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 Embed Air Travelers' Complaints Jump by 34 Percent, Focus on Cancellations 0:25 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog

 Ever been frustrated by an airport delay or by an airline that won't respond to your complaint?

 One passenger took it to the next level after waiting so long for compensation over a marathon mechanical delay that authorities threatened to impound the airline's jet until it paid her $680.

 Officials threatened to impound the Thomas Cook Airlines plane. Sean Gallup / Getty Images, file

 The German vacationer had been waiting four years for the payout after her Thomas Cook Airlines flight from Vienna, Austria, to the Caribbean took off 22 hours late.

 European Union regulations entitle passengers on late or canceled flights to compensation according to a fixed tariff based on distance and the length of the delay.

 However, the woman, who has not been publicly identified, never received her cash. She eventually approached a claims company who contracted a lawyer to take the matter to court in Austria.

 A court order for payment was secured, and an official informed Salzburg Airport Friday that he was empowered to ground a Thomas Cook Airlines jet — worth tens of millions of dollars — until the outstanding amount was paid.

 "Some airlines use the tactic of blocking requests or taking so long that people give up"

 Thomas Cook's sister airline, Condor, immediately paid the money so that the aircraft did not need to be impounded and no enforcement action was needed.

 "We first heard of the claim on Friday, when we were notified by the airport in Salzburg," Condor spokesman Johannes Winter told NBC News. "Once we heard of it, we immediately paid. We are very sorry that it took this long."

 The woman was represented by compensation company FlightRight, which handles the paperwork in exchange for a 25 percent fee in the case of successful payouts.

 "Some airlines use the tactic of blocking requests or taking so long that people give up," the firm's legal chief, Jonas Swarzenski, told NBC News. "I think this was just an administrative mistake by the airline, the claim probably just got lost on somebody's desk."

 He said only 15 percent of travelers who are entitled to EU compensation ever make a claim.

 The regulations also cover transatlantic flights from the U.S. to Europe operated by EU-based airlines, and return flights from Europe to the U.S. operated by any airline. ||||| Any frequent traveler knows the particular pain of a (very) delayed flight, and the only thing that could make it worse is an airline that takes forever to refund a fee or send out a voucher. However, a woman whose lawsuit against Thomas Cook Airlines resulted in a victory in Austrian court could be an empowering moment for us all. The unnamed woman, a German citizen, was booked on a Thomas Cook flight from Vienna to the Caribbean that got delayed a whopping 22 hours because of mechanical issues. Although she was promised $680 as per European Union regulations that compensate passengers based on the length of their delay, the woman got frustrated dealing with Thomas Cook's sluggishness getting her the cash.

 The woman, however, was undeterred. She hired FlightRight , a claims company that fights airlines to get fees paid out (in exchange for a portion of the money), which won the suit in Austrian small claims court. A judge ruled in favor of the woman, then informed personnel at Salzburg Airport that they had the right to impound a Thomas Cook plane until the outstanding debt was cleared. Considering planes are worth tens of millions of dollars, that ruling got the airline's attention in a big way, and a rep from Condor, Thomas Cook's partner airline, promptly paid up. "We first heard of the claim on Friday, when we were notified by the airport in Salzburg," a Condor spokesperson told NBC News . "Once we heard of it, we immediately paid. We are very sorry that it took this long." A rep for FlightRight said that many airlines try to stall on paying out claims, hoping people will get fed up and not follow through. Only about 15 percent of EU residents who qualify for airline reimbursements even file for them in the first place, and we're guessing that most of them aren't as persistent as this woman.

 Does this mean American domestic airlines could soon run afoul of the same public embarrassment? It's less likely, since the U.S. doesn't have the same protections for passengers as the EU. But we still love the visual of a woman towing a jumbo jet home with her behind her car or spray-painting "Property of Disgruntled Customer" on the side. ||||| Staff writers news.com.au

 A PASSENGER whose flight was delayed has exacted the ultimate revenge against an airline by securing a court order to impound one of its multi-million dollar jets.

 The unidentified woman from Germany had been locked in a four-year battle with Thomas Cook Airlines over a compensation payout of $US680 ($AU900) over a flight from Austria to the Caribbean that took off 22 hours late due to mechanical issues.

 The woman was entitled to compensation under European Union regulations, which allows qualified passengers on late or cancelled flights to claim reimbursement depending on the distance and time of delay.

 But Thomas Cook Airlines never came through with the payment, and the woman took the matter to an Austrian court.

 A court order was issued over the payment, and an official told Salzburg Airport last week he was empowered to ground a Thomas Cook Airlines jet, worth tens of millions of dollars, until the airline came through with the money, NBC News reports.

 Thomas Cook’s sister airline, Condor, paid the money straight away and the aircraft avoided getting impounded.

 “We first heard of the claim on Friday, when we were notified by the airport in Salzburg,” Condor spokesman Johannes Winter told NBC News.

 “Once we heard of it, we immediately paid. We are very sorry that it took this long.”

 Jonas Swarzenski, the legal chief of compensation company FlightRight, which represented the woman, said he believed it was an innocent blunder by the airline.

 “Some airlines use the tactic of blocking requests or taking so long that people give up,” he told NBC News.

 “I think this was just an administrative mistake by the airline, the claim probably just got lost on somebody’s desk.”

 Mr Swarzenski said only 15 per cent of travellers who were entitled to EU compensation ever actually made a claim.

 According to the regulations, qualified passengers can claim financial compensation when they are denied from boarding, their flight is cancelled or their aircraft arrives more than three hours late, both within the EU and between EU and non-EU airports. |||||

– An airline nearly had one of its jets, worth "tens of millions" of dollars, impounded Friday because it wouldn't pay a customer the $680 it owed her for a delayed flight, NBC News reports. The EU requires airlines to reimburse travelers for delays depending on their length. A German woman's flight from Austria to the Caribbean was delayed 22 hours for mechanical issues, earning her a $680 payout. But four years later, Thomas Cook Airlines still hadn't paid up. So the woman went to a claims company called FlightRight and took the airline to court. On Friday, an official armed with a court order warned Salzburg Airport that Thomas Cook was about to have one of its jets impounded, affecting flights, unless it ponied up the woman's money. The $680 was immediately paid by Condor, a Thomas Cook-affiliated airline. "We are very sorry that it took this long," a Condor spokesperson says. FlightRight says airlines will sometimes drag their feet when paying out compensation in the hopes travelers will give up, but this was probably an honest mistake. "The claim probably just got lost on somebody's desk," a FlightRight spokesperson says. The regulations behind this "ultimate revenge" exacted by the customer require that passengers be compensated when flights are three hours late or more, notes News.com.au. Protections for travelers aren't as strong in the US, so don't expect this to happen here, adds a post at Conde Nast Traveler, "but we still love the visual of a woman towing a jumbo jet home with her behind her car or spray-painting 'Property of Disgruntled Customer' on the side." (This woman sued an airline after being told to switch seats for a man.)


By Steve Silverman

 » More Columns

 At a certain point, all of the stragglers are going to let it go — the hangers-on who still believe that Tiger Woods has a chance to regain at least some of his past glory and start playing excellent golf once again, winning a tournament here or there and maybe even another major.

 But based on what happened in the first round Thursday at the U.S. Open and the third round of the Memorial Tournament earlier this month, those of us still holding onto Tiger confidence and Tiger hope are going to give it up in short order.

 Tiger opened with an 80 in the first round at Chambers Bay, and the look on his face was a familiar one when he topped his 3-wood and saw it roll up the fairway and into the hazard.

 The look was familiar because when I play with my buddies Bobbo, Junior (aka Muscles) and Ron, I often see that look on their faces when they hit a worm burner up the fairway. And they see that same expression on my face when I do it.

 Bobbo is always the one with the quick remark. When I hit that shot, he looks me dead in the eye and he lets me know without any hesitation.

 “You know, you are not very good at golf,” he says. “You’re actually quite lousy.”

 No apologies and no “you’ll get ‘em next time.” He’s straight forward, and he was the first one to point out that Tiger was beaten by 15-year-old amateur Cole Hammer in the first round. The youngster finished three strokes better.

 There is no getting around that Tiger is playing lousy golf. You may want to give him credit for sticking with it and “working through the process,” but for those of us who have been in the Tiger camp for years, this is just a brutal development that may be worse than any elite athlete has ever gone through.

 Tiger was not one of the best golfers of his generation; he was the best. His peers came from previous eras in golf, as in Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Bobby Jones. Arnold Palmer may have had more charisma than any of the other three, but he was not as great or consistent.

 Tiger had the charisma to match Palmer, and he seemed like he was as good or better as those other historic figures.

 Nicklaus was among his biggest supporters, saying on several occasions that he believed Tiger would break his record of 18 majors. The Golden Bear will still come out with words of support, but it seems like he is just trying to be kind at this point.

