Also Directing DEP & FWC to Mitigate Spread of Algal Blooms

 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott issued Executive Order 16-155 declaring a state of emergency in Martin and St. Lucie Counties following the presence of algal blooms in local waterways. The Executive Order will allow state and local governmental agencies to take swift action to mitigate the spread of algal blooms in the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries by redirecting the flow of water in and out of Lake Okeechobee. Governor Scott is also directing the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to take specific actions to address the issues caused by blooms. To view Executive Order 16-155, click HERE.

 Governor Rick Scott said, “Today, I am declaring a state of emergency in Martin and St. Lucie Counties to expedite water storage projects to alleviate the proliferation of algal blooms. The order also allows the South Florida Water Management District to reduce the flow of water into Lake Okeechobee through additional water storage projects. In addition to our Executive Order, I am calling on the federal government to speedily approve permits for our dispersed water management programs. I am also asking DEP and FWC to take actions to address the issues caused by algal blooms in South Florida waterways, including developing a hotline for residents to report algal blooms and deploying teams of additional staff to more rapidly survey and sample areas impacted by blooms.

 “Florida’s waterways, wildlife and families have been severely impacted by the inaction and negligence of the federal government not making the needed repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike and Florida can no longer afford to wait. Because the Obama Administration has failed to act on this issue, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to discharge millions of gallons of water into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries resulting in the growth of blue-green algae which is now entering residential waterways in South Florida. Although the President has failed to do what is needed to address this growing issue, the State of Florida will devote every available resource to find solutions for the families and businesses in this area.”

 Gov. Scott is directing DEP to take the following actions:

 Deploy teams of additional staff to more rapidly survey and sample areas impacted by algal blooms.

 Purchase On-Site Microsystin Testing Kits which allow field staff to perform faster, preliminary tests for toxins on site. These kits will provide information about the sampled algae more quickly and allow preliminary health advisories to be issued.

 Launch a Bloom Reporting Hotline. DEP will be establishishing a hotline for citizens to call to report algal blooms, allowing staff to quickly respond to areas with a suspected bloom.

 Gov. Scott is directing FWC to take the following action:

 Continue deploying FWC Research Institute staff to survey and sample any suspected blooms offshore. At this time, no offshore blooms have been confirmed.

 Gov. Scott is directing the South Florida Water Management District take the following actions:

 Store additional water north of Lake Okeechobee in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes.

 Work with state and community partners to explore every opportunity to increase water flowing south from Lake Okeechobee.

 Store additional water through dispersed water storage projects.

 Florida has invested more than $688 million in Everglades restoration over the past five years and will continue to invest up to $200 million a year under the Legacy Florida bill which Governor Scott signed into law this year. The State of Florida has invested nearly $2 billion in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and $1.8 billion in providing clean water to the Everglades. To date, the federal government is $880 million behind in its share of CERP funding.

 Senate President Andy Gardiner said, “We want to make sure our coastal communities know we are doing everything possible to help mitigate the environmental and resulting economic impacts of this algae. I applaud the Governor’s leadership and am grateful for his dedication to our environment.”

 Speaker of the House Steve Crisafulli said, “I applaud Governor Scott for cutting through red tape in order to expedite the construction of crucial water storage projects in Martin County and St. Lucie County that the Legislature funded this Session. We know that storing water north, east, and west of Lake Okeechobee is the key to reducing damaging discharges. I am confident that the South Florida Water Management District will be able to bring these projects to fruition. It will take time, but thanks to Governor Scott and the District, we will not have to needlessly wait for relief.”

 Senate President-Designate Joe Negron said, “I want to thank Governor Scott for recognizing the catastrophic impact this blue-green algae is having on our community. Our beaches and water are polluted and our way of life has been dramatically impacted. The Governor’s quick action today reflects his commitment to making certain our community has the resources we need to address this disaster as quickly as possible.”

 ### ||||| Story Highlights Algae blooms take over waters on Treasure Coast. Gov. Rick Scott has added two counties to his state of emergency declaration.

 Florida Gov. Rick Scott Thursday added two counties to the state of emergency declared over bright blue-green algae blooms that are taking over waterways and beaches on Florida's Treasure Coast.

 Scott issued Executive Order 16-155 declaring an emergency in Martin and St. Lucie counties Wednesday, according to a statement, but added Lee and Plam Beach counties a day later. The executive order allows state and local governments to take action against the spread of the algal blooms by redirecting the water flow in and out of Lake Okeechobee, which many believe are to blame for the foul-smelling algae that one resident described to the Associated Press as "guacamole-thick."

 Friday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Jacksonville District began reducing the flow of water from Lake Okeechobee, according to a release.

 “It has been a challenging year for south Florida,” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District Commander Col. Jason Kirk said in the release. “Our water managers have dealt with such large quantities of rain and runoff entering the lake that it would cover the entire state of Delaware in two feet of water. However, after visiting with local elected officials in Martin County yesterday and viewing the algae first hand, we felt compelled to take action, even though we need to remain vigilant in managing the level of Lake Okeechobee.”

 Scott placed the blame for the algae squarely on the Federal government.

 "The state, as you know, doesn't have any control over Lake Okeechobee," he told WPTV on Tuesday. "The federal government has got to put the money in to be able to hold more water there when we have a rainy year like we have now."

 The algae forced Treasure Coast officials to close some beaches in Martin County this week, just days before the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the Palm Beach Post reports, and has been spotted in waterways and canals across much of South Florida.

 (MORE: Report: Pollution, Climate Change Destroying Florida's Coastal Environments)

 "It's just been incubating and growing and growing," Matt Athan, who lives near the St. Lucie River in Stuart, told WPBF. “And you can see how thick it is. And the smell is just atrocious."

 "It has been observed in a good deal of the district already," Randy Smith, a spokesman for the South Florida Water Management District, told the paper. "Some of it moves around fairly rapidly. You might see it in one area, and then it dissipates and you don’t see it again."

 Water managers discovered a 33-square mile algae bloom in Lake Okeechobee last month, the Post reports. Algae samples taken June 14-15 from the lake contained more than 20 times the amount of toxins considered hazardous by the World Health Organization, TC Palm reports.

 The Corps of Engineers frequently releases water downstream into the St. Lucie River, to manage water levels at the lake. The Corps is stuck between a rock and a hard place, spokesperson John Campbell told WPTV, and that releasing the water from Lake Okeechobee is the "lesser of two evils."

 "Holding the water back in the lake accelerates the rise and puts us in a position that the people that live and work around the lake face an increased flood risk," he said.

 But releasing water also means consequences downstream.

 "It's heartbreaking for all of us who live, work and play along the lagoon to see how the quality of the water has declined," environmental non-profit Balance For Earth said in video on Facebook, which shows a blanket of algae spreading from the river into a canal, lapping against docks and the sides of boats, thick and goopy.

 A thickening bloom is not a good sign, Ed Philips, an algae expert and professor at the University of Florida, told TC Palm. It means that some cells within the algae are starting to die, releasing any toxins they may hold into the water.

 Besides tinting area waterways unnatural shades of blue and green, dying algae blooms can kill fish and other aquatic life, putting a strain on the thousands of residents who turn to the coasts natural resources for their livelihood.

 "Out on the lake, the algae goes on as far as the eye can see," Mike Conner, a fishing guide and member of the BullSugar.org activist group, told TC Palm. "And on the C-44 it's shoreline to shoreline, the length of the canal."

 (MORE: Stormwater Runoff Leads to Spread of Deadly Pathogen in Florida)

 Mark Perry, executive director of the Florida Oceanographic Society, told WPTV, he was disappointed with the governor's handling of the crisis.

 "The governor kept mentioning 'We have the Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Protection on it. They're monitoring it.' Like they're on top of the situation. I personally know that the agencies are not on top of the situation."

 MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Beautiful Landscapes of Florida ||||| Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

 STUART (CBSMiami) – Florida’s Treasure Coast is known for its beautiful beaches that resemble post cards.

 Recently it has become known for something much different though.

 Foul smelling algae blooms from nutrient rich water released from Lake Okeechobee are dirtying waters and stinking up the air.

 “The only way to describe how it smells is like a hundred dead animals that have been sitting in the street for weeks,” said John Skinner with Central Marine Stuart. “And that’s probably still an understatement.”

 Aside from the putrid smell, algae has caused beaches to close.

 Bathtub Reef Beach on Hutchinson Island is currently open, but you can hardly tell by looking.

 To see just a few people out here is really sad,” said beachgoer Tory Osborne. “This beach is usually packed with lots of families and kids because the water’s so shallow.

 It’s running off tourists too, like at Ohana Surf Shop in Stuart.

 “It’ a ghost town here in Stuart,” said Jordan Schwartz with Ohana Surf Shop. “The discharge has affected our tourism it’s the height of 4th of July weekend and we should be packed in here.”

 Senator Bill Nelson got a firsthand look at the situation.

 He said for the moment, the lake should not accept any more water from the north and any water released should go into canals and holding areas to the south where there is more room.

 The Army Corp of engineers has now announced it will reduce flow from the lake to the east and west.

 “The idea is to put into these water storage areas and then into water restoration areas where the grasses in there cleanse the nutrients out of the water before you send it further south,” said Senator Nelson.

 Aside from Senator Nelson, Senator Marco Rubio is coming to Stuart on Friday to get a good look at all this algae that’s blooming in the area, and it’s not done yet.

 After that, local residents plan on holding a rally on the beach on Saturday. ||||| Florida Gov. Rick Scott added two more counties on Thursday to the state of emergency declared over a "guacamole-thick" algae bloom affecting a stretch of beaches promoted as the state's "Treasure Coast."

