irvine two years ago with his family from Iraq, Abdul Razzak said.

 He was obsessed with weight-lifting, worked out every day and had been on the wrestling team.

 "We're all like one big group of friends. We all love each other, we're all like brothers. It seems like the circle has just broken apart," Darwish said.

 "I still can't believe this actually happened to good friends of mine," he said. "It's the worst news you can possibly get."

 _____

 Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gflaccus ||||| In a city with a grim history of high-profile car wrecks, even veteran police and firefighters seemed stunned by the death toll on Jamboree Road.

 They called the Memorial Day wreck in Newport Beach the single worst solo-car crash in memory. They groped, and failed, to come up with a worse one.

 The violent collision, just down the road from Fashion Island and the Newport Beach police station, killed five teenagers from neighboring Irvine, scattering debris and bodies across the pavement.

 Police say the 17-year-old driver, Abdulrahman M. Alyahyan, a senior at high-achieving University High School, was speeding south in an Infiniti on Jamboree Road near Island Lagoon Drive when the car swerved out of control and struck a tree, the violence shearing it in two. What was left caught fire.

 Abdulrahman and all his passengers were killed. Among them were two sisters who attended Irvine High School — Robin A. Cabrera, 17, a 12th-grader, and Aurora C. Cabrera, 16, a 10th-grader. Also killed were Nozad Al Hamawendi, 17, and Cecilia D. Zamora, 17, both 11th-graders at Irvine High School.

 The car was so fragmented that firefighters initially believed two vehicles had been involved.

 One of the car's occupants was thrown partway out of the car, while the four others were hurled out completely, police said. Some of the victims' injuries were so devastating that the coroner's office had to rely on fingerprints to make identifications.

 Newport Beach police said Abdulrahman had been speeding on a downhill stretch of road with a posted 55 mph speed limit. The road is a popular bypass between the 405 Freeway and Pacific Coast Highway.

 "There are simply no words to convey the sorrow felt by our students and staff, nor are there answers sufficient to explain why five vibrant teenagers who were with us on Friday are gone today," Irvine Unified School District Supt. Terry Walker said Tuesday.

 Walker said counselors will be sent to Irvine and University High Schools to help students deal with the situation. Graduation ceremonies are approaching at both campuses.

 On Tuesday, friends and schoolmates of the victims visited the scene of the crash.

 "You never saw that guy frown once," Aram Yaco, 17, said of Nozad.

 Kelly Dunkle, 17, added that Nozad would compliment complete strangers: "He would just go out and tell you how good you are."

 Friends described Cecilia as "bubbly" and "one of the happiest people you'll ever meet." As Kelly recalled, "It was funny when she tried to be mean, because she couldn't."

 Aram said the crash should serve as a reality check. "I think people should take it as a wake-up call," Aram said.

 Ida Lodriguito, step-grandmother to the Cabrera sisters, recalled them as "very loving and caring girls." She said they were "raised in a nurturing atmosphere," adding that they had died "so close to becoming adults."

 The girls' uncle, Bernard Cabrera, said they appeared shy at first and had big hearts.

 "Their dad could never say no to them," he said. "How could you — they were always so sweet."

 Robin was known as an accomplished dancer with a captivating singing voice. Her younger sister Aurora went by Christine, or Tintin, after the comic book character.

 On Robin's Facebook page, friends and classmates left emotional goodbyes. One remembered her from science camp, others from dance and choir.

 "I'll always remember your sweet little voice everyday and all the little jokes we had," one post said. "I know you're an amazing dancer and now you're a dancer in heaven."

 According to Orange County court records, an Abdulrahman M. Alyahyan was cited by the Irvine Police Department last month for improperly modifying a car's exhaust system and violating his provisional driver's license provisions.

 Police would not confirm whether it was the same person who was driving the Infiniti that crashed.

 Newport Beach, one of Southern California's wealthiest cities, has a history of headline-seizing car wrecks linked to speeding.

