Article:

Commissioner Manfred's full decision on Pete Rose's reinstatement bid

 "I, therefore, must reject Mr. Rose's application for reinstatement."

 The all-time hits leader, 74, was placed on the permanently ineligible list for violating Major League Baseball's strict rule against betting on baseball on Aug. 23, 1989. Subsequently, the Board of Directors of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum declared that all players on that list would also be ineligible for election.

 Manfred's decision, which was communicated to Rose both verbally and in writing, does not directly address that issue.

 Gammons on Rose's ban Gammons on Rose's ban on MLB Tonight Peter Gammons joins MLB Tonight to discuss the implication of Pete Rose's permanent ban and the history of the case

 He wrote: "It is not part of my authority of responsibility here to make any determination concerning Mr. Rose's eligibility as a candidate for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In fact, in my view, the considerations that should drive a decision on whether an individual should be allowed to work in Baseball are not the same as those that should drive a decision on Hall of Fame eligibility. … Thus, any debate over Mr. Rose's eligibility for the Hall of Fame is one that must take place in a different forum."

 • Justice: No other choice but to maintain Rose's ban

 The National Baseball Hall of Fame later addressed the situation in a statement: "Pete Rose remains ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, based on the Hall of Fame's bylaws, which preclude any individual on baseball's ineligible list from being considered a candidate for election."

 • Manfred: Rose's Hall eligibility a separate issue

 Rose formally exercised his right to appeal his case on April 1, 2015. Manfred first requested a "comprehensive review" of the issues from his staff and then spoke to him in person on Sept. 24.

 The three-page decision both reiterated the importance of Rule 21 and made it clear Manfred does not think that Rose has "reconfigured" his life as former Commissioner Bart Giamatti urged him to do in 1989.

 "I believe that, at a minimum, there must be objective evidence which demonstrates that the applicant has fundamentally changed his life and that, based on such changes, the applicant does not pose a risk for violating Rule 21 in the future," Manfred wrote.

 "What has been presented to me for consideration falls well short of these requirements. It is not at all clear to me that Mr. Rose has a grasp of the scope of his violations of Rule 21. He claims not to remember significant misconduct detailed in the Dowd Report and corroborated by Michael Bertolini's betting notebook."

 The latter is a reference to the notebook of a Rose associate that the Commissioner's Office obtained after the publication of an ESPN report on June 23, 2015, which appeared to show that he had bet on the Reds as an active player in 1985 and 1986. Rose has admitted only to wagering on the team after becoming the manager.

 "He made assertions concerning his betting habits that were directly contradicted by documentary evidence. … And, significantly, he told me that currently he bets recreationally and legally on horses and sports, including Baseball," Manfred wrote.

 In a footnote, the decision adds: "Even more troubling, in our interview, Rose initially denied betting on Baseball currently and only later in the interview did he 'clarify' his response to admit such betting."

 The decision also disputes Rose's contention that he bet on the Reds to win every game. While noting that how often he wagered and which team he put his money on doesn't matter regarding the violation of Rule 21, it points out that his decision to pass on certain games may have been a tip-off to those who were aware of his activity.

 Verducci on Rose's ban Verducci on Rose's permanent ban MLB Network insider Tom Verducci talks about Commissioner Manfred not lifting Pete Rose's permanent ban for gambling on baseball

 Continued Manfred: "Mr. Rose's public and private comments … provide me with little confidence that he has a mature understanding of his wrongful conduct, that he has accepted full responsibility for it, or that he understands the damage he has caused. … I am also not convinced that he has avoided the type of conduct and associations that originally led to his placement on the permanently ineligible list."

 Rose may not associate with any Major or Minor League club. These rules, however, do not cover relationships with third parties that do business with MLB. So he may pursue such opportunities unless it involves an association with a Major League club, in which case the proposal must be submitted to the Commissioner's Office for review.

 Manfred did acknowledge that Rose had an exceptional career.

 "Notwithstanding this conclusion, I respect Mr. Rose's accomplishments as a player and, as result, I will continue to allow him to participate in ceremonial activities that present no threat to the integrity of the game, provided that the activities are approved by me in advance," he wrote.

 In a statement, Reds president and chief executive officer Bob Castellini said, "The Commissioner called me this morning prior to the announcement. We respect his decision on the matter of Pete Rose and are grateful for his diligence and the amount of time he spent on the matter. We also appreciate that the Commissioner stated that Hall of Fame consideration is a separate issue and we and the fans think he deserves that opportunity. We are pleased that we have had and will continue to have opportunities to commemorate Pete's remarkable on-field accomplishments. Any future plans to celebrate Pete's career with the Reds first will be discussed with the Commissioner and then will be communicated publicly at the appropriate time." ||||| Newly uncovered documents obtained by Outside the Lines provide the first written record that Pete Rose bet extensively on baseball, and on the Reds, while he was still a player. (5:26)

 For 26 years, Pete Rose has kept to one story: He never bet on baseball while he was a player.

 Yes, he admitted in 2004, after almost 15 years of denials, he had placed bets on baseball, but he insisted it was only as a manager.

 ON OUTSIDE THE LINES TODAY T.J. Quinn reports on the notebook that shows Pete Rose bet on baseball as a player, at 2:30 p.m. ET Monday on ESPN.

 But new documents obtained by Outside the Lines indicate Rose bet extensively on baseball -- and on the Cincinnati Reds -- as he racked up the last hits of a record-smashing career in 1986. The documents go beyond the evidence presented in the 1989 Dowd report that led to Rose's banishment and provide the first written record that Rose bet while he was still on the field.

 "This does it. This closes the door," said John Dowd, the former federal prosecutor who led MLB's investigation.

 Editor's Picks Stark: Pete Rose still belongs in Hall of Fame The Hall of Fame should tell the true story of baseball: the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful, the inspiring, the embarrassing. Let Pete Rose in.

 The documents are copies of pages from a notebook seized from the home of former Rose associate Michael Bertolini during a raid by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in October 1989, nearly two months after Rose was declared permanently ineligible by Major League Baseball. Their authenticity has been verified by two people who took part in the raid, which was part of a mail fraud investigation and unrelated to gambling. For 26 years, the notebook has remained under court-ordered seal and is currently stored in the National Archives' New York office, where officials have declined requests to release it publicly.

 Rose, through his lawyer, Raymond Genco, issued a statement: "Since we submitted the application earlier this year, we committed to MLB that we would not comment on specific matters relating to reinstatement. I need to maintain that. To be sure, I'm eager to sit down with [MLB commissioner Rob] Manfred to address my entire history -- the good and the bad -- and my long personal journey since baseball. That meeting likely will come sometime after the All-Star break. Therefore at this point, it's not appropriate to comment on any specifics." Bertolini's lawyer, Nicholas De Feis, said his client is "not interested in speaking to anyone about these issues."

 ESPN

 Dowd, who reviewed the documents at Outside the Lines' request, said his investigators had tried but failed to obtain Bertolini's records, believing they would be the final piece in their case that Rose was betting with mob-connected bookmakers in New York. Dowd and his team had sworn testimony from bookie Ron Peters that Rose bet on the Reds from 1984 through 1986, but not written documentation. Dowd also had testimony and a recorded phone conversation between Bertolini and another Rose associate, Paul Janszen, that established that Bertolini had placed bets for Rose. But Dowd never had the kind of documents that could cement that part of his case, especially in the eyes of fans who wanted to see Rose returned to Major League Baseball.

 "We knew that [Bertolini] recorded the bets, and that he bet himself, but we never had his records. We tried to get them. He refused to give them to us," Dowd said. "This is the final piece of the puzzle on a New York betting operation with organized crime. And, of course, [Rose] betting while he was a player."

 The documents obtained by Outside the Lines, which reflect betting records from March through July 1986, show no evidence that Rose, who was a player-manager in 1986, bet against his team. They provide a vivid snapshot of how extensive Rose's betting life was in 1986:

 • In the time covered in the notebook, from March through July, Rose bet on at least one MLB team on 30 different days. It's impossible to count the exact number of times he bet on baseball games because not every day's entries are legible.

 • But on 21 of the days it's clear he bet on baseball, he gambled on the Reds, including on games in which he played.

 • Most bets, regardless of sport, were about $2,000. The largest single bet was $5,500 on the Boston Celtics, a bet he lost.

 • Rose bet heavily on college and professional basketball, losing $15,400 on one day in March. That came during his worst week of the four-month span, when he lost $25,500.

 Dowd said he wished he'd had the Bertolini notebook in 1989, but he didn't need it to justify Rose's banishment. Under MLB Rule 21, "Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible."

 But Rose's supporters have based part of their case for his reinstatement on his claim that he never bet while he was a player or against his team, saying that sins he committed as a manager shouldn't diminish what he did as a player.

 "The rule says, if you bet, it doesn't say for or against. It's another device by Pete to try to excuse what he did," Dowd said. "But when he bet, he was gone. He placed his financial interest ahead of the Reds, period."

 The timing for Rose, who played in 72 games in 1986, isn't great. In March of this year, he applied to Manfred for reinstatement. Dowd recently met with MLB CIO and executive vice president of administration John McHale Jr., who is leading Manfred's review of Rose's reinstatement request, to walk McHale through his investigation. On Monday morning, MLB officials declined to comment about the notebook.

 In April, Rose repeated his denial, this time on Michael Kay's ESPN New York 98.7 FM radio show, that he bet on baseball while he was a player. "Never bet as a player: That's a fact," he said.

 Outside the Lines tracked down two of the postal inspectors who conducted the raid on Bertolini's home in 1989 and asked them to review the documents. Both agents, former supervisor Craig Barney and former inspector Mary Flynn, said the records were indeed copies of the notebook they seized.

