– Former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice is back in the news again, this time regarding President Trump's wiretapping allegations. On the right, she is being accused of abusing her power while in office to "unmask," for political advantage, the names of Trump associates caught up in intelligence surveillance. Trump critics, meanwhile, say the story doesn't amount to much and accuse the White House of trying to divert attention from the president's wiretapping allegations. A look at coverage: A key story comes from Eli Lake at Bloomberg News. He reported Monday that Rice requested the identities of Trump transition officials who were mentioned, but not named, in US intelligence reports. Those reports were mostly summaries of monitored conversations between foreign officials talking about the Trump transition, but sometimes between Trump associates and foreign officials. (The National Security Council logs of Rice's requests are apparently what Rep. Devin Nunes went to the White House to view.) Lake's piece raises questions about why Rice wanted those names revealed—she didn't respond to the story—but he also notes that her requests "were likely within the law." He adds that the story doesn't "vindicate" Trump's unsupported accusation that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower. Adam Housley of Fox News also reported on Rice's requests, and his appearance on the network prompted Trump himself to weigh in via tweet: "Such amazing reporting on unmasking and the crooked scheme against us by @foxandfriends. 'Spied on before nomination.' The real story." A post at Slate notes that Trump associates are under FBI investigation over allegedly improper communications with Russians, "so there may well have been urgent, legal reasons for Rice to have wanted information about the relationships between specific Trump-related figures and foreign individuals." But the editorial page at the Wall Street Journal accuses the media and Democrats of hypocrisy. It wants any Trump-Russia ties investigated, but complains that the "media have been running like wildebeest after that story while ignoring how the Obama Administration might have abused domestic surveillance for its political purposes. Americans deserve to know the truth about both." On CNN, Don Lemon accused the "right-wing media" of helping the White House try to divert attention from the controversy over Trump's wiretapping claims, adding that his show will not "aid and abet people who are trying to misinform you, the American people, by creating a diversion," he said, per Mediaite. The conservative NewsBusters blog accused ABC, NBC, and CBS of covering up the story by failing to report on the "massive revelation" Monday in their evening broadcasts. On MSNBC Tuesday morning, frequent Trump critic Joe Scarborough blasted the New York Times for not having the story on its front page. "What is Susan Rice unmasking names for and spreading them across the government," he asked on Morning Joe, per Mediaite. But the Times story on the subject (inside the paper) generally downplayed the significance of Rice's requests: "Former national security officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described the requests as normal and said they were justified by the need for the president’s top security adviser to understand the context of reports sent to her by the nation’s intelligence agencies."

Expand this summary.

Multiple sources tell Fox News that Susan Rice, former national security adviser under then-President Barack Obama, requested to unmask the names of Trump transition officials caught up in surveillance.

 The unmasked names, of people associated with Donald Trump, were then sent to all those at the National Security Council, some at the Defense Department, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and then-CIA Director John Brennan – essentially, the officials at the top, including former Rice deputy Ben Rhodes.

 The names were part of incidental electronic surveillance of candidate and President-elect Trump and people close to him, including family members, for up to a year before he took office.

 Expand / Contract Rice was ambassador to the UN when she went on Sunday news shows to say the Benghazi attack was prompted by a video. (Fox News Photo)

 It was not clear how Rice knew to ask for the names to be unmasked, but the question was being posed by the sources late Monday.

 Such amazing reporting on unmasking and the crooked scheme against us by @foxandfriends. "Spied on before nomination." The real story. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 3, 2017

 "What I know is this ... If the intelligence community professionals decide that there’s some value, national security, foreign policy or otherwise in unmasking someone, they will grant those requests," former Obama State Department spokeswoman and Fox News contributor Marie Harf told Fox News' Martha MacCallum on "The First 100 Days." "And we have seen no evidence ... that there was partisan political notice behind this and we can’t say that unless there’s actual evidence to back that up."

 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, asked about the revelations at Monday’s briefing, declined to comment specifically on what role Rice may have played or officials’ motives.

 Expand / Contract Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., says he has seen incidental surveillance reports he fears were used for political reasons. (The Associated Press)

 “I’m not going to comment on this any further until [congressional] committees have come to a conclusion,” he said, while contrasting the media’s alleged “lack” of interest in these revelations with the intense coverage of suspected Trump-Russia links.

 When names of Americans are incidentally collected, they are supposed to be masked, meaning the name or names are redacted from reports – whether it is international or domestic collection, unless it is an issue of national security, crime or if their security is threatened in any way. There are loopholes and ways to unmask through backchannels, but Americans are supposed to be protected from incidental collection. Sources told Fox News that in this case, they were not.

 This comes in the wake of Evelyn Farkas’ television interview last month in which the former Obama deputy secretary of defense said in part: “I was urging my former colleagues and, frankly speaking, the people on the Hill – it was more actually aimed at telling the Hill people, get as much information as you can, get as much intelligence as you can, before President Obama leaves the administration.”

 Meanwhile, Fox News also is told that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes knew about unmasking and leaking back in January, well before President Trump’s tweet in March alleging wiretapping.

 Nunes has faced criticism from Democrats for viewing pertinent documents on White House grounds and announcing their contents to the press. But sources said “the intelligence agencies slow-rolled Nunes. He could have seen the logs at other places besides the White House SCIF [secure facility], but it had already been a few weeks. So he went to the White House because he could protect his sources and he could get to the logs.”

 As the Obama administration left office, it also approved new rules that gave the NSA much broader powers by relaxing the rules about sharing intercepted personal communications and the ability to share those with 16 other intelligence agencies.

 Rice is no stranger to controversy. As the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, she appeared on several Sunday news shows to defend the adminstration's later debunked claim that the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks on a U.S. consulate in Libya was triggered by an Internet video.

 Rice also told ABC News in 2014 that Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl "served the United States with honor and distinction" and that he "wasn't simply a hostage; he was an American prisoner of war captured on the battlefield."

 Bergdahl is currently facing court-martial on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy for allegedly walking off his post in Afghanistan.

 Adam Housley joined Fox News Channel (FNC) in 2001 and currently serves as a Los Angeles-based senior correspondent. ||||| Eli Lake is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering national security and foreign policy. He was the senior national security correspondent for the Daily Beast and covered national security and intelligence for the Washington Times, the New York Sun and UPI. Read more opinion SHARE THIS ARTICLE Share Tweet Post Email

 Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

 White House lawyers last month learned that the former national security adviser Susan Rice requested the identities of U.S. persons in raw intelligence reports on dozens of occasions that connect to the Donald Trump transition and campaign, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

 The pattern of Rice's requests was discovered in a National Security Council review of the government's policy on "unmasking" the identities of individuals in the U.S. who are not targets of electronic eavesdropping, but whose communications are collected incidentally. Normally those names are redacted from summaries of monitored conversations and appear in reports as something like "U.S. Person One."

 Nunes Says Trump Team Caught in U.S. Surveillance Net

 The National Security Council's senior director for intelligence, Ezra Cohen-Watnick, was conducting the review, according to two U.S. officials who spoke with Bloomberg View on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. In February Cohen-Watnick discovered Rice's multiple requests to unmask U.S. persons in intelligence reports that related to Trump transition activities. He brought this to the attention of the White House General Counsel's office, who reviewed more of Rice's requests and instructed him to end his own research into the unmasking policy.

 The intelligence reports were summaries of monitored conversations -- primarily between foreign officials discussing the Trump transition, but also in some cases direct contact between members of the Trump team and monitored foreign officials. One U.S. official familiar with the reports said they contained valuable political information on the Trump transition such as whom the Trump team was meeting, the views of Trump associates on foreign policy matters and plans for the incoming administration.

 Rice did not respond to an email seeking comment on Monday morning. Her role in requesting the identities of Trump transition officials adds an important element to the dueling investigations surrounding the Trump White House since the president's inauguration.

 Both the House and Senate intelligence committees are probing any ties between Trump associates and a Russian influence operation against Hillary Clinton during the election. The chairman of the House intelligence committee, Representative Devin Nunes, is also investigating how the Obama White House kept tabs on the Trump transition after the election through unmasking the names of Trump associates incidentally collected in government eavesdropping of foreign officials.

 Rice herself has not spoken directly on the issue of unmasking. Last month when she was asked on the "PBS NewsHour" about reports that Trump transition officials, including Trump himself, were swept up in incidental intelligence collection, Rice said: "I know nothing about this," adding, "I was surprised to see reports from Chairman Nunes on that account today."

 Rice's requests to unmask the names of Trump transition officials do not vindicate Trump's own tweets from March 4 in which he accused Obama of illegally tapping Trump Tower. There remains no evidence to support that claim.