 Scott signed the amended executive order to add adding Lee and Palm Beach counties to Wednesday's emergency declaration for Martin and St. Lucie counties. Palm Beach County is directly south of the existing emergency area, while Lee County is on Florida's Gulf coast.

 The blue-green algae is the latest contaminant featured in arguments stretching over years involving water flowing from Lake Okeechobee, which is critical to South Florida's water supply and flood control systems.

 At Central Marine boat docks in Stuart on Thursday, pea-green and brown algae coated the water and smelled strongly like cow manure. Blooms that started last week in the St. Lucie River continue to spread, threatening Atlantic beaches expecting crowds of families for the holiday weekend.

 Sarah Chaney, a receptionist at Central Marine, told the Associated Press that boaters and fisherman are canceling reservations after seeing reports of the algae, which she called "horrible and disgusting."

 "I would describe them as guacamole-thick. And it stinks," said Gabriella Ferrero, spokeswoman for Martin County.

 Chris Mascia Palas, a resident of Stuart, Fla., posted videos to her Facebook showing manatees struggling to get through the thick algae in a canal behind their house.

 “The water is like thick pea soup and has blue color in it as well. It stinks like a dead rotting something! .. (The manatee was) clearly was in search of fresh water as well as struggling to clear its airways,” she wrote.

 Florida's U.S. senators, Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Bill Nelson, have joined Martin County commissioners in calling for the Army Corps of Engineers to stop the flow of water between the river and Lake Okeechobee. Residents and business owners blame the algae on pollutants streaming from the lake.

 After touring the St. Lucie River as it passes through downtown Stuart, Nelson said the problems can be traced to Florida's history of diverting water to the ocean.

 "We need to repair 75 years of diking and draining, but that takes time," he said. He called on the Florida Legislature to spend money approved by state voters for environmental projects such as purchasing land around Lake Okeechobee for water storage instead of diverting the funds to pay for administrative costs. Rubio is scheduled to visit the area Friday.

 When Scott declared a state emergency for the area Wednesday, he blamed the federal government for neglecting repairs to the lake's aging dike that's considered one of the country's most at-risk for imminent failure.

 Some residents blamed Scott instead on Thursday. He hasn't done enough to curb pollution from farms north of the lake or purchase land farther south where lake waters could be stored and cleaned, said Irene Gomes, owner of the Driftwood Motel in Jensen Beach.

 The algae has rapidly grown from a beach nuisance to a health concern, as one customer made plans to leave early if the algae triggered breathing issues, said Gomes, whose family has owned the motel's turquoise-colored cabins since 1958.

 "At one point, I could say to my customers, 'Come down, it's not at all the beaches,' because it wasn't toxic. Now we're talking about health issues," Gomes said.

 Chaney, the Central Marine receptionist, said Scott should visit the area, even if he gets criticized.

 "He needs to come see it himself and stop being a coward," she said.

 Lake Okeechobee is the largest in Florida and the second largest body of freshwater in the contiguous United States. Flooding there after a major hurricane in 1928 killed at least 2,500 people in surrounding communities of mostly poor, black farmworkers. It inspired the storm central to Zora Neale Hurston's novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God."

 To reduce the risk of a breach in the dike built after that hurricane, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tries to keep lake water levels between 12.5 feet and 15.5 feet above sea level. Shoring up the dike will take years. In the meantime freshwater is released east and west of the lake into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers.

 State water managers have said local stormwater runoff and septic tanks also fuel algae blooms. They're working to direct more water south of Lake Okeechobee into the parched Everglades, but federal regulations, conservation mandates and stalled restoration projects complicate those efforts.

 In neighboring St. Lucie County, home to the troubled Indian River Lagoon, officials have prohibited homeowners from using fertilizer during the summer and begun working with the state to test waterways for pollution that might be linked to septic tanks.

 "A lot of people want to blame Lake Okeechobee, it's an easy target, but there are a lot of factors that contribute to the health of the lagoon," said St. Lucie County spokesman Erick Gill.

 Murky waters on southwest Florida's Gulf Coast also are blamed on the lake's discharges. Fort Myers-area lawmakers said Thursday that Scott should extend the state of emergency to Lee County because of water issues in the Caloosahatchee River.

 The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 Click for more from Fox 29. ||||| Algae found May 31 at Shepard Park in Stuart. (MOLLY BARTELS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

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 By Tyler Treadway of TCPalm

 Algae blooms in the St. Lucie River are getting more numerous, and a massive bloom in Lake Okeechobee apparently is getting more toxic.

 Blue-green algae samples taken June 14 and 15 from Lake O contained more than 20 times the amount of toxins considered hazardous by the World Health Organization.

 MORE | Follow our Lake Okeechobee discharge meter for daily updates.

 Water tested June 14 at the St. Lucie Lock and Dam, where discharged lake water enters the river, didn't contain blue-green algae, according to Florida Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Dee Ann Miller. The DEP surveyed other sites in the river, but didn't see any more blooms.

 Algae blooms are being reported throughout the C-44 Canal connecting the lake and river, as well as throughout the river from Palm City, along the Stuart waterfront and nearly to the St. Lucie Inlet.

 "Out on the lake, the algae goes on as far as the eye can see," said Mike Conner, a fishing guide and member of the BullSugar.org activist group. "And on the C-44 it's shoreline to shoreline, the length of the canal."

 Thick as paint

 The DEP tested algae in the river Monday at Leighton Park in Palm City, said David Whiting, DEP's biology program administrator, and results are expected later this week. More tests will be done this week, Miller said.

 After a rash of blooms were reported in early June, sightings dwindled for a couple of weeks. They came back with a vengeance over the weekend.

 An algae bloom along the Harborage Marina in Stuart was "so thick the water looked like paint," said Matt Reynolds, owner/operator of the Hammerhead Dive Services boat hull cleaning company.

 A thickening bloom is not a good sign: It means some cells are starting to die, said Ed Phlips, an algae expert and professor at the University of Florida.

 When blue-green algae cells die, they release any toxins they have into the water. Dead algae can lead to fish kills because bacteria eating dead cells suck oxygen out of the water.

 "I can't give figures for the likelihood of a fish kill," said Mark Perry, executive director of the Florida Oceanographic Society in Stuart, "but as long as conditions stay the same — long, sunny days; lots of nutrients in the water; and low salinity — it could happen."

 No end in sight

 Those conditions are likely to remain because Lake O discharges, which bring nutrients and lower salinity to the St. Lucie, are likely to continue. The lake is about 2½ feet higher than the Army Corps of Engineers, which decides when and how much water is discharged, would like it to be at this time of year.

 "As long as the discharges continue, you're going to have algae blooms," Phlips said.

 Bays and backwaters along the river are the most likely to see fish kills because they have stagnant water. Moving water tends to break up blooms.

 Smaller fish are more likely to die than large fish, which can swim away from the affected areas. But not all of them.

 Stuart resident Mike Berger sent Treasure Coast Newspapers a photo of a dead catfish he saw floating in an algae bloom along the Riverwalk in downtown Stuart Tuesday.

 "If it can kill a catfish, it can kill just about anything," Berger said.

 Click the [ ] buttons on the bottom right corner or click here to view the Prezi in a full window. Click the arrow buttons to zoom in. |||||

Write a summary.

– Beaches are closed in South Florida, where a massive algae bloom has caused water to turn bright green and Gov. Rick Scott to declare a state of emergency in four counties—Martin, St. Lucie, Lee, and Palm Beach—over Wednesday and Thursday, reports Weather.com. Health officials are telling people to stay out of the water if they notice discoloration and not to use tainted water to water their lawns. And tainted it is, according to one resident who tells CBS Miami, "The only way to describe how it smells is like a hundred dead animals that have been sitting in the street for weeks." What some blame for the toxic turmoil: a water release from Lake Okeechobee, found last month to have more than 20 times the level of toxins deemed safe by the WHO, per TCPalm.com. Exposure to these toxins can cause skin rashes, vomiting, and respiratory issues, and aquatic life could be sickened and killed. One video posted to Facebook by a Martin County resident shows a manatee struggling to work its way through what a county rep calls "guacamole-thick" algae, Fox News reports. The US Army Corps of Engineers is planning on decreasing the flow Friday from the lake, opened for release because water levels were straining the lake's levee and posing a flooding risk. Gov. Scott, who blames the feds for not repairing that dike, has instructed the state DEP and fish and wildlife commission to address issues caused by the hazardous situation. But some are blaming Scott himself, saying he hasn't done enough to curtail pollution happening on farms near the lake.


– Paula Patton and Robin Thicke are another step closer to divorce. The actress was granted a divorce Tuesday from the "Blurred Lines" singer in Los Angeles. Their legal split will go into effect April 14. The 39-year-old actress and 38-year-old singer, who have a 4-year-old son, announced they were separating last year after nine years of marriage. Thicke promoted his latest album, the not-so-subtly-titled Paula, last summer with several public appearances accompanied by reconciliation pleas that apparently did not work. In more bad news for Thicke, Marvin Gaye's children filed an injunction in court Tuesday to prevent the copying, distributing, and performing of "Blurred Lines" after a jury determined last week that Thicke and his fellow performers on the song copied elements of the R&B icon's 1977 hit "Got to Give It Up." The injunction against "Blurred Lines" could give Gaye's family leverage to negotiate for royalties and other concessions, such as songwriting credits. (Click to read about 16 of the most expensive Hollywood divorces of all time.)

Expand this summary.