 In 2009, less than a mile from the site of Monday's crash, the co-founder of the mixed martial arts apparel company TapouT was killed when his red Ferarri was struck by a Porsche, veered into a light pole and split in two. Police later estimated that the Porsche was traveling at 100 mph.

 In 2011, three people were killed in a speed-related crash on West Coast Highway, including a former track star from Corona del Mar High School.

 And in 1997, a speeding Chevrolet Blazer crammed with 10 Newport Harbor High School students struck a median and overturned, killing the son of an Orange County prosecutor, leaving one girl in a coma and injuring others.

 christopher.goffard@latimes.com

 lauren.williams@latimes.com

 anh.do@latimes.com

 Times staff writers Jill Cowan and Joseph Serna contributed to this report. |||||


– Russian commandos rappelled from helicopters to storm a hijacked oil tanker off the coast of Somalia at dawn today, freeing the ship's crew of 23 Russians and capturing the pirates. One pirate was killed in the operation, but there were no other injuries aboard the SS Moscow University, the AP reports. The ship's owner says the decision to strike was made with the knowledge that the crew had locked themselves in a safe room and were not at risk. A Kremlin spokesman praised the "excellent job" done by both the crew and the commandos, noting that the crew had been well prepared for an emergency. A spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry told Reuters that the captured pirates will be probably be handed over to regional authorities.

Expand this summary.

Russian special forces rappelled onto a disabled oil tanker taken over by Somali pirates, freeing 23 Russian sailors and arresting the pirates during a dawn raid Thursday, the commander of the EU Naval Force said.

 The raid against the Liberian-flagged ship Moscow University came 24 hours after pirates had taken the ship over and the crew locked itself in a safe room. The vessel is carrying 86,000 tons of crude oil worth about $50 million.

 The special forces had been aboard the Russian anti-submarine destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov, which rushed to the scene after Wednesday's attack. The special forces boarded a helicopter and rappelled down to the Moscow University, Rear Adm. Jan Thornqvist, force commander of the EU Naval Force, told The Associated Press.

 Shots were fired during the raid but no one was injured, Thornqvist said.

 Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Alexei Kuznetsov said the pirates are being held aboard the tanker. Russian news agencies reported the death of one pirate during the raid, but Kuznetsov told AP that information was still being looked into.

 The crew of the Moscow University had previously told officials they believed the pirates were trying to enter the engine room, Thornqvist said. The ship had been disabled and was not moving. Safe rooms, where crews seek shelter, are typically stocked with food, water and communications equipment and have reinforced doors that can only be opened from the inside.

 The ship's owner, Novoship, said in a statement that the decision to free the ship was made knowing "that the crew was under safe cover inaccessible to the pirates and that the lives and health of the sailors was not threatened by anything."

 Cmdr. John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force, called the rescue "an excellent operation all around." He said the EU Naval Force had been working at a tactical level with the Russians, and that EU Naval Force personnel talked to the Russian crew by VHF radio. He said the EU had offered support to the Russians.

 The attack occurred about 500 miles (800 kilometers) east of the Somali coast. The ship was not registered with the Maritime Security Center, said Harbour. The ship's route was from the Red Sea to China, the ship's owner said.

 Novoship is a subsidiary of Sovcomflot, which is owned by the Russian government.

 The fact that Russian special forces stormed the Moscow University shortly after it was taken over is in line with a trend by international military forces who are more aggressively combating piracy.

 In February, Danish special forces prevented the hijacking of a ship after pirates had boarded it. Special forces from the Danish Absalon boarded the Ariella while the crew locked themselves in a secure room.

 EU Naval Force ships are disrupting pirate groups and destroying their ships at a much higher rate than in previous years. U.S. warships have fired back on pirates and destroyed their boats in several skirmishes in the last several weeks.