 Willie Mays is often in the photo when it comes to great athletes who lost it at the end. There’s that play in the 1973 World Series where as a member of the Mets, he lost a fly ball in the outfield in sunny Oakland. That clip is regularly shown to depict the ravages that hit aging athletes. That play and a sinking batting average doesn’t take anything away from the fact that Mays is almost certainly the greatest living ex-player, and perhaps the best or second-best player all-time behind Babe Ruth.

 But Mays was 42 in 1973, and high expectations had long since evaporated. He would occasionally get a key hit or make a play, but his ability to play consistently had disappeared by the end of the 1971 season.

 Tiger is 39 years old and he should still have good years left. Nicklaus won five tournaments, including three majors, after he turned 40. Palmer won six tournaments after that age, but none of them were majors.

 Tiger has never been the same since Thanksgiving of 2008, when his sex scandal became known to the public – and his wife.

 He has had numerous injuries as well, but it seems the pristine aura around his image cracked wide open when his social activities became front-page news.

 There were those who reveled in his misery and those who had some level of empathy. But it seemed as though the greatest golfer in the world would find a way to get his game back.

 While he had a great 2013 season with five tournament victories, he has not come close to winning a major. His career total of 14 majors remains stuck on hold, exactly where it has been for the last seven years.

 Based on the way he has played since the end of the 2013 season – when it all started to go sideways for him – that total is not going to change.

 I have always been in the camp that wanted to see Tiger do well again, because it makes golf a better game. But I have to agree with Bobbo at this point.

 “Tiger, you stink.”

 Follow Steve on Twitter at @ProFootballBoy ||||| Woods prepares to tee off on the 12th hole Friday. (Photo: Michael Madrid, USA TODAY Sports)

 UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – Tiger Woods won't be heading to the weekend of the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.

 He'll be heading home to Florida.

 Woods shot 76 in the second round to go along with Thursday's 80 to finish 16-over par.

 Masters champion Jordan Spieth was the leader from the early groups, coming in with a 68-67 for 5-under. Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson, the co-leaders after the first round, had later tee times Friday afternoon.

 Despite starting his second round Friday with a bogey – the 10th time he's done that in his last 11 rounds – Woods looked more relaxed and was more in control of his game. On his first nine holes, he shot 2-over-par 36.

 But he wasn't even close as the top 60 and ties will make the cut

 Starting on the 10th, Woods hit his second shot into hay near the green and had to slash out his third onto the green. On his way down the hill, he slipped and fell on his backside before needing two putts to make bogey.

 Woods made birdie from 10 feet on the 12th but finished with bogeys on the 14th and 18th holes. He hit five greens and five fairways in regulation and needed 16 putts.

 It is the second time Woods will miss the cut in the U.S. Open, the other time coming in 2006 when his mind and heart were elsewhere after his father passed away the previous month.

 Since turning pro, he has missed just four cuts in 67 starts in a major before this week. In his first 37 major starts, he didn't miss a cut and won 10 times. In his last 30 heading into this week, he missed five cuts while winning four times.

 His previous missed cuts came in the 2006 U.S. Open, the 2009 British Open and the 2011 and 2014 PGA Championship.

 This will be Woods' 14th missed cut worldwide since turning pro in 1996, but his fourth in his last 11 starts. And one of those starts was in his last event, where he finished last at The Memorial and shot his worst score for 18 holes (85) and 72 holes (302).

 Woods will next play July 2-5 in the Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Then he will have a week off and play in the British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland.

 PHOTOS: Friday at the U.S. Open ||||| All in a day's work

 Check out this review of the best of sports from July 31, 2016 -- including Jon Lester's safety squeeze to lift Cubs to a walk-off win, the Indians' acquisition of Andrew Miller, J.J. Watts' will to play Week 1, and Jimmy Walker's PGA Championship win. |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Tiger Woods' second round of the US Open is over, and you will currently find his name second from the bottom on the leaderboard. Which means that out of 156 golfers, he is tied for 154th place. Some are still playing, and it's possible one or two more might end up behind him, but no matter what, his 16-over-par means that he will miss the cut by a mile, reports USA Today. What's more, this is pretty much business as usual for Woods these days. "At a certain point, all of the stragglers are going to let it go—the hangers-on who still believe that Tiger Woods has a chance to regain at least some of his past glory and start playing excellent golf once again, winning a tournament here or there and maybe even another major," writes Steve Silverman at CBS. Those looking for a new phenom might pay attention to 15-year-old Cole Hammer, who is about to start his second round. It's a long shot, but if he finished at 4-under today, he'd probably make the cut.


The crowds passing through Westminster on Wednesday evening would not have been too surprised to encounter one of the political village's most famous faces, with its trademark thick black spectacles and the lights of the camera crew bouncing off his shiny dome.

 What might have caused alarm, however, was that the BBC's political editor Nick Robinson was in the process of violently stamping on a placard he has just wrested from the hands of anti-war activist. When challenged over this most partial of activities, which was unfortunately captured on camera and uploaded to the internet yesterday, Mr Robinson said he was "not even remotely ashamed".

 Those who watched the BBC's Six O'Clock News may have witnessed the irritation which caused the usually mild mannered correspondent to engage in this moment of rage: the placard wielder had been continually interrupting his broadcast. In the footage Mr Robinson is shown trying to pull apart the sign – which read "Cut the war not the poor" – before stamping on it, while a protester shouts: "You should be ashamed of yourself, mate."

 Confronted after the incident by the camera-wielding activist, Mr Robinson remarked: "I'm not remotely ashamed of myself." But a posting on his blog yesterday evening revealed he has since softened his stance.

 "I have a confession," he wrote. "I grabbed the sign and ripped it up – apparently you can watch video of my sign rage in full glorious technicolour on the web. I lost my temper and I regret that." ||||| Were you up for that Ed Balls moment - the symbol of Labour's crushing electoral defeat, the trigger for wild Tory celebrations and Labour despair?

 In his first interview since that moment two weeks ago, the man who thought he was about to be chancellor told me about his "sense of loss" after his party's failure and a personal defeat which he describes as "a symbol of the vibrancy of our democracy".

 Ed Balls was in reflective mood when we spoke - looking back at what he'd achieved as much as forward to what might be next.

 "I think one of the really important things in life is to think about what you've done rather than fixate on what you might not have done," he said.

 "So in those 20 years, I helped keep us out of the euro, I helped Britain to have an independent Bank of England, to raise education leaving age to 18, Sure Start, the national minimum wage, changing the health service - these are all good things. |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Mild-mannered BBC political editor Nick Robinson was transformed into a ball of rage by an anti-war sign being waved in the background as he broadcast from Westminster. Robinson delivered his broadcast calmly, then turned around, grabbed the sign from the protester, tried to rip it apart, and stamped on it, the Independent reports. Robinson later wrote on his BBC blog that he regretted losing his temper and erupting in "sign rage." However, he wrote, "as I explained afterward to the protesters who disrupted my broadcast, there are many opportunities to debate whether the troops should be out of Afghanistan without the need to stick a sign on a long pole and wave it in front of a camera."


Here is a news article: Jared Fogle is desperately trying to get out of prison anyway he can, and now he is dragging disgraced Larry Nassar into his fight by using the disgraced Team USA doctor as a benchmark for his own charges.

 Fogle filed documents in his case, obtained by The Blast, arguing that he should have never been charged with “traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sex.” He specifically points out that “Dr. Larry Nasser was not charged with ‘travel for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct,’ yet he clearly engaged in unlawful conducts with young women.”

 He says that “Fogle, in contrast, traveled as a Media Spokesperson for Subway, yet he was in error allowed to be charged” with the “traveling” crime.

 Fogle — who is currently behind bars serving his 15 year sentence — is questioning why Nassar wouldn’t also be charged with the same crime if he was “clearly violating young women” during his medical travels. He claims this is “diverging applications of the law,” and wants it dropped.

 Fogle is also claiming he was pressured into pleading guilty in the whole case, and wants his plea withdrawn from court. He accuses the prosecution of “tinkering” with a charge to “create crime” and force him to plead guilty or risk being forced into bankruptcy. He also blames his “high priced” legal team for allegedly forcing him to plead guilty.

 Lastly, he blames many of his issues on “alcohol and sex addictions” and claims doctors put him on medication to successfully curb his “overactive libido.”

 Fogle is adamant the courts have been in “grave error of the law.”

 The court has not yet responded to his motion … but Fogle is clearly pulling out all the stops to get out of prison. ||||| Jared Fogle I Got A Raw Deal ... Nassar Got Leniency!

 Jared Fogle Thinks He Got Screwed and Larry Nassar Got Leniency

 Breaking News

 Jared Fogle might have his most ridiculous legal argument yet for a judge to undo his plea deal -- and Larry Nassar is his exhibit A.