The seed for Wide00014 was:

 - Slash pages from every domain on the web:

 -- a ranking of all URLs that have more than one incoming inter-domain link (rank was determined by number of incoming links using Wide00012 inter domain links)

 -- up to a maximum of 100 most highly ranked URLs per domain

 - Top ranked pages (up to a max of 100) from every linked-to domain using the Wide00012 inter-domain navigational link graph ||||| FILE - In this Tuesday, March 10, 2015 file photo, Marvin Gaye's daughter, Nona Gaye, left, and his ex-wife, Jan Gaye, take questions from the media outside Los Angeles U.S. District Court, after a jury... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this Jan. 17, 1983 file photo, singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye, winner of Favorite Soul/R&B; Single, "Sexual Healing," attends the American Music Awards in Los Angeles. The singer's family is seeking... (Associated Press)

 Gaye's children filed an injunction in court Tuesday to prevent the copying, distributing and performing of the hit song featuring Pharrell, Robin Thicke and T.I.

 Pharrell and Thicke were ordered to pay nearly $7.4 million to three of Gaye's children after a jury determined last week that the performers copied elements of the R&B icon's 1977 hit "Got to Give It Up."

 Gaye's family also sought Tuesday to amend the verdict to include rapper T.I., whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., as well as labels Universal Music, Interscope Records and Star Trak Entertainment.

 The injunction against "Blurred Lines" could give Gaye's family leverage to negotiate for royalties and other concessions, such as songwriting credits.

 "With the digital age upon us, the threat of greater infringement looms for every artist," the family said in a statement released Wednesday. "It is our wish that our dad's legacy, and all great music, past, present, and future, be enjoyed and protected, with the knowledge that adhering to copyright standards assures our musical treasures will always be valued."

 "Blurred Lines" was the biggest hit of 2013. It sold more than 7 million tracks in the United States, topped the pop charts for months and earned two Grammy Award nominations. |||||


LAPORTE, Ind. (WOOD) — A man convicted of four 1993 murders who escaped Sunday from a state prison outside of Ionia was captured in Indiana Monday evening.

 Michael David Elliot, 40, was arrested in Kankakee Township in rural LaPorte County, Ind., and allegedly stole a total of four vehicles in his 24-hour run from the law. He was arraigned Tuesday in Indiana on auto theft charges.

 The sheriff’s department had been looking for a black 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that was stolen from the area of Boyd Avenue and E. Lincolnway in LaPorte, authorities said. Deputy Jeffrey Wright said the vehicle’s engine was on so it would warm up when it was taken. The sheriff’s department was alerted to the theft at 6:16 p.m. ET, according to a Monday night news release.

 Within minutes of learning of the theft, Deputy Slawek Czupryna spotted the stolen vehicle headed south on Boyd Boulevard in LaPorte. He attempted a traffic stop, but the driver didn’t pull over. Instead, the driver fled, leading deputies on a short chase.

 Stop Sticks were deployed just before 6:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office said.

 “He ran over a couple of sets of Stop Sticks that some of our sergeants had laid out, so his tires were going flat. He lost control of the vehicle and slid into a snowbank,” Deputy Wright told 24 Hour News 8.

 That snowbank was at the T-intersection of N 250 E between East Division and E 150 N in Kankakee Township, east of LaPorte.

 Elliot then tried to climb out of the car’s window, Wright said. Deputies Czupryna and Wright each grabbed one of Elliot’s shoulders, pulled him from the car, laid him on the ground and handcuffed him. No one was hurt.

 When asked what his name was, Elliot answered truthfully, Wright said. He said he asked Elliot if he was “‘the Michael Elliot,” and Elliot confirmed he was the escapee. Wright said he was surprised that Elliot didn’t lie about his identity.

 Wright then put Elliot into the back of his cruiser and took him to the LaPorte County Jail. Elliot is being held without bond on felony car theft and resisting charges.

 Wright described Elliot was polite to officers, and quiet and emotionless during the ride to jail. Elliot looked tired, Wright said, like he had not slept in days. Wright said Elliot was wearing jeans that were too big and “a couple of jackets.”

 Wright said authorities didn’t know Elliot would be in their area — there was more concern he may be in the Shipshewana area — and that he did not expect the man he was chasing to be Elliot. Wright said he was relieved that he and Czupryna were able to get Elliot off the streets and bring worried citizens some peace of mind.

 In a Monday night news release, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder thanked the law enforcement agencies that aided in the search and capture of Elliot. “The swift apprehension of this dangerous criminal is a credit to law enforcement and corrections officials in Michigan and Indiana, and our partners with the U.S. Marshals Service. Their courage, diligence and professionalism reminds us how fortunate we are to have such men and women who are willing to keep our communities safe. …Now that we are assured the public is safe, we will turn our attention to thoroughly reviewing the situation that led to the prisoner’s escape. We will demand an exhaustive assessment of the incident and take whatever appropriate action is needed to prevent future incidents.”

 Elliot escaped around 7 p.m. Sunday from the Ionia Correctional Facility, but jail workers didn’t notice he was missing until a routine prisoner check at 9 p.m.

 Authorities said Elliot left through the sally port, a secured garage where prisoners are brought into the facility. Elliot then got through a hole in the fencing system which, according to a former corrections officer, is made up of two 12-foot high, razor wire-topped fencing sections with a smaller, electrified fence in between them.

 He then made a three-and-a-half mile trek into Ionia where he carjacked a woman, police said. The two then drove to the Elkhart, Ind. area. The woman escaped at a gas station there and he fled in her Jeep Liberty. That SUV was found early Monday morning in Shipshewana, Ind.

 LaPorte County, where Elliot was arrested, is west of Shipshewana.

 Elliot was serving five life sentences in the Ionia Correctional Facility after being convicted of four 1993 murders.

 In the early morning of Aug. 8, 1993, according to court documents, Elliot broke into a home in Bentley Township, north of Midland, killed four people then set the house on fire. Vickie Currie, her boyfriend Michael Tufnell, his cousin Bruce Squires Tufnell Jr. and fiancee Cathy Lave were killed.

 Charles and Paul Treece, and Tammy LaCross were with Elliot when the murders were committed. Charles Treece was also convicted of four counts of first-degree murder, armed robbery and setting a house on fire, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a firearm. He is also serving life in prison at the Alger Correctional Facility in Munising in the Upper Peninsula.

 LaCross, who was 16 at the time and is victim Vickie Currie’s daughter, and Paul Treece both testified against Elliot. Under the terms of plea agreements, they pleaded guilty to robbery and felony firearm charges.

 In 2005, Elliot filed a motion for release, saying that there was new evidence in his case — namely a 1994 letter from Charles Treece that attested to Elliot’s innocence. A state court denied his request.

 Elliot maintains he is innocent, according to the court documents.

 —–

 Inside woodtv.com:

 Michael Elliot escapes from Ionia Correctional Facility

 Former guard: Elliot’s escape a ‘mystery’

 ‘Thorough’ investigation of escape promised

 Son ‘proud’ of Elliot’s carjack victim for staying calm

 Victim’s mother worried Elliot would kill again

 Life as a Level II prison inmate

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 A source close to the investigation tells NewsCenter 16 convicted murderer Michael Elliot was arrested in LaPorte County after a chase Monday night.

 The manhunt for 40-year- old Elliot started Sunday night, after he escaped from Ionia Correctional Facility in Michigan.

 Elliot was convicted of four murders in 1993 and is serving five life sentences.

 Michigan Department of Corrections Director Dan Heyns says officers realized Elliot was gone during a routine count at about 9 p.m. Sunday. After looking at surveillance tapes, they realized he escaped somewhere between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

 Heyns says during the time of the escape, Elliot was dressed in a white kitchen uniform. It is unknown at this time how he got that uniform. Heyns says Elliot was not assigned to the kitchen.

 They believe it was the color of that uniform that had something to do with his ability to get by multiple security cameras and interior and perimeter fencing.

 After escaping, Elliot carjacked a woman using a box cutter. He held her hostage during the more than 100-mile drive to Elkhart County.

 They stopped for gas around 11 p.m. at a Marathon gas station near the intersection of SR 13 and CR 2, near Middlebury. The woman escaped Elliot at the station by asking for a cup for water, then locking herself in the bathroom and calling 911.

 Elliot fled in the victim's car before police arrived.

 Indiana State Police say the red Jeep Liberty he fled in was found in the 400 block of North State Street in Shipshewana Monday afternoon. A woman living in the neighborhood noticed the car matched the description of one given on the news, so she called police around 12:15 p.m. But, police say the car was seen in the area as early as 5:30 a.m.

 "You can go a lot of places in seven hours," said Sgt. Ron Galaviz with the Indiana State Police. "Especially if you have a mode of transportation. And, I'm not suggesting he does. But, again, we're looking for stolen vehicle reports or anything of that nature to help follow up on, to help us pursue on that trail."

 Police went door-to-door looking for any signs of Elliot in Shipshewana. Westview Schools were notified of the situation and placed on lock down. Students were later dismissed, with a heavy police presence on site to ensure their safety. Police say all students were accounted for and the schools were thoroughly searched.

 Indiana State Police say after searching the community, their hunt for Elliot in Shipshewana has been suspended and they have no new leads. They don't know if he is still in Michiana or has traveled elsewhere since abandoning the Jeep.

 "What we're asking the public to do is to remain vigilant," Galaviz said. "If you see something, say something. If something appears out of order, if a door seems unlocked, if a window is broken, don't investigate it. Call 911."

 \NBC affiliate WSMV in Nashville says early Monday morning, a woman thought she spotted Elliot at a Tennessee gas station. But, police say it was a false identification. Elliot has family in Tennessee.

 He is described as a 5'8, 165-pound white male with brown hair and eyes. Elliot was wearing a blue and orange state prison uniform when he escaped, but he was last seen in black pants, a white t-shirt, white tennis shoes and a white beanie cap.