 But Rice's multiple requests to learn the identities of Trump officials discussed in intelligence reports during the transition period does highlight a longstanding concern for civil liberties advocates about U.S. surveillance programs. The standard for senior officials to learn the names of U.S. persons incidentally collected is that it must have some foreign intelligence value, a standard that can apply to almost anything. This suggests Rice's unmasking requests were likely within the law.

 The news about Rice also sheds light on the strange behavior of Nunes in the last two weeks. It emerged last week that he traveled to the White House last month, the night before he made an explosive allegation about Trump transition officials caught up in incidental surveillance. At the time he said he needed to go to the White House because the reports were only on a database for the executive branch. It now appears that he needed to view computer systems within the National Security Council that would include the logs of Rice's requests to unmask U.S. persons.

 The ranking Democrat on the committee Nunes chairs, Representative Adam Schiff, viewed these reports on Friday. In comments to the press over the weekend he declined to discuss the contents of these reports, but also said it was highly unusual for the reports to be shown only to Nunes and not himself and other members of the committee.

 Indeed, much about this is highly unusual: if not how the surveillance was collected, then certainly how and why it was disseminated.

 This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

 To contact the author of this story:

 Eli Lake at elake1@bloomberg.net

 To contact the editor responsible for this story:

 Philip Gray at philipgray@bloomberg.net ||||| The panel on Morning Joe, Tuesday, was understandably befuddled by revelations that former White House National Security Adviser Susan Rice requested the unmasking of names of Trump transition officials.

 Hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski began by playing a clip of Rice on PBS denying claims made by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes that Trump and his team were monitored.

 “I know nothing about this,” said Rice. “I was surprised to see reports from Chairman Nunes.”

 “We’re going to have an investigation of this,” said show mainstay David Ignatius. “We’ll begin to dig and learn what the facts were. What was the context of these unmasking requests.”

 Scarborough, who has lately become a fierce Trump critic, trained his fire on Rice, arguing that the revelations from Bloomberg reporter Eli Lake deserved to be explored.

 The government is “doing exactly what civil libertarians are concerned about the government doing,” said Scarborough.”What is Susan Rice unmasking names for and spreading them across the government, wouldn’t that be the job of [James] Comey or the Attorney General.”

 Scarborough then accused The New York Times of downplaying the story, even brandishing a physical copy of the paper on air.

 “Why isn’t it in the newspaper of record here?” asked Scarborough. “We’ve got Bill O’Reilly on the front page but we don’t have NSC and Susan Rice?”

 “That’s a big story,” Brzezinski interjected.

 “I’m not saying it’s not a big story,” Scarborough responded. “I would say that a lot of people would think that this, too, is a big story, not on the front page of The New York Times.”

 “It’s on A16 in my hard copy,” offered Mark Halperin.

 Watch above.

 [image via screengrab]

 Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com ||||| A massive revelation in the alleged surveillance of President Trump’s aides broke Monday morning when Bloomberg reported that “[f]ormer National Security Adviser Susan Rice requested the identities of U.S. persons in raw intelligence reports on dozens of occasions that connect to the Donald Trump transition and campaign.” With their identities unmasked, it allowed for someone to freely and illegally leak their names to the press. It’s controversial news but ABC and NBC both chose to ignore it that night, while CBS defended Rice.

 “We learned more today about the President's allegation that he and his aides were caught up in Obama-era surveillance,” CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley said, teeing up reporter Margaret Brennan. Strangely, Pelley stayed away from flinging the fiery insults which drew him much praise from the left. Instead of calling Trump’s claims “baseless,” he kept it neutral, only referring to them as “allegations.” He also described what the concern was as “Obama-era surveillance,” something he had not done in the past.

 Brennan played defense for Rice, stating: “Well, Scott, as national security adviser to the president, Susan Rice could and did request the names of individuals who were picked up during legal surveillance of foreign nationals.” She then cited unnamed sources who told her there was nothing wrong with what Rice did:

 Now, according to a former national security official, Trump associates were not the sole focus of Rice's request, but they may have been revealed when she asked to understand why they were appearing in intelligence reports. However, Rice did not spread the information according to this former official, who insisted that there was nothing improper or political involved.

 On Fox News’s Special Report, it was a whole different story as they led the program with Rice’s unmasking efforts. “The surveillance of people close to President Trump, possibly the President himself, now has a name and a face attached to it. And it's one you've seen in major scandals before,” declared fill-in host James Rosen during the opening tease.

 “Two weeks ago, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee announced to the press and President he had uncovered a disturbing trend of intelligence collection on Trump officials, some of which was made public,” reported Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts, “Today, we learn more about the ‘how’ and ‘who’ of what's going on.”

 The Fox News reporter noted that when it came to statements from House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes about Trump aides being swept up in incidental collection, Rice claimed she didn't know anything. “I know nothing about this. I was surprised to see reports from Chairman Nunes on that count today,” she claimed on PBS NewsHour on March 22. That is now exposed as a lie, just like then she lied about what caused the Benghazi attack.

 All of that and more went unreported on the Big Three networks. Ironically during Monday's White House press briefing, Press Secretary Sean Spicer called the media out for doing just that. “I think that it is interesting the level or lack of interest that I've seen in these developments when it goes in one direction,” he declared, referencing when the press rushed to wrongly finger NSC Director Ezra Cohen-Watnik as the source of Nunes’ information. But he, in fact, was the one who discovered Rice’s order during a review of the unmasking process. A noticeable double standard indeed.

 Transcripts below:

 <<< Please support MRC's NewsBusters team with a tax-deductible contribution today. >>>

 CBS Evening News

 April 3, 2017

 6:35:28 PM Eastern … SCOTT PELLEY: Margaret, we learned more today about the President's allegation that he and his aides were caught up in Obama-era surveillance. What did you find out today? MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Scott, as national security adviser to the president, Susan Rice could and did request the names of individuals who were picked up during legal surveillance of foreign nationals. Now, according to a former national security official, Trump associates were not the sole focus of Rice's request, but they may have been revealed when she asked to understand why they were appearing in intelligence reports. However, Rice did not spread the information according to this former official, who insisted that there was nothing improper or political involved. PELLEY: Margaret Brennan at the White House. Margaret, thank you.

 ... ||||| Susan Rice speaks during a conference on the transition of the U.S. Presidency from Barack Obama to Donald Trump at the U.S. Institute Of Peace, Jan. 10.

 Susan Rice speaks during a conference on the transition of the U.S. Presidency from Barack Obama to Donald Trump at the U.S. Institute Of Peace, Jan. 10. Photo: Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

 Well, what do you know. On the matter of who “unmasked” the names of Trump transition officials in U.S. intelligence reports, we now have one answer: Susan Rice, Barack Obama’s national security adviser.

 A U.S. intelligence official confirms to us the bombshell news, first reported Monday by Bloomberg, that Ms. Rice requested the name of at least one Trump transition official listed in an intelligence report in the months between Election Day and Donald Trump’s inauguration.

 Ms. Rice received summaries of U.S. eavesdropping either when foreign officials were discussing the Trump team, or when foreign officials were conversing with a Trump transition member. The surveillance was legally authorized, but the identities of U.S. citizens are typically masked so they cannot be known outside intelligence circles. Ms. Rice asked for and learned the identity of the Trump official, whose name hasn’t been publicly disclosed and our source declined to share.

 Potomac Watch Podcast

 Our source did confirm that Ms. Rice also examined dozens of other intelligence summaries that technically masked Trump official identities but were written in such a way as to make obvious who those officials were. This means that the masking was essentially meaningless. All this is highly unusual—and troubling. Unmasking does occur, but it is typically done by intelligence or law-enforcement officials engaged in antiterror or espionage investigations. Ms. Rice would have had no obvious need to unmask Trump campaign officials other than political curiosity.

 We’re told by a source who has seen the unmasked documents that they included political information about the Trump transition team’s meetings and policy intentions. We are also told that none of these documents had anything to do with Russia or the FBI investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. While we don't know if Ms. Rice requested these dozens of reports, we are told that they were only distributed to a select group of recipients—conveniently including Ms. Rice.

 All of this helps to explain the actions in the last week of House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, the one official in Washington who seems interested in pursuing the evidence of politicized surveillance. Mr. Nunes was roundly criticized by Democrats and the media last week for publicly revealing at least one instance of Obama White House unmasking, albeit without disclosing any names.

 Now we know he is onto something. And we know that Mr. Nunes had to go to the White House to verify his information because the records containing Ms. Rice’s unmasking request are held at the National Security Council.

 Where are the civil libertarians when you really need them? These columns support broad surveillance powers for national security, but executive officials need to be accountable if those powers are abused. If congressional oversight of U.S. intelligence operations is going to be worth the name, then it should include the unmasking of a political opponent by a senior official in the White House.