 Fogle filed docs seeking to withdraw his guilty plea, and focuses on one of his many charges ... traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sex. He points out Dr. Nassar did NOT get slapped with this charge, and Fogle clearly thinks he should have been.

 Yes, it's true ... Nassar was traveling with Team USA Gymnastics when he committed some of his crimes. Fogle, who filed the docs himself, thinks there was some bias against him because he did get that charge. He thinks he and Nassar should have gotten equal treatment under the law.

 Here's why Fogle's not a great lawyer. Just one of Nassar's several sentences was for 175 years -- whereas Fogle's doing 15. He's asking the court to let him withdraw his guilty plea, presumably to get a do-over in his case.

 Careful what ya wish for, jackass. |||||
A summary of this is?

– Jared Fogle remains very busy trying to get himself out of jail—and apparently keeping up with current events. The former Subway pitchman's new legal gambit revolves around the case of disgraced Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, reports the Blast. In newly filed legal documents, Fogle complains that he was charged with "traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sex" while he was on the road for Subway, but Nassar was not similarly charged even though he committed crimes while on the road with the gymnasts. Fogle apparently sees this as an example of how the case against him was unfair. He also says he was pressured into pleading guilty and wants to withdraw his pleas to charges of distribution and receipt of child pornography and traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. TMZ points out that Fogle is serving a 15-year sentence, while Nassar has no hope of ever leaving prison, raising the question of why Fogle would take the risk of withdrawing his pleas to get a new trial. (Fogle previously said the judge was biased because she has daughters.)


Write an article based on this summary:

– Critics are calling it "bombshell by the Bay." The pope has sent a strong message to his Left Coast faithful by naming a key backer of Proposition 8 against gay marriage as the new archbishop of San Francisco. Salvatore Cordileone, who officially takes charge next week, is considered an "architect" of Proposition 8, notes the Los Angeles Times. He helped develop the proposition to shoot down the state's gay marriage measure when he was an auxiliary bishop in San Diego. Cordileone's appointment by Pope Benedict "re-emphasizes the Vatican's concern about gay marriage" even in a city like San Francisco, Father Thomas J. Reese, a senior fellow at Georgetown University, tells the Times. "They're serious, and they're not going to back down." Cordileone, who heads the "defense of marriage" subcommittee for the US Conference of Bishops, has warned that Catholics have to understand the "church is not going to change its teaching," and has said that the sacrament of Communion should be denied to gays and lesbians in a relationship. "Paranoia is very high," says San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, whose district includes Most Holy Redeemer Church in the Castro, which could be the largest gay Catholic congregation in the nation. "There are a lot of gay people for whom this religion is very important. It's just very, very sad," he tells the San Francisco Chronicle. The archdiocese recently banned drag queens from serving as emcees at charity events at the church. In Cordileone's most recent controversy, he was busted for drunk driving last month in San Diego—and apologized. The 56-year-old archbishop will lead more than 500,000 Catholics in 91 parishes in three counties: San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin.

Most Holy Redeemer at crossroads ON SAN FRANCISCO

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 gallery_thumbnails_photo|photo-3335991|article-gallery-3791909|8 Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close gallery_thumbnails_show|article-gallery-3791909|article-gallery-3791909|0 gallery_overlay_open|article-gallery-3791909|article-gallery-3791909|0 gallery_overlay_open_thumbs|article-gallery-3791909|article-gallery-3791909|0 Image 1 of 9 Most Holy Redeemer, with a membership that is 80 percent gay and lesbian, in the Castro. Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle Most Holy Redeemer, with a membership that is 80 percent gay and... Image 2 of 9 A stained glass window is seen at the Most Holy Redeemer church in San Francisco. Photo: Megan Farmer, The Chronicle A stained glass window is seen at the Most Holy Redeemer church in... Image 3 of 9 Chuck Bold is seen leaving a church service at the Most Holy Redeemer Church in San Francisco. Chuck says, in reference to the new arch bishop, "give the guy a chance." Photo: Megan Farmer, The Chronicle Chuck Bold is seen leaving a church service at the Most Holy... Image 4 of 9 In this 2004 file photo, Father Steve Meriwether walks back into the church after a well attended Sunday Mass at Most Holy Redeemer parish church in the Castro. Photo: Kat Wade, SFC In this 2004 file photo, Father Steve Meriwether walks back into... Image 5 of 9 In this 2004 file photo, Father Steve Meriwether leads a well attended Sunday Mass at Most Holy Redeemer parish church in the Castro Sunday as the Roman Catholic Church opens the fight against homosexuality among priests and seminary students. Photo: Kat Wade, The Chronicle In this 2004 file photo, Father Steve Meriwether leads a well... Image 6 of 9 In this 2004 file photo, Father Steve Meriwether greets parishners after a well attended Sunday Mass at Most Holy Redeemer parish church in the Castro Sunday as the Roman Catholic Church opens the fight against homosexuality among priests and seminary students. Ran on: 09-27-2005 The Rev. Stephen Meriwether greets parishioners after Sunday Mass at Most Holy Redeemer Church. Photo: Kat Wade, The Chronicle In this 2004 file photo, Father Steve Meriwether greets parishners... Image 7 of 9 In this 2004 file photo, parishner Mark Andrew holds a rosary as he prays during Sunday Mass at Most Holy Redeemer parish church in the Castro lead by Father Steve Meriwether Sunday as the Roman Catholic Church opens the fight against homosexuality among priests and seminary students. Ran on: 09-27-2005 The Rev. Stephen Meriwether greets parishioners after Sunday Mass at Most Holy Redeemer Church. Photo: Kat Wade, The Chronicle In this 2004 file photo, parishner Mark Andrew holds a rosary as he... Image 8 of 9 Nicolas Volant is seen leaving a church service at the Most Holy Redeemer Church in San Francisco. Photo: Megan Farmer, The Chronicle Nicolas Volant is seen leaving a church service at the Most Holy... Image 9 of 9 Most Holy Redeemer at crossroads 1 / 9 Back to Gallery gallery_thumbs_close|article-gallery-3791909|article-gallery-3791909|0 gallery_overlay_close|article-gallery-3791909|article-gallery-3791909|0

 Most Holy Redeemer is at a crossroads. The Catholic church in the Castro district has arguably the largest gay parish in the nation, and controversial new decisions have members worried about leadership, policies - even that the church might be shut down.

 And it all began with drag queens.

 When the archdiocese refused to allow drag queens to serve as emcees for charity events at the church's community hall, it fed rampant paranoia about antigay sentiment. The decision was initially blamed on incoming Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage who has been championed by extreme conservative Catholic groups. Some read the drag-queen ban as a calculated slap in the face.

 Cordileone doesn't start his new job until October, but clearly the issue is bigger than drag queens at a fundraiser. The decision calls into question the responsibility of a church in the community, of the acceptance of all walks of life and the tenets of religion.

 "Paranoia is very high," said Supervisor Scott Wiener, who represents the district. "There are a lot of gay people for whom this religion is very important. It's just very, very sad."

 Even the possibility of closing the church, despite its illustrious San Francisco history, seems real.

 "The (incoming) archbishop holds the keys to this building," said church business manager Mike Poma. "He could close us any time."

 And for some, the move to quell the drag-queen decision by declaring that Ellard Hall would be closed to community events only made things worse.

 Most Holy Redeemer's new pastor, the Rev. Brian Costello, who did not return a phone call, arrived in July from a church in the Richmond District. But he made a point in his first official message to welcome "old, young, married, gay, lesbian, transgender, affluent, home-cradle Catholics, radical, traditional, questioning and fervent."

 So, while he was initially opposed to having drag queens as entertainment for two fundraisers for sobriety and wellness groups at Ellard Hall, he listened when Poma asked him to reconsider.

 "I told him, this is just dinner. It's not a strip show," Poma said. "I told him it was going to be a powder keg."

 Poma says Costello responded by making two calls to the archdiocese, where the idea was turned down flat.

 "We have to give (Costello) a break," Poma said. "He's got a boss, you know. And he's never been immersed in gay culture in his life. He's learning."

 What he's learning is that what might seem very strange in Middle America is everyday life in the Castro. Drag queens may not be mainstream, except at Most Holy Redeemer, where they regularly attend Mass.

 "We had some boys in miniskirts last Sunday," Poma said. "And Father Costello met with them."

 It should also be said that some of the gay groups that have been using the hall have gone way over the top. Several years ago the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence featured a drag queen known as Peaches Christ, who waved a crucifix shaped like a dildo. Even longtime gay parishioners thought that was too much.

 The odd part of this manufactured controversy is how well the church has been working. A robust congregation of 450 to 550 members, more than 80 percent of whom are gay or lesbian, consider themselves practicing Catholics. For a religion that doesn't always seem welcoming to gays, that's impressive.