 Elliot should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who comes in contact with him, should contact law enforcement immediately.

 According to Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV, Elliot was serving five life sentences for four murders and an armed robbery. He was convicted in 1993. He was also serving 13 years for setting a house on fire and two years for using a firearm during the commission of a felony. |||||

Write a summary.

– A convicted killer who escaped from a Michigan prison yesterday and carjacked a woman has been arrested after a car chase in rural LaPorte Country, Indiana, WNDU reports. Michael David Elliot, 40, allegedly stole a woman's red jeep and abandoned it in the small town of Shipshewana, Indiana, this afternoon. A woman spotted the car and called police, who said the vehicle had been seen in the area as early as 5:30am. Knowing Elliot "can go a lot of places in seven hours," police went door-to-door and had schools locked down before releasing students under a heavy police presence. Then a call about a stolen vehicle came in to the LaPorte County Sheriff's Office, and a deputy saw the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, WOOD-TV reports. But the driver kept going and led authorities on a 5-minute chase. Stop sticks disabled his tires in Kankakee Township; Elliot jumped out and tried to run but was arrested and booked. He was serving five life sentences for the murders of four people when he broke out of the Ionia Correctional Facility yesterday by slipping through a gap in the fencing system.


Article:

Buy Photo Former Multi-State Lottery Association security director Eddie Tipton leaves the Polk County Courthouse after being found guilty of fraud on Monday, July 20, 2015. (Photo: Brian Powers/The Register)Buy Photo

 A former Iowa lottery security official accused of rigging drawings to win prize money in several states is facing new felony charges in Wisconsin.

 A prosecutor in the Wisconsin Department of Justice filed a total of six charges against Eddie Tipton on Thursday, including one count of racketeering, a theft by fraud charge and four computers crimes charges. The charges stem from a suspect December 2007 Megabucks drawing in Wisconsin that allegedly won Tipton and a business associate a prize worth $783,257, according to a criminal complaint.

 The fresh charges are the newest development in the ongoing legal saga involving Tipton, a former information security director for an Urbandale nonprofit group that distributes lottery games nationwide. Tipton, 53, was convicted of two fraud counts in Iowa last year after a prosecutor argued that he tampered with random number generators in 2010 to win a $14.3 million Hot Lotto prize.

 After the conviction, Iowa investigators linked Tipton, his brother and a longtime friend, Robert Rhodes, to suspect jackpots in Colorado, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Kansas and was charged with additional counts of ongoing criminal conduct and money laundering. That case is still pending.

 Defense attorney Dean Stowers has maintained Tipton's innocence since he was first arrested, and said Thursday he will voluntarily appear to answer the charges. Tipton's first case is being appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court after a lower appeals court in July tossed out one of the fraud convictions, ruling that it was filed it too late.

 "What the States have claimed in these cases, as best we can understand, is not a crime under the various statutes they rely upon," Stowers said. "The States basically have claimed that Mr. Tipton shared information about the way the computer programs that were tested and certified by third parties worked, and that does not appear to be a crime under the law of Iowa or Wisconsin."

 A 13-page criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court offers some of the most detailed allegations to date made public to date in the case about the role of Rhodes, a Texas businessman and friend who had known Tipton since the early 1990s. Rhodes is also facing charges in Iowa for allegedly helping Tipton in an ill-fated attempt to redeem the 2010 Hot Lotto ticket worth millions.

 MORE ON TIPTON:Iowa trial moved to February, out of Des Moines

 Rhodes offered his version of events in a meeting with Wisconsin and Iowa investigators in December 2015. According to the complaint, Rhodes claimed that Tipton first approached him about the possibility of rigging a lottery in October 2007.

 "Tipton told Rhodes that there was a way that Tipton could give Rhodes winning lottery numbers and asked if they should take advantage of that," the complaint reads.

 In December 2007, Rhodes met with Tipton in Iowa, and the lottery security manager gave him several index cards filled with series of numbers, according to the complaint. Rhodes told investigators that Tipton instructed him to buy tickets for all of the numbers, ensuring him that one would work. Rhodes traveled to Wisconsin in a rental car, bought the tickets and learned when he got home that he had won a jackpot, according to the complaint.

 Rhodes set up a limited liability corporation to receive the earnings and split half with Tipton, according to the complaint. Tipton told his friend that the scheme was possible because he had programmed random number generators used by the Wisconsin lottery to come up with a predictable number if certain conditions were met. Tipton asked Rhodes again in 2010 if he wanted to try and win another Wisconsin prize, but the Texan felt the two were "tempting fate," and he did not purchase a winning ticket.

 The criminal complaint also claims that Rhodes was shown the winning 2010 Iowa ticket in January or February of the next year while Tipton was visiting him in Houston. Rhodes was initially "upset" when Tipton asked him to claim the prize money, fearing that too many people were involved, according to the complaint. But they agreed to split the proceeds again.

 The criminal complaint also charges Rhodes with racketeering and theft by fraud.

 Read or Share this story: http://dmreg.co/2ila5VL ||||| × Charged: 2 Texas men accused of defrauding Wisconsin Lottery

 MADISON — Eddie Tipton and Robert Rhodes, both of Texas, have been charged with multiple felonies for their alleged roles in defrauding the Wisconsin Lottery, Attorney General Brad Schimel announced on Friday, December 23rd.

 Tipton and Rhodes are both charged with Engaging in Racketeering Activities and Theft by Fraud. Tipton is also charged with four additional counts of Computer Crime.

 The complaint alleges that the two defendants conspired to win the December 29, 2007, Wisconsin Megabucks lottery game. Tipton, who was an employee of the Multi-State Lottery Association and responsible for programming the software used in the random number generator (RNG) machines used to pick the winning numbers, allegedly planted a modified code in the RNG software that produced a predictable set of winning numbers when certain conditions were met. Tipton allegedly supplied those numbers to Rhodes, who then purchased a ticket with the winning numbers. Rhodes later submitted the winning ticket for payment, and Rhodes and Tipton allegedly split the proceeds totaling $783,257.72. The complaint further alleges that three other Wisconsin Megabucks lottery drawings were manipulated by Tipton’s modified code.

 Tipton will make his initial appearance on February 13, 2017, in Dane County Circuit Court. Rhodes will make his initial appearance on February 16, 2017.

 Tipton and Rhodes also are both currently charged in Iowa with Ongoing Criminal Conduct for their part in attempting to defraud the Iowa lottery in December 2010. ||||| Play Facebook

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 A computer whiz implicated in lottery-rigging schemes in four states has now been charged with fixing a jackpot in a fifth.

 Wisconsin prosecutors filed a criminal complaint Friday against Eddie Tipton and alleged accomplice Robert Rhodes in connection with a 2007 Megabucks drawing that paid out $783,257.72.

 Tipton, 53, was the director of IT security at the Multi-State Lottery Association, the organization that helps run the lottery, including picking the numbers and maintaining security, in 37 states.

 Related: Senator Demands Answers on Lottery Rigging

 Authorities say he planted code in software for the number-generating machines so they would produce predictable numbers on certain dates. He then had Rhodes buy a ticket with numbers he knew would win and they split the proceeds, the complaint says.

 Two years later, Tipton tried to get Rhodes to help him again, showing him a winning ticket for a $16 million jackpot for the Iowa Hot Lotto game, prosecutors said. The IT specialist said he was thinking of having his brother, Tommy, collect it but was worried it would look suspicious since he had won a 2005 Colorado lottery, the court papers say.

 Former lottery security officer Eddie Tipton leaves the Polk County Courthouse in Des Moines, Iowa, after his sentencing in a jackpot-fixing scandal. Charlie Neibergall / AP

 Rhodes tried and failed to collect the winnings through a third party — triggering an investigation that eventually led to Eddie Tipton on trial. He was convicted last July but has maintained his innocence, saying he was scapegoated by investigators.

 Rhodes is scheduled to plead guilty in that case next month, and Tommy Tipton, a former Texas justice of the peace, has also been charged in Iowa.

 Court filings in Iowa note that Eddie Tipton also has ties to lottery winners in other states, including Kansas and Oklahoma. |||||
What is a summary?

– A former head of lottery security tied to potentially rigged drawings in five states is facing new charges in Wisconsin, NBC News reports. According to the Des Moines Register, six charges were filed against Eddie Tipton on Thursday. They include racketeering, theft by fraud, and computer crimes, Fox 6 News reports. Tipton used to be the director of IT security for Multi-State Lottery Association, which handles lottery picks and security in 37 states. Authorities allege Tipton meddled with the code for the association's number-generating machines to cause them to pick certain numbers on certain days. Last year, he was charged with messing with the number generators to win a $14.3 million drawing in Iowa in 2010. Now Tipton is being charged with doing the same thing three years earlier to win more than $783,000 in Wisconsin. Tipton's alleged accomplice, Robert Rhodes, is also facing charges in Wisconsin and Iowa. Authorities say Tipton would provide Rhodes with rigged numbers and have him buy the tickets. They would allegedly split the winnings. Investigators in Iowa have also linked Tipton, Rhodes, and Tipton's brother to lottery wins in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado.