 When the case began, it didn't look particularly enticing, Barney said. The postal inspector's office in Brooklyn, New York, had received a complaint that a man in Staten Island had failed to return goods to paying customers that he was supposed to have autographed. The man's name was Michael Bertolini, and the business he ran out of his home was called Hit King Marketing Inc.

 ESPN

 "It was a mere 'failure to render [services]' complaint," said Barney, who is now retired. "We didn't know anything about Bertolini or his connection [to Rose]."

 If the accusation was true, it would constitute mail fraud, but the agents had no probable cause to search Bertolini's house.

 Barney sent an agent to drive by the address. There was a for sale sign out front, the agent told him. So Barney and Flynn, posing as a couple looking for a home, called a real estate agent and were given a guided tour of Bertolini's house. "It was such a mess. There was stuff everywhere," Barney said.

 Bats, balls, books and papers were scattered all over. It looked to them as if Bertolini had been signing memorabilia with the forged names of some of the most famous baseball players in history: Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Duke Snider, Mike Schmidt and Pete Rose. "It reeked of fraud," Barney said.

 The two inspectors spotted an item that a complainant said had not been returned. That gave them probable cause to seek a search warrant.

 On Oct. 13, a few days after the undercover house tour and after obtaining a search warrant, they searched Bertolini's home and found evidence that would lead to numerous convictions. But one item stood out: In a box of papers in the basement, Barney said, was a spiral notebook filled with handwritten entries.

 It was immediately clear that the many notations of "PETE" in the pages represented Pete Rose.

 "There were numbers and dates and -- it was a book for sports betting," Barney said. "I was taken aback."

 Flynn, who said her first reaction was "Holy mackerel," said they asked Bertolini about the notebook.

 "He wasn't forthcoming with much information," she said, "but he did acknowledge to me it was records of bets he made for Pete Rose."

 Bertolini offered his take on the raid during his sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn six years later (he served 14 months for tax fraud and a concurrent assault sentence):

 "I got a call at the place where I was working at the time from my brother, and he says, 'You should come home.' He said, 'There's a bunch of government people here, and they're here for you.' At the time, I think it was Mary Flynn of the postal inspector's office who got on the phone and said, 'We're here,' and she told me why and so forth. They took any records I had whatsoever, and they took different personal belongings and memorabilia from my home."

 Postal inspectors seized memorabilia from Michael Bertolini's house that contained the names of some of the most famous baseball players in history: Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Duke Snider, Mike Schmidt and Pete Rose. William Weinbaum/ESPN

 Although the 1989 raid on Bertolini's house received immediate news coverage, nothing about a betting book became public for five years. After Bertolini pleaded guilty and received a federal prison sentence, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, ESPN and other news organizations filed freedom of information requests with the U.S. Attorney's Office seeking access to the book. All were denied on the grounds that the notebook had been introduced as a grand jury exhibit and contained information "concerning third parties who were not of investigative interest."

 Last year, Outside the Lines again applied unsuccessfully for access to the notebook but learned it had been transferred to the National Archives under a civil action titled "United States v. One Executive Tools Spiral Notebook." Two small boxes of other items confiscated in the postal raid on Bertolini's house went too, including autographed baseballs and baseball cards.

 In April, Outside the Lines examined the Bertolini memorabilia kept in the National Archives' New York office, but the betting book -- held apart from everything else -- was off-limits. The U.S. Attorney's Office internal memorandum from 2000 that requested the spiral notebook's transfer said Bertolini's closed file has "sufficient historical or other value to warrant its continued preservation by the United States Government." The memorandum listed among its attachments a copy of the notebook, but a copy of the memorandum provided by the National Archives had no attachments and had a section redacted.

 "I wish I had been able to use it [the book] all those years he was denying he bet on baseball," said Flynn, the former postal inspector. "He's a liar."

 To Dowd, one of the most compelling elements of the newly uncovered evidence is that it supports the charge that Rose was betting with mob-connected bookies through Bertolini. Dowd's investigation had established that Rose was hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt at the time he was banished from the game.

 "Bertolini nails down the connection to organized crime on Long Island and New York. And that is a very powerful problem," Dowd said. "[Ohio bookie] Ron Peters is a golf pro, so he's got other occupations. But the boys in New York are about breaking arms and knees.

 "The implications for baseball are terrible. [The mob] had a mortgage on Pete while he was a player and manager."

 Freelance researcher Liam Quinn contributed to this report. |||||
What is a summary?

– The MLB player with the most hits in the league's history should be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, but that's hard to do when you've been permanently banned from baseball—again. Commissioner Rob Manfred was reportedly set to tell Pete Rose on Thursday he won't lift the permanent ban against Rose that's been in place since 1989, but queries by the New York Times appeared to expedite Manfred's announcement, which he made Monday instead. MLB.com notes Manfred informed Rose, both verbally and in writing, of his decision. The "stark language" of the league's rules dictates "that the penalty for a player or manager who bets on a game in which he has a duty to perform is mandatory, permanent ineligibility," Manfred says in his announcement accompanying the MLB press release. He adds he had instructed staff to gather any new evidence that may have emerged since the 1989 Dowd Report that helped place Rose on the league's ineligible list, based on evidence Rose bet on baseball while managing the Cincinnati Reds—including bets on his own team. In addition to a polygraph test and a private meeting between Rose and Manfred in September, that new evidence included an incriminating notebook revealed in a June ESPN report that indicates Rose also bet while still playing for the Reds. Manfred notes that during that conversation, Rose had inconsistent stories, made contradictory statements, and couldn't remember important facts from the Dowd document. Another nugget came to light during Manfred and Rose's meeting that appears to have influenced the decision. "Significantly, [Rose] told me that currently he bets recreationally and legally on horses and sports, including Baseball," Manfred notes. Interestingly, Manfred says that while Rose won't be reinstated, that's an entirely different issue than whether he should be eligible for the Hall of Fame, a debate he says "must take place in a different forum."


This January 2015 booking photo released by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office shows Brock Turner. The former Stanford University swimmer was sentenced last week to six months in jail and three years'... (Associated Press)

 This January 2015 booking photo released by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office shows Brock Turner. The former Stanford University swimmer was sentenced last week to six months in jail and three years' probation for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, sparking outrage from critics who say... (Associated Press)

 This January 2015 booking photo released by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office shows Brock Turner. The former Stanford University swimmer was sentenced last week to six months in jail and three years' probation for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, sparking outrage from critics who say... (Associated Press) This January 2015 booking photo released by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office shows Brock Turner. The former Stanford University swimmer was sentenced last week to six months in jail and three years'... (Associated Press)

 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A former Stanford University swimmer whose six-month sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman ignited widespread outrage will leave jail three months early.

 Online inmate records show 20-year-old Brock Turner is expected to be released from the Santa Clara County jail on Sept. 2. He was booked June 2.

 County jail inmates serve 50 percent of their sentences if they keep a clean disciplinary record. Calls to the county Department of Correction weren't immediately returned Thursday.

 Turner was convicted of attacking the woman he met at a fraternity party in January 2015 and was sentenced last week to six months in jail and three years' probation.

 The sentence triggered criticism that a star athlete from a privileged background had gotten special treatment. Prosecutors had asked for six years in prison.

 ___

 This story has been corrected to show that Turner would be released three months early, not two. ||||| The Stanford sex offender who blamed his assault of an unconscious woman on the "peer pressure" of fitting in at college was sentenced to just six months in jail. But he'll likely spend less time than that behind bars.

 Brock Turner was sentenced June 2 to six months in county jail followed by three years of probation. But booking records show he'll walk out of his cell on Sept. 2 -- after just three months.

 During his brief stay behind bars, Turner will remain in protective custody, as perpetrators of sexual assault are often targeted by other inmates, according to TMZ.

 Santa Clara Department of Correction Booking information for Turner shows his scheduled release date is Sept. 2.

 His release date takes into consideration that he will likely not misbehave, allowing him to get out earlier for good behavior, The Daily Mail points out.

 Handout . / Reuters Former Stanford student Brock Turner who was sentenced to six months in county jail for the sexual assault of an unconscious and intoxicated woman is shown in this Santa Clara County Sheriff's booking photo taken January 18, 2015, and received June 7, 2016. Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department/Handout via REUTERS

 In a tone-deaf statement by the 20-year-old sex offender, Turner blamed his actions on Stanford's "party culture" while simultaneously turning himself into the victim of his own horrific actions:

 "I've been shattered by the party culture and risk taking behavior that I briefly experienced in my four months at school," Turner's statement reads. "I've lost my chance to swim in the Olympics. I've lost my ability to obtain a Stanford degree. I've lost employment opportunity, my reputation and most of all, my life."

 Turner's father had an equally outrageous statement, saying his son's conviction is "a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life."

 That "20 minutes of action" included Turner penetrating an intoxicated, unconscious woman until two Swedish Stanford students took notice of the assault. Turner attempted to run, leaving the woman in the dirt, before being tackled by the men.

 "One needs to recognize the influence that peer pressure and the attitude of having to fit in can have on someone," Turner said in his statement. "One decision has the potential to change your entire life." |||||

Write a summary.

– People already outraged about Stanford rapist Brock Turner's six-month jail sentence aren't going to like this next piece of news: He'll likely go free after only three months. The AP reports Turner, convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman during a frat party last January, was booked at the Santa Clara County Jail on June 2 and is scheduled for release on Sept. 2. As a rule, county jail inmates only serve half their sentences as long as they behave. Prosecutors had asked for the 20-year-old swimmer to serve six years in prison. During his three months in jail, Turner will be under protective custody to keep him safe from his fellow inmates, who frequently target those convicted of sex crimes, according to the Huffington Post. Meanwhile, Turner's father, friends, relatives—and even Turner himself—continue to deflect blame for his crime.