 Democrats certainly raised a fuss during the Bush years and after Edward Snowden kicked off the debate about “metadata,” which are merely telephone numbers without names. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden went so far as to introduce a bill in 2013 to strengthen the ban on “reverse targeting”—in which intelligence agencies surveil foreigners but with the goal of capturing U.S. citizen communications.

 Yet now that there’s evidence that the Obama Administration may have unmasked Trump officials, Democrats couldn’t care less. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on House Intelligence, has spent the past week denouncing Mr. Nunes for revealing that a name was unmasked and for having sources at the White House. But he hasn’t raised a peep about the unmasking itself or who was behind it.

 The news about Ms. Rice’s unmasking role raises a host of questions for the Senate and House intelligence committees to pursue. What specific surveillance information did Ms. Rice seek and why? Was this information related to President Obama’s decision in January to make it possible for raw intelligence to be widely disbursed throughout the government? Was this surveillance of Trump officials “incidental” collection gathered while listening to a foreigner, or were some Trump officials directly targeted, or “reverse targeted”?

 We were unable to locate Ms. Rice Monday to ask for comment, and she hasn’t addressed the unmasking as far as we know. But asked last month on the “PBS NewsHour” that Trump officials might have been surveilled, she said, “I know nothing about this” and “I was surprised to see reports from Chairman Nunes on that account today.” She certainly deserves her turn under oath on Capitol Hill.

 None of this should deter investigators from looking into the Trump-Russia connection. By all means follow that evidence where it leads. But the media have been running like wildebeest after that story while ignoring how the Obama Administration might have abused domestic surveillance for its political purposes. Americans deserve to know the truth about both. |||||


Brown University sanctions two fraternities in connection with sexual misconduct’

 PROVIDENCE, R.I. ï¿½ Brown University has sanctioned two fraternities, including one in connection with the reported sexual assault of a female student last October after she drank an alcoholic punch allegedly spiked with a common date-rape drug at a f ||||| PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — In a letter emailed today to all members of the campus community, senior officers of Brown University announced sanctions to be imposed on two fraternities responsible for holding unregistered parties last fall, creating environments that facilitated sexual misconduct. The letter, from Russell Carey, executive vice president for planning and policy, and Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services, also announced a comprehensive review of alcohol policy and social event regulations this spring. (A note clarifying those regulations was sent Jan. 30 and appears below.)

 “The measures we are taking this spring reflect our interest in preventing sexual assault by addressing the campus climate at Brown,” the letter said. “All Brown community members need to be involved in preventing sexual violence, and all student organizations are expected to ensure that adequate security measures are in place to promote safe events and activities.”

 The letter announced the following sanctions:

 In both cases, the sanctions were upheld on appeal and the national chapters have been informed of the University’s action. No individual member of either fraternity was charged with sexual misconduct.

 Text of the University’s letter

 January 19, 2015

 Dear Member of the Brown Community:

 This year, in keeping with new federal guidelines for college campuses and in support of the aims of Brown’s Task Force on Sexual Assault, we have increased communication and transparency regarding incidents of sexual misconduct. When privacy and confidentiality guidelines permit, we are providing information about incidents and the University response. We are writing now with an update about two incidents from fall 2014 and about plans to review our policies pertaining to social events and alcohol service.

 The two incidents described in this letter involve unregistered parties hosted by fraternities. In both cases, no individual member of either fraternity was charged with sexual misconduct. These student organizations were found responsible for creating an environment that facilitated sexual misconduct through improperly monitored spaces and inadequate safeguards surrounding the service of alcohol.

 The measures we are taking this spring reflect our interest in preventing sexual assault by addressing the campus climate at Brown. All Brown community members need to be involved in preventing sexual violence, and all student organizations are expected to ensure that adequate security measures are in place to promote safe events and activities. We recognize that, in the instances discussed in this letter, not all students within the organizations were individually responsible for the events that occurred. It is imperative, however, that all students take full responsibility for the behaviors of their organizations. The sanctions that have been imposed in these cases are emblematic of a growing recognition that the status quo of social events that place students at risk is simply not acceptable.

 Student Organization Incidents from Fall 2014

 On October 3, 2014, Sigma Chi, a fraternity in Olney House, hosted an unregistered party in the basement of their residence. The Department of Public Safety responded and broke up the party. One student reported an incident of non-consensual contact of a sexual nature that occurred as students were exiting the crowded basement. The complainant was not able to identify the specific individual who was responsible for touching her.

 The fraternity had a student organization hearing on October 31 related to charges of the unauthorized party, serving alcohol to minors, and creating an unsafe environment that resulted in an incident of non-consensual sexual contact. As a result, the fraternity was sanctioned with probation and suspension of social and University privileges until fall 2016. During their sanction, Sigma Chi cannot sponsor any social events and has lost access to their chapter room, lounge, library, and basement. In addition, the fraternity is ineligible to conduct recruitment, rush, or initiation processes. Fraternity members are responsible for participating in educational programs on alcohol, sexual assault, and maintaining a safe environment. This decision was upheld following an appeal. The national chapter of this fraternity has been notified of the offenses.

 On October 17, 2014, Phi Kappa Psi, a fraternity in Sears House, held an unregistered party during which two students reported receiving an alcoholic drink that contained a date rape drug. The fraternity was charged with creating an environment that facilitated inappropriate, potentially dangerous, and possibly criminal behavior by hosting a party where guests were served a drink that contained a date rape drug. One student reported an incident of non-consensual sexual contact that did not happen within the fraternity’s facility nor did it involve a member of the fraternity, but its occurrence was a result of the student’s incapacitation.

 A student organization hearing for Phi Kappa Psi was held on December 5, 2014. The fraternity was found responsible for the following violations: actions that can result in harm; illegal possession or use of drugs; illegal provision, sale, or possession with intent to sell/provide drugs; and violation of operational rules. Since the organization was monitoring and controlling beverage service, it was found responsible for the provision of a drink that contained gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB). The conduct board, consisting of a faculty member, student, and an administrator, sanctioned the organization with loss of University recognition for four years, including loss of housing. This decision was upheld following an appeal. After the appeal was concluded, some questions were raised regarding the validity of one laboratory test that was part of the evidence that indicated students had been given GHB. It will be decided, after a thorough and final review of the physical evidence, whether the findings and sanctions against Phi Kappa Psi should be modified.

 Because the fraternity was found responsible for several serious violations, based on evidence that is not in dispute, and which by themselves warrant strong sanctions, and because of the fraternity’s history of disciplinary infractions involving unauthorized events and alcohol violations, the sanctions recommended by the Student Conduct Board will be put into effect immediately. The national chapter of this fraternity has been notified of the offenses.

 Plans for Review of Campus Policies

 In conjunction with our on-going and intensified efforts to prevent and address sexual assault at Brown, this spring the Division of Campus Life and Student Services will conduct a comprehensive review of alcohol policy and social event regulations to promote a safer environment on campus. Given Greek Council’s interest in preventing sexual assault, we look forward to partnering with them and with other students, faculty, and staff in reviewing our policies governing campus events.

 While the review is underway this spring, no events with alcohol can be held in any Greek or program houses. Student organizations in good standing can host events in which alcohol is served to students aged 21 and over, in approved campus spaces. All such events must be registered with the Student Activities Office. We are prohibiting parties with alcohol service in residential areas. Approved events will have appropriate security and safety measures in place.

 We are encouraged that as a result of increased attention, awareness, and resources, more students are reporting incidents of sexual misconduct when they occur. At the same time, we expect individuals and organizations to be vigilant in their efforts to prevent and to intervene in harmful situations. The University offers a range of programs, including bystander intervention workshops, which can be scheduled by contacting the Office of Health Promotion. Students who wish to report an incident or are seeking support and counseling should visit the Health Promotion web page for available resources.

 Sincerely,

 Russell Carey, Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy

 Margaret Klawunn, Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services |||||

Write a summary.

– Brown University has imposed tough sanctions on two fraternities that held unlicensed parties, including one where a student said she was sexually assaulted after drinking punch spiked with a date-rape drug. That fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, has lost university recognition for four years and will lose its housing, reports the Providence Journal. Another, Sigma Chi, is on probation, has had its privileges suspended until next fall, and will be "ineligible to conduct recruitment, rush, or initiation processes," the university said in a statement. Officials say a student reported being touched in a sexual nature as the Department of Public Safety shut down an unregistered Sigma Chi party in October. No member of either fraternity has been charged with sexual misconduct, but the university says they're responsible "for creating an environment that facilitated sexual misconduct through improperly monitored spaces and inadequate safeguards surrounding the service of alcohol." Officials tell the Brown Daily Herald that Phi Kappa Psi received the toughest sanctions because of its history of infractions, and many members have already been moved out of the frat house. The university has also decided to ban registered events with alcohol in residential areas, including Greek houses, although they can still be held in spaces designated for parties. (The University of Virginia recently reinstated its Phi Kappa Psi chapter.)


