Article:

Move over Emma Stone, Tinseltown has a new highest-paid actress. Scarlett Johansson leads this year's ranking with $40.5 million in pretax earnings between June 1, 2017 and June 1, 2018, making her acting's top-earning female lead.

 Playing Black Widow in Marvel's Avengers movies has become a lucrative role for Johansson, who quadruples her 2017 earnings to bump Stone from No. 1. She'll return onscreen for the fourth installment of the superhero conglomerate series in 2019.

 "The percent of budget cost have certainly skewed heavy, particularly on the Avengers movies, to cast now, whereas maybe in the early ones it was more visual effects or below the line," said Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios President and producer last year. "But that's okay because [the actors] are the best effects."

 Johansson edges Angelina Jolie (No. 2; $28 million) who returns to the ranking thanks largely to her upfront pay for Maleficent 2. Jennifer Aniston (No. 3; $19.5 million) still earns big bucks 14 years after the conclusion of Friends, making most of her money by endorsing the likes of Emirates airlines, Smartwater and Aveeno. Expect her paycheck to skyrocket next year when production begins on her forthcoming Apple series with Reese Witherspoon (No. 5; $16.5 million), for which the pair will receive an estimated $1.25 million an episode.

 Just ahead of Witherspoon, who rejoins the list with movie earnings and Big Little Lies paychecks, is Jennifer Lawrence. The Hunger Games actress' two most recent movies, Mother! and Red Sparrow, underperformed at the box office. But she still commands big bucks for her turns in the X-Men series and a high-paying Dior contract.

 Together, the world's 10 highest-paid actresses tallied a combined $186 million between June 1, 2017, and June 1, 2018, before fees and taxes. Earnings estimates are based on data from Nielsen, ComScore, Box Office Mojo and IMDB, as well as interviews with industry insiders. All figures are pretax; fees for agents, managers and lawyers are not deducted. Overall, the cumulative total is up 16% from $172.5 million in 2017.

 The list examined actresses the world over, including Australian Cate Blanchett (No. 8; $12.5 million) and Israeli Gal Gadot (No. 10; $10 million). Gadot, whose turn as Wonder Woman catapulted her to fame, is the only newcomer on the ranking. The Patty Jenkins-directed blockbuster tallied $821.8 million at the box office and scored a sequel, which accounts for the majority of Gadot's payday this year. Though she only made an estimated six figures for the first installment, her increased quote, coupled with a Revlon endorsement, launched her among the highest-paid.

 "There was such an obsession in the industry that teenage boys were the primary target box office," said Jenkins, who helmed the smash hit and will be directing and writing its sequel for an estimated $7 million. "The industry has had a hard time shifting to acknowledging that they need to hit a more diverse audience."

 Currently, female characters fill only 28.7% of all speaking roles in film, according to a 2016 study. That lack of roles means that there are fewer opportunities for female stars to earn big bucks. This year, only two women broached the $20 million mark, down from three in 2017 and four in 2016. Notably absent: Amy Adams, Emma Watson, Charlize Theron and last year's top-ranked Emma Stone, who all failed to earn above the $10 million cut off for this year's list and dropped off the ranking.

 Roles for women who are no longer young ingenues are few and far between. Yet the highest-paid actresses buck that trend: 60% of this year's list members are over the age of 40. Some have forged their own roles to build opportunities for themselves: Witherspoon cofounded her Pacific Standard production company and Hello Sunshine media house to option rights for female-led parts. Others, like Aniston, supplement acting income with hefty endorsement deals. ||||| Move over Emma Stone, Tinseltown has a new highest-paid actress. Scarlett Johansson leads this year's ranking with $40.5 million in pretax earnings between June 1, 2017 and June 1, 2018, making her acting's top-earning female lead.

 Playing Black Widow in Marvel's Avengers movies has become a lucrative role for Johansson, who quadruples her 2017 earnings to bump Stone from No. 1. She'll return onscreen for the fourth installment of the superhero conglomerate series in 2019.

 "The percent of budget cost have certainly skewed heavy, particularly on the Avengers movies, to cast now, whereas maybe in the early ones it was more visual effects or below the line," said Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios President and producer last year. "But that's okay because [the actors] are the best effects."

 Johansson edges Angelina Jolie (No. 2; $28 million) who returns to the ranking thanks largely to her upfront pay for Maleficent 2. Jennifer Aniston (No. 3; $19.5 million) still earns big bucks 14 years after the conclusion of Friends, making most of her money by endorsing the likes of Emirates airlines, Smartwater and Aveeno. Expect her paycheck to skyrocket next year when production begins on her forthcoming Apple series with Reese Witherspoon (No. 5; $16.5 million), for which the pair will receive an estimated $1.25 million an episode.

 Just ahead of Witherspoon, who rejoins the list with movie earnings and Big Little Lies paychecks, is Jennifer Lawrence. The Hunger Games actress' two most recent movies, Mother! and Red Sparrow, underperformed at the box office. But she still commands big bucks for her turns in the X-Men series and a high-paying Dior contract.

 Together, the world's 10 highest-paid actresses tallied a combined $186 million between June 1, 2017, and June 1, 2018, before fees and taxes. Earnings estimates are based on data from Nielsen, ComScore, Box Office Mojo and IMDB, as well as interviews with industry insiders. All figures are pretax; fees for agents, managers and lawyers are not deducted. Overall, the cumulative total is up 16% from $172.5 million in 2017.