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 PepsiCo Inc. is introducing a zero-sugar version of Gatorade to woo consumers back to the sports-drink category.

 The new product further expands the Gatorade portfolio, joining organic and low-sugar versions of the beverage, as PepsiCo works to please consumers who have increasingly migrated away from sugar-laden beverages.

 G Zero Source: PepsiCo

 The shift in preferences represents a challenge for brands that rely on sweeteners. Gatorade, which accounts for more than 70 percent of the sports drinks market, is facing pressure from new competitors like coconut water, which boast simpler ingredients. Measured retail sales of sports drinks fell 3.2 percent by volume in 2017, according to Beverage-Digest, a trade publication, which first reported the news on Wednesday.

 While the overall category declined, sports drinks without sugar fared better. Gatorade and Powerade, made by PepsiCo rival Coca-Cola Co., both lost volume in 2017, as Powerade Zero grew, according to Beverage-Digest.

 ‘G Zero,’ as the new Gatorade is called, is the first no-sugar product introduced in Gatorade’s 53-year history. The drink is slated hit shelves across the U.S. in June. The initial flavors include Lemon-Lime, Orange and Glacier Cherry. ||||| Gatorade is ditching sugar.

 Gatorade Zero, a thirst quencher without sugar or carbs, hit stores around the country this week. It comes in orange, lemon lime, and glacier cherry, and is priced in line with the brand's classic sports drink.

 The new drink is a tacit admission that the heyday of sugary sports drinks is winding down.

 Related: Trouble in Big Food: America's cereal, soda and soup companies are in turmoil

 Gatorade has controlled the nearly $8 billion US sports drink industry for decades, grabbing about 75% of the market, according to research firm Euromonitor International. The brand has been a boon for Pepsi, which has owned Gatorade since 2001.

 The drink is a fixture of sports sidelines through sponsorships with pro leagues and endorsement deals for global stars, including Michael Jordan, Serena Williams and Lionel Messi. Gatorade's 1991 "Be Like Mike" commercial helped propel the Jordan craze, while Glacier freeze and fruit punch Gatorade baths have become marks of Super Bowl-winning coaches.

 But Gatorade is showing signs of fatigue. Sales ticked down 0.5% last year to $5.9 billion in the United States, according to Euromonitor. The brand lost market share, too.

 Although high on electrolytes that help athletes rehydrate as they sweat, a 20-ounce drink has 34 grams of sugar, 36 grams of carbohydrates, and 140 calories. Health-conscious athletes have grown wary of sweeteners and added carbs.

 "Athletes have heard ad nauseum about the need to hydrate," said Leslie Bonci, a longtime sports dietitian who is currently a consultant for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs. "They know electrolytes are important, but they are looking for options."

 She said many players are pushing away Gatorade for coconut, sparkling, electrolyte, and flavored waters with natural ingredients and enhanced functional benefits to meet their changing training regimens.

 Related: How fruit juice got boxed out of the health craze

 Health shifts and the explosion of new drinks and flavors to compete with big brands on store shelves have reshaped the beverage industry. Carbonated soft drink volume sales have fallen 13 years in a row, according to trade publication Beverage Digest.

 "The same trends that emerged within soft drinks in the last decade are revealing themselves in the sports drink market," said Beverage Digest executive editor Duane Stanford. "A growing number of consumers are moderating their sugar intake, and some don't want sugar at all."

 Related: Pepsi vs. Coke -- the new cola wars are here

 Gatorade has responded to the trends by expanding its lineup in recent years to give athletes more choices.

 In 2016, it added higher-priced G Organic, which came without artificial coloring and had fewer ingredients and sugar than the traditional version. Last year, it redesigned its G2 low-calorie line to make "lower sugar" stand out on the bottle, Stanford said.

 Those changes have not resonated. "We worry that Gatorade's artificial and sugary ingredient profile (plus lack of awareness on low-sugar versions) has caused its brand image to shift toward being less healthy than alternatives," Barclays analyst Lauren Lieberman said in an April research report.

 Zero is Gatorade's newest play to reach consumers who've turned away from sports drinks.

 "Gatorade Zero will address the large and growing demand by athletes for additional hydration options," Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi told analysts in April. "Zero will give our athletes more flexibility."

 With the new drink, Gatorade will take on Coca Cola's (KO) Powerade Zero for the first time. Coke launched Powerade Zero a decade ago, and it has been a bright spot in the sports hydration market.

 Gatorade Zero could also help the brand fend off BodyArmor, an upstart sports drink that counts Kobe Bryant as a top investor, and markets itself as a "more natural" choice for athletes.

 Related: How much money Kobe Bryant made playing basketball

 BodyArmor's sales grew 78% in 2016 to $235 million as it entered into more stores with the backing of Dr. Pepper Snapple's (DPS) massive US distribution network.

 "They're capitalizing on consumers' desire to try new beverages within well-known categories and also move to natural ingredients and flavors," Stanford said.

 BodyArmor is now targeting Gatorade directly. It's running a new ad campaign featuring James Harden and Mike Trout with the tagline, "Thanks, Gatorade. We'll take it from here."

 "James Harden wouldn't go to the game wearing outdated fashion," says a narrator in the ads. "So why would he choose an outdated sports drink?"

 Pepsi's Nooyi didn't mention BodyArmor on its last earnings call, but she said a "new competitor" had dropped prices and chipped away slightly at Gatorade's market share when it first landed on shelves.

 Yet Gatorade is trying to play the long game. It plans to hold prices steady, even if means temporarily sacrificing share. BodyArmor's sales fell off after initially entering new stores and its lower pricing strategy is "not sustainable in the long term," Nooyi claimed.

 "Gatorade just has to be very responsible and very careful in its response," she said. "It's got to be surgical, and that's what we are doing. We are watching Gatorade shares like a hawk." |||||Summary:

– Is the era of sugary sports drinks coming to an end? Gatorade is launching its new Gatorade Zero this week, a sports drink with no sugar and no carbohydrates. Gatorade has long dominated the sports drink industry, but as health-conscious consumers have begun eschewing sugar, some have soured on the drink—which has 34 grams of sugar per 20 ounces—sending sales down 0.5% last year, CNNMoney reports. Gatorade has previously tried an organic version and a low-calorie version with less sugar. Gatorade Zero, which will be known as G Zero, per Bloomberg, will compete directly with Powerade Zero, a sugar-free sports drink that entered the market 10 years ago.


When visiting a new city for the first time, it’s customary to purchase a souvenir that not only represents the culture but also marks your adventure away from home. Typically, a miniature Empire State Building after a jaunt to New York or a pashmina shawl found at a souk in Dubai will do, but one entrepreneur from Paris takes the concept of procuring a piece of the land quite literally, selling a range of hand-painted cobblestones that come directly from Paris’s storied streets.

 Last summer Margaux Sainte-Lagüe noticed a line of jackhammers tearing up the cobblestones on Paris’s tony Champs-Élysées as she rode her Vespa down the street. Sainte-Lagüe, who has a collection of eccentric decorative objects throughout her home, thought a small cut of cobblestone would make for a perfect addition to her library’s bookshelf. “I only wanted one for myself but ended up buying five tons,” Sainte-Lagüe says.

 In early 2016 the city of Paris began selling thousands of tons of cobblestones from its most iconic roads and secret-trodden alleyways as part of its circular economy, with goals of reducing waste and saving energy, which resulted in the attraction of buyers like Sainte-Lagüe. With several tons of chiseled cobblestones in her possession, Sainte-Lagüe launched her online store, Mon Pavé Parisien , offering three styles of the five-pound stones: a classic version hand-painted in the colors of France’s flag, one gilded in 22.5 carats of gold, and the May 68 series stone, whose bottom half is sheathed in sand and features the inscription “sous les pavés,” a popular phrase used during the protests of the May 1968 revolution.

 If Sainte-Lagüe’s signature stone variations don’t suit your home’s decor, she will customize the design to your liking. In fact, Sainte-Lagüe has already personalized one for Paris’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, with the number 75, symbolizing Paris as France’s 75th arrondissement, as well as a wedding gift for a Chinese bride and groom, painting their names, side by side, on the rock’s surface. “No matter the design, I want to let the stones be as raw as possible, like they are still on the streets of Paris,” says Sainte-Lagüe. “Each one is a real piece of the city you can take home, a real piece of history.”

 Each cobblestone is available at Mon Pavé Parisien’s online store, with prices ranging from $63 to $157; monpaveparisien.fr ||||| Mon Pavé Parisien sells real cobblestones from Paris. They are all directly provided by the Paris City Hall. All our cobblestones are hand-painted. It makes each of them special. A unique souvenir for a special gift. Here are some of our creations.

 “For a modest price, the streets of Paris can be yours”

 said Benoit Morenne from the New York Times!

 A cube of Paris. Its name “Mon Pavé Parisien” which means My Cube from Paris.

 Coco Chanel might have walked on this pavement of granite. Or Victor Hugo or even Charles de Gaulle. Witness of the life of Parisians for more than 800 years.

 Serie N°2 “My Cobblestone May68” is over. ||||| SHARE THIS ARTICLE Share Tweet Post Email

 Photographer: Jacques Demarthon/AFP via Getty Images Photographer: Jacques Demarthon/AFP via Getty Images

 Want to take home a piece of Paris? French entrepreneur Margaux Sainte-Lague has something for you.

 Earlier this year, when Paris began selling thousands of tons of cobblestones that once paved the city’s streets and alleys, Sainte-Lague bought five tons. She is now reselling them to tourists and collectors keen to own a well-trodden piece of the French capital’s history.