Write a summary based on this article:

A rat infestation closed down a government office in Kissimmee that was storing donations destined for Puerto Rico, contaminating boxes of supplies that were never sent to the island.

 The office of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration “does not have the budget to finance the shipping costs” of the supplies, according to PRFAA’s executive director Carlos Mercader. He added that previous efforts to send the boxes of water, food and other supplies through other organizations “have been unsuccessful.”

 Mercader could not say how many boxes were on the property, but the island’s regional office had collected the items in Hurricane Maria’s aftermath, from local organizations and private individuals.

 “Due to the many Puerto Rican families that have been displaced to Florida because of the hurricane, we have donated the meals to Puerto Rican families in need,” Mercader said Tuesday in a statement. “We will soon conduct an inventory of the donations to identify which ones are fit to be given out to Puerto Rican evacuees in Central Florida.”

 The office was previously infested by rodents on August 10, about a month before the storm devastated the island.

 “The building where the office is located is deteriorated, aside from being old, which is why PRFAA has decided to move the office to a more appropriate and dignified space to continue offering the services to the public,” Mercader said.

 The agency, which represents Puerto Rico through its Central Florida and Washington D.C. offices, promotes public policy issues related to the island and was created to support Puerto Ricans moving to the region. The Kissimmee office is currently managed by Mercader since the most recent director, Frances Ortiz, resigned last month.

 Thousands of Puerto Ricans have relocated to Florida after Hurricane Maria hit the island, many of whom are expected to stay in Central Florida. Last month, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló rallied members of the Puerto Rican community in the region and urged them use their political leverage against lawmakers who have voted against the island’s interests.

 Juan Hernandez Mayoral, who directed the PRFAA office in Kissimmee from 2013 to 2017, said the news was “baffling.”

 “Every day, those employees would go into that office and saw those boxes and they did nothing,” said Hernandez Mayoral, who is a former Puerto Rican senator and is affiliated with the island’s pro-commonwealth party. “As if there was no need on the island. This is government negligence.”

 Jennifer Marcial Ocasio contributed to this report.

 bpadro@orlandosentinel.com or 407-232-0202. Follow me on Twitter @BiancaJoanie ||||| A rat infestation in a government office in Florida contaminated supplies that could have been sent to Puerto Rico hurricane victims.

 The water and food was moved into the premises despite officials knowing the office had been infested with rodents since August—a month before Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico.

 Related: Trump tells Puerto Rico "We love you" as FEMA cuts off food and water aid to island

 According to the Orlando Sentinel, Puerto Rican authorities were unable to ship donated aid because of insufficient financing.

 The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration executive director Carlos Mercader explained past efforts to send the supplies through other organizations had ultimately proved unsuccessful.

 Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

 Mercader added that the office in Kissimmee, Florida, had deteriorated to such an extent that his administration had decided to move to a new building.

 “Every day, those employees would go into that office and saw those boxes and they did nothing,” Hernandez Mayoral, who ran the Kissimmee headquarters from 2013 to 2014, said. “As if there was no need on the island. This is government negligence."

 The reports of the spoiled food come amid a litany of administrative failings with regard to aid sent to Puerto Rico.

 U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings and Stacey Plaskett, the congressional delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands, have called for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be subpoenaed over its failure to provide tens of millions to Puerto Rico.

 The federal agency awarded a $156 million contract to a small Atlanta-based company called Tribute Contracting LLC. It delivered only 50,000 of the 30 million meals promised, CNN reported.

 "One of the primary reasons FEMA failed to deliver these meals is because it inexplicably awarded a contract worth approximately $156 million to deliver 30 million emergency meals to a tiny, one-person company with a history of struggling with much smaller contracts," Cummings and Plaskett said in the letter.

 Contracting owner Tiffany Brown said Tuesday that she has been overwhelmed by the order and plans to sue the government for $70 million. |||||

– Puerto Rico is still in great need of hurricane relief supplies, as San Juan's mayor noted last week, which makes recent news out of Florida frustrating. The Orlando Sentinel reports that boxes of donated supplies meant to be sent to the island after Hurricane Maria remained stuck instead in a Kissimmee government office, and that a recent rat infestation has now contaminated some of the food, water, and other supplies that were left languishing. The office of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, which its executive director says is situated in an "old" and "deteriorated" building, couldn't move the materials to their intended destination due to budgetary issues related to shipping. Carlos Mercader says attempts to recruit other groups to help them send the supplies were "unsuccessful." A previous chief of the PRFFA is outraged by the wasted donations. "Every day, those employees would go into that office and saw those boxes and they did nothing," says Juan Hernandez Mayoral, who is also a former Puerto Rican senator. "This is government negligence." Newsweek notes this news comes on the heels of a contract canceled by FEMA after a one-woman company failed to deliver millions of meals to Puerto Rico as promised; Democratic lawmakers now want the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to subpoena FEMA to find out how that small company got the $156 million contract to perform that service. Meanwhile, Mercader says his team is trying to assess which supplies are still good and will then get them out to Puerto Rican evacuees living in central Florida.


Write a summary based on this article:

Introducing A Revolution In Pelvic Floor Health...

 Pelvic floor muscles are a critical part of a healthy body and can affect health and happiness in many ways. However, tools to help women exercise and manage them are extremely lacking. kGoal is a revolutionary new smart Kegel trainer: it is a device + app that provides a fun, interactive platform to guide, measure and track your pelvic floor exercise. It's like having a personalized gym and tracking system in the palm of your hand!

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 Thanks for the support, everyone! You can find more information about kGoal and pre-order at www.minnalife.com after the Kickstarter campaign ends.

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 As featured on...

 Why Are Pelvic Floor Muscles Important?

 Strong pelvic floor muscles are a vital part of a healthy body. In particular, they are crucial in the following contexts:

 Pregnancy : they are critically important during and after pregnancy, both in helping the body manage changes arising from the pregnancy and also in recovering more readily after birth.

 : they are critically important during and after pregnancy, both in helping the body manage changes arising from the pregnancy and also in recovering more readily after birth. Bladder control : they control the bladder and can prevent incontinence caused by stress, post-partum effects, aging, or other factors. Over 76% of women experience incontinence issues at some point in their life - strong pelvic floor muscles can prevent or resolve many of these problems without the complications of surgery.

 : they control the bladder and can prevent incontinence caused by stress, post-partum effects, aging, or other factors. Over 76% of women experience incontinence issues at some point in their life - strong pelvic floor muscles can prevent or resolve many of these problems without the complications of surgery. Musculoskeletal stability : they support abdominal organs and provide stability for the entire pelvic region and lower spine; when weak or unstable they can cause back and pelvic pain.

 : they support abdominal organs and provide stability for the entire pelvic region and lower spine; when weak or unstable they can cause back and pelvic pain. Pleasure: they are an important part of a healthy sexual response for women. Strong pelvic floor muscles can enhance arousal and improve sensation, orgasm quality, and general sexual experience.

 However, despite the importance of pelvic floor muscles, tools to help exercise and manage them are extremely lacking. That’s where kGoal comes in...

 What Is kGoal?

 The first tools for evaluating pelvic floor muscle strength were invented in the late 1940s using an air pressure balloon and a tire gauge. Sadly, the technology used has not progressed much since. However, the landscape is changing quickly. Personal health tracking tools like Fitbit or Jawbone UP have exploded in popularity by putting knowledge about the body directly into users' hands. Likewise, improving technology has now made it possible to create a much better pelvic floor muscle exercise system.

 kGoal is a smart Kegel trainer and functions as both an exercise tool and a performance monitoring and guidance system. It measures the force exerted by squeezing your pelvic floor muscles and can communicate that information back to you via a phone and/or the device itself. Using the device and corresponding app is like having a personalized gym and tracking system by your side whenever you want.

 What Makes kGoal Unique?

 kGoal has a number of revolutionary features that make it a groundbreaking advance in pelvic floor health. In particular, kGoal gives you the ability to:

 Get real time biofeedback : pelvic floor muscles are often controlled subconsciously, and studies have shown that over 30% of women are not able to correctly contract their pelvic floor muscles without direct feedback (instead, they will often flex their abs, glutes, or inner thighs). kGoal's ability to provide real time feedback via touch, sight and sound can help you make sure you're doing the exercises correctly.

 : pelvic floor muscles are often controlled subconsciously, and studies have shown that over 30% of women are not able to correctly contract their pelvic floor muscles without direct feedback (instead, they will often flex their abs, glutes, or inner thighs). kGoal's ability to provide real time feedback via touch, sight and sound can help you make sure you're doing the exercises correctly. Guide your workout : our team of expert physical therapists and doctors has helped us develop algorithms to suggest exercise plans that are tailored to you and based on your current capabilities.