 So are services. Poma says he brought his mother to Mass and she couldn't get over the warm sound of "all those men's voices." Poma says the music at Most Holy Redeemer is so renowned that visitors come from all over the country.

 "We had some the other day," he said. "Afterward they said, 'You've renewed my faith.' "

 Hopefully, incoming Archbishop Cordileone will also attend with an open mind. And leave with the same feeling. ||||| SAN FRANCISCO — The announcement by Pope Benedict XVI has been dubbed the "Bombshell by the Bay."

 Next week, a key player in the passage of Proposition 8 — a man who has decried the "contraceptive mentality" of modern life — will become the leader of the Catholic Church here in the city that thrust same-sex marriage onto the national stage, the birthplace of the Summer of Love.

 Supporters view Archbishop-designate Salvatore Cordileone, the 56-year-old son of a commercial fisherman, as a charming and brilliant defender of the faith. He is fluent in Spanish and Italian, has been known to sing vintage TV theme songs in Latin and is a deep believer in a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

 But many gay and lesbian Catholics worry that they will be marginalized after Cordileone's arrival. Oasis California, the Episcopal Church's gay ministry, convened a meeting recently at a Castro District bar to discuss how spiritual people should respond to the "architect of Prop. 8" coming to town.

 Cordileone's appointment "re-emphasizes the Vatican's concern, and the U.S. bishops' concern, about gay marriage," said Father Thomas J. Reese, a senior fellow at Georgetown University's Woodstock Theological Center. "Even in a city like San Francisco, they're willing to appoint someone who … has a high state and national profile on this issue.

 "They're serious," Reese said, "and they're not going to back down."

 During a July news conference, Cordileone was circumspect when discussing the "cultural challenges" his new diocese would present — which he said revolved around "issues of family life and, essentially, come down to our understanding of the human person, the purpose of our human sexuality, what God calls us to do and how he calls us to live and how he calls us to love."

 But in a recent interview at the headquarters of the Oakland diocese, where he has served as bishop for three years, Cordileone was more direct: Gays and lesbians who are in sexual relationships of any kind, he said, should not receive the sacrament of Holy Communion, the central ritual of Catholic life.

 "If we misuse the gift of sexuality, we're going to suffer the consequences," he said, "and I firmly believe we are suffering the consequences."

 The prelate's light-filled office overlooks Oakland's Lake Merritt. Just beyond the graceful urban estuary, he said, are "100 blocks of inner-city neighborhoods. Those are fatherless children."

 Cordileone will lead a flock of more than 500,000 Catholics spread over 91 parishes in three counties — San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin. Although it is not as influential as the country's largest dioceses, New York and Los Angeles among them, it is a high-profile destination for a fast-rising archbishop.

 And though he strives to deliver Catholicism's absolutes in as nuanced a fashion as possible, Cordileone said, people need to understand that "the church is not going to change its teaching. ... The solution isn't to say, 'Well, I'm just going to disagree and continue being a Catholic.' That's not how we arrive at holiness."

 Unlike secular organizations, however, the church cannot just slam the door on dissenters, he said. Instead, the Catholic Church must reach out, support people, "move them along to understand."

 Cordileone, who heads up the subcommittee for the promotion and defense of marriage of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, came early to the Proposition 8 battle.

 In 2007, the California Supreme Court was considering the constitutionality of a voter initiative that changed the state family code to say that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

 That September, the San Diego City Council was poised to join a friend-of-the-court brief in support of legalizing same-sex marriage in California. Cordileone — who grew up in San Diego and was its auxiliary bishop at the time — wrote a heartfelt letter to the lawmakers:

 "We believe that marriage, by its very definition, can exist only between a man and a woman," Cordileone wrote. "Moreover, study after study — not to mention common sense — show that children fare better in life when raised in a home with a loving father and mother in a stable, committed relationship."

 Society and its governing bodies should do everything in their power to "encourage healthy and stable marriages," he added, while treating "persons with same-sex attraction" with "respect, compassion and sensitivity."

 The council voted to act in support of gay marriage. But Mayor Jerry Sanders, who had been expected to veto the measure, called a last-minute news conference. Facing reporters, he choked up. One of his daughters is gay, he said. He could not tell her that she did not have the right to wed.

 A few weeks later, a small group of traditional-marriage backers gathered in a San Diego living room to strategize about how to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot in case the state Supreme Court overturned Proposition 22, which ultimately it did. |||||


Summarize this article:

Image copyright AFP Image caption Newspapers described serpentine queues at ATMs

 Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says "honest people" have no need to worry about a decision to scrap 1,000 and 500 rupee notes.

 Mr Jaitley said the move would flush out tax evaders, adding that all old notes deposited in banks would be subjected to tax laws.

 The surprise move, announced on Tuesday evening, is part of a crackdown on corruption and illegal cash holdings.

 The announcement was met with shock in India.

 Media described the move variously as a "surgical strike" on tax evaders in the country's overwhelmingly cash-based economy and a "big bang note". The banknotes declared illegal tender represent 85% of cash in circulation in India.

 Mr Jaitley said that the move would also help India move towards a cashless economy, saying that farmers could "now keep their money in banks".

 He added that new 2,000 (about $30; £15) and 500 rupee denomination notes to replace those removed from circulation would be injected into the economy over the next "three to four weeks".

 On Tuesday there were long queues at ATMs as people tried to withdraw 100 rupee notes, which are still legal.

 Banks and ATM machines were shut on Wednesday.

 The most affected are likely to be small traders, vendors and labourers but newspapers were quick to point out that India's wedding season, due to start in a few days, will also be hit hard.

 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption One woman says the unexpected change will make it tricky for her to pay to get to work

 "Black money and corruption are the biggest obstacles in eradicating poverty," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his address to the nation on Tuesday evening.

 He said the move would "cause some hardship" but asked people to "ignore" it, calling the step a "celebration of honesty".

 Ideas from India to use and abuse redundant cash

 The India currency bombshell

 People will be able to exchange their old notes for new ones at banks over the next 50 days but they stopped being legal tender at midnight on Tuesday. There are also going to be limits on cash withdrawals from ATMs starting on Thursday.

 The move is designed to lock out money that is unaccounted for - known as "black money" - which may have been acquired corruptly, or be being withheld from the tax authorities.

 Finance Secretary Shaktikant Das warned people with large amounts of hidden cash that banks would closely monitor the exchange of old notes for new ones.

 How long have people got to change their old notes?

 The 500 and 1,000 rupee notes are the highest denomination notes in the country and are extremely common in India. Airports, railway stations and hospitals will only accept them until 11 November. People will be able to exchange their money at banks between 10 November and 30 December.

 How much 'black money' is there in circulation?

 The actual figure is unclear but correspondents say the issue of "black money" is a huge problem in India. The idea here is to lock out money that is unaccounted for and make it visible for tax purposes - banks will be happy to exchange a few thousand rupees, but will be asking questions of those who turn up with hundreds of thousands or millions in currency.

 Is there a limit on the amount an individual or household can cash in?

 It seems not. An individual can put as much as he or she likes into the bank - but withdrawals are limited so the banking system may end up being flooded with cash.

 Image copyright Indian government Image caption The government has issued flyers explaining the changes

 Government guidelines say it is possible to exchange 4,000 rupees - but it is not clear if this is per day or in total. If there is a legitimate explanation for the cash, the authorities say, it will be possible to exchange it.

 Do you have 500 and 1,000 rupee bank notes that will need to be changed? Get in touch and email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

 If you are available to talk to a BBC journalist, please include a telephone number.

 Email your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk, upload them here, tweet them to @BBC_HaveYourSay or text +44 7624 800 100.

 Or WhatsApp us on +44 7525 900971.

 Read our terms and conditions. ||||| India has discontinued its two largest rupee notes in a shocking move against corruption.

 Notes worth 500 and 1,000 rupees will be invalid starting at midnight local time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced during a televised address to the nation.

 The unexpected move is designed to fight against corruption and money laundering, Modi said, calling them "diseases" and "obstacles" to the country's economic success.

 Modi said that policy changes had largely failed to root out corruption. Two years ago, he said, India was ranked 100th in terms of global corruption perception, and the country has only improved to 76th.

 Related: India's tax dodgers still hiding hundreds of billions

 The idea is that Indians who have stockpiled undeclared income will now be forced to come out of the shadows.

 "This step will strengthen the hands of the common man in the fight against corruption, black money and fake currency," said Modi, who leads the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

 Brilliant Move by @PMOIndia on Demonetisation of current Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes. Biggest Crackdown on BlackMoney in any Nation's History — ashutosh mishra (@ashutos76653335) November 8, 2016

 But the ban could also spark a mad scramble as ordinary Indians seek to exchange or deposit their cash. Modi said citizens have 50 days to deposit at banks and post offices. Hospitals will be allowed to accept the banned notes for another three days, until Nov. 11.