 A cobblestone from Mon Pave Parisien Source: Mon Pave Parisien

 Her company, Mon Pave Parisien, is an illustration of how used materials like stones, glass and concrete are being put on the market for construction projects or, in this case, as souvenirs for lovers of Paris and visitors to the city of light. The activity is rooted in a movement to create a so-called circular economy that’s being promoted by the French government, European Commission and some builders to reduce waste and save energy through recycling and reuse.

 “The Parisian cobblestones have attracted the interest of many people, including tourists,” said Patrick Marchetti, who runs the Paris city maintenance center where the cobblestones are sorted and cleaned. “They are cheap and have some charm.”

 While Sainte-Lague’s sales are relatively low so far -- she has sold 50 of the chiseled stones -- customers are steady and come from far-flung places. They have ranged from Chinese brides to a U.S.-based French expatriate nostalgic about her youth during the protests of May 1968, when cobblestones were hurled at the police by demonstrators during national strikes. Sainte-Lague now plans to sell her wares in luxury boutiques and souvenir shops near the city’s monuments.

 “First in concept stores, and then, why not, in souvenir boutiques,” she said.

 Champs-Elysees

 On a larger scale, French builder Eiffage SA has said it will recycle materials from public works into cement aggregate. Cie de Saint-Gobain, Europe’s biggest supplier of construction materials, is working with recycling company Paprec Group to collect discarded residential windows for use in new products.

 The French capital may sell as many as 3 million tons of the cube-shaped granite, Marchetti estimates. The cobblestones, first laid in Paris in the 11th century, were retrieved from several layers below pavements ripped up during civil works projects, including a new tramway. The city put the blocks on the market in March.

 Paris is by no means getting rid of all its its cobblestones. The ones around the famous Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde will remain, while those along the Champs-Elysees are being polished and refurbished into smoother, more regular shapes for cars, bikes, strollers and high heels, Marchetti said.

 Picasso’s Path

 Most of the cobblestones sold directly by the city from a warehouse in a southern suburb of Paris have gone to small companies recycling them to pave terraces and driveways, he said. The city’s customers have included the foundation created by French photographer and environmentalist Yann Arthus-Bertrand for the renovation of the Longchamp castle, in front of the famous horse-racing course.

 At a retail price of eight euros a square meter (11 square feet), or 40 euros a ton, the sales could add about 400,000 euros ($371,000) annually to municipal coffers if 10,000 tons are extracted from under asphalt every year. At that rate, the supply is estimated to last for about three centuries.

 At between 60 euros and 150 euros a cobblestone, shipping within France included, Sainte-Lague is making a tidy profit from her central Parisian workshop where she cleans and custom decorates each stone -- some elaborately with gold leaves. With the possibility that some of the cobblestones were trod on by Vincent Van Gogh or Pablo Picasso in the neighborhood of Montmartre, buyers can own a piece of Paris’s history, she said.

 — With assistance by Marie Mawad ||||| Some Paris streets still have visible cobblestone paving, but on many the stones have been buried under asphalt and are often torn up during construction. Rather than dump them, the city has started to salvage and sell the stones.

 Credit Credit Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times |||||

Write a summary.

– Parisian streets have been paved with stones since the 12th century, and while asphalt now covers large swaths of the city, the cobblestones still adorn squares, boulevards, and alleyways. For years as the city dug them up (about 10,000 tons a year) to continue building or repaving, it paid to haul them to the dump, reports the New York Times. No longer. It finally occurred to officials last March to salvage these rare gems of Parisian history and sell them to contractors so that they'd have "a second life," say the head of the city maintenance yard that stores them. "They are cheap and have some charm," he tells Bloomberg. In September, one enterprising woman bought five tons for $215 and set up a souvenir shop of sorts, where her team polishes, weighs, and hand-paints the stones. She sells them online for between $60 and $160, plus $15 to $40 in shipping fees. Tourists from as far afield as China and Oklahoma have paid for what entrepreneur Margaux Sainte-Lagüe calls enduring little pieces of history. (Not bad, considering the stones are worth maybe 8 cents as raw material.) For her, they bring a bit of nostalgia, reminding her of when youth threw them at police during national strikes in 1968. (This happened in 1848 as well.) Even the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has one of her decorated stones, notes Architectural Digest. (Paris is designating a wooded area for nudists.)


Article:
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is starting an iPhone trade-in program this month aimed at getting users to upgrade to the iPhone 5 and turn in older models, people with knowledge of the plans said.

 Apple has teamed up with Brightstar Corp., a mobile-phone distributor, to run the exchange program, said the people, who asked not to be identified because Apple hasn’t publicly announced the plan.

 Brightstar also handles trade-ins for AT&T Inc. (T) and T-Mobile US Inc. (TMUS), as well as other carriers and device makers, amid brisk demand for refurbished iPhone 4s and 4Ss in emerging markets. By offering money for older smartphones, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook is seeking to entice consumers to upgrade to the latest models, part of the company’s efforts to reignite sales growth and combat declining shares.

 “This will help them sell more phones, because it will lower the consumer’s out-of-pocket expense,” said Roger Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics LLC in Dedham, Massachusetts.

 Amy Bessette, a spokeswoman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, and Patrick Foarde, a Brightstar spokesman who works for Ketchum Inc., declined to comment.

 AT&T is currently paying as much as $200 for working iPhone 4s and 4Ss, which could let some customers buy an entry-level iPhone 5 for no money down. Ganot estimates that 20 percent of U.S. consumers buying a smartphone this year will do so using a trade-in, up from 11 percent in 2011.

 Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg A customer gets help from an employee at an Apple Inc. store in San Francisco. Close A customer gets help from an employee at an Apple Inc. store in San Francisco. Close Open Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg A customer gets help from an employee at an Apple Inc. store in San Francisco.

 Refurbished Phones

 Until now, Apple paid little attention to the refurbished iPhone market. That’s changing as Apple’s growth has slowed in recent quarters. Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) became the best-selling smartphone brand in the U.S. in May, T. Michael Walkley, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity Inc., wrote in a report this week.

 Apple sold 37.4 million units of the iPhone in the latest quarter, compared with 35.1 million a year earlier. Apple shares have declined 38 percent from a record in September, weighed down by investor concerns that the company’s era of rapid growth, fueled by the 2007 debut of the iPhone, may be over.

 While Cook has said some “game changer” consumer electronics products are in development, Apple is still trading at an 13 percent discount to Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung on a price-to-earnings basis, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Apple shares rose less than 1 percent to $441.81 at the close in New York, leaving them down 17 percent this year.

 Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg By offering money for older smartphones, including iPhone 4S smartphones, seen here, Apple Inc. and the wireless companies are seeking to entice consumers to upgrade to the latest models, while profiting through resales abroad. Close By offering money for older smartphones, including iPhone 4S smartphones, seen here,... Read More Close Open Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg By offering money for older smartphones, including iPhone 4S smartphones, seen here, Apple Inc. and the wireless companies are seeking to entice consumers to upgrade to the latest models, while profiting through resales abroad.

 Emerging Markets

 Samsung has become a market leader by offering smartphones based on Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android mobile operating system, which captured 75 percent of the market in the first quarter, compared with 17 percent for phones running Apple’s iOS software, according to IDC.

 Trade-in programs are used to support sales of new hardware in mature markets such as the U.S., where many prospective customers already own a smartphone. Used iPhones collected in the U.S. will only be resold in emerging markets, where Apple’s share is lower and demand for cheap devices is greater, said one of the people. That way, the resale of Apple’s older models won’t cannibalize iPhone 5 sales in the U.S., the person said.

 Selling used iPhones in emerging markets may also keep first-time smartphone buyers around the world from committing to Android, buying time for Apple to introduce new models.

 “The overall size of this market is increasing rapidly,” said Israel Ganot, chief executive officer of Gazelle Inc., an online mobile device trade-in company.

 Global Demand

 Apple runs a Web-based recycling service, in a partnership with Roseville, California-based PowerOn Services Inc., offering to pay people for their used iPhones, iPads or Macs. The new trade-in program with BrightStar will only be available at Apple’s retail outlets, letting consumers receive payments instantly and avoid the hassle of shipping their older gadgets, the people said.

 Apple also worked with Brightstar to help AT&T and T-Mobile with their recent trade-in promotions, said the people. Brightstar set up its trade-in division a year ago and is on track to buy and resell more than 15 million devices this year, according to Bela Lainck, president of the buyback and trade-in business at Miami-based Brightstar.

 The company collects 80 percent of its used devices in the U.S., and resells most of them through distribution centers in 50 countries, Lainck said in an interview in late May. Brightstar also owns an auction house in Hong Kong, and a division that provides refurbished phones to insurers seeking inventory for clients who have lost or broken a smartphone.

 Installed Based

 “The iPhone is an iconic device that people around the world want to own,” said David Edmondson, CEO of eRecyclingCorp, another trade-in processor. “If they can’t afford a new Mercedes, they’ll get a used one.”

 Getting more people to buy iPhones -- whether new or used - - is also becoming more important as Apple starts to introduce services that are delivered via mobile devices, according to Walter Piecyk, an analyst at BTIG LLC.

 Cook, who has also hinted that new services were being developed in addition to new hardware, is planning to introduce a new music-streaming service at Apple’s annual developers’ conference in San Francisco on June 10, people familiar with the matter said this week.

 “The key is to get iPhones into as many people’s hands as possible,” Piecyk, who is based in New York, said in an interview. “Selling used phones is one way to do that.”

 To contact the reporter on this story: Peter Burrows in San Francisco at pburrows@bloomberg.net

 To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net ||||| For the first time ever, Apple will let users trade in their old iPhones for new ones, according to Bloomberg's sources — an indication of just how much the company's market positioning has dwindled the launch of the iPhone 5... and the re-birth of Samsung's mobile dominance. Those looking to get rid of their iPhones will soon be able to head into Apple stores and turn them in for a discount on a newer model. It's a pretty sweet set-up for someone who has an old iPhone and wants a new one. But it's also a genius plot for Apple to increase their market share in the places it most needs help.