 : our team of expert physical therapists and doctors has helped us develop algorithms to suggest exercise plans that are tailored to you and based on your current capabilities. Track your performance : kGoal can measure and keep track of everything from muscle strength to endurance to which exercises you did and when you did them. Being able to look at how your body changes over time can help you (and your doctor or therapist) better understand your body and optimize your health.

 : kGoal can measure and keep track of everything from muscle strength to endurance to which exercises you did and when you did them. Being able to look at how your body changes over time can help you (and your doctor or therapist) better understand your body and optimize your health. Be comfortable : since kGoal's squeezable pillow is squishy and has a vent to adjust the air pressure, you can tailor the fit to your body's unique anatomy, even as it changes over time.

 : since kGoal's squeezable pillow is squishy and has a vent to adjust the air pressure, you can tailor the fit to your body's unique anatomy, even as it changes over time. Make exercise fun: let's face it... exercise can be boring. A smart device can make it way more interesting, and we're even working on games and other interactions to make pelvic floor exercise more engaging. We know that motivation can be a huge challenge with exercise, and it was vital for us to create an experience that doesn't feel like a chore.

 How Does kGoal Work?

 Using kGoal is really simple. There are two halves of the system:

 kGoal device

 kGoal app

 The main section of kGoal is a squeezable pillow that is inserted into the vagina. Since it's squishy, it conforms to a wide variety of anatomies, and you can use the vent to let air in or out and further optimize the fit. Once in place, the pillow can measure squeezing of your pelvic floor muscles, and there is also a motor for providing real time vibrational biofeedback.

 The arm stays outside the body and holds kGoal in place. It is also the basic interface, with the button, status light, and charging plug. In addition, it has a second vibrational feedback motor that can be used together with or instead of the motor in the pillow.

 The other key element of the system is the app. It communicates with and can control kGoal wirelessly and it's also where you can find your exercise history and suggested workouts. However, if you don't have your phone handy, don't worry - many of kGoal's features are available without having the app connected.

 Finally, kGoal comes with a travel-friendly USB charger and is splash resistant for easy cleaning. And, most importantly, it is totally body-safe - it's made with Class VI medical grade silicone that is 100% phthalate free.

 Testimonials

 We've been getting great feedback from our test users. Here are a few snapshots:

 It's like Fitbit for your pelvic floor muscles.... awesome. - M.V.

 I love being able to keep track of how I'm doing - seeing improvement is really motivating. - R.S.

 It's amazing, I can actually feel how hard I'm squeezing, which makes such a difference. -A.J.

 We've also been working with a leading pelvic floor physical therapist in San Francisco on kGoal. Liz Miracle runs her own pelvic floor physical therapy practice and is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California San Francisco School of Physical Therapy. Here's what she has to say:

 "kGoal is an innovative product that will be instrumental in pelvic floor strengthening for women. It’s the first product that can provide tactile feedback, through vibration, of a woman’s ability to perform a correct pelvic floor contraction. I've found women are more likely to adhere to an exercise program when given a realistic, interesting exercise routine using biofeedback. kGoal is motivational, helping women achieve goals by providing real time biofeedback and the ability to track progress over time. Not only that, but we finally have a product meant to fit women of different sizes. kGoal is truly breaking down barriers to pelvic floor strengthening, helping women feel empowered."

 Who We Are

 kGoal was developed by Minna Life, a startup in San Francisco that includes a group of designers, engineers, and health experts who share a sense of frustration with the lack of well-designed, high quality sexual health products available.

 Our design philosophy is simple: technology should make the world less complicated. We believe that great products are so intuitive, so fluid in the way they improve the human experience, that you hardly know they're there. We have worked extremely hard to make using kGoal as simple and natural as possible.

 Our team has a deep level of experience in product development and manufacturing, and has successfully developed and launched two previous products on budget and on time, including our second product via crowd funding campaign last year. We are well aware of the many pitfalls that can derail the launch of hardware products and, based on our previous experience, we are confident that we will be able to deliver kGoal on time.

 Why Kickstarter?

 There are two main reasons for us to use Kickstarter:

 User feedback : we believe passionately in user-centric design, and Kickstarter gives us a tremendous platform to interact with users. Particularly on the app side, we expect to be continually developing and refining the interactions that make using kGoal so much fun, and the input we get from our supporters on Kickstarter will be invaluable. We love hearing from you, either via Kickstarter or at customerservice@minnalife.com.

 : we believe passionately in user-centric design, and Kickstarter gives us a tremendous platform to interact with users. Particularly on the app side, we expect to be continually developing and refining the interactions that make using kGoal so much fun, and the input we get from our supporters on Kickstarter will be invaluable. We love hearing from you, either via Kickstarter or at customerservice@minnalife.com. Help us cover manufacturing costs: making hardware is expensive! Although kGoal is not our first product, we are still a shoestring operation, and there are a number of up-front manufacturing capital expenditure costs that we need help with to bring kGoal to the world. These costs include tooling such as molds and assembly equipment, raw materials, and parts. Hitting our goal will enable us to pay for the first batch of products, but without a successful campaign, we cannot afford to make kGoal a reality.

 How Can You Help?

 We strongly believe we have created a revolutionary product in kGoal, and we think it can be a valuable part of maintaining healthy pelvic floor muscles (and enabling all the benefits that come with them). Supporting our campaign is your way to be a part of making kGoal come to life, and also your way to get one of the first ever units made (and at a fantastic discount, no less)!

 The other crucial thing you can do to help is to get the word out and build the conversation. We know that this part of the body, and some of the health issues associated with it, can be delicate topics. However, never discussing them only prevents everyone from understanding and improving their bodies, health, and well-being. We hope you'll help us work to change that by promoting dialog about what is, after all, a vital and natural part of the body. Anything, from sharing our campaign via social media to sharing via conversations in your daily life, will be hugely beneficial, both to our campaign and also towards building a healthier, happier world.

 Schedule

 kGoal is scheduled to begin the manufacturing ramp-up process in August, immediately following the completion of the campaign. We expect to ship the first units by December and will fulfill backer rewards with the first available products, in chronological order of when supporters made their commitment.

 Ordering Details

 A few of our prototypes

 Color: you may have noticed from the video and images that we have prototypes in a variety of colors. We have not made a final decision on product color - our plan is to put it to a vote by our campaign backers as we get closer to finalizing manufacturing.

 Smart phone support: another important note relates to which smart phones will be compatible with kGoal. As you can see in the video, the initial app was built for iOS devices, but we will also implement an Android version of the app before we start shipping in December.

 For wireless compatibility, the phone or other smart device will need to have Bluetooth Low Energy (also known as Bluetooth 4.0) capability. For Apple devices, this is the iPhone 4S or newer or the iPad3 or newer. Please ask us if you're unsure about compatibility with your device.

 International Taxes and Shipping

 While our rewards include free delivery within the US, we do require international backers to pay a $25 fee to cover shipping. In addition, international backers will be responsible for taxes, duties, and customs fees as appropriate for their country, although we will do our best to assist backers with sorting out any issues. ||||| CHEVY CHASE, Md., July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Private Gym, LLC announced today the release of its groundbreaking, innovative fitness program, Private Gym, the first FDA registered exercise program that strengthens the pelvic muscles. Using the Private Gym program, in less than 10 minutes a day, three days a week, men can strengthen the muscles that support and control the penis. Pelvic muscle training results in more rigid erections, reduction of premature ejaculation and heightening of orgasms, as well as support of prostate health and improvement of urinary control.1 Aside from boosting sexual performance, achieving fit pelvic muscles can help prevent the onset of erectile dysfunction.2

 The science behind Private Gym is simple and well established: workout a muscle and it gets stronger. Private Gym is an exercise program that provides expertly-designed training routines with resistance equipment. Private Gym's Complete Training Program begins with "Basic Training," a four-week interactive DVD exercise program that teaches men how to strengthen their pelvic muscles with "Kegel exercises" for men. These are the same well-known exercises performed by millions of women to increase pelvic tone, particularly after childbirth.

 Once Basic Training is complete, the program adds another four weeks of "Resistance Training." Private Gym's patented resistance equipment utilizes a revolutionary design and incorporates silicone-covered magnetic weights to provide consistent, precise and measurable results. The equipment fits comfortably around the erect penis and is lifted up and down. This movement places resistance on the pelvic muscles, resulting in maximum pelvic muscle growth and strength.

 "We exercise all parts of our body, but completely neglect the muscles that control our sexual function," said Dr. Andrew Siegel, cofounder of Private Gym and renowned urologist, surgeon, professor and author of Male Pelvic Fitness: Optimizing Sexual and Urinary Health. "With Private Gym, men can now safely and naturally strengthen one of their most important muscle systems."