Write an article based on this summary:

– After a kayaker's close call was followed by Massachusetts' first great white shark attack since 1936, authorities have some advice for Cape Cod swimmers: Stay away from seals. More than 300,000 grey seals now live in the area—30 times more than in the '60s—and their presence has attracted plenty of great whites, notes the Globe and Mail. The seal-hunting sharks lurk offshore as seals leave or return to beaches, making the area where the bottom drops off a very bad place to swim if you don't want to be mistaken for a seal by a hungry shark, experts say. Tourism officials hope the attack won't be too bad for business. "Not to downplay the nasty experience the bitee has had, but there are sharks in the ocean," the director of the state's tourism office says. "There’s a lot of signs and notices about where it is safe to swim and where it is not. People should stay away from seals." The bitee himself, a 50-year-old man from Denver, suffered serious leg injuries but was released from the hospital yesterday—and he isn't holding a grudge against the shark. "I’ll be biting into a nice steak tonight and probably not thinking too hard about it," he told the Boston Herald. "So I can’t get too mad at the shark either."

A Denver man chewed by a great white shark Monday vowed he will take to the waters off Ballston Beach on Cape Cod again — but maybe with a bit more care.

 “It’s my favorite beach in the world, and I’m sure I’ll be back swimming,” said Christopher Myers, 50, of Denver. “I think I’ll stick a little closer to the shore.”

 Myers and his 16-year-old son, J.J., were headed to a sandbar 400 yards offshore Monday afternoon, when they decided it was too far and headed back. Just then the shark struck.

 “It felt like something very heavy had a very hard grip on my leg,” he said. “I didn’t feel pain from the lacerations. I’m not quite sure it pulled me under. Some people said they saw my head go under. I don’t remember that.”

 Myers said the shark grabbed his left foot, and he kicked with his free right foot at what he believes was the creature’s snout.

 “I’ve got a lot of lacerations on my right foot where I kicked at it, and I imagine I kicked its teeth and it let me go,” he said. “I imagine it must have been the snout I was kicking.”

 Earlier this week state officials labeled the attack the work of a great white shark, a conclusion Myers agrees with. The state has been tracking at least nine of the big sharks off the coast of Cape Cod but had not seen any as far north as Truro, where the attack took place.

 State environmental officials said yesterday they are still investigating the attack. Myers, who suffered serious injuries to his lower legs and will require physical therapy to fully recover, said he wishes shark warnings had been posted.

 “I have deep puncture wounds on both of my legs that required stitches. I had 47 stitches,” he said. “I have a couple of severed tendons in my left ankle and so I’m feeling very pleased to be here and walking.”

 After the attack, the shark surfaced between him and his son, he said.

 “I felt like however fast I wanted to swim it was up to the shark if he was going to get me or not,” J.J. Myers said, “because whether you can swim fast or not, the shark is going to swim faster.”

 His father worried he wouldn’t make the 400 yards to shore.“About half way there I started to feel dizzy and light-headed, and I was wondering if I was losing blood.”

 Myers is thankful for all who came to his aid. As for the shark, he’s not holding a grudge.

 “I’ll be biting into a nice steak tonight and probably not thinking too hard about it,” he said. “So I can’t get too mad at the shark either.” ||||| Last Monday’s shark attack off Truro’s Ballston Beach – the first in 76 years on Cape Cod – set off a media furor and horrified beachgoers along the storied Massachusetts peninsula that attracts millions of vacationers every summer.

 It may also force the hordes that crowd the Cape’s beaches to relearn a lesson lost for decades when seals had all but disappeared from the New England coasts – that swimming among shark’s prey is very dangerous.

 Lifeguards were on high alert, hundreds of spurious dorsal fin sightings were reported and airborne spotters scanned the offshore swells for great white sharks, the prime suspect in the attack on Chris Myers, 50.

 More than 300,000 grey seals, and their vulnerable pups, now live on the Cape – a population 30 times the nadir in the 1960s – and the return of the seals has attracted a return, inshore, of great white sharks.

 “The reason the great white sharks are coming closer to shore in the Cape Cod area, specifically on the eastern shore, is because of the growing grey seal population,” said Greg Skomal, a Massachusetts marine biologist.

 Mr. Myers and his 16-year-old son were swimming several hundred metres offshore, close to known seal colonies, when something bit his lower legs.

 Meanwhile harried Massachusetts tourism officials were battling to prevent a single attack morphing into a nightmare marketing scenario of sinister fins slicing the waters off Cape Cod.

 “Not to downplay the nasty experience the bitee has had but there are sharks in the ocean,” said Betsy Wall, executive director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. “There’s a lot of signs and notices about where it is safe to swim and where it is not. People should stay away from seals.”

 Mr. Myers, 50, who is expected to make a full recovery from deep gashes that required more than 40 stitches to close, apparently got the message.

 “Maybe people need to be a little more careful than I was,” he told Good Morning America, his lower legs still heavily bandaged. “Don’t be an easy meal.”

 “It’s the summer news doldrums and nothing tops a shark attack for media excitement,” said George Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research who also maintains the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida. “It’s a hot-button issue and not just because of the movie Jaws,” he said.

 “When humans disregard the rules … such as going in the water with seals in the area,” there will be attacks, he said.

 Great whites, while hardly the ferocious, man-eating terrors depicted in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 horror-thriller Jaws, are dangerous and have been sighted with greater frequency in recent years off Cape Cod as seal populations have re-established themselves.

 Seals, along with sea birds, fish and dolphins are routinely eaten by the great white, which can exceed five metres in length and weigh more than two tonnes.

 Seal-hunting sharks like to lurk just offshore to attack as the seals leave or return to the beach, especially where the bottom drops off suddenly, Mr. Burgess said. “It’s a bad idea to swim there.”

 Shark attacks on humans are statistically rare; fatal attacks vanishingly so. In 2011, a typical year, just roughly 120 attacks were verified worldwide, of which only 17 were fatal. By comparison, an estimated 100 people die every year from jellyfish stings. The last, and unconfirmed, fatal shark attack in Canada was off Nova Scotia in August, 1891.

 “But ultimately, the sharks are in their realm, … we are the intruders,” said Rob Mottice, a shark expert and marine biologist at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tenn. “There will always be a handful of attacks,” he said. “Sharks attack because they mistake humans for something else. Whatever we do won’t change that.” |||||


Summarize this article:

Maryland Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, exclusively told "Fox News Sunday" that President Trump bears responsibility for General Motors' decision last month to close five facilities and slash 15 percent of its North American salaried workforce.

 His comments echoed complaints by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was quoted by the Toronto Star at the G20 Summit in Argentina on Friday saying that GM's restructuring was "all the more reason why we need to keep working to remove the tariffs on steel and aluminum between our countries."

 "I do think the way the president has gone about the trade policies, imposing tariffs -- there’s a consequence, there’s a domestic consequence," Cardin told host Chris Wallace. "And clearly General Motors' decisions are in part based upon the tariff issue, so yes it has an impact, and it costs us jobs here in America."

 The GM closures in Ohio, Michigan, Maryland and Ontario drew Trump's ire and led him to threaten to cut all subsidies for the largest American automaker. The layoffs could affect up to 14,000 employees. GM will also cease production of several car models, including the Chevrolet Cruze and the Buick LaCrosse.

 But Cardin sounded a positive note on the 90-day trade truce reached by Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which brings a temporary halt to new tariffs between the U.S. and China, as well as the newly signed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trilateral agreement.

 "President Trump has agreed that on Jan. 1, 2019, he will leave the tariffs on $200 billion worth of product at the 10 percent rate, and not raise it to 25 percent at this time," the White House announced. "Over the next 90 days, American and Chinese officials will continue to negotiate lingering disagreements on technology transfer, intellectual property and agriculture."

 CHINESE OFFICIAL SAYS TRUMP IS HARD TO READ, SAYS US WARSHIPS AT CHINA'S DOORSTEPS SPARK TENSION

 "Clearly, it is encouraging to see that we're talking with the Chinese on the trade front," Cardin said. "China has created many problems with trade, many obstacles for free trade. My concern about the president's trade policy is that his first action was to take tariffs against our closest allies based upon national security exceptions. We lost the unity that we needed in dealing with China."

 Speaking separately to "Fox News Sunday," Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt called for more details on the China truce, but agreed with Cardin that the news was positive.

 "People like me who have really been concerned about the president’s stated trade policy can take some encouragement in what happened in the last couple of days, the signing of the U.S. Canada and Mexico agreement -- that’s a big step that 6 months ago or even just a few weeks ago we were concerned that we would not be making that kind of progress," Blunt said.

 "And on the Chinese front you are right, we need more specifics here," he added. "I think it’s hard to win a trade war, and I also think, though, that the facts on the table with China are stronger than any other country in terms of our legitimate concerns, and the more other things that the president can move off the table -- whether it's Canada or Mexico, the EU, Japan -- the more of those things he can move off the table, the more flexibility he has with China."

 The White House has bipartisan support for hitting back at Chinese intellectual property theft. In an interview in June, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., ordinarily a fierce Trump critic, agreed with the administration's China policy and said that the country "takes total advantage" of the U.S.

 “Not only do they steal our intellectual property, they keep our good companies out, and say the only way you’re going to be able to sell your American products in China … is if you come to China, make them there, and give us the techniques and intellectual property,” Schumer said.

 For all the developments and progress at the G20, Trump appeared to be in a hurry to leave Argentina. He was filmed seemingly leaving Argentina President Mauricio Macri abruptly on-stage as he lingered awkwardly for a group photo, and was overheard instructing an aide on a hot microphone to "get me out of here." ||||| Cheney addresses Bush ‘41’ criticism, admits he was ‘iron ass’ as vice president

 CLOSE The former president died Friday at the age 94. He leaves behind a decorated legacy. USA TODAY

 Former Vice President Dick Cheney addressed Sunday the "notion that there was some kind of fundamental break" between himself and the late President George H.W. Bush after Bush criticized Cheney's role in his son's administration.