 Pirates currently hold more than 300 hostages taken from ships attacked off East Africa in the last several months. Eleven suspected Somali pirates were indicted in U.S. federal court late last month, but the international community has had problems formulating an accepted policy to try and jail pirate suspects.

 Along with the increased pressure by international navies against pirates has come some criticism.

 On Wednesday, a French prosecutor said a French rescuer was responsible for killing the skipper of a sailboat hijacked by Somali pirates during a rescue operation.

 Chief prosecutor Hever Pavy in the western French city of Rennes said investigators found a French military bullet had killed Florent Lemacon in April 2009 when a special intervention team came to rescue his yacht, the Tanit, off the Somali coast.

 Four other hostages were saved after a week on the hijacked ship. Three suspected pirates who survived the rescue operation are on trial in France.

 ___

 Associated Press reporters Jason Straziuso in Nairobi, Kenya and Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this report. ||||| MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian forces freed a hijacked Russian oil tanker in a helicopter-backed operation on Thursday, rescuing its crew and, according to one report, killing a Somali pirate.

 Pirates on Wednesday hijacked the MV Moscow University in the Gulf of Aden with its 23-member crew and a cargo of crude oil worth $52 million.

 The European Union’s naval force said the Russian warship Marshal Shaposhnikov had sent in a helicopter that returned fire after being shot at by pirates.

 “Eventually the pirates surrendered and a boarding team from the Marshal Shaposhnikov arrived on board the tanker, captured all the pirates and freed the crew. All the crew are safe and well,” and EU naval statement said.

 However the state-run RIA news agency, citing an unnamed Russian navy official, said the Russians had killed one pirate and captured 10.

 A spokesman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Igor Lyakin-Frolov, confirmed that some pirates had been captured, but said it was unclear if there were casualties among them.

 “The captured pirates will most likely be handed over to the authorities of countries in the region,” he told Reuters.

 The tanker would most likely continue on its planned voyage to China, he said.

 Somali pirates are still able to seize ships despite the presence of an international fleet of warships in the busy shipping lanes linking Europe with Asia. Shipowners and insurers have paid out tens of millions of dollars in ransoms.

 The successful rescue operation will please the Kremlin, which has been seeking to revive Russia’s naval muscle despite limited resources.

 Russia has been sending warships to patrol and protect Russian crews and cargoes off the Horn of Africa since the hijacking of the Ukrainian-owned cargo ship MV Faina in 2008 and the death of its Russian captain. The Faina was carrying a cargo of 33 tanks.

 Two Russian fishing vessels were hijacked in the early 2000s off Somalia, though Wednesday’s attack was the first on a large Russian-owned merchant vessel, said Andrew Mwangura, who runs the East African Seafarers’ Assistance Program.

 A spokeswoman for the tanker’s owner, Novorossiysk Shipping Company, said the crew survived the 20-hour siege by hiding in a safe room that was inaccessible to the hijackers.

 Some oil tankers are sailing around southern Africa and further east into the Indian Ocean away from Somalia’s coastline to avoid the Gulf of Aden and pirates who are striking deeper out at sea, shipping experts say. |||||


– Oops. An economics adviser to Barbara Boxer got caught trying to sneak some pot into a DC Senate office building and promptly resigned. His arrest—he tried to "remove and conceal" the marijuana while going through security—comes just ahead of California's proposition to legalize the stuff. Boxer, incidentally, opposes that, as does rival Carly Fiorina, notes the San Francisco Chronicle. Boxer's office terse statement: "Marcus Stanley is no longer with this office. He submitted his resignation and Senator Boxer accepted it because his actions yesterday were wrong and unacceptable." And in a weird footnote to the story, Politico notes that no fewer than a dozen people have been arrested for trying to sneak drugs into the Capitol complex in the past year and a half. Thank additional screening facilities for that.

Expand this summary.

An economic adviser to Sen. Barbara Boxer has resigned after being arrested Tuesday for attempting to bring marijuana into the Hart Senate Office Building. Capitol Police stopped Marcus M. Stanley Tuesday...