 As men approach age 30, the pelvic muscles that support erectile function begin to weaken. According to the Journal of Urology, by age 40, more than 50 percent of men experience some form of erectile dysfunction. This number increases to 66 percent as men near 60 years of age. Premature ejaculation is even more prevalent than erectile dysfunction and can be contributed to by a weakening of the pelvic muscles, as reported in The Journal of Urology. By strengthening these muscles, men can experience harder and longer-lasting erections and improvement of premature ejaculation.

 Private Gym was developed in conjunction with Dr. Andrew Siegel after he witnessed his patients improving their erectile function with pelvic muscle exercises. He saw a need for a comprehensive program to teach men how to perform pelvic muscle exercises. To develop Private Gym, he assembled a team of the world's top urologists, physiotherapists and sexual health educators, including Professor Grace Dorey, a leading expert on pelvic floor physiotherapy and author of numerous studies. Dorey conducted the most significant study of its kind: Pelvic Floor Exercises for Erectile Dysfunction, published in the British Journal of Urology International in 2005, which found that 76 percent of men improved their erectile function with pelvic muscle exercise.

 "For years women have known about the importance of Kegel exercises," said Professor Dorey. "For the first time, men have an innovative solution that enables them to safely and naturally strengthen their pelvic muscles."

 Private Gym Complete Training Program comes complete with an interactive, follow-along eight-week exercise program on DVD, step-by-step instructional guide, FDA registered resistance training equipment, magnetic weight, and carrying case. For more information about Private Gym and its products visit privategym.com .

 About The Private Gym, LLC

 Founded in 2012, The Private Gym, LLC, is a unique fitness company dedicated to helping men and women safely and naturally improve sexual and pelvic health with innovative and interactive exercise programs.

 1. Dorey G, Speakman MJ, Feneley RC, et al: Pelvic floor exercises for erectile dysfunction. BJU Int. 2005; 96(4): 595-597; Pastore AL, Palleschi G, Leto A, et al: A prospective randomized study to compare pelvic floor rehabilitation and dapoxetine for lifelong premature ejaculation. Int J Androl 2012; 35: 528-533; Siegel A: Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in Males: Practical Applications. Urology 2014, In press; Gormley EA, Lightner DL, Burgio KL, et al: American Urological Association (AUA)/ Society for Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine & Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU) Guideline: Diagnosis And Treatment Of Overactive Bladder (Non-Neurogenic) In Adults, 2012. 2. Siegel A: Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in Males: Practical Applications. Urology 2014.

 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140711/126226

 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140711/126863

 SOURCE The Private Gym, LLC ||||| In a world where everyone from Fido to Great Aunt Fifi wears some variation of a pedometer or Fitbit, there are few workouts left that can't be tracked electronically. But soon, an oft-forgotten and perhaps unexpected exercise will be added to the list: kegel contractions.

 Yes, kegel, as in a woman's pelvic floor muscles.

 The kGoal Smart Kegel Trainer is a wearable device that allows women to track the number of repetitions, pressure applied and squeeze duration while contracting their kegel muscles. Like Fitbit, the information is communicated wirelessly from the device to an app on one's smartphone, where future workouts will be recommended based on user history.

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 "Pelvic floor muscles are one of the most important, but least appreciated parts of the body," said creator Grace Lee in a promotional video on the product's Kickstarter page. The kGoal "is like having a gym, a physical therapist and a tracking system in the palm of your hand."

 The body wear comes in an array of colors and is comprised of a wide member that gets inserted into the woman's vagina, while a smaller arm rests outside of the body. Size can be adjusted to conform to the wearer, but the kGoal does not vibrate and is not intended for sexual stimulation.

 Kegel exercises have long been encouraged by medical experts to help prevent urinary incontinence, prevent overuse during childbirth and enhance sexual activity. Prescriptive advice, however, can vary.

 "There is no hard data on kegels in terms of recommendations for how many, how long, what age, etc.," said Dr. Jennifer L. Ashton, ABC News Senior Medical Contributor and an obstetrician-gynecologist. "The medical teaching is that, like most muscles, the more it's used, the better."

 The Mayo Clinic suggests on its website that women incorporate kegel exercises into their daily routine, noting that "You can do Kegel exercises, also known as pelvic floor muscle training, discreetly just about anytime."

 But there are no guarantees that the exercises will offer an instant cure for incontinence or improved orgasms.

 "In terms of preserving urinary continence, the value of kegels is somewhat controversial, but medically and behaviorally, they certainly can't hurt, and can possibly help pelvic function," said Ashton, who is not affiliated with the kGoal device. "I like the idea of an app, combined with a biotech device to help women with this! But only long-term studies will show just how useful it is."

 Pre-sales of the kGoal Smart Kegel Trainer have already sold out, but when the device officially launches in December 2014 it will cost $125. |||||

– Women aren't the only people who should be doing Kegel exercises, experts say. Studies have found that pelvic floor exercises—long known to help women with childbirth and recovery as well as prevent incontinence—can also help with incontinence, recovery from prostate surgery, and other issues in men, including, possibly, sexual dysfunction. How should men do the exercises? Focus on "the area you sit on when you’re sitting on a horse," one doctor explains to the New York Times, and tighten the muscles you would typically use to stop urinating mid-stream or keep yourself from passing gas. Contract for a few seconds, release, and repeat 10 to 15 times per "workout." Another doctor who wants to convince men to start doing the exercises has gone so far as to help create a pelvic floor exercise system, Private Gym, which includes an instructional DVD and a band with ultralight weights that goes around the penis, in case men want to add a "resistance training" aspect, as the Times puts it. "People do cardio exercises for their heart, and they do strength training and work on their six-pack, but the pelvic floor is neglected," the urologist explains. Though there's little evidence that male Kegels can enhance erections, one doctor calls the exercises "as good as Viagra," and clinical trials have shown they can help prevent premature ejaculation and may help with erectile dysfunction. In other Kegel news, there is now an "activity tracker" meant specifically to keep track of how many Kegel exercises women do, ABC News reports. Yes, the kGoal Smart Kegel Trainer is inserted exactly where you'd assume it would be. (In other male anatomy news, this man claims a hospital shortened his penis.)


Here is a news article: Story highlights Jan Rooney's will challenge is "totally without merit," actor's lawyer says

 A lawyer for Jan Rooney says she's filing objections over Mickey Rooney's will

 A hearing to start the process of probating the will is set for Monday

 The will left Rooney's estate to a stepson and nothing to his wife or other children

 Mickey Rooney's widow has filed a challenge against the validity of the will the legendary actor signed just weeks before his death at 93, her lawyer said.

 The will left Rooney's estate to a stepson and nothing to his wife, Janice, or other children.

 Attorney Eugene Belous told CNN he would be in Los Angeles County Probate Court on Monday morning to argue that the will contains "a blatant misstatement" about agreements between her, the actor and his conservator.

 How Mickey Rooney showed America its heart

 "There is NO provision in either of the two settlement agreements ... that terminates or in any way effects (her) rights as surviving spouse," Belous said.

 A court filing says Jan Rooney signed an agreement waiving all claims to her husband's estate after the couple separated in June 2012 after 34 years of marriage.

 JUST WATCHED Actor Mickey Rooney dies at 93 Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Actor Mickey Rooney dies at 93 03:02

 Mickey Rooney's court-appointed conservator, who is also named as executor in the will, told CNN on Friday that the challenge of the will "is totally without merit."

 Since there is not much money to fight over, attorney Michael Augustine said Rooney's widow, who was separated from her husband the last two years of his life, was seeking public attention with the challenge. "She cannot resist her additional five minutes of fame," Augustine said.

 Although Rooney disinherited his children, his wife and all but one of her children in a will he signed just weeks before his death, court papers suggest there is not much in his estate to fight over. His personal property is valued at just $18,000 despite an unmatched 90-year film career.

 The will signed by Rooney on March 11, 2014, left the entire estate to stepson Mark Rooney, one of Jan Rooney's sons, who was the actor's caretaker the last two years of his life. He died on April 7.

 Rooney "intentionally omitted" and disinherited his eight surviving biological children and two other stepchildren from his last marriage, the will said.

 Rooney had no negative feelings toward his surviving children, but they were all financially better off than he was, Augustine said, adding that Rooney believed that what little he had to leave should go to Mark Rooney and his wife, because they had been taking good care of him in his final two years.

 A hearing is scheduled for Monday to start the process of probating the actor's will.

 An attorney for Mickey Rooney's children is also contesting the will, Belous said.

 Fight over Mickey Rooney's remains averted

 Augustine said there was no question that Rooney was of sound mind when he signed the will last March. The actor had just finished filming his "Night at the Museum" scenes with Dick Van Dyke, in which he had no trouble learning his lines, he said.