 First, Apple gets to retain those loyal customers already using an iPhone — you know, the ones who see that fancy Samsung Galaxy S IV with its big bright screen and think they want to switch. Apple has never had to give customers an incentive to buy a new version of the iPhone, and it's never had to run an exchange program like so many cellphone providers have for years; then again, Apple's never faced competition like it is from Samsung right now. Either the upgrade incentive was obvious — of course an iPhone 3G owner would get the iPhone 4 — or most self-respecting dumb phone owners getting into the market would choose an Apple phone over the other options. But even since the iPhone 5 hit the market in September, those expectations have changed wildly: The iPhone has been losing user loyalty while Samsung has kept gaining on Apple. A recent report found that Samsung passed Apple in the U.S. cellphone market — at least for now. That could all change once Apple announces another new phone — people tend to hold off on upgrades until the next big unveil out of Cupertino. But with the walls starting to close in a bit, it won't hurt for Apple to start nudging people in that direction.

 Second, the new trade-in plan reflects Apple's attempt to position itself in emerging markets, where your average cellphone customer doesn't want to spend upwards of $200 on a device. In addition to the rumored cheap iPhone, which looks more alive than ever with Apple's Foxconn breakup, the upgrade program is a great way to get lower-priced devices to people who want them. The used gadgets will only be sold in countries with demand for a cheaper set, the sources told Bloomberg's Peter Burrows. The older models won't be used as replacement devices for customers with broken iPhones, a practice that angered consumers in China so much that Apple changed its warranty policy there. This latest ploy, which won't be available at your local provider store, is just another way Apple could increase market share in those overseas markets, where it hasn't had as much success because the iPhone remains just too damn expensive.

 Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at rgreenfield at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire. |||||Summary:

– You know that ancient iPhone 4 from 2011 that you're still saddled with? Well, multiple sources tell Bloomberg that you'll soon be able to trade it in for a discount on the shiny and (relatively) new iPhone 5. It's the first time Apple has allowed such a thing, notes Rebecca Greenfield on the Atlantic Wire; she thinks it's a result of just how much Apple's market positioning has dropped lately—and how scared it is of Samsung. Under the program, said to launch this month, Bloomberg predicts that customers with working iPhone 4 or 4S models may be able to get a basic iPhone 5 for no money down.


One of the Secret Service supervisors ousted in the agency's ongoing prostitution scandal joked on Facebook that he was checking out former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as he protected her during the 2008 campaign.

 FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2008 file photo, a Secret Service agent stands near then presidential candidate Barack Obama, background, at a rally in Norfolk, Va. Moving swiftly, the Secret Service forced out... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this June 30, 2010 file photo, Senate Judiciary Committee member, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington. Sessions told reporters Thursday, the president should take... (Associated Press)

 David Chaney, one of two supervisors forced out of the agency this week, wrote: "I was really checking her out, if you know what i (sic) mean?" after a friend commented on the picture posted in January 2009.

 In an interview with Fox News Thursday, Palin said the joke is on Chaney.

 "Well, check this out, buddy _ you're fired!" Palin said.

 Chaney posted at least two pictures of him with Palin, along with another in which a woman in a revealing bikini top stood in the background, looking at Chaney. The photo was captioned: "not in front of my son."

 Details of the photos and comments were first reported Thursday by The Washington Post.

 Palin said the scandal is "a symptom of government run amok."

 "It's like, who's minding the store around here?" Palin told Fox. "The president, for one, he better be wary, there, of when Secret Service is accompanying his family on vacation. They may be checking out the first lady instead of guarding her."

 Earlier Thursday, he White House had expressed renewed confidence in the director of the Secret Service in the midst of the sordid scandal, which threatens to become a serious political distraction in an election year. A key lawmaker who oversees the Secret Service predicted more firings there soon.

 President Barack Obama's chief spokesman, Jay Carney, noted that some Secret Service employees involved have already lost their jobs, just days into the government's formal investigation of the incident last weekend in Colombia, where Obama was to attend a summit meeting. Carney also said the president's security in Cartagena was never compromised, and he asked for patience as official investigations continue.

 "Perhaps it would be in the interests of a complete and thorough and fair investigation not to make determinations about the conclusions of an investigation before they've even been reached," Carney said. "That's the president's position."

 The scandal arose ahead of the Summit of the Americas when at least some of 11 Secret Service employees brought prostitutes back to their Cartagena hotel. The agency has moved quickly to try to quell the embarrassing episode, forcing out three employees so far, including two supervisors. The supervisors were in the agency's uniformed division; one is a sergeant, according to a person familiar with Secret Service operations who refused to be identified because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.

 Lawrence Berger, general counsel for the Federal Law Enforcement Officials Association, confirmed Thursday he is representing the supervisors, Chaney and Greg Stokes, but said he could not discuss details of the investigation.

 "I cannot comment because I have an obligation of confidentiality with my clients and I have to maintain that," Berger said.

 A third employee has resigned. The employees under investigation include members of the agency's "jump teams," which are sent to sites to set up security in advance of the president's arrival. Others are on counter-assault and counter-sniper teams. The majority of the group is believed to be based in the Washington area.

 Eight men remain suspended and have had their top-secret security clearances lifted. The scandal also involves about 10 military personnel and as many as 20 Colombian women.

 Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican and chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said Thursday that more firings could be imminent.

 "I wouldn't be surprised if you saw more dismissals and more being forced out sooner rather than later," said King, who is being updated on the investigation by Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan. "You may see a few more today or tomorrow."

 Sen. Chuck Grassley, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he thought more people would be fired within "just a few days."

 "`I expect there will be more, but that's what the investigation is all about."

 Three U.S. military officials have said the military personnel include five Army Green Berets, two Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal technicians, two Marine dog handlers and an Air Force airman. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still under way.

 An Air Force colonel and a military lawyer have gone to Colombia as part of the military investigation. The Secret Service probe has included interviews with the employees and hotel staff.

 King said investigators in Colombia have not been able to interview the women.

 A 24-year-old prostitute told The New York Times this week that the scandal became public after she fought over payment with one of the Secret Service employees, and it spilled out into the hallway of the Hotel Caribe on April 12.

 Jose Pena, a Cartagena taxi driver, told The Associated Press that he picked up the woman after the dispute. She said she left the hotel, where other members of the security detail and the White House press corps were staying, after she was paid $225.

 In Cartagena this week, sex workers and hotel staff were reluctant to speak about the incident, which has become an election year embarrassment in the U.S.

 Prostitution is legal in Colombia, and Cartagena thrives on the sex tourism industry, Mayor Campo Elias readily acknowledged, with hundreds of prostitutes available on any given night throughout the colonial walled city.

 In Washington, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who said she had not been briefed, called the incident "disgusting."

 "There has to be an investigation to see how this could have happened, and those responsible should have to pay a price," Pelosi said. "But as with all these things, there are many people in the Secret Service who do their job responsibly, and we can't paint everyone with the same brush. But nonetheless, those people who were responsible have brought disgrace and it's disgusting."

 Rep. Randy Forbes, a Virginia Republican, called for leadership changes at the Secret Service.

 "I mentioned before, and I can't get a better analogy than baseball. You get three strikes," Forbes said. "They went over their budgets, they couldn't control their budget. They couldn't control who got in the White House. And now we're talking about just absolutely a fundamental principle of security planning _ you don't let the prostitutes in."

 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada suggested the problem lies with the judgment of those involved.

 "Understand this, there is not a committee hearing that's going to take the place or stop people from being stupid. There is not a bill we can pass to cause people to have common sense," Reid said. "Think about this. People that are here to protect the president, they go to Colombia and have a fight with a prostitute over how much she should be paid. That's either very stupid or a total lack of common sense."

 Another Republican lawmaker said Thursday that the Secret Service incident raised questions about whether Obama was capably leading the government.

 "I don't sense that this president has shown that kind of managerial leadership," said Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama.

 During his daily briefing, Carney shot back: "That sounds very much like a lawmaker attempting to politicize something that is not at all political."

 ___

 Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman, Jim Abrams, Julie Pace, Larry Margasak, Ken Thomas and Eileen Sullivan in Washington, Brian Witte in Annapolis, Md., Denise Lavoie in Boston and Frank Bajak in Cartagena, Colombia, contributed to this report. ||||| One of the Secret Service supervisors ousted from the agency this week for their involvement in the Colombia prostitution scandal made light of his official protective work on his Facebook page, joking about a picture of himself standing watch behind Sarah Palin.

 David Randall Chaney, 48, posted several shots of himself on duty in a dark suit and sunglasses, including one that shows him behind the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee during that campaign.

 “I was really checking her out, if you know what i mean?” Chaney wrote in the comments section after friends had marveled at the photo. He is married and has an adult son.

 Chaney, who had been a supervisor in the Secret Service’s international programs division, retired under pressure Wednesday, according to people familiar with an internal agency investigation into the allegations that 11 agents and uniformed officers participated in a night of carousing April 11 ahead of President Obama’s visit to the Summit of the Americas.

 He was one of two senior supervisors who are accused in the scandal, which investigators believe included heavy drinking, visits to a strip club and payments to women working as prostitutes. Several people familiar with the matter have identified the other supervisor as Greg Stokes, who was assistant special agent in charge of the K-9 division. Stokes has been notified by agency officials that he will be fired, although he will be given an opportunity to contest the charges, those with knowledge of the case said.