 Barbara Boxer aide caught carrying dope into Senate office building

 Barbara Boxer aide caught carrying dope into Senate office building

 An economic adviser to Sen. Barbara Boxer has resigned after being arrested Tuesday for attempting to bring marijuana into the Hart Senate Office Building.

 Capitol Police stopped Marcus M. Stanley Tuesday morning when he allegedly tried to "remove and conceal" a leafy green substance from his pocket as he was going through security at the Hart Office Building, say U.S. Capitol Police. The police later id'd the leafy green as the sticky green.

 Stanley, who has worked for Boxer since 2009 and earned a six-figure salary, quickly resigned.

 "Marcus Stanley is no longer with this office. He submitted his resignation and Senator Boxer accepted it because his actions yesterday were wrong and unacceptable," said Boxer spokesman Zachary Coile.

 Or, as the snarks at Wonkette snarked: "He has since resigned his job and will move on to a life of sitting at home reading dumb pot jokes about himself in the comments on this Politico article."

 Indeed. Or he could read this this homegrown one: The resignation saves Stanley from having to dust off this classic caught-with-dope excuse: "But Senator, I was just holding it for a friend in another Senate office."

 And for those of you wondering, Boxer opposes Proposition 19 in California, which would legalize and tax cannabis in the Golden State. So does her GOP rival Carly Fiorina.

 Also, to repeat a poll of the day: CNN has the Senate race between Boxer and GOPer Carly Fiorina at 48-44 percent Boxer, a statistical dead heat given the margin of error.

 Posted By: Joe Garofoli (Email, Twitter, Facebook) | ||||| A senior aide for Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) was arrested Tuesday for attempting to bring marijuana into the Hart Senate Office Building, according to U.S. Capitol Police reports.

 Marcus Stanley, who served as a senior economic adviser and at one time worked on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee — chaired by Boxer — was stopped by a police officer Tuesday morning when he allegedly tried to “remove and conceal” a leafy green substance from his pocket during a security screening at the Constitution Avenue door of the Hart building around noon, according to a Capitol Police report.

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 Police confiscated the substance, which later tested positive for marijuana, and Stanley quickly resigned.

 “Marcus Stanley is no longer with this office,” Boxer spokesman Zachary Coile told POLITICO. “He submitted his resignation, and Sen. Boxer accepted it because his actions yesterday were wrong and unacceptable.”

 Stanley has worked on Capitol Hill since 2007, according to financial disclosure records from Legistorm, and draws a six-figure salary. He has also worked for the Joint Economic Committee.

 Marijuana possession has been an ongoing issue on the Capitol grounds, especially since the Capitol Visitor Center opened with additional screening facilities. In the past year and a half, more than a dozen people have been stopped for bringing marijuana into the Capitol complex, along with other drugs, including at least one instance involving cocaine, according to police records.

 The legalization of marijuana is a hot issue in Boxer’s senatorial race as well as other California elections. California Democrats have been largely divided over Proposition 19, a ballot question that would legalize marijuana and allow the government to impose taxes on pot. Boxer and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) have been opposed to the measure.

 This is not the first time a member of Boxer’s senior staff has been arrested. Senior policy adviser Jeffrey Rosato, who also worked on the EPW committee, was fired in 2008 after he was arrested and charged with the receipt and distribution of child pornography.

 Stanley is the fourth Hill aide to be arrested by Capitol Police this year, according to an analysis by POLITICO. |||||


Archive-It Partner 1067: The Political TV Ad Archive, a project of the Internet Archive, collects political TV ads and social media sites in key 2016 primary election states, unlocking the metadata underneath and highlighting quality journalism to provide journalists, civic organizations, academics, and the general public with reliable information on who is trying to influence them & how. ||||| See more of Brooke Francev on Facebook ||||| “I wore it for fun because I’m just one of those people, I like to go all out,” Lacey told KTLA.