 The elder Bush, who died at 94 in his Houston home on Friday night, made several comments to presidential biographer Jon Meacham in his 2015 book, "Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush," that were critical of Cheney's militaristic policy prescriptions after the 9/11 attacks.

 "I don't know he just became very hard-line and very different from the Dick Cheney I knew and worked with," Bush said of Cheney, who served as his secretary of defense for his entire administration.

 More: George Bush's last day started with three eggs, ended with 'I love you'

 "Just iron ass," Bush said of Cheney's attitude after the attacks. He decried Cheney's "seeming knuckling under to the real hard-charging guys who want to fight about everything, use force to get our way in the Middle East."

 Bush was also critical of Cheney's autonomy as his son's vice president and the degree to which he expressed his views publicly.

 More: Here's why VP Mike Pence named George H.W. Bush as his role model for the No. 2 job

 "He had his own empire there and marched to his own drummer," Bush said.

 "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace asked Cheney about Bush's remarks to Meacham during a discussion of the 41st president's legacy.

 “I was more, I guess, of an ‘iron ass’ when I was vice president," Cheney conceded. "The thing that had intervened between my time at defense for 41 and my time as vice president was 9/11. We’d had 3,000 of our people killed on 9/11, more people than we lost at Pearl Harbor and we moved, I think legitimately, into a war-time setting rather than simple law enforcement."

 Cheney said Bush reached out to smooth things over after his critical comments became public and sent him a note that said, “Dear Dick, I did it.”

 "And then he went on at great length to tell me what a great American I was," Cheney said.

 Cheney said Bush also invited him to sit at the head table at that year's Alfalfa Club dinner, one of the most exclusive annual events in Washington.

 "That sort of dampened down the notion that there was some kind of fundamental break between Bush and Cheney," the former vice president said.

 More: Trump pardons Scooter Libby, the Cheney aide convicted of lying to the FBI

 More: Christian Bale transforms to a ruthless Dick Cheney in 'Vice' first trailer

 Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/12/02/bush-criticism-cheney/2183449002/ |||||

– Dick Cheney, an "iron ass"? Yep, he admits he was. On Fox News Sunday, the former vice president addressed the notion of "a fundamental break" between him and the late George HW Bush after Bush accused him of being "just iron ass," USA Today reports. Quoted in the 2015 John Meacham book Destiny and Power, Bush criticized Cheney's "seeming knuckling under to the real hard-charging guys who want to fight about everything" and said Cheney "had his own empire." Cheney's response: "I was more, I guess, of an 'iron ass' when I was vice president. ... [But] we'd had 3,000 of our people killed on 9/11, more people than we lost at Pearl Harbor and we moved, I think legitimately, into a war-time setting rather than simple law enforcement." For more Sunday talk: GM Plants: "And clearly General Motors' decisions are in part based upon the tariff issue, so yes it has an impact, and it costs us jobs here in America," says Sen. Ben Cardin on Fox News Sunday about tariffs pushing GM to shutter five facilities, per Fox News.


Here is a news article:

 Oscar Pistorius during his trial. (Reuters)

 Oscar Pistorius is expected to be released in August from a prison in South Africa after serving 10 months of his five-year sentence for culpable homicide in the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

 “Oscar will be released on parole by the end of August,” a family member who requested anonymity told Reuters.

 Corrections officials did not comment, but Pistorius was eligible for release under “correctional supervision” after serving a sixth of his sentence.

 Pistorius, the South African sprinter who became a national hero for triumphing over the amputation of his legs as a baby, shot Steenkamp, a 29-year-old law school graduate and model, through a locked door in his bathroom on Valentine’s Day 2013. Although prosecutors pushed for a murder conviction, Pistorius claimed that he mistakenly believed an intruder was in the house when he fired his gun.

 After a 10-month trial, he was convicted of the lesser charge, a decision the state is appealing. In a case to be heard in November, prosecutors will seek a murder conviction. If successful, Pistorius would face a minimum of 15 years in prison.

 Pistorius has been incarcerated at the Pretoria Central Prison since his conviction last fall and is expected to be released Aug. 21. ||||| Serving time: Pistorius was sentenced to five years for culpable homicide

 Disgraced sprinter Oscar Pistorius will be freed from prison in August, it has been reported.

 The athlete was sentenced to five years in jail last year for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home in South Africa on Valentine's Day 2013.

 The Paralympian claimed the killing was a tragic mishap after he mistook her for an intruder.

 But the double amputee was found guilty of culpable homicide by a judge.

 He is eligible for release from prison to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest in August.

 And a family member has confirmed they expect Pistorius to leave jail in a matter of weeks.

 According to ENCA News, Pistorius was seen by a parole board last week and a date has been set for August 21.

 The family of Reeva Steenkamp reacted with dismay, saying Pistorius' ten months in prison is "simply not enough" of a punishment for his crime.

 In a statement they said: "We have forgiven Mr Pistorius even though he took the life of our precious daughter Reeva.

 "Our lives will never be the same again as live with the sadness of her death every day.

 "Reeva had so much to offer this world and we were all robbed of her life when she was killed.

 "As her family, we do not seek to avenge her death and we do not want Mr Pistorius to suffer; that will not bring her back to us.

 "However a person found guilty of a crime must be held accountable for their actions.

 "Statistics show that our society is under continuous attack form criminals and murderers.

 "Incarceration of 10 months for taking a life is simply not enough.

 "We fear that this will not send out the proper message and serve as the deterrent it should."

 But in a separate development, South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal set a date for prosecutors to appeal the runner's conviction for manslaughter.

 Getty Tragic: Reeva Steenkamp died after being shot through a toilet door

 The state believes Pistorius should have been convicted of murder and they will challenge the ruling in November.

 If successful, the Blade Runner could be locked up for life.

 Supreme Court of Appeal registrar Paul Myburgh said that chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel and defence lawyer Barry Roux have met with the president of the court.

 The Pistorius legal team claim the 28-year-old is so desperate to get his life back on track he wants to work with disadvantaged youngsters when released.

 A source said: “He is managing in jail, he’s isolated but hanging in and praying to keep up his strength.

 “He is keen to become involved in assisting children in whatever opportunity comes up. His legal team are trying to help with this and sort a job.”

 Pistorius has been held in a single cell at the notorious Kgosi Mumpuru prison, in Pretoria, over fears he will face attacks from violent inmates.

 After a six-month trial last year the Paralympian - known as the Blade Runner - was found not guilty of murder but guilty of culpable homicide.

 He was handed a five-year jail term but will serve just a sixth of that under South African laws.

 His solicitor, Barry Roux, who represented him throughout his legal fight, said: “[Oscar] walks free in August and then has ten months on parole.

 “The parole conditions will be at their discretion, don’t drink, go to church, no drugs, he’ll have a psychological programme, an anger management course.

 “They will set the parameters and he will keep to them.” He added: “He will leave prison in three months time and wherever he goes he will be Oscar Pistorius.

 Reuters

 “There is no way a man as famous as him can change his name.

 “Anyway, How can you change your name, it’s running away. Why would you want to change your name, it’s disowning what happened. He will have to lift his head, and take it on the chin."

 Earlier this year images emerged of Pistorius playing football with Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir in a concrete courtyard.

 The two-minute clip, which shows Pistorius practising penalty shoot-outs with the notorious underworld figure on trial for kidnapping, sparked condemnation from South African prison authorities.

 But Mr Roux defended the footage, claiming it was a misrepresentation of how Pistorius was being treated in prison.

 VIEW GALLERY

 He said: Mr Roux said: “Oscar is in a single cell, we had to make the choice between the devil and the deep blue sea.

 “Do you put him in a cell with inmates, with all the horrible associated risks of attacks and tormenting, or in a single cell with the loneliness and isolation?

 “At least this way he is protected. His cell is three metres by two metres. Life is lonely.

 “He spends 18 hours-a-day in isolation seven days a week. He has one hour a day for physical exercise.

 “People completely misunderstood when they saw a photo of him playing soccer with the notorious Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir.

 “The man is also in the hospital section and he had his hour of exercise at the same time one day, so they kicked a ball around for a few minutes.

 “That’s all it was, its not like Oscar has a life of leisure and football.”

 Reuters

 Mr Roux also revealed Pistorius had rejected a string of Hollywood film offers and book deals - despite being broke.

 He said: “All Oscar has to his name is the shirt on his back and his underpants.

 “Oscar has spent all his money. I was not paid for the last two months, but I just could not ‘walk away’, I couldn’t morally do that.

 “Oscar was left with nothing, he is totally and utterly penniless, I mean zero. The shirt on his back and his underpants. That’s all he has.

 “The case has cost him at least two million Rand. He sold his brand new Audi, all his art, his watches, even his guns I believe.

 “He has never discussed the book or movie offers but they have poured in. He has in fact declined the book offers and Hollywood options every time, and he has been right to decline.” |||||
A summary of this is?

– Oscar Pistorius is "so desperate to get his life back on track" that he already has a plan to work with disadvantaged youth when he gets out of prison, the Daily Mirror reports. Which could be soon: The South African commissioner of correctional services says the Paralympian will likely be freed on probation Aug. 21 from the Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria, the BBC notes. Pistorius' release, recommended by a prison committee for good behavior, would come 10 months into his five-year sentence if the parole board approves, the AP reports; the BBC adds that under South African law, he's eligible for probation after serving one-sixth of his sentence (which would be 10 months) and would be kept under "correctional supervision," or house arrest, during his probation period. Reeva Steenkamp's family isn't pleased with the news. "As her family, we do not seek to avenge her death and we do not want Mr. Pistorius to suffer; that will not bring her back to us," they said in a statement, per the Mirror. "However, a person found guilty of a crime must be held accountable for their actions. … Incarceration of 10 months for taking a life is simply not enough. We fear that this will not send out the proper message and serve as the deterrent it should." His freedom may be short-lived, however: In November, prosecutors will appeal his murder acquittal in court, which could net Pistorius a minimum of 15 years if convicted, the Washington Post reports. (Wonder how his book is coming along.)