 That transition will not be an easy task. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) estimates that there are 16.5 billion 500 rupee notes and 6.7 billion 1000 rupee notes currently in circulation. ATMs will be shut on Nov. 9 and 10 to help implement the change.

 Related: India's new central banker serves up surprise interest rate cut

 The central bank is also preparing to issue a new series of 500 and 2,000 rupee notes, which are slated to enter circulation by Nov. 10.

 Until then, the largest legal bill in circulation will be the 100 rupee note, which is worth only $1.50.

 RBI issues ₹2000 note in new series pic.twitter.com/7Ob2j1t6Ab — ReserveBankOfIndia (@RBI) November 8, 2016

 In a country where taxi drivers and shopkeepers are already reluctant to part with small bills, the sudden policy change could complicate business transactions in the short term.

 Indian social media users widely praised the decision, calling it a "bold move." There were also, inevitably, plenty of jokes.

 Two Minutes Of Silence For People Who Are Standing In Queue At ATMs Right Now, Having No Clue About The Ban On Rs 500 And Rs 1000 Notes. ;) — Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) November 8, 2016

 Don't worry folks.. winter is coming.. people with rs 500 and rs 1000 notes black money can burn it and stay warm.#IndiaAgainstCorruption — Shrinidhi (@_shrinidhi_) November 8, 2016

 India is believed to have lost out on over $100 billion in uncollected tax, a large percentage of which is illegally stashed offshore.

 Only 2% of Indians pay any income tax at all because most people work in the economy's informal sector that includes jobs such as construction laborers and road side food sellers.

 Modi also touted the move as an anti-terrorism measure, saying that "enemies across the border have run their operations using fake currency notes," a reference to neighboring Pakistan.

 "The 500 and 1,000 rupee notes hoarded by anti-national and anti-social elements will become just worthless pieces of paper," he said. ||||| Indian officials held up a sample of the new 2,000 INR note at a press conference in New Delhi, Nov. 8, 2016.

 Indian officials held up a sample of the new 2,000 INR note at a press conference in New Delhi, Nov. 8, 2016. Photo: Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

 India is to get new 500 and 2,000 rupee notes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise announcement that the current largest denominations ceased to be legal tender from midnight early Wednesday.

 The new notes will be known as the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series of bank notes after the leader of the country's independence movement.

 Samples of the notes show that both have an image of Gandhi on the front.

 The new 500 rupee note has an image of New Delhi's Red Fort, a more-than 400-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site, on the reverse side and is "stone gray" in color, according to the RBI.

 Modi Scraps Largest Indian Banknotes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moved to replace the country's largest-denomination banknotes in an effort to thwart counterfeiters and dredge up what could be billions of dollars stashed in the underground economy. Photo: AP Photo

 RBI issues ₹500 notes in new series pic.twitter.com/C8rJXrBRZ9 — ReserveBankOfIndia (@RBI) November 8, 2016

 On the reverse side of the magenta 2,000 rupee note, is an image of the Mangalyaan satellite, which India put into the orbit of Mars two years ago on a budget mission.

 RBI issues ₹2000 note in new series pic.twitter.com/7Ob2j1t6Ab — ReserveBankOfIndia (@RBI) November 8, 2016

 Both the notes will have raised print and lines on the left and right to help the visually impaired.

 They also bear the "Swachh Bharat," or "Clean India" logo with its slogan in Hindi that means "one step towards cleanliness," promoting Mr. Modi's flagship project to build toilets and improve sanitation, as well as a host of security features.

 For breaking news, features and analysis from India, follow WSJ India on Facebook. |||||

– A surprise announcement out of India Tuesday night is being called by local media a "surgical strike" against currency corruption that's infiltrated the nation, the BBC reports. Per CNNMoney, India Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the country's two largest current bank notes—the 500-rupee note and 1,000-rupee note (equivalent to about $7.50 and $15, respectively), which equal about 85% of the cash currently moving around India—were taken out of circulation in their current incarnation as of midnight Tuesday, which the government hopes will lure people out of hiding who've been stockpiling money without paying taxes on it. The idea is to force them to swap the cash for legit replacement money at banks and post offices before the 50-day deadline for such trades arrives on Dec. 30. Experts say there's a preponderance of this so-called "black money" in India, and by drawing it all out in droves, banks will be able to send up a red flag if people come in with large amounts, possibly helping the government catch tax evaders. There are about 16.5 billion of the 500-rupee bills and 6.7 billion of the higher denomination now in circulation (ATMs will be shuttered Wednesday and Thursday so more notes won't be introduced into the flow). In place of the now-almost-worthless notes, the government will issue new 500- and 2,000-rupee notes with images of Gandhi on them, the Wall Street Journal reports.


– If you've ever thrown out good food, Pope Francis says you're a thief. "Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of those who are poor and hungry," he said during an audience at the Vatican this week, in which he blamed a "culture of waste." He's got a point, since one study says as much as half the planet's food ends up in the trash. The United Nations' food agency has a more reserved figure, noting that one-third of human food is wasted, according to Reuters. Since becoming pope, Francis has made defending the poor a priority, calling for global financial reform, but yesterday he said people are "insensitive even to the waste and disposal of food," according to the Telegraph. "[It's] even more despicable when all over the world, unfortunately, many individuals and families are suffering from hunger and malnutrition... In this way people are discarded as if they were garbage."

Expand this summary.

1 of 4. Pope Francis shows a thumbs-up sign as he arrives to lead his Wednesday general audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican June 5, 2013.

 VATICAN CITY |

 VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis denounced on Wednesday what he called a "culture of waste" in an increasingly consumerist world and said throwing away good food was like stealing from poor people.

 "Our grandparents used to make a point of not throwing away leftover food. Consumerism has made us accustomed to wasting food daily and we are unable to see its real value," Francis said at his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square.

 "Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of those who are poor and hungry," he said.

 Since taking office in March, Pope Francis has said he wants the 1.2-billion-strong Roman Catholic Church to defend the poor and to practice greater austerity itself. He has also made several calls for global financial reform.

 Around 1.3 billion metric tonnes (1.43 billion tons) of food, or one third of what is produced for human consumption, gets lost or wasted every year, according to the United Nations' food agency.

 In the industrialized world the majority of waste is by consumers, often because they buy too much and have to throw away what they do not manage to eat.

 A U.N.-backed study released on Wednesday said simple measures such as better storage and reducing over-sized portions would sharply reduce the vast amount of food going to waste.

 In U.S. restaurants, diners wasted nine percent of the meals they bought, partly because of a trend to increase the size of everything from cheeseburgers to soft drinks, said the report by the World Resources Institute and the U.N. Environment Program.

 Francis said the "culture of waste" was especially deplorable given the prevalence of hunger in the world. The United Nations says hunger affects some 870 million people, while 2 billion suffer from at least one nutritional deficiency.

 The Argentinian-born pontiff warned that too much focus on money and materialism meant financial market dips were viewed as tragedies while human suffering had become normal and ignored.

 "In this way people are discarded as if they were garbage," he said.

 (Reporting by Catherine Hornby in Vatican City, Alister Doyle in Oslo, Terrence Edwards in Ulan Bator, Deborah Zabarenko in Washington; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Gareth Jones) ||||| The pontiff dedicated his weekly audience in St Peter’s Square to the United Nations World Environment Day to draw attention to the excesses of consumerism and food wastage.

 “This culture of waste has made us insensitive even to the waste and disposal of food, which is even more despicable when all over the world, unfortunately, many individuals and families are suffering from hunger and malnutrition,” the Pope said.

 “Once our grandparents were very careful not to throw away any leftover food. Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food, to which, at times we are no longer able to give a just value.

 “Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry,” he said.

 Since taking office in March, Pope Francis has called for the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics to do more to defend the poor and to practise greater austerity itself. He has also made several calls for global financial reform.

 The Pope dedicated his Wednesday audience, which attracted thousands of pilgrims from around the world, to the UN’s World Environment Day.

 The audience added a personal element for the Argentinian-born pontiff as 30 Italian relatives came to the Vatican from northern Italy to greet him. The Pope was born in Buenos Aires to Italian migrants.

 “According to an Argentinian source who studied our family tree, my great grandfather was the brother of Pope Francis’s great-grandfather,” said Luigi Bergoglio from Santena in the region of Piedmont.

 The Pope urged people to care for the environment and reduce waste.

 “Are we truly cultivating and caring for creation? Or are we exploiting and neglecting it?

 “Cultivating and caring for creation is God’s indication given to each one of us not only at the beginning of history. It means nurturing the world with responsibility and transforming it into a garden, a habitable place for everyone.”