 His classmates loved the costume and asked to take selfies with him. ||||| MENIFEE: Boy ordered to remove Elsa ‘Frozen’ costume Share Pin It More Galleries This image released by Disney shows a teenage Elsa the Snow Queen in a scene from the animated feature "Frozen." A male student at Ethan A. Chase Middle School in Menifee was told to remove the Elsa costume he wore for a Disney-themed school spirit day Thursday because it was causing a disruption. UNCREDITED , UNCREDITED AP Related article »

 A Menifee middle school student wearing an Elsa costume to a school spirit day was ordered to remove his gown and wig by school officials who said it was causing a disruption.

 The incident occurred before school Thursday in one of the school’s quad areas and involved a large number of students, many snapping pictures, on a day they were encouraged to dress up as Disney characters, according to Romoland School District Superintendent Julie Vitale.

 The Ethan A. Chase Middle School student – identified as Austin Lacey, 13, in a KTLA report – and his mother said they were surprised by the reaction of school officials.

 “I wore it for fun because I’m just one of those people,” Austin told KTLA. “I like to go all out.”

 In a statement issued on Friday, Vitale said: “At no time was there an indication that the student was expressing any particular message by his actions and the (principal’s) action was based upon the need to stop a general disruption.”

 Vitale said the student does not face any discipline for the incident and completed the school day.

 After school Friday, several students said the incident was not a big deal.

 “It wasn’t a disruption,” said Kassandra Melara, 14. “Everybody was taking pictures with him. Nobody had a problem with it.”

 Another eighth-grader, Natalia Alvarez, said she knew Austin and supported his campaign for ASB president.

 “He’s a really good kid,” she said. “He’s helpful. He’s a straight-A student. He gets along with everybody.”

 Contact the writer: 951-368-9682 or tsheridan@pe.com ||||| Please enable Javascript to watch this video

 Students at Ethan Chase Middle School in Menifee were encouraged to wear Disney costumes for spirit day on Thursday.

 Austin Lacey, 13, chose to dress as Elsa from the movie "Frozen."

 The eighth-grader told KTLA that his classmates loved the idea and asked him to pose for selfies.

 But, the school principal apparently felt it was inappropriate and told him to take off the costume.

 A statement from Romoland School District Superintendent Dr. Julie Vitale read in part:

 "This action was taken in accordance with district policies. At no time was there an indication that the student was expressing any particular message. The Principal's action was based upon the need to stop a general disruption to the school environment," Vitale stated. |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Students are in an "uproar"—in the words of one parent—after a middle school principal in California forced a 13-year-old to change his clothes Thursday. When students at Ethan Chase Middle School were given the opportunity to dress as a Disney character for spirit week, eighth-grader Austin Lacey went "all out," KTLA reports. "I'm just one of those people," he says. Austin showed up to school in a sparkly blue dress and long blonde wig, unmistakably the trademarks of Elsa from the popular film Frozen. But he was almost immediately told to take the costume off by his principal. "The principal's action was based upon the need to stop a general disruption to the school environment," KTLA quotes a statement from the district's superintendent as saying. But BuzzFeed reports that's not what Austin's mother, Brooke Francey, heard. Lacey "was informed the principal does not agree with boys dressing like girls," she writes on Facebook. And she says the principal told her the same. "The statement made to me was, 'It is not okay for boys to dress like girls or girls to dress like boys.'" Austin, who was told to remove the costume before school even started, says classmates were cool with it and were posing for photos with him. "It wasn't a disruption," a fellow student tells the Press-Enterprise. "Nobody had a problem with it." According to a second Facebook post from Francey, students are passing out flyers encouraging everyone to cross-dress next week to support the LGBT community. "This is a real problem, and as students it is our job to fix this," the flyer states. (These boys were asked to leave school after dressing as Nikki Minaj and Miss America for spirit week.)