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 As Hailey Glassman takes to the airwaves to tell her side of the ridiculous mess that has become Jon and Kate Gosselin’s lives, the former nanny and lover of Jon revealed another bombshell – that she is afraid of Jon having suicidal thoughts or tendencies if he and Hailey break up! Stephanie Santoro spoke exclusively to RadarOnline.com about her relationship with the father of eight and said she is afraid of what he might do to himself if he and the woman he has called the love of his life break up.

 VIDEO: Tearful Hailey Glassman Continues To Open Up, John Responds

 “He said he was going to kill himself,” Stephanie told RadarOnline.com. After Jon and Hailey broke up Stephanie said that he called her and revealed his dark and disturbing thoughts to her. He said “He was going to end it all the he couldn’t handle it anymore.”

 PHOTOS: Jon And Hailey Kissing

 Hailey was tearful on The Insider as she said she believes Jon emotionally abuses her and she feels she has put “her entire life on hold” for Jon, and that she feels she can no longer deal with the constant whispering, pointing fingers and accusations of being a home wrecker from the public.

 PHOTOS: Jon And Hailey Take A Carriage Ride In NYC

 Jon professed his love of Hailey to Stephanie Santoro, who told RadarOnline.com that the depressed father told her “All he wanted to do was be with Hailey,” but that the pressure of his life was getting to be too much for him. “He couldn’t handle it anymore, this was all too much for him,” Stephanie said about Jon.

 VIDEO: Hailey Glassman Claims Jon Gosselin Emotionally Abuses Her

 Stephanie said that she would hope that Jon is not at the same point of despair now, but that it is a fear of hers. Maybe Sunday’s meeting with Rabbie Schmuley will help Jon change his ways. Of course, maybe doing that in private would be better.

 VIDEO: Jon Gosselin Says No Way To Octo Mom

 PHOTOS: Jon Picks Up The Twins

 EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: The Gosselin Dogs - Jon And The Kids Miss Them ||||| Copyright 2009 KCSPresse / Splash News

 "The Insider" has's first reaction to his girlfriend's tearful declaration that life dating him has been difficult and painful.

 Jon opens up to "The Insider" about Hailey's confessions, saying:

 "My girlfriend, Hailey Glassman, has paid a significant price to live under such a media microscope. I am grateful for her emotional support and I regret any pain that my actions have caused her as she has selflessly born the pressures I have endured under the media glare. I am committed to making things right with Hailey as well as Kate and especially my children. I ask you to please give me the opportunity to prove myself."

 Jon's comment comes after an emotional Hailey told "The Insider" about her headline-grabbing relationship with the dad of eight -- including her struggles in the spotlight, being called a "homewrecker" for dating Jon after his split with his estranged wife Kate. |||||
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– Hailey Glassman's two-part Insider interview began last night, and she cried about putting "her entire life on hold" (including college) for Jon Gosselin. "I can't do this anymore, I can't take it," she said, adding that she's told Jon "If you really loved me, you would let me go," but he has begged her to stay. He's even threatened suicide if Glassman leaves him, ex-nanny Stephanie Santoro tells Radar. Jon, of course, responded to the Insider with a statement, thanking Hailey for her "emotional support" and asking the world at large for an "opportunity to prove myself." The best news of all comes from Star, with the seemingly inevitable revelation that this whole mess will be turned into a movie, courtesy of New Line Cinema. "Ideally they'd like Cameron Diaz for Kate and Johnny Depp for Jon," says a perhaps naively optimistic source.


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 The 9-year-old Charlotte girl whose tearful testimony on racism and policing Monday captured attention around the world said her decision to address City Council was a last-minute one.

 "I was a little nervous, so I decided to just go up there and tell them how I feel," Zianna Oliphant, told NBC News Tuesday.

 "I was just feeling like what the police are doing to us, just because of our skin, is not right,” the fourth-grader said.

 Zianna and her brother, Marquis, both spoke at a City Council meeting in which members of the city’s black community called for changes after police fatally shot an African-American man, Keith Lamont Scott, last week.

 Related: Bomb Scare Shuts Down Charlotte Police Headquarters

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 Police say Scott was armed. The shooting death and questions over the use of deadly police force against people of color sparked protests that roiled the city.

 "We are black people and we shouldn't have to feel like this. We shouldn't have to protest because y'all are treating us wrong," the girl said Monday. “We do this because we need to and have rights.”

 Tuesday, Zianna said she watched coverage of the police shooting and the protests on the news with her mother, Precious Oliphant

 "I was kind of emotional, because, like, the things that I said is like powerful to me. So that’s why I started crying," Zianna said.

 Related: Why Charlotte Police Chief Was "Least Likely' to Go Into Force

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 Zianna’s mother said she was proud of her daughter.

 "I was also emotional — because I shouldn’t have to enlighten my kids on discrimination and racism," Precious Oliphant said. She brought the children to the meeting, but it had not been planned for them to speak, she said.

 She noted that Zianna and her brother are actually involved in a police youth league and the children are frequently around officers who do great things for them.

 "They are being a valuable aspect in their lives and being role models, they are teaching them responsibility, dedication and commitment," Oliphant said.

 Zianna Oliphant is consoled after addressing the Charlotte City Council during time for public comments, mainly concerning last week's Scott shooting, at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center on Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. David T. Foster III / The Charlotte Observer via AP

 But she said that growing up in Charlotte, she has been pulled over for what she suspects were trivial issues, like the way she wore her hair or was otherwise perceived — and she worries that her children will be discriminated against as well.

 Related: Charlotte Police Release Video From Keith Scott Shooting

 Some at the council meeting called on Charlotte Police Chief Kerry Putney and the city’s mayor to resign over their handling of Scott’s death.

 "It’s not hate. We don’t hate the police," Oliphant said. “We hate how we are treated by the police, how we are targeted by the police.”

 Zianna said she wants to grow up to be a doctor, because she likes helping people. In the meantime, she doesn’t appear afraid to speak her mind.

 "Kids, they’re, like, shy. But I’m not shy to tell them how I feel about it," she said. ||||| Photo: Courtesy of YouTube/Sapphire

 “I come here today to talk about how I feel,” began Zianna Oliphant at a Charlotte citizens’ forum on Monday. The young girl was one of many who attended the gathering hosted by Charlotte’s City Council. In the week since the death of Keith Lamont Scott, a black man who was shot by police in Charlotte, the city has been embroiled in protests. Newly released video appears to support claims that Scott was not behaving in a threatening manner in the moments leading up to his death.

 Through tears, Oliphant continued her speech saying: “We are black people and we shouldn’t have to feel like this.” Adding: “It’s a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed and we can’t even see them anymore. It’s a shame that we have to go to their graveyard and bury them. We have tears and we shouldn’t have tears. We need our fathers and mothers to be by our side.”

 As her time on the podium drew to a close, the room erupted in applause and some chanted: “No justice, no peace.” |||||
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– The shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott last week hit hard in Charlotte, NC. But someone who's feeling particular distress over it is young Zianna Oliphant, who spoke at a Charlotte City Council meeting Monday evening, addressing a hushed room with tears streaming down her cheeks as she spoke of the black experience and police brutality, New York reports. "I come here today to talk about how I feel," Zianna started off. "I feel like … we are treated differently than other people. … We are black people and we shouldn't have to feel like this." What especially drew the crowd's attention, in addition to Zianna's words and how emotional she was: the fact that she's a 9-year-old fourth-grader who spontaneously took the podium, per NBC News. "I decided to just go up there and tell them how I feel," she says. "I've been born and raised in Charlotte and I never felt this way till now," she said, breaking down. "And I can't stand how we're treated. … It's a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed and we can't even see them anymore. … We need our fathers and mothers to be by our side." Her mom, Precious Oliphant, tells NBC both Zianna and her brother, who also spoke at the meeting, are involved in a police youth league with cops who serve as "role models," showing them the ropes of "responsibility, dedication, and commitment." But Oliphant adds she's been pulled over by police for what she thinks were trivial things, and she doesn't want her kids to have that same experience, or to face danger. As for Zianna, she's not afraid to forge her own path for the future. "I'm not shy to tell them how I feel about it," she says.


Article:
Father, stepmother could face charges after missing boy found alive in basement Posted: Wednesday, June 25, 2014 10:19 PM EDT Updated: Thursday, June 26, 2014 2:30 PM EDT Posted:Updated:

 Charlie Bothuell IV was overcome with emotion after learning his 12-year-old son who had been missing for nearly two weeks had been found alive in the basement of their own Detroit townhouse.

 "I didn't know that he was in the basement. I searched. My wife searched. We've had dozens of police officers, FBI agents were here, dogs. We've all been searching for my son," he says.

 It was the fifth time police had been to the family's town house on Nicolet Place but this time investigators noticed something different in the basement outside a door that is connected to an underground tunnel - a barricade, and behind that, some food, a place to sleep and 12-year-old Charlie crouched down behind a barrel.

 "There's no way he could have erected this make-shift area of concealment, I'll call it. He certainly was excited to see us. I had a chance to actually talk and embrace Charlie," says Detroit Police Chief James Craig.

 In the basement where Charlie was found, a tunnel leads from apartment to apartment and to the outside. The boy likely could have come and gone whenever he needed to.

 According to sources, Charlie told investigators it was his stepmother, Monique, who was helping him hide out and giving him food.