 An independent lawyer appointed by a judge confirmed that he found Rooney to be "perfectly competent," Augustine said. ||||| Mickey Rooney‘s step-son was his primary caregiver during his dying days, leading the legendary actor to name him as the sole heir to his estate — but Rooney’s eight biological children have taken legal action to contest the will, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned.

 According to paperwork filed with the Superior Court of the State of California on behalf of Rooney’s eight children children on May 8, the kids allege that his step-son, Mark Aber, took advantage of him during his vulnerable dying days.

 EXCLUSIVE DOCUMENTS: Mickey Rooney’s Eight Biological Children Contest His Will

 Filed against Michael Augustine, the conservator for Rooney’s estate, the kids claim he helped manipulate the actor in cahoots with Aber.

 “Decedent’s health was failing and he was of very advanced age; Respondent had come to be the court appointed conservator of the estate and person of Decedent after a long and traumatic period in his life involving elder abuse,” the document reads.

 “During this period, Respondent acted in concert with Aber, Decedent’s step-son, who occupied a position of trust and confidence as the caretaker of Decedent and who, during this period, lived with Decedent along with Aber’s wife, Charlene Aber, before and up to the time of Decedent’s death… Decedent reposed trust and confidence in Aber.”

 Lost Footage: Never-Before-Seen Video Of Mickey Rooney Singing Song That Eerily Ends With ‘Till The Day I Die’

 During this close relationship, Rooney’s biological children charge Aber was able to control and influence their father to leave his estate to him.

 “Respondent and Aber were able to and did control and influence the mind and actions of the Decedent to such an extent that Decedent did whatever Respondent and Aber instructed him to do,” the will contest reads.

 “Taking advantage of this trust and confidence, Respondent and Aber suggested and dictated the contents of the Document, arranged for the execution of the Document, and caused Decedent to execute the Document.”

 DOCUMENT: Mickey Rooney’s Will — Read It Here

 As Radar previously reported, even though Rooney, 93, had a paltry $18,000 in his bank account when he died — there stands to be a lot of money made in the actor’s death through residuals and royalties — which his wife Jan and kids want a piece of.

 “Kimmy Sue especially feels hard done by. She was the only biological child that Mickey was close to, so she’s furious to be cut out for a stepson who’s only been on the scene a few years,” an insider told Radar.

 “There’s little love lost between the kids and Jan, and her son Chris, but they all agree that it shouldn’t be going to Mark. That’s the last person it should be going to.”

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 Rooney’s children claim in the new court docs that the will was not drafted in “the free and voluntary act” of their father and they’re asking for it to be nulled, and to be awarded legal fees.

 Stay with Radar as the legal war wages on for Rooney’s estate… |||||
A summary of this is?

– Mickey Rooney may not have left a celebrity-sized fortune behind, but his estranged widow wants a cut of it anyway. Janice Rooney is challenging the late actor's will, which leaves his entire $18,000 estate to stepson/caretaker Mark Aber, omitting Janice Rooney and other children, CNN reports. Her lawyer will appear in court today to challenge the assertion, made in court documents, that she signed an agreement waiving her right to her husband's estate when the couple separated in 2012. "There is NO provision in either of the two settlement agreements ... that terminates or in any way affects (her) rights as surviving spouse," Janice Rooney's lawyer said. Court-appointed conservator Michael Augustine has dismissed the claim as "totally without merit," accusing Janice Rooney of pursuing it because "she cannot resist her additional five minutes of fame." Mickey Rooney's eight biological children are also contesting the will, Radar reports. In court documents, they claim Augustine conspired with Aber to manipulate the actor.


BOSTON—Twenty-five years after the notorious burglary of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, law enforcement officials are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying an unauthorized visitor to the museum the night before the theft. That person entered the museum through the same door as the thieves in the middle of the night, 24 hours before the theft.

 “Over many months we have engaged in an exhaustive re-examination of the original evidence in this case. Our aim has been to ensure that all avenues have been explored in the continuing quest to recover these artworks,” said United States Attorney Carmen Ortiz. “Today we are releasing video images from the night before the theft—images which have not previously been seen by the public—with the hope of identifying an unauthorized visitor to the museum. With the public’s help, we may be able to develop new information that could lead to the recovery of these invaluable works of art.”

 The video footage released today, captured by Museum security cameras 24 hours before the Gardner heist, shows an automobile pull up next to a rear entrance of the Museum. The car matches the general description of a vehicle that was reported to have been parked outside the Museum moments prior to the theft on March 18, 1990.

 The video also shows an unidentified man exiting the automobile and then being allowed inside the Museum, against Museum policy, by a security guard. That event occurred at 12:49 p.m. on March 17, 1990, almost exactly 24 hours before the thieves entered the museum through the same door.

 While the images of both the vehicle and the unidentified man are low resolution, law enforcement officials hope that releasing the footage will assist with identifying the man or the vehicle in the video.

 Anyone with information regarding the video should call the FBI at 617-742-5533 or the Isabella Gardner Museum at 617-278-5114.

 Vincent Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Boston said, “This latest request for the public’s assistance illustrates the FBI’s continued commitment to the Gardner investigation. By releasing this video, we hope to generate meaningful leads and ultimately recover the stolen artwork.”

 A $5 million reward has been offered by the Museum for information that leads directly to the recovery of all of the stolen items in good condition. The recovery of an individual object will result in a portion of the reward, based upon the object’s market value relative to the other stolen objects.

 “We remain committed to one goal: the return of all 13 works to their rightful place, which is here at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. To that end, we support the efforts that the United States Attorney and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are making to uncover any and all information related to the theft of our artwork. We believe that no stone should be left unturned,” said Anthony Amore, Director of Security at the Gardner Museum.

 In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, two white males dressed in Boston Police uniforms gained entrance to the Gardner Museum by advising the security guard at the watch desk that they were responding to a report of a disturbance within the compound. Against Museum policy, the guard allowed the thieves into the facility. Upon entry the two thieves subdued the on-duty security personnel, handcuffed them, and secured both guards in separate remote areas of the Museum’s basement. The suspects did not brandish weapons, nor were any weapons seen during the heist. No panic button was activated and no Boston Police notification was made during the robbery. The video surveillance film from the evening of the robbery was seized by the thieves prior to departure. They did not take the video footage from the night before.

 The combined value of the 13 works of art stolen during the Gardner theft is at least $500 million, though they are considered priceless within the art community. The following objects were stolen during the burglary and have been missing for the past 25 years:

 1) Vermeer’s "The Concert"

 2) Rembrandt’s "A Lady and Gentleman in Black"

 3) Rembrandt’s "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee"

 4) Rembrandt’s "Self Portrait"

 5) Govaert Flinck’s "Landscape with an Obelisk"

 6) A Shang Dynasty Chinese Bronze Beaker from 1200-1100 BC

 7) Degas' "La Sortie du Pelage"

 8) Degas' "Cortege Aux Environs de Florence"

 9) Degas' "Three Mounted Jockeys"

 10) Degas' "Program for an Artistic Soiree" (charcoal on white paper)

 11) Degas' "Program for an Artistic Soiree" (less finished charcoal on buff paper)

 12) Manet’s "Chez Tortoni"

 13) Napoleonic Eagle Finial

 - More information on Gardner Museum theft ||||| Uploaded on Aug 6, 2015

 Twenty-five years after the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum burglary, law enforcement officials are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying an unauthorized visitor who entered the museum through the same door as the thieves 24 hours before the heist. ||||| BOSTON (AP) — Twenty-five years after the famed art heist at Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, law enforcement officials released new surveillance video Thursday showing an unauthorized visitor entering the museum the night before the robbery.

 FILE - In this March 11, 2010 file photo, the empty frame, center, from which thieves cut Rembrandt's "Storm on the Sea of Galilee" remains on display at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.... (Associated Press)

 FILE - This undated file photograph provided by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum shows the painting "Chez Tortoni," by Edouard Manet, one of more than a dozen works of art stolen in the early hours... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this March 21, 1990 file photo, a security guard stands outside the Dutch Room of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, where robbers stole more than a dozen works of art by Rembrandt,... (Associated Press)

 In this March 18, 1990 still image from surveillance video released by the U.S. Attorney's Office,Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015, an unauthorized visitor walks inside the rear entrance of the Isabella Stewart... (Associated Press)

 Authorities hope the never-before seen video will spark leads to help recover the 13 pieces of stolen artwork, worth at least $500 million.

 The low-resolution video shows a security guard appearing to hit an intercom button, then to grant access to a man who can be seen in the museum's reception area at about 12:49 a.m. on March 17, 1990, nearly exactly 24 hours before the heist.

 The man is also seen getting out of a car matching the general description of one reported to be parked outside the museum minutes before the theft. He uses the same rear entrance as the thieves, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, which released the video.

 The stolen artwork includes Vermeer's "The Concert" and Rembrandt's "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee."