 The disclosure that two high-level managers were involved in the misconduct has raised questions of accountability and personal conduct in an agency whose top leadership has insisted that the Cartagena incident is an isolated and aberrant case, not a sign of a deeper cultural problem within the institution.

 Chaney and Stokes have each worked at the Secret Service for nearly two decades, and both have served significant time with the presidential protection detail, people who know the men said. Both are based in Washington.

 The supervisors were sent on the trip to supervise dozens of younger, less-experienced agents who were part of the advance team preparing for Obama’s arrival.

 Lawrence Berger, the general counsel for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association and an attorney for Chaney and Stokes, declined to comment on details of the allegations involving his clients. He said the agency’s investigation is not complete for either man and stressed that any judgment about their roles in the scandal is “premature.”

 “It’s our ultimate position that nothing they may or may not have done in Colombia negatively impacted the efficiency of their mission,” Berger said. “Nothing that has been reported to have been done has impacted negatively their mission or the president’s visit.”

 Members of Congress who have been briefed on the matter have said 21 men are suspected of bringing as many as 21 prostitutes to their rooms. Ten military personnel also have been accused of participating, along with the 11 Secret Service members.

 The incident became public after one man got into a dispute over payment with a woman on the morning of April 12, drawing the attention of hotel staff and Colombian authorities, who reported the matter to the U.S. Embassy.

 The Secret Service recalled its 11 employees and replaced them with another team before Obama arrived April 13. All of the recalled members were placed on administrative leave, and their top-secret security clearances were revoked.

 The Secret Service announced Wednesday that three of the men were being dismissed from the agency for their involvement. The third man is a junior member of the team who has voluntarily elected to resign, those familiar with the investigation said.

 Berger did not answer questions about his clients’ employment status.

 “They have a passion for the agency’s mission,” he said. “They’ve both been doing it for over 17 or 18 years, day in and day out, and very well.”

 On Thursday, Capitol Hill lawmakers who oversee the Department of Homeland Security — which includes the Secret Service — said they expected more resignations and firings in the case. Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the 11 agents involved in the scandal underwent drug tests and polygraph exams. Agency investigators in Colombia have visited all of the hotels where Secret Service personnel stayed and have interviewed each of the maids who cleaned rooms in the Hotel Caribe, King said.

 People who know the two supervisors have described Chaney’s duties in the international programs division as supervising a department that provides support and administrative help to the agency’s foreign offices. Stokes has been described as the assistant special agent in charge of the K-9 training division at the James J. Rowley Training Center in Beltsville.

 Attempts to reach both men were unsuccessful. Calls made to Chaney’s home and cellphone and to Stokes’s home were not returned. No one answered the door when a reporter visited Chaney’s home in Northern Virginia. Parked outside was a silver Ford pickup truck, bearing stickers with a colorful outline of Texas, Chaney’s home state, and the mantra “SECEDE.”

 A relative of Chaney said she would relay a message to him.

 The commitment to the Secret Service runs deep in Chaney’s family. His father, George Washington Chaney, was a Secret Service agent in President John F. Kennedy’s era and knew the agents on his detail when Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

 The elder Chaney had remarked to friends that he started at the service working “diaper duty,” where he watched President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s children and grandchildren in Gettysburg, Pa., and also met his wife. Later, he traveled to work in Dallas, where he was on President Lyndon B. Johnson’s protective detail. He also served a stint in the service’s El Paso office and then became the agent in charge of personnel in the D.C. headquarters, where he was working when Kennedy was shot.

 He retired in 1977 and started a new line of work as a document examiner in Dallas, where he and his wife raised their five children.

 On David Chaney’s Facebook page, he posted several shots of himself with Palin.

 In one picture, he is wearing a dark suit and sunglasses, standing near a black vehicle behind Palin as she approaches a crowd. In the comments section next to the photo, a friend remarked that Chaney appeared to be “lurking in the shadows” behind Palin.

 Another kidded that there seemed to be “real chemistry” between the two.

 Chaney posted: “I was really checking her out, if you know what i mean?”

 Another friend asked if one of the buttons on Palin’s lapel was emblazoned with Chaney’s face.

 Chaney replied, “well if it was could you blame her, anything to satisfy a stalker.”

 In another set of Facebook photos, Chaney documents a trip he took with his grown son to Egypt. One photo shows a voluptuous belly dancer in a revealing bikini-like top and tight, sequined skirt positioned between him and his son.

 “Not in front of my son,” Chaney joked in the comments section.

 On Fox News Thursday night, Palin responded to the Post’s revelations about Chaney’s comments by saying she was disgusted that a Secret Service agent would make jokes about checking out her “backside” and called his behavior “pretty embarrassing.”

 “This agent . . . was kind of ridiculous posting pictures and comments,” she said. “Well check this out, bodyguard. You’re fired! And I hope his wife . . . kicks him into the dog house.”

 Palin stressed she viewed the scandal as emblematic of Obama’s poor management. “Look who’s running the show,” she said. “People will say its boys being boys. I’ve had enough of these men being dogs and not being responsible for the taxpayer’s dollars.”

 Fox News host Greta Van Susteren told Palin she agreed Obama should be held accountable for how he reacted to the incident but stressed that the agent made his comments about Palin under the Bush administration.

 One current agent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the investigation, said both Chaney and Stokes were respected, well-liked agents and supervisors, who were both quick to offer advice and mentor younger agents and officers.

 “I was just completely shocked to hear they were involved,” the agent said.

 Staff writer Ed O’Keefe and staff researchers Alice Crites and Lucy Shackelford contributed to this report. |||||

Write a summary.

– One of the two Secret Service supervisors to lose their jobs so far over the Colombia sex scandal joked that he was checking out Sarah Palin as he guarded her during the 2008 campaign, the Washington Post finds. Senior agent David Chaney posted at least two pictures of himself with Palin on Facebook, one with the comment, "I was really checking her out, if you know what I mean." Chaney has been forced to resign, and another supervisor has been informed that he will be fired. In an interview with Fox News, Palin said the joke is on Chaney. "Well check this out, buddy—you're fired!" she said, calling the scandal "a symptom of government run amok," reports AP. "It's like, who's minding the store around here?" she added. "The president, for one, he better be wary, there, of when Secret Service is accompanying his family on vacation. They may be checking out the first lady instead of guarding her."


News article:

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Authorities say a man in Pakistan, angered by a rejected marriage proposal to his cousin, has killed 10 members of his extended family after years earlier killing four others over it.

 Police officer Shahid Khan says the attack happened early Sunday in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in its mountainous northwest. Khan says Gul Ahmed, the man suspected of carrying out the attack, is still on the run.

 Khan says Ahmed shot dead his uncle, aunt and eight cousins — including Naveeda Bibi, who he wanted to marry. In November 2014, Khan says Ahmed also shot dead his parents and two brothers over wanting to marry her. He was never arrested by police for the earlier killings.

 Violence over rejected proposals occasionally strikes Pakistan. ||||| CHARSADDA - A ruthless man, angered by a rejected marriage proposal to his cousin, gunned down his 10 relatives including his former fiancée in district Charsadda on Sunday, exactly six-month after killing his own parents and two brothers allegedly for delaying his marriage.

 According to details, accused Gul Ahmed Said, 25, along with his accomplices attacked the house of his former fiancée situated at Dado Killay in Tangi tehsil at 3:00 am by opening indiscriminate fire with his AK-47 at the family members.

 Police officials said it was a pre-dawn attack, when the man stormed the house and killed all 10 family members while they were asleep, saying two children and four women were among the dead.

 In the attack, police added, head of the ill-fated family Hazrat Jamal, his wife Pari, four sons Shah Faisal (28), Shah Khalid (25), Irfan (15) Abu Bakar (10) and four daughters including fiancée of the accused Naveeda (26), Sumeera (21), Kulsoom (22) and Fatima (11) were killed on the spot.

 The accused Gul Ahmed Said escaped from the scene after committing the crime. Locals shifted the bodies to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Tangi for autopsy. However, they staged a protest demonstration when male doctors conducted the postmortem of the female victims due to shortage of female staff at the hospital.

 Police sources said the accused had killed his parents and two brothers for delaying his marriage with Naveeda six months ago.

 Hazrat Nawab, brother of Hazrat Jamal, in the first information report (FIR) at the Mandi Police Station, said his brother had refused to make marriage of his daughter with the accused that enraged the accused and he killed the entire family. Police carried out raids in several localities to nab the killer, after registering a case in the incident.

 Agencies add: Police officer Shahid Khan said accused Gul Ahmed was still on the run.

 Shahid said Gul shot dead his uncle, aunt and eight cousins, including Naveeda Bibi, whom he wanted to marry. In November 2014, he said Gul had shot dead his parents and two brothers for not taking his marriage proposal to his uncle. However, some other reports said that accused had murdered his parents and brothers for refusing to pay his dowry.

 District police chief Shafiullah Khan said Gul was already a fugitive wanted for the murder of his parents and two elder brothers last year. His family had refused to accept a demand by the father of his then-fiancee for a residential plot as a dowry settlement.

 Gulzar Khan, another police official, said that after murdering members of his own direct family, Gul became enraged at his prospective in-laws for making the demand.

 Police said they had launched an extensive search, raiding three of his suspected hideouts and tightening security at entry points to the neighbouring tribal region where he may try to seek shelter.

 Marriages in Pakistan are usually arranged, and often take place between cousins. Brides’ families sometimes demand a hefty dowry as a form of insurance in case the marriage ends in divorce. ||||| CHARSADDA: A man, with the help of his accomplices, killed his fiancée and nine members of her family in a pre-dawn attack in Tangi area on Sunday, four months after murdering his own parents, brother and sister-in-law.