 Coldiretti, Italy’s largest agricultural organisation, welcomed the Pope’s speech and his recognition of farmers’ contribution to agriculture and cultivation.

 “The globalisation of markets has reduced responsibility, honesty and transparency and provoked the international crisis,” said Sergio Marini, the president of Coldiretti. “I am grateful to the pope for recognising our work.”

 Around 1.3 billion tonnes of food, or one third of what is produced for human consumption, gets lost or wasted every year, according to the United Nations’ food agency.

 In his speech, Pope Francis denounced the fact that a 10-point drop in stock markets was widely considered “a tragedy” while homeless people dying on our streets was no longer news.

 “Human ecology and environmental ecology walk hand in hand”, he said. |||||


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 Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

 As the diesel emissions scandal roiled Volkswagen AG last fall, Wolfgang Porsche -- the elder statesman of the clan that controls the automaker -- did what he does every autumn. He put on his boots, picked up his rifle, and went deer hunting near the half-timbered Austrian farmhouse where he spent his childhood. As he has almost every year for decades, Porsche trekked through the woods above the blue waters of Lake Zell and dined at Schloss Prielau, a 16th-century stone castle he transformed into a luxury hotel.

 What Porsche didn't do is take a clear stance as the carmaker his grandfather helped create sank into crisis. In September, Volkswagen acknowledged equipping 11 million diesel vehicles with software designed to trick emissions testers -- revelations that have cost the CEO his job and thrown top management into disarray. The crisis has sent the company's shares down by more than 20 percent, cutting the family's wealth by $2 billion. Last Friday, VW posted the biggest loss in its history and more than doubled the funds set aside to cover the costs of the emissions scandal to 16.2 billion euros ($18.2 billion).

 Despite bearing one of most storied names in automotive history, the family -- which controls 52 percent of VW's voting shares via a company called Porsche Automobil Holding SE -- wasn't prepared for a challenge like the diesel crisis. Bound by a tradition of consensus and discretion honed during their privileged upbringing along the German-Austrian border, family members have remained virtually mum. That has left a power vacuum even as VW faces costs that could top $30 billion and become a hit to its reputation that risks eroding sales and profits for years.

 Wolfgang Porsche, chairman of Porsche SE. Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

 Porsche, 72, made almost no public comment on the matter for months, until unions demanded a signal of commitment to the company. On Dec. 2, the VW supervisory board member travelled to the German city of Wolfsburg, where he spoke to 20,000 workers packed into Hall 11 of the giant VW factory. Porsche pledged to preserve jobs and praised management for its handling of the crisis, but said little that directly addressed the cheating.

 “No one here is giving in to panic,” Porsche told the overflow crowd. “I am of the rock-solid conviction that Volkswagen can weather the situation and emerge even stronger.”

 While the family has the voting power to muscle through change, they're not acting on it. The clan is a sprawling tribe of about 80 people with diverse interests and careers ranging from medicine to film to e-commerce. The ruling patriarchs, now well into their 70s, have been slow to hand the wheel to their children, few of whom have demonstrated an interest in the car business.

 “We are not satisfied with the way the scandal is being handled,’’ said Ingo Speich, a fund manager at Union Investment, which owns almost 1 percent of Volkswagen's shares. “The supervisory board is not doing a good job.”

 The clan's disengagement dates to 1972. After an internecine struggle over the company's direction that culminated in what family members call a "group therapy session'' at the Zell farmhouse with a professional mediator, they agreed to hand management to outsiders. And while the Porsches have had ties to VW since the 1930s, they only stumbled into control less than a decade ago -- the counterintuitive denouement of a failed bid by Porsche to take over its bigger rival.

 With the family AWOL, the void has been filled by VW's powerful unions. Even before the crisis, labor had an unusually strong voice, holding half of the 20 seats on VW's supervisory board and typically finding allies occupying the two seats controlled by the state of Lower Saxony, VW’s second-largest shareholder. Since the crisis, Bernd Osterloh, Volkswagen's burly, combative union boss, has gone on the offensive with a message for the executive suite: This is your mess, and the workers aren't going to foot the bill.

 When asked to identify a family leader of the next generation, Wolfgang Porsche singles out his 38-year-old nephew Mark Philipp Porsche. Mark Philipp -- whose resume says he spent 15 years studying business in Innsbruck and who is married to an Austrian television personality -- sits on the boards of VW’s SEAT brand and the MAN truck unit. He declined to comment.

 “They’re not a bunch of technicians,” Wolfgang Porsche said as younger family members checked out VW's latest offerings at the Geneva International Motor Show in March. “But they don't have to be technicians. What's important is understanding and a clear head.”

 Peter Daniell Porsche, owner of PDP Holding GmbH and member of the Porsche family, poses for a photograph following an interview in Salzburg, Austria, on Friday, April 15, 2016. Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

 One non-technician seeking a bigger role at VW is Peter Daniell Porsche. His father, Hans Peter Porsche, 76, has said he'll hand his board seat in the family holding company to Peter Daniell by 2020. When he inherits his father's shares, Peter Daniell -- an only child -- will have the largest individual stake among the family's fourth generation. A former teacher at an alternative Waldorf school who in 2012 published a book titled "There's More to Life Than Building Cars," Peter Daniell, 42, is stepping up his engagement in the company. In the past two years, he has joined the board of VW’s Czech Skoda brand, started serving as vice chairman of a foundation run by VW's unions, and has been advising Porsche Design, a subsidiary that sells branded luggage and fashion accessories.

 "I stand behind the company, absolutely," Peter Daniell said in the renovated 16th-century mill in Salzburg where he manages his investment interests. "But I'm going about it in my own way."

 With the family AWOL, the void has been filled by VW's powerful unions

 The family lost its strongest voice at VW a year ago, when Wolfgang Porsche’s cousin Ferdinand Piech quit the board after more than two decades as Volkswagen's guiding force. He started as an engineer at Porsche then transferred to Audi, VW's luxury nameplate. In 1993 Piech took over as VW's chief executive officer, bringing the company back from near bankruptcy. In 2002 he became chairman of the supervisory board and helped make VW the world’s biggest car maker.

 Last April, the 79-year-old Piech was forced out after battling with then-CEO Martin Winterkorn (who resigned five months later because of the emissions scandal). Piech had sought to forge a dynasty at the company by naming his wife, Ursula -- a former nanny for his family and 19 years his junior -- to the board in 2012. Fund managers at the time criticized her appointment, saying she was unqualified.

 Ferdinand could hardly be more different from his cousin. Where Wolfgang is soft-spoken, a bit portly, and comes off as an avuncular country gentleman, Piech is all sharp angles, hard edges, and vicious in a fight. In his autobiography, Piech talks at length about ousting executives on his way to the top and insists harmony in the executive suite is overrated.

 Ferdinand Piech, left, with former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn. Photographer: Nigel Treblin/Getty Images

 The cousins had a falling out when Porsche sided with Winterkorn during the dispute -- which Piech took as a personal affront, according to people close to the family. After a standoff with other directors at a small airport near Wolfsburg last April, Piech and his wife quit the board. Piech is frustrated by his family's handling of the diesel crisis and remains estranged from most members on both sides of the clan, people who know them say. He declined to comment.

 With Piech sidelined, Porsche stands alone at the head of the family, but he has done little in the role. The family now has four seats on the 20-person supervisory board, two of them from the fourth generation: Ferdinand Oliver Porsche, a 55-year-old Salzburg lawyer who has been a director since 2009; and Ferdinand Piech's niece Louise Kiesling, 58, who joined the board last year.

 The current generation "has stayed on the horse so long that the younger generation cannot really get up to speed," said Marc-Michael Bergfeld, a professor specializing in family firms at Munich Business School. "Succession should have been prepared 5 to 10 years ago."

 “No one here is giving in to panic” —Wolfgang Porsche

 The family's links to the company began with Ferdinand Porsche, who designed what became the VW Beetle under a contract with Hitler to develop a “people’s car.” After the war, Porsche was jailed in France for almost two years due to his ties to the Nazi regime, but was released without charges in 1947. When he died four years later, his son Ferry took over as the company was ramping up production of a sporty two-seater called the 356. In 1963, Porsche introduced the slinky 911, and the family prospered from building those iconic speedsters -- original U.S. list price $5,500 -- and pocketing a licensing fee from VW for the Beetle's design.

 In 2008 -- a time when VW sold more cars in a week than Porsche did in a year -- the sports car maker said it planned to buy its bigger rival. As the financial crisis devastated markets worldwide, Porsche was forced to abandon the bid, and Volkswagen soon turned around and swallowed the smaller company. On a rainy summer day in 2009, Wolfgang Porsche's voice trembled and his eyes brimmed with tears as he told 5,000 workers gathered in the factory courtyard that the company would be folded into the Volkswagen Group. Despite that moment of anguish, the family emerged with control of Europe’s largest automaker, a colossus that last year sold 9.9 million cars and had revenue of 213 billion euros.