 "My client, Mr. Bothuell and his wife, had no participation in this. They would have not brought this entire media circus, ... FBI, all of this - for what purpose? For what gain?" says family attorney Mark Magidson.

 Charlie V was last seen June 14. His stepmother told police the boy didn't complete his daily exercise routine and she informed his father. Worried how his father would react, Charlie took off and never came back.

 There was several searches for the boy, but there may be a reason Charlie did not want to be found. Police are investigating a serious case of child abuse we're told the father considered discipline.

 The boy, who was home schooled and on a strict exercise routine, was often beat with a PVC pipe that has now been taken in as evidence.

 In fact, sources say blood was found in the boy's room and on some of his clothes. That's why police widened the scope of the investigation and, at first, wouldn't rule homicide out.

 His father admits to discipline but maintains his son was never abused.

 "It's only evidence if there was some crime committed. No crime committed here. That's not what happened," the father says.

 Fox 2 has learned the father is expected to face child abuse charges in the next couple of days. Fox 2's Taryn Asher reports a warrant will be handed over to the prosecutor. Charlie's stepmother could also face a few charges.

 Meanwhile, 12-year-old Charlie was treated at Children's Hospital and released. He is said to be in good physical health. He spent the night in the hospital with his biological mother.

  ||||| DETROIT (WXYZ) - Detroit Police say they have taken Charlie Bothuell's stepmother, Monique Dillard-Bothuell, into custody. We're told there was a bench warrant out for the 37-year-old's arrest for violating her probation.

 Earlier this year, Dillard-Bothuell plead guilty to purchasing a pistol without a permit and was put on a 2-year probation period.

 Police also confirm that Child Protective Services has removed two other children, a 4-year-old and a 10-month-old, from the home.

 A day after 12-year-old Charlie Bothuell V was found alive in the basement of his father's Detroit home, new details are emerging about his strange 10-day disappearance.

 Police say Charlie was home schooled and subjected to an exercise regime, though further details were not provided.

 Bothuell was discovered hiding behind a 55-gallon drum while officers were executing their fourth search warrant on the Nicolet Place home Wednesday afternoon.

 We're told a PVC pipe with blood on it was taken away from the home as evidence.

 Charlie was released from the hospital Thursday morning and is now with his mother where he has been interviewed by the FBI and other investigators.

 Action News has also learned of a new twist in the case. The uncle of Monique Charlie's stepmother has a listed address three doors away from where the search had been going on.

 That home is the end unit of the same condominium building. The units are connected by an underground hallway.

 Charlie's stepmother's uncle is Detroit attorney Godfrey Dillard. Action News reached him on the phone to ask about the case and Monique, and he refused to comment.

 Godfrey Dillard recently announced his run for Michigan Attorney General.

 It’s unclear if police are investigating a connection to Godfrey Dillard’s listed address.

 When his son was found Wednesday, Charlie's father, Charlie Bothuell IV, spoke out emotionally and said he was hoping to be reunited with his son. That has not yet happened. |||||Summary:

– The Detroit father whose missing son was found behind a barricade in his own basement could face charges, police say, but it's not clear whether they will be related to the 11-day disappearance of 12-year-old Charlie Bothuell. Sources tell Fox that the boy was home-schooled under a strict regimen that included beatings with a PVC pipe, and investigators have removed evidence including bloodied clothing from the home. Investigators say the boy didn't appear to be captive behind the barricade, but they don't believe he could have erected it himself. Police didn't find him on four previous searches of the home and it's not clear if he was in the basement during those visits. His father—who was being interviewed by Nancy Grace when he was informed his son had been found—says he had no idea that Charlie was in the basement. Sources say the boy has told investigators that it was his stepmother, Monica Bothuell, who helped him hide out in the basement—and in another twist, she was arrested yesterday on an unrelated weapons charge, CNN reports. Two other children, a 4-year-old and a 10-month-old, have been removed from the home, and Charlie has been released to his mother's custody. WXYZ has uncovered another twist: The basement unit where Charlie was found is connected by an underground hallway to the home of his stepmother's uncle: Detroit attorney Godfrey Dillard, who recently announced a run for Michigan Attorney General.


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Ackerman, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, gained quite a name for himself at a hearing in February 2009, in which this tough guy from Queens gave a severe (and deserved) bawling-out to regulators for failing to catch Bernie Madoff. Yet Ackerman slugged it out on behalf of Wall Street about a year after the camera lights were turned off, fighting a rule that would have required banks to shed their derivatives subsidiaries.

 Since 1989, when Opensecrets.org started tracking such things, financial-services professionals have dominated the list of top contributors to Ackerman, with contributions from the real estate and securities and investment sectors topping $1 million since 1989. That trend continued into 2010, which was his last and final bid for reelection.

 It's not just Ackerman and the New York delegation. The top contributors to Barney Frank of Dodd-Frank fame, ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, is a who's who of banks, mutual funds and financial-services companies.

 Ackerman is stepping down in January, but Wall Street can expect plenty of help from both sides of the aisle in the years to come, Democratic platform rhetoric notwithstanding. They may be liberals on many subjects, but when it comes to Wall Street, they tow the line. And the Street is not afraid to show its appreciation.

 2 of 2 ||||| NEW YORK ( TheStreet ) -- The conventional wisdom is that the antipathy -- or perhaps I should say "alleged antipathy" -- between President Obama and Wall Street is mutual. Obama and the Democrats have thrown Wall Street under the bus, the story goes, and the Street has reacted by showering contributions on Mitt Romney.

 Bullfeathers. Obama has hardly been antagonistic toward Wall Street, as indicated, most recently, by his succumbing to congressional Republicans and supporting a horrid "JOBS Act" that blinks a green light to stock fraud. The other part of this myth is also untrue. While the so-called financial-services industry is definitely flocking to Romney and his hard-right running mate, they haven't abandoned Obama and congressional Democrats, especially the latter.

 There's no question that the Street loves Romney and would be ecstatic if the Republicans gained control of both houses of Congress. How could they not feel warmly toward one of their own? A look at the top contributors to Romney , available at Opensecrets.org, indicates just how much of a Wall Street darling he has become. His chief source of contributions comes from executives ofand, while Obama's principal contributors work for the University of California,, a corporate law firm called DLA Piper and Harvard University.

 Mind you, that's just counting sums going directly into the candidates' coffers. Financial-industry execs are also the top contributors to Super PACs and other outside spending groups, and they're showing their dollars overwhelmingly to conservative causes by a wide margin, $44.2 million versus $4.8 million for liberal PACs.

 That's a big shift from 2008, when the financial-services industry bet heavily on Obama and the Democrats. Goldman partners and associates, for instance, gave 75% of their contributions to Democrats in 2008; now the number is 27%. But Obama is still getting a considerable portion of his financing from that sector -- $12.2 million, versus $28.6 million for Romney.

 Clearly the GOP hasn't given up on Democrats, and they certainly have no reason to do so. A good example is the New York congressional delegation, which is solidly Democratic -- and solidly backed by the Street.

 The incumbent junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, is up for re-election this year against conservative Republican Wendy Long. Individuals and PACs from the securities and investment industry have poured $2.7 million into her campaign coffers, second only to lawyers, and are among the principal sugar daddies in a campaign in which she has exceeded Long in fundraising by a ridiculous margin, raising $13.8 million versus $337,000 for the Republican. Nobody seems to expect Long to win, and that includes law firms, even though she's a former litigation partner with Kirkland & Ellis. Wall Street is certainly not wasting any money on that lost cause.

 Law firms are Long's biggest source of contributions, totaling $38,550 to date. Meanwhile, the securities and investment industry has doled out $31,750 to her campaign. That is about the best numerical indication that the Republican is most definitely a long shot. (The polls , which show her far behind Gillibrand, agree.)

 Why back a Democrat and not a reliable conservative like Long? It's not just that Long doesn't have an icicle's chance in hell of winning. It's also that Gillibrand, like many on her side of the aisle, is no enemy of Wall Street. In fact, a few months ago she was being hailed in the business press as a "champion of Wall Street." In that capacity, she has taken over the mantle from the senior senator from New York, stalwart liberal Democrat Charles Schumer, who has had to temper his devotion to Wall Street now that he has become "more of a national Democratic leader," New York's Capital Web site reported in February.

 "Meanwhile," the Web site reported, "Kirsten Gillibrand has quietly overcome considerable skepticism about her on Wall Street to become a go-to advocate for the financial-services industry in her own right." And the Street is clutching the skepticism-overcoming junior senator tightly to its collective bosom, judging from its campaign spending. Wouldn't you give money to Gillibrand over a long shot (or even a short shot) challenger, if you were a banker or brokerage exec?

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 You might do it to a worthy politician, or even do it if he or she isn't noted as a friend of Wall Street. Probably the best example is a New York congressman with a not-so-well-earned reputation for hostility to Wall Street, Gary Ackerman. |||||

– Yes, Wall Street would love to see Mitt Romney win in November, writes Gary Weiss at TheStreet, but Weiss wants to debunk the "conventional wisdom" that the financial services industry and Democrats don't get along. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is a case in point. She's a Democrat running for reelection against a conservative challenger, yet Gillibrand has heavy backing from Wall Street because she is such a strong advocate for it on Capitol Hill. Gillibrand may be the biggest example, but she's far from the only one. "Wall Street can expect plenty of help from both sides of the aisle in the years to come, Democratic platform rhetoric notwithstanding," writes Weiss. "They may be liberals on many subjects, but when it comes to Wall Street, they tow the line. And the Street is not afraid to show its appreciation." Click for Weiss' full column.