 Villagers and police said that Gul Ahmed Syed and his accomplices barged into the house of his uncle Jamal Syed in Tajuddin Mashin Kallay village and started firing indiscriminately.

 Jamal, his wife Zar Pari, sons Shah Khalid, Faisal, Irfan and Abu Bakar and daughters Naveeda, Kalsum, Sumeera and Fatima were killed.

 Main suspect also killed his parents, brother and sister-in-law

 Hazarat Nawab, brother of Jamal, lodged an FIR, nominating Gul Ahmed as prime accused. He told police that after hearing gunshots, he and neighbours rushed to the house of Jamal where they found bullet-riddled bodies lying in a pool of blood.

 According to relatives and villagers, Gul Ahmed was engaged to his maternal cousin Naveeda and had asked his parents to arrange his marriage after he obtained a diploma in civil engineering. But his parents told him to wait till getting a job.

 They said that Jamal allegedly asked Gul Ahmed to kill his parents because they did not want him to marry his daughter. Gul Ahmed shot dead his father, mother, brother and sister-in-law on Nov 28, 2014 and escaped. He was declared a proclaimed offender but never arrested.

 They said that Gul Ahmed asked Jamal to arrange the wedding but the latter kept on delaying it on different pretexts. This enraged Gul Ahmed and he took the extreme step of killing his uncle and his family.

 The slain people were laid to rest in their ancestral graveyard in the village. A large number of people attended the funeral.

 Meanwhile, a team headed by the DSP of Tangi has been formed to investigate the incident and arrest killers. Local leaders of different political parties and tribal elders have urged police to bring the killers to justice.

 AFP adds: Police said they had launched an extensive search, raiding three of Gul Ahmed’s suspected hideouts and tightening security at entry points to the neighbouring tribal region where he might try to seek shelter.

 Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2015

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– A dispute over a marriage proposal in Pakistan resulted in a staggering body count, according to police in Khyber Pakhtunkwha province. Police say Gul Ahmed, enraged by a failed engagement to his cousin Naveeda Bibi, killed his uncle, aunt, and eight cousins, including Naveeda, yesterday morning, the AP reports. The 25-year-old escaped after the mass shooting in Charsadda district, and police sources tell the Nation that he was already a fugitive for killing his parents and two brothers in November last year in what is believed to have been a dispute over a dowry settlement for the proposed marriage to his cousin. Dawn has a slightly different take on events before the massacre: The newspaper's sources say Ahmed allegedly killed his parents, a brother, and his sister-in-law on the orders of his uncle, then killed the uncle and his family after he kept delaying the wedding for assorted reasons. Ahmed reportedly had accomplices when he carried out the pre-dawn shooting, and entry points to neighboring regions to which he might try to flee have been tightened. (An engagement in neighboring India came to a less bloody end last month when the groom failed a math test.)


– Dr. Phil has aired the first of two episodes with alleged secret recordings of Jared Fogle—and it's stomach-churning stuff. In recordings made by FBI informant Rochelle Herman-Walrond, a man she identifies as Fogle talks about his sexual desire for children and discusses who might be the "most promising" victim at a pool party for young children that Herman-Walrond claimed to be planning, the Indianapolis Star reports. After hearing descriptions of boys and girls that the informant had invented, Fogle decides a 7-year-old "girl from the broken home" would be a "definite possibility." Herman-Walrond says the recordings, which Dr. Phil described as the "playbook of an evil monster," were made over four years. "I like all ages," Fogle says in one recording, per CNN. "That's the thing, I mean. I like all of them. You know." He says it isn't hard "at all" to lure children, and he waits for one to "give you the glance." "We just start sharing stories, and then, you know, we get a little closer, and a little closer, and a little closer, and before you know it, it just starts to happen," he says. Herman-Walrond—who says she gained Fogle's trust in order to bring him down, and that the experience has left her scarred—told Dr. Phil that she had made Subway aware of the recordings in 2011, though the chain says the complaint was made via its website and did not mention anything illegal, People reports. (Fogle, who will be sentenced Nov. 19, has already paid out at least $1 million to victims.)

Expand this summary.

In Secret Recordings Aired on Dr. Phil, Voice Said to Be Jared Fogle's Discusses Sexual Desires for Children

 Michael Conroy/AP

 Secretly-taped phone recordings aired on Thursday's "Dr. Phil" show allegedly carrying the voice of Jared Fogle contain admissions of the speaker's sexual interest in children.

 Fogle, the former spokesman for the Subway sandwich chain, agreed in September to plead guilty to having sex with minors and child pornography, and will be sentenced next month to between five and 12-and-a-half years in prison.

 Dr. Phil McGraw's producers acquired the Fogle tapes from Rochelle Herman-Walrond, a self-described journalist and former radio host from Florida who said she secretly recorded Fogle and became an FBI informant. (The agency has publicly acknowledged receiving the tapes before raiding Fogle’s Indiana home on July 7, but has not confirmed that Herman-Walrond ever worked with investigators as an undercover informant.) Additional audio will be aired during Friday's "Dr. Phil" show.

 In one instance, the speaker, allegedly Fogle tells Herman-Walrond that he likes boys and girls of "all ages," adding, "that's the thing I mean. It depends...who is ready for what."

 Herman-Walrond told McGraw that she tricked Fogle into thinking she was planning a party for him that would include several underage guests – friends of her children, she allegedly explained to him. The speaker then insists that Herman-Walrond wear skimpy clothing, saying it might get the children "sexed up."

 In other audio, the speaker asks Herman-Walrond to describe her daughter's 7- and 8-year-old male and female friends. He wants specifics, he says, on those "you think are pretty hot" or "cute." The speaker also wants to know who "the most promising" of those children are.

 At one point, Herman-Walrond describes a fictional 8-year-old girl who has problems at home. Later in the conversation, when Herman-Walrond asks what traits to look for in potential victims, the speaker keys in on the vulnerable child.

 The speaker suggests "the girl from the broken home" as a "definite possibility," noting she might be more amenable to seduction if "you just show her some affection."

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 The speaker suggests the couple take a trip in another clip. He's heard saying that "if we're gonna try to get some young kids with us, it would be a lot easier" to fly "to Thailand."

 Speaker Allegedly Discusses Method of Sexually Approaching Kids The speaker alleged to be Fogle allegedly discusses getting closer to children in another clip, saying he would wait for one to "give you the glance" before making a move. He even outlines how he allegedly approaches kids:

 "We just start sharing stories, and then, you know, we get a little closer, and a little closer, and a little closer, and before you know it, it just starts to happen," the speaker tells Herman-Walrond. He adds that it's not difficult "at all" to lure in children.

 Hermand-Walrond also told Dr. Phil she made notified Subway about the alleged Fogle recordings in 2011. The chain issued a statement saying that the complaint came via Subway's website, and that "there was nothing that implied anything about sexual behavior or criminal activity involving Mr. Fogle." But it added, "We regret that this comment was not properly escalated and acted upon."

 In previews of Friday's program, the speaker appears to ask Herman-Walrond over the phone if she'd let him watch her 10- and 11-year-old children "get naked," and even suggests a camera be installed in her kids' rooms.

 The audio was recorded over five years, Herman-Walrond told McGraw, and their conversations about children were tantamount to "phone sex," she said.

 When they chatted, Fogle allegedly described "what he would like to do to children, what he's had children do to him, and he wanted me to have this special trip with him to Chicago to go to these crazy clubs and share in his fetishes," Herman-Walrond tells Dr. Phil.

 "It was very creepy and very scary."

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 Disqus ||||| Secretly recorded audio tapes that reportedly helped bring down disgraced former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle were played before a national audience for the first time on Thursday.

 The recordings, in which Fogle apparently details his sexual attraction to minors, aired on Thursday's episode of "Dr. Phil," and the content was disturbing. Dr. Phil McGraw, the host of the daytime talk show, warned viewers that the graphic recordings may be inappropriate for children.

 "I like all ages," Fogle says in one of the recordings. "That's the thing I mean. I like all of them. You know."

 The apparent recordings were made by Rochelle Herman-Walrond, a former journalist who became suspicious of Fogle after he was a guest on her radio show. It was during that meeting when Herman-Walrond heard Fogle say that he was attracted to middle school girls.

 In the years that followed, Herman-Walrond taped her conversations with Fogle for the FBI, providing damning evidence that ultimately led to the famed pitchman's arrest earlier this year.

 Related: Jared Fogle pays out $1 million to victims

 Fogle, 38, pleaded guilty in August to child pornography charges and to paying for sex with minors. He has paid out $1 million to 10 of his victims, and will be sentenced by a judge in November.

 "Dr. Phil" will air more of the recordings on Friday's episode.

 The FBI declined to comment on the tapes until their investigation was complete.

 On Thursday's show, Herman-Walrond described to McGraw how she cultivated a relationship with Fogle in order to bust him. In the recordings, Fogle often discusses fantasies that involve both children and Herman-Walrond.

 In the tapes aired on Dr. Phil, Fogle is heard talking bluntly about plans to have sex with both boys and girls. He also describes how he lured young children into sex and told Herman-Walrond that it was not hard "at all."

 The interview was intense for Herman-Walrond, who broke down in tears as she described the emotional scars from her interactions with Fogle.

 "I don't trust people like I used to," she told McGraw. "I have nightmares constantly."

 Subway ended its ties with Fogle when the allegations surfaced.

 Russell Taylor, the former director of Fogle's foundation, also pleaded guilty to child exploitation and child pornography.