 Though the Porsches were never poor -- at least a half-dozen have attended the Lyceum Alpinum, an $83,000-per-year boarding school in the Swiss Alps -- the VW deal has proven a windfall. In 2014, family members got 307 million euros in dividends from their holding in Porsche SE, roughly four times what they received eight years earlier.

 Nonetheless, the Porsches and Piechs keep a low profile. Many drive Porsches, of course, but they get no discounts on the cars. Wolfgang Porsche usually attends the annual Opera Ball in Vienna, when the city's gilded opera house is transformed into a sparkling ballroom. And they are prominent backers of the Gaisberg Rally, a vintage car race up a mountainside just outside Salzburg every May.

 With VW's dividend all but eliminated due to the crisis, the family holding company will also take a hit. On April 22, Porsche SE said it would slash its dividend by 90 percent, then three days later shifted gears and said it will only be decreased by half. Though the company wouldn't say whether the change was made at the family's behest, any cut will mean tough choices for some of them, says Ernst Piech, Ferdinand's brother.

 Family members “have gotten used to that income,” said Piech, who sold his stake in the company to his siblings in the 1980s and now runs a vineyard in southern England. “They have other investments where they need the money.”

 To maintain stability as the number of family members grows, the patriarchs have created structures designed to encourage the next generation to stick with the company. In 2007, Ferdinand Piech put his stake of about 13 percent in Porsche Holding into two foundations outside the immediate reach of his children, and included a clause that requires nine of the 12 to approve any share sale. The Porsche side of the clan isn’t as restricted, but anyone who wants to sell must first offer their shares to other family members at a discount.

 "One or two selling isn't a problem, but if four or five members want to sell, the family won't have enough to buy them out and they'd have to go to external investors," said Tom Ruesen, director of the Wittener Institute for Family Business. "They may see themselves as simple investors rather than thinking of the stake as their destiny to pass on to their kids.''

 Watch Next: VW Sets Aside $18 Billion to Pay for Diesel Scandal ||||| Wolfgang Porsche, member of the Supervisory board of German car maker Volkswagen, addresses a news conference at the company's headquarters in Wolfburg, Germany October 7, 2015. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

 FRANKFURT The Piech and Porsche families that control more than 52 percent of Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) have vowed to back senior management, setting aside past disputes as the carmaker struggles to overcome an emissions scandal, Der Spiegel reported on Saturday.

 In a rare interview, Hans Michel Piech and Wolfgang Porsche pledged support for VW chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch and chief executive Matthias Mueller, and said they would stay out of daily operational affairs at Germany's biggest carmaker.

 The two families had clashed when Ferdinand Piech was his family's representative on Volkswagen's supervisory board, a post he resigned from last year, clearing the way for his brother, Hans Michel.

 Some investors feared bickering between the two families would hamper decision-making as the company works to cut costs and adapt to new industry trends such as electronic and autonomous driving.

 "We are different and we see our task as representatives of the families different," Hans Michel Piech was quoted as saying, but he and Wolfgang Porsche both emphasized their ability to find consensus.

 Porsche said that would remain the case despite a recent decision to increase the number of family members with voting power to 34.

 "Not all 34 will become supervisory board members, or have a say in discussions, and not all of them want to. What is important is that the next generation of suitable family members have an interest in the matter and do not simply wait for the dividend to arrive," he said.

 Volkswagen has suffered its worst-ever crisis since admitting in September 2015 it used sophisticated secret software in its cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests, with millions of vehicles worldwide affected.

 The company has set aside 17.8 billion euros (15.83 billion pounds)to pay for costs related to the scandal.

 ($1 = 0.9189 euros)

 (Reporting by Harro ten Wolde and Edward Taylor) ||||| “Just this brief discussion in an academic journal then led to talk that Grieger be put on a short leash and limited in his academic freedom, which in turn led the prominent historian to leave,” according to the open letter from the historians. It expressed doubt that the company would continue to pursue other inquiries into its past, in particular over allegations of collaboration with the military leaders of Brazil in the 1970s.

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 In a statement issued on Tuesday, Volkswagen strongly denied that Mr. Grieger had been dismissed, or that his separation signaled a changing approach.

 “The fact is that Volkswagen continues to recognize the achievements of Dr. Grieger and to thank him for the work performed,” the statement read. “Furthermore, the fact is that Volkswagen has examined its history as an enterprise consistently, honestly and strongly, and will continue to do so.”

 Mr. Grieger was a co-author of an exhaustive study published in 1996 that exposed how Volkswagen had made extensive use of forced labor during World War II, when its factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, produced an array of weapons and military equipment.

 The book, more than 1,000 pages by Mr. Grieger and another historian, Hans Mommsen, was financed by Volkswagen at a time when many German companies were coming to terms with their roles during the Nazi era.

 But Volkswagen may have gotten more truth than it had anticipated. The book also uncovered embarrassing information about the Porsche and Piëch families, who since 2012 have owned a majority of the carmaker’s voting stock.

 The Wolfsburg factory, still Volkswagen’s main manufacturing center, was originally a Nazi prestige project built under the supervision of Ferdinand Porsche, designer of the car that later became famous as the Beetle. The factory produced military goods including land mines, parts for rockets fired at British cities, hand-held anti-tank weapons and a Jeep-like vehicle known as the Kübelwagen.

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 Volkswagen was especially dependent on workers press-ganged from occupied countries or borrowed from concentration camps, including Auschwitz, because it was a new company with a limited work force of its own.

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 While conditions at the factory were slightly better than in the concentration camps, inmates were overseen by SS guards and were poorly fed and frequently beaten or shot for minor infractions. Children born to forced laborers were taken away and housed in a squalid nursery overseen by an SS doctor, where 365 of the infants died.

 Hartmut Berghoff, a professor at the Institute of Economic and Social History at the Georg-August University in Göttingen, was the driving force behind the open letter challenging Volkswagen over Mr. Grieger’s departure. He said it showed a tone-deafness similar to the company’s initial approach to the emissions scandal. “Transparency in reacting to the public is not really the strength of VW,” Mr. Berghoff said in a telephone interview.

 In its statement, Volkswagen said the company regretted that Mr. Berghoff had not responded to its offer of talks on the matter, which a spokesman, Eric Felber, said had been made last week.

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 Mr. Berghoff said an email from Volkswagen had gone into his spam folder, so he learned of the offer too late before the academics’ letter appeared.

 He questioned whether Volkswagen officials respected Mr. Grieger’s work. “Why then did they part with him?” he asked.

 The 75 historians are not the only people upset by Mr. Grieger’s departure. Last week, a former Volkswagen board member and workers’ representative, Walter Hiller, described it as “a scandal.”

 And on Tuesday, two more historians specializing in the behavior of German companies during the Nazi era issued a sharp rebuke on the website of Wirtschaftswoche, the business weekly. By parting with Mr. Grieger, they said, Volkswagen was “disposing of an enlightener.”

 It all shows “clearly how communication has gone awry at the top of VW,” said the historians, Lutz Budrass of Ruhr-University Bochum and Mark Spoerer from the University of Regensburg.

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 In his review of the study of Audi’s past, Mr. Grieger criticized the authors as having played down the company’s cooperation with the Nazis and its employment of forced laborers.

 After publication of his landmark book, “Das Volkswagenwerk und seine Arbeiter im Dritten Reich” (The Volkswagen Works and Its Workers During the Third Reich), Mr. Grieger oversaw the Volkswagen company archives. He made them freely available to researchers and journalists — a surprising decision at a company long known for caution about what information it makes public.

 During World War II, Mr. Porsche oversaw construction and management of the factory with help from his son-in-law, Anton Piëch. Mr. Piëch’s son Hans Michel Piëch is currently a member of the Volkswagen supervisory board. Another son, Ferdinand Piëch, is a former Volkswagen chief executive who remains a major shareholder.

 At the end of World War II, according to Mr. Mommsen and Mr. Grieger, Anton Piëch commanded a unit of the so-called Volkssturm, a poorly armed citizens’ militia ordered to make a last-ditch defense against invading Allies.

 After leading his Volkssturm troops to the front, according to Mr. Grieger’s and Mr. Mommsen’s book, Mr. Piëch retreated to the Porsche family estate in Austria. He took about 10 million Reichsmarks of company funds, worth about $1 million at the time, according to the book.

 The family used the money to revive the family engineering bureau, which later evolved into Porsche, the sports car maker, according to the book. The family said that Volkswagen had owed the bureau the funds for work that had been performed.