 Ortiz's office did not immediately respond to questions about why the video footage — captured by museum security cameras — was not released earlier.

 "Over many months we have engaged in an exhaustive re-examination of the original evidence in this case. Our aim has been to ensure that all avenues have been explored in the continuing quest to recover these artworks," Ortiz said in a prepared statement.

 Ortiz said officials are hoping the public may be able to help authorities identify the unauthorized visitor or the car seen in the video.

 "With the public's help, we may be able to develop new information that could lead to the recovery of these invaluable works of art," she said.

 A $5 million reward has been offered by the museum for information that leads to the recovery of the stolen artwork in good condition.

 "We remain committed to one goal: the return of all 13 works to their rightful place, which is here at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum," said Anthony Amore, Director of Security at the Gardner Museum.

 Authorities have repeatedly said on March 18, 1990, two white men dressed in Boston police uniforms gained entrance to the museum by telling the security guard at the watch desk that they were responding to a report of a disturbance.

 Against museum policy, the guard allowed the men into the museum. The thieves handcuffed the museum's two guards on duty and put them in separate areas of the museum's basement.

 No weapons were seen during the robbery and no panic button was activated. The video surveillance footage from the night of the robbery was taken by the thieves.

 No one has ever been charged in the heist.

 ___

 Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSw1BsJEBB4 ||||| Never-before-seen video released Thursday shows a security guard admitting an unidentified man into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum the night before the infamous 1990 art heist, adding a stunning new clue to Boston’s most enduring mystery.

 The video footage, taken by the museum’s surveillance cameras and recently examined by investigators, shows the night watchman open the museum’s side door and grant unauthorized access to the man at about 12:49 a.m. on March 17, 1990 — 24 hours before the museum was robbed by two men dressed as police officers who arrived at the same door.

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 The man spent about three minutes in the reception area and appears to fumble through paperwork or a wallet before leaving.

 Law enforcement officials are now questioning whether the suspicious actions constituted a dry run for the heist, and it refocuses the spotlight on Richard Abath, the rock musician moonlighting as a security guard who fell under the suspicion of authorities soon after the robbery. Authorities did not say Abath was the guard in the video, but three officials familiar with the investigation confirmed to the Globe that it is he.

 Officials released the video to solicit the public’s help in identifying the second man, hoping to make some movement in the largest unsolved art theft in the world.

 It was not immediately clear why the surveillance footage of the night before the robbery had not been made public before, and whether it was viewed by the FBI in the initial investigation. The robbers had seized surveillance footage from the night of the heist, though they did not take footage from the previous night.

 Several law enforcement officials said the video appears to have been overlooked and mixed in with other evidence at the onset of the case. US Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz said that a team of investigators began reviewing the original evidence, and that one of them, Assistant US Attorney Robert Fisher, requested the video, which was in the custody of the FBI. Officials then decided to release it to the public in hopes it could lead to new information.

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 “We have this big question mark as to who this individual is,” Ortiz said. “The hope is that someone will recognize the unauthorized visitor . . . and provide some fruitful leads that will help us figure out where the paintings are, lead to some information, to some people we haven’t thought of before.”

 Abath, who is now in his late 40s and lives in Vermont, has denied any ties to the robbery plot, though he admitted to violating museum protocol at the time of the robbery by opening the door to the two men dressed as police officers claiming to be responding to a disturbance. Protocol required him to seek a supervisor’s approval before letting anyone into the museum after hours.

 A Globe reporter who went to Abath’s house Thursday morning in Brattleboro was turned away by a woman who said he did not live there. Abath has admitted to bringing friends to the museum at least once several months before the robbery, but he never disclosed that he let someone in the night before the heist. He has said he opened the door only for security checks.

 “What you see in the video does not comport with what we have been told in the past,” said Anthony Amore, the museum’s director of security, who has worked with the FBI and the US attorney’s office in a renewed push in recent years to solve the heist.

 He said the video “is compelling in that perhaps the identity of this person . . . will shed new light on exactly what happened March 18 [1990], who else may be involved, and hopefully lead us to our paintings.”

 Globe reporters discuss new video in Gardner museum heist

 No one can be charged with the theft of the paintings because the statute of limitations has expired, but authorities could still seek charges against someone in possession of the stolen works. Ortiz has said she would consider granting immunity to anyone who may possess the paintings in exchange for their return. The museum has offered a $5 million reward for the return of the works.

 Abath, who has recently worked as a teacher’s aide in Vermont, has long been under suspicion, in part because of his admission to violating museum protocol and because of the way the robbery was carried out.

 Once Abath buzzed the men into the museum’s side entrance on Palace Road at 1:24 a.m. on March 18, 1990, the men subdued him, then waited for the second guard on duty and tied him up as well. They then spent 81 minutes in the museum, making off with 13 works of art, including three Rembrandts, a Vermeer, and a Manet.

 Investigators have questioned why Abath’s footsteps were the only ones picked up by motion detectors in the first-floor gallery, where one of the stolen paintings was taken, just before the two robbers scoured the rest of the museum.

 One of Abath’s most questionable disclosures was that he opened and closed the Palace Road door 20 minutes before the robbery, which prompted investigators to ask whether he was signaling the robbers. The action was also in violation of security protocol, though Abath maintained he routinely opened the door during his rounds.

 He did open the door on March 17. The footage starts just before 1 a.m., and it shows a car moving in reverse on Palace Road, a one-way street, after the second guard on duty went on his rounds. An unidentified man approaches the museum from the direction of the car, and Abath seems to grant him access through the first door by hitting an intercom button.

 The man does not enter the museum’s second door, but returns to the car and turns on its parking lights.

 The footage then shows the man returning to the museum. Abath again buzzes the man in, but this time the man remains in the museum reception area for more than three minutes before returning to the car and leaving.

 The footage also shows that the unidentified man parked the car at roughly the same spot where several young people who had emerged from a St. Patrick’s Day party the morning of the robbery reported seeing a red hatchback. One of the partygoers reported seeing two men dressed as police officers inside, roughly an hour before the robbery occurred.

 The color, make, and model of the car in the new surveillance video could not be determined, though authorities said Thursday that it matches the general description of the vehicle seen the night of the robbery.

 Lyle Grindle, who headed security for the museum at the time of the theft, said in an interview Thursday that he had been shown the security tape by federal investigators about a month ago, but that he was unable to identify the visitor who had been allowed into the museum. He said he told investigators that allowing such a visit was a violation of the museum’s strict security procedures, which prohibited any late-night entries, even by police or firefighters.

 Grindle said it appeared to him that the tape had been recently unearthed by the federal officials, but he did not ask why it had not been viewed before by investigators.

 “I believe all the prior tapes from the previous nights were taken by the FBI, and I never saw them again,” said Grindle, who stayed on as security director for years after the heist and oversaw an upgrade of the museum’s security system.

 Grindle said he did not know if Abath had been questioned by the federal officials who interviewed him.

 “Someone has to explain why the security protocol was broken two nights in a row now, and I think only Rick can answer that question now,” Grindle said.

 It was not immediately clear if Abath has recently discussed his actions that night with authorities.

 No one has ever been charged in connection with the theft of the paintings, and none of the works have been recovered, making it Boston’s last great mystery following the capture and conviction of notorious gangster and longtime fugitive James “Whitey” Bulger. The artworks are considered priceless on the black market.

 In 2013 the FBI publicly disclosed for the first time that agents believe they know who took the art, and that the works had made their way through underground organized crime channels from Boston through Connecticut to Philadelphia, where they were last believed to be seen.

 Amore called the new video troubling, but added, “It doesn’t knock us off course on the stuff we’ve been talking about.” He said the video “raises more questions than answers.” |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– The FBI hopes new surveillance footage released today will aid in the recovery of 13 priceless artworks stolen 25 years ago and help put to rest one of Boston's greatest mysteries. In the early hours of March 18, 1990, two men dressed as cops were let into the Gardner Museum, where they tied up two security guards and absconded with the artwork and the museum's security footage, the Boston Globe reports. But the thieves, who have never been identified, may have missed one key thing. According to the FBI, surveillance footage from the day before the robbery shows a security guard letting a man into the museum—against protocol—through the same door later used in the robbery. The Globe reports it's unclear why this footage wasn't viewed by law enforcement earlier, but it could show a "dry run" of the heist. The newspaper identifies Richard Abath as the security guard in the footage, and the FBI is hoping the public can help identify the mystery man he lets in. Abath, a rock musician at the time who now lives in Vermont, has claimed he had no part in the robbery, but this new footage appears to contradict a number of his statements. No one has ever been charged with stealing the art—for which there is a $5 million reward—and no one ever will, as the statute of limitations has expired. Someone in possession of the paintings, however, could face charges. Their total value exceeds $500 million, reports AP.