 CNN's Ryan Young contributed to this report |||||


– Police in Missouri have had to give the parents of Jessica Runions the news they dreaded: One of two skulls found outside Kansas City this week is that of their 21-year-old daughter, who disappeared in September. Police say the case is now a homicide investigation, People reports. Authorities say that identifying the other human remains could take weeks or months. The area in rural Cass County is still being searched for additional remains. The family of Kara Kopetsky, a 17-year-old who disappeared in 2007, was notified when the remains were found. Both Runions and Kopetsky were linked to the same man, 28-year-old Kylr Yust, who was charged with "knowingly burning" Runions' car after she vanished. It's not clear whether Yust will face additional charges now that Runions' remains have been found. "Kylr has not been charged with anything, with anything outside of knowingly burning a car, again ... and that we intend to fight," his attorney told ABC News before the remains were identified. Runions was last seen leaving a party with Yust, who was a friend of her boyfriend. Yust was also a suspect after Kopetsky, his ex-girlfriend, disappeared. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to domestic violence after choking another girlfriend. She told police he threatened to kill her, telling her he had "killed people before, even ex-girlfriends, out of sheer jealousy."

Expand this summary.

Editor's note: The Belton, Missouri police and Kopetsky family confirmed to ABC News on Aug. 16, 2017, that the second set of remains that were found in April were positively identified as Kara Kopetsky.

 The family of a 21-year-old Missouri woman whose remains were found this week say they won’t have closure until they get answers for the family of another young woman who vanished in the same area nearly 10 years earlier.

 Two sets of human remains were discovered this week in a rural area south of Kansas City, Missouri. The Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office identified one set as Jessica Runions, 21, who was last seen on Sept. 8, 2016. Her family says friends told them Jessica was last seen giving her boyfriend’s longtime friend Kylr Yust, 28, a ride home from a party.

 Authorities say a mushroom hunter came across one set of remains on Monday and police found the second the next day. The second set has not yet been identified, but there is speculation that the remains could be those of 17-year-old Kara Kopetsky, who disappeared in Kansas City in May 2007.

 The Runions Family

 No arrests have been made in connection with either disappearance, but the two women share a common connection. They are both reported to have been in contact with Yust shortly before they disappeared.

 “My heart still hurts for [Kara’s family].I got answers for Jessica, but we don’t have them for Kara,” Jessica’s mother Jamie S. Runions said. “[They] deserve to know. It’s almost been 10 years.”

 Runions Family

 Kansas City Police Capt. Stacey Graves told ABC News Runions’ death is now being investigated as a homicide.

 "It’s a tragedy because ideally we would like to find missing persons alive and well, but we are glad she has been located. Now it’s time to get into the investigation and figure out what happened to her," Graves said.

 Authorities say it could take up to a year to identify the second set of remains.

 “Waiting is the hardest part,” Kopetsky’s mother Rhonda Beckford told ABC News. “My feeling in my heart is that the other remains are Kara.”

 With a common link to both of their daughters' cases, Rhonda Beckford and Jamie Runions say they decided to work together to search for their daughters and spread awareness about both girls.

 “We’re stronger as a team,” Jamie Runions said. “We’ve become a family.”

 Charlie Riedel/AP Photo

 Now that Jessica Runions' remains have been found, police are investigating her death as a homicide, and Kansas City Police Capt. Stacey Graves told ABC News said the police are working with the medical examiner to determine her cause of death.

 "It’s a tragedy because ideally we’d like to find missing persons alive and well, but we’re glad she has been located and now it’s time to get into the investigation and figure out what happened to her," Graves said. "And if someone’s responsible we want to make sure that person is charged."

 The Runions family first began their search for their missing daughter nearly seven months ago. Her boyfriend and family grew concerned when she did not come home after leaving the party and they were unable to reach her.

 Jessica’s father John Michael Runions previously told ABC News that his daughter’s cellphone kept going straight to voicemail when they tried calling her.

 “Jessica’s not a runaway girl,” John Michael Runions said. “Jessica would reach out to her family. She loved her job, she loved her friends, she loved her family ... and there’s nothing from her.”

 Kansas City, Mo. Police Department via AP

 Jessica, who was working as a pastry chef in the restaurant at a senior living community, had recently been promoted to a manager position. Her mother said Jessica was hoping to go to college to pursue a journalism degree.

 Her mother and boyfriend reported Jessica missing the night of Sept. 9, 2016. Hours later, Jessica’s 2012 black Chevy Equinox was found burned in a desolate, wooded area around 2 a.m. Sept. 10, police said. But she was nowhere to be found.

 After police found Jessica’s car, they arrested Yust who was found in a small town two hours outside of Kansas City. Yust was arrested and is accused of setting Jessica’s car on fire and has been charged with “knowingly burning” a vehicle. Yust pleaded not guilty to the charge.

 Jessica’s mother told ABC News that she did not know Yust and researched his name online. Through her search, she discovered Yust was connected to the case of his missing ex-girlfriend Kara Kopetsky. She said she then reached out to Kopetsky’s mother Rhonda Beckford.

 “People don't really know what it's like to have missing children.” Jamie Runions said. “They help[ed] me. It's nice to talk to people that understand”

 Yust has been a person of interest in Kopetsky’s case since she disappeared nearly ten years ago, according to police in Belton, Missouri.

 Charlie Riedel/AP Photo

 Lt. Brad Swanson told ABC News earlier this year of the Kopetsky case, "We've been able to eliminate a lot of people…We have not been able to eliminate Kylr."

 According to Belton police reports, Kopetsky had filed a protective order against Yust days before she went missing. In her protective order obtained by ABC News, Kopetsky wrote Yust had kidnapped, restrained and choked her. She wrote she was “unsure of what [Yust] will do next because the abuse has gotten worse over time.”

 Kopetsky was last seen on surveillance video leaving her high school and was never heard from or seen again.

 Despite the years that passed, Kopetsky’s family continued to search for their daughter and for answers.

 “Kara loved her friends [and] loved being around people. She always had a smile.” Kopetsky’s stepfather Jim Beckford said.

 Her mother Rhonda Beckford added, “You know it’s just a horrible feeling, and as a mother, you hope that your daughter is out there, that she’s alive and [that] maybe she is being held somewhere…Maybe you have the hope of getting her back alive.”

 Both families made signs with “Justice for Jessica and Kara” and posted them around the Kansas City area to bring awareness to both missing girls.

 John Michael and Jamie Runions families searched every week both in the Kansas City area and in the town where Yust was found and arrested. Kansas City Police Department teamed up with Missouri Search and Rescue to help with their search efforts and private citizens volunteered their cadaver dogs to help with the search.

 The Beckford and Runions families say they believe that their daughters brought them together.

 “I believe that the girls [Jessica and Kara] and God were putting us together. They got us together to deal with this together. We wouldn’t have been able to come back from this if we didn’t have each other,” Jamie Runions said.

 “After 10 years of doing this, I’m a firm believer that nothing happens by chance and that everything happens for a reason,” Rhonda Beckford added.

 Yust hired attorney Molly Hastings to represent him in his case for “knowingly burning” Jessica Runions’ vehicle. His trial is set for October.

 In a statement to ABC News on the discovery of Runions' remains, Hastings said, "Despite developments made over the course of the past week, Mr. Yust remains charged with only one count of knowingly burning a vehicle. He has pled not guilty to that offense, and the defense will continue to prepare for trial in that case, currently scheduled for October, 2017.” She continued, “There are too many unknown factors to comment further, but I can assert that Kylr has not been charged with any further crimes.”

 The Cass County Sheriff’s department and surrounding law enforcement agencies continue to search the area where the remains were found. KCPD Capt. Graves said police are taking their time.

 "As long as it takes, a day, a week you just never know,” Capt. Graves said. "We want to scour that area and discover any other evidence or potential remains."

 United in grief and determination, the families say they are just beginning a new chapter in their fight for justice for their daughters.

 “This is just the beginning... We are in this for the duration. I’m Kara’s voice and she is Jessica’s voice. And we are going to make sure their voices are heard loud and clear,” Rhonda Beckford said.

 “Our girls [will have] the last word. That’s all I pray for,” Jamie Runions added.

 ABC News' Jake Lefferman contributed to this report. ||||| Seven months after she went missing, the remains of 21-year-old Jessica Runions were positively identified on Wednesday, PEOPLE confirms.

 According to Kansas City authorities, a civilian stumbled upon the remains in a rural area of Cass County. With the grisly discovery, Runions’ case has become a homicide investigation, authorities said in a statement.

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 Jessica Runions was a baker at a retirement home. She was last seen on Sept. 8, 2016 when she left a party in Kansas City with Kylr Yust, a friend of her boyfriend’s. Days later, her empty vehicle was found abandoned and burned. Yust was arrested and charged with intentionally burning her vehicle. He has pleaded not guilty.

 It was not immediately clear whether Yust, 28, will face additional charges now that the remains have been found.

 Yust was once a suspect in the disappearance of his former girlfriend, Kara Kopetsky, the Kansas City police have said. She was last seen at Belton High School in May 2007. She was 17.

 • Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

 Authorities tell PEOPLE that a second set of remains has been found in the same location as Runions’, but it could take weeks or even months to identify them — and that it’s premature to speculate whether they belong to Kopetsky.

 Captain Kevin Tieman with the Cass County Sherriff’s Office tells PEOPLE that investigators are still searching for additional remains at the scene.

 Yust’s attorney, Molly Hastings, has not returned PEOPLE’s request for comment.

 This is not the first time that Yust has been in legal trouble.

 In September 2011, Yust pleaded guilty to domestic violence after choking and striking his then-pregnant 18-year-old girlfriend, according to a police report obtained by PEOPLE. The victim claimed Yust told her, “I’ve killed people before, even ex-girlfriends out of sheer jealousy. I will kill you.”

 The victim also alleged Yust told her he had killed her three kittens and would kill her family if she went to police. A Kansas City judge filed an order of protection, which was later dismissed, court records state.

 Yust is currently in custody. |||||