 Ferdinand Porsche and Anton Piëch were held by the Allies for nearly two years after the German surrender, but were never charged with war crimes. Mr. Porsche died in 1951 and Mr. Piëch in 1952. ||||| Osnabrueck, Germany (dpa) - German carmaker Volkswagen will part ways with its corporate historian, the company announced Saturday, amid media reports that the split is because the researcher thought a recent report downplayed wartime ties to the Nazis.

 Manfred Grieger agreed to the split, a VW spokesman said Saturday. He will be replaced as head of historical communication by archivist Ulrike Gutzman.

 The Braunschweiger Zeitung newspaper has reported that the split came after Grieger was critical of a report about the activities of Auto Union during Germany‘s Nazi era. Auto Union is the company that became Audi, now a key subsidiary of Volkswagen Group.

 Grieger reportedly said the study was biased and said it played down the relationship between Auto Union officials and the Nazi elite during the World War II era.

 Those comments landed him in hot water with VW senior management, the paper reported.

 A VW spokesman said the split was prompted by disagreements about the way Grieger and VW worked together.

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A summary of this is?

– Volkswagen's troubles continue after its record-breaking $14.7 billion emissions-scandal settlement last week, with the controversy now swirling around a historian who helped uncover the company's Nazi past. The New York Times dives into the sudden end of Manfred Grieger's contract with VW, now being criticized for "disposing of an enlightener" by other historians, including 75 academics who penned an open letter railing against what they insinuate was Grieger's dismissal for historical whistleblowing. "Transparency in reacting to the public is not really the strength of VW," Hartmut Berghoff, the Georg-August University professor who spurred the letter in Grieger's defense, tells the Times. Both VW and Grieger are mum about the circumstances surrounding his abrupt departure, but the Times notes it seems to be tied to a 518-page 2014 study of the labor practices of VW subsidiary Audi. Grieger reviewed that study last year and apparently didn't think it went far enough in exposing how VW had relied on forced labor from concentration camps for its factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, which produced weapons and military gear. A 1996 book co-authored by Grieger had already delved into those uncomfortable facts, as well as embarrassing info about the Porsche and Piech families, still majority VW stockholders. Both the study and review were mentioned in August in a German business journal, which then "led to talk that Grieger be put on a short leash and limited in his academic freedom," the historians' letter claims. Europe Online Magazine says a German paper reported Grieger's criticism had put him "in hot water with VW senior management," but a Tuesday VW statement denied Grieger had been dismissed and said VW "has examined its history as an enterprise consistently, honestly, and strongly, and will continue to do so," per the Times.


Ebony Conner, a single mother of five in Cahokia, Illinois, near St. Louis, arrested and briefly jailed for failing to mow her lawn and clean up her yard. She was not even issued a ticket prior to the arrest, and the only explanation she was offered was a complaint from the Village of Cahokia.

 “I understand I violated a code. But take the channels, give me a ticket first, make me appear in court. I know there’s gotta be channels other than if you don’t cut your grass, I’m arresting you,” Conner told a local CBS-affiliate.

 Conner is not alone in being arrested for failing to mow her lawn. Earlier this year, a 70-year-old woman in Prichard, Alabama was also arrested for not mowing lawn, except the citation she received was for a property she no longer owned. A 75-year-old woman in Riesel, Texas was issued a warrant for her arrest after she was accused of not responding to a letter to appear in court for her failing to mow her lawn.

 In Pagedale, Missouri, where IJ has filed a class action lawsuit, there has been a similar abuse of municipal code enforcement. In Pagedale residents can be fined for things like chipped paint, mismatched curtains, and walking on the left side of a crosswalk. In 2013, nearly 20 percent of the city’s revenue came from fines and fees, producing a profit-incentive for law enforcement. From 2010 to 2014, the number of non-traffic tickets issued to residents increased by 495 percent. ||||| Clients

 The harm to Pagedale residents is significant, perpetual, and often completely overwhelming.

 Many find themselves in a never-ending cycle of being fined because they have not kept their homes up to the city’s standards and then are unable to fix their homes to fit the city’s instructions because they are spending so much money paying off their fines. This leads to more fines, which prevents residents from making the changes the city demands, resulting in more fines, and so on. While a resident cannot be arrested for not having the ability to pay a fine, those who cannot pay often do not come to court. They, like those who choose their jobs or child care over attending municipal court, then become the subject of arrest warrants and fines for failure to appear.

 The perpetual governmental harassment of innocent Americans for absurd violations has to stop. IJ has therefore teamed up with some Pagedale residents in order to challenge Pagedale’s outrageous ticketing practices.

 Plaintiff Vincent Blount has accumulated $2,800 in fines, a significant portion of which comes from tickets regarding the home in which he lives. Paying off his long-term payment plan prevented him from making the improvements the city sought, leading to more fines and ultimately a threat from the city to demolish his home (even though it is not dangerous in any way). Vincent has also spent time in Pagedale jail as a result of his fines and fees and his failure to appear at one of Pagedale’s court sessions. Vincent doesn’t even own the home that is the subject of some of his tickets and fines; it belongs to his long-time partner, Valarie Whitner, who is also a plaintiff in this case.

 Valarie has also been the subject of the city’s ticketing practices. She has received a set of warnings from the city, threatening her with fines and fees for alleged violations such as chipped paint on her home or lacking a screen door on the rear entrance to her home. It is unclear what part of the Pagedale Code even regulates chipped paint. Valarie has received generic tickets for “house not up to code” without further explanation. When Vincent lost his job, he and Valarie fell into arrears and were forced to help pay off the fines by taking out a pay-day loan with a 99% APR. Valarie was even arrested in front of her home and taken to Pagedale city hall because of an unspecified ticket.

 Mildred Bryant is 84 years old and living out her golden years in the home she’s owned for 46 years. Mildred is an active woman, exercising three times a week at the local YWCA. Yet despite her active lifestyle, keeping up with Pagedale’s demands is proving to be an impossible task. Mildred received a notice from the city threatening legal action if she did not comply. The notice accused Mildred of at least 12 different code violations. Many of the modifications demanded by the notice are beyond Mildred’s physical and financial abilities. The notice demanded that she touch up or repaint her entire two-story home, including the foundation. Other demands are simply ridiculous, such as demanding that Mildred’s home have matching curtains, slats, or other such window treatment. Her son, whom she raised in Pagedale, occasionally helps her out with complying with the city’s demands. But the grace periods given by the city have elapsed and she faces a real threat of tickets, fines, and imprisonment.

 These experiences are far too common in Pagedale. For that reason, these plaintiffs represent a class of Pagedale residents who have been, and will be, ticketed or threatened with tickets by the city since January 1, 2010. These class-action allegations seek to put an end to Pagedale’s unconstitutional treatment of all its residents, as well as the named plaintiffs. ||||| Rudy Giuliani, President Trump's personal Russia investigation lawyer, is surprisingly frank that his media tour to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is "all just a big PR campaign," Samantha Bee said on Wednesday's Full Frontal. "Rudy is like a James Bond villain who explains his evil plot to 007 before he actually catches him — although no Bond villain has ever had teeth quite as grotesque as Rudy Giuliani, chaos demon."

 In "his best moments," Giuliani "forgets he's there to lie and whoopsies out some true things," Bee said, showing examples. "But Trump's not keeping Rudy around for his brilliant legal mind, he's keeping him around to spread brilliant propaganda," specifically his "spygate" conspiracy. "No matter how many times Trump says it, there is no 'spygate,'" she explained. The FBI informant "was never implanted in the campaign, and none of this remotely sabotaged Trump who, if the trail of Happy Meal toys to the Resolute Desk is any indication, is our president." |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– An Illinois woman with five kids was arrested July 7 and briefly thrown in jail for an offense that the town of Cahokia obviously feels strongly about: not mowing her lawn, the Week reports. Single mom Ebony Conner tells KMOV she was verbally warned by a municipal code-enforcement officer back in June and also told to get rid of garbage and broken-down cars from her driveway—but she thought she had more time to fix things, and she definitely didn't think she'd be hauled off to jail. "I understand I violated a code, but … give me a ticket first, make me appear in court," she says. "I know there's gotta be channels other than, 'If you don't cut your grass, we're arresting you right now.'" Conner says she hails from Wisconsin and has spent time in St. Louis, Mo., and she'd never heard of such a thing in either place. While she was detained (cops say she was held for about a half-hour in jail), her five children remained at home, with just a code enforcement officer patrolling the outside of her house, Conner says, adding, "I said 'I don't trust him. I don't know him at all.' … And they still hauled me off." She says she would've cut her grass by hand if she had known her long grass was an arrestable offense. The Institute for Justice lists similar cases that some consider to be an abuse of municipal code enforcement, including those in the town of Pagedale, Mo., where residents can be slammed with fines and tickets for such offenses as barbecuing in front of one's house, having mismatched curtains, and walking on the left-hand side of a crosswalk. (Postal workers mow residents' lawns in Finland.)