 The list examined actresses the world over, including Australian Cate Blanchett (No. 8; $12.5 million) and Israeli Gal Gadot (No. 10; $10 million). Gadot, whose turn as Wonder Woman catapulted her to fame, is the only newcomer on the ranking. The Patty Jenkins-directed blockbuster tallied $821.8 million at the box office and scored a sequel, which accounts for the majority of Gadot's payday this year. Though she only made an estimated six figures for the first installment, her increased quote, coupled with a Revlon endorsement, launched her among the highest-paid.

 "There was such an obsession in the industry that teenage boys were the primary target box office," said Jenkins, who helmed the smash hit and will be directing and writing its sequel for an estimated $7 million. "The industry has had a hard time shifting to acknowledging that they need to hit a more diverse audience."

 Currently, female characters fill only 28.7% of all speaking roles in film, according to a 2016 study. That lack of roles means that there are fewer opportunities for female stars to earn big bucks. This year, only two women broached the $20 million mark, down from three in 2017 and four in 2016. Notably absent: Amy Adams, Emma Watson, Charlize Theron and last year's top-ranked Emma Stone, who all failed to earn above the $10 million cut off for this year's list and dropped off the ranking.

 Roles for women who are no longer young ingenues are few and far between. Yet the highest-paid actresses buck that trend: 60% of this year's list members are over the age of 40. Some have forged their own roles to build opportunities for themselves: Witherspoon cofounded her Pacific Standard production company and Hello Sunshine media house to option rights for female-led parts. Others, like Aniston, supplement acting income with hefty endorsement deals. |||||
What is a summary?

– Emma Stone ruled the roost last year, but this time around she's lost the No. 1 spot on the highest-paid actress list to the Black Widow. That would be Scarlett Johansson, whose annual paycheck is leaps and bounds ahead of the runner-up by more than $12 million, per Forbes: The Avengers star brought in $40.5 million pretax between June 1, 2017, and June 1 of this year. Forbes notes that the combined pay of the 10 top-paid actresses grossed $186 million, as well as another interesting tidbit on these high-paid Hollywooders: A full 60% of the women on this list are over the age of 40, turning the tables on the "young ingenue" routine that often relegates older women in Tinseltown to less-palatable roles. Rounding out the top five after Johansson: Scarlett Johansson, $40.5M Angelina Jolie, $28M Jennifer Aniston, $19.5M Jennifer Lawrence, $18M Reese Witherspoon, $16.5M See who else made the list here. (There are zero women on this highest-paid athletes list.)


Summarize this article:

In 2013, the half marathon was once again the fastest growing standard distance among U.S. road races, according to data compiled by Running USA, an industry trade group.

 There were an estimated 1.96 million finishers at U.S. halfs last year, up 6% from 2012's total, and a new record. The charts and table below, created using Running USA's data, highlight some key stats and trends about the half marathon's popularity.

 First, the number of finishers in U.S. half marathons has exploded. In 1990, there were an estimated 303,000 finishers. That total had more than doubled by 2004. This year's record total of 1.96 million means that, in just less than a quarter-century, there's been more than a six-fold increase in finishers.

 Much of the growth has been driven by increased female participation. In 2013, women made up a record 61% of U.S. half marathon finishers, compared to 53% in 2006. Although the percentage of men finishing half marathons has fallen each of the last several years, the absolute number continues to increase. There were more than 760,000 male finishers of U.S. halfs in 2013, which was more than all finishers in 2006.

 The half marathon isn't just a U.S. phenomenon. Although 14 of the 20 largest half marathons in the world in 2013 were U.S. races, the three biggest were overseas. The 45,126 finishers in Goteborg, Sweden was the most in history for an annual half marathon.

 Race Number of Finishers in 2013 Goteborg (Sweden) 45,126 Great North Run (Great Britain) 40,763 Paris (France) 30,371 500 Festival (Indianapolis) 30,059 Nike Women's San Francisco 26,406 Walt Disney World (Florida) 23,148 Disney's Princess (Florida) 22,739 Berlin (Germany) 22,232 NYRR Brooklyn 21,427 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas 20,665 Rock 'n' Roll USA Nation's Capital 19,994 Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia 18,137 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego 18,077 Country Music (Nashville) 18,022 Madrid (Spain) 15,943 Disneyland (California) 15,871 Miami 14,939 Surf City USA (California) 14,792 Great Birmingham (Great Britain) 14,624 NYC (New York) 14,535

  ||||| Fitness trends come and go—remember Jazzercize?—and right now, the half marathon is ascendant. Last year, two million people finished the 13.1 mile race, and 61 percent of those runners were women. Those are huge numbers, and Scott Douglas and Dan Fuehrer at Runners World have more, charting the race's increasing popularity:

 In 1990, there were an estimated 303,000 finishers. That total had more than doubled by 2004. This year's record total of 1.96 million means that, in just less than a quarter-century, there's been more than a six-fold increase in finishers.

 The race seems especially popular in the United States, where 14 of the 20 most well-attended races were held. But the biggest races of all were overseas: 45,126 people finished a half marathon in Sweden last year, and 40,763 ran one in Great Britain.

 Running USA, the group that compiled the statistics for half marathon runners, points out a few other fun facts about just how many people are running these races:

 Since 2010, 13.1 miles has been the second most popular distance by finishers behind the 5K. Per our count, October hosted the most U.S. half-marathons (288), while January had the least (83) in 2013. Since 2000, the number of half-marathon finishers in this country has quadrupled (482,000 to 1,960,000) or an impressive increase of 307%.

 The difference between a half-marathon and 5K is huge: runners, it seems, are divided between people committed to running for maybe 40 minutes and people ready to hoof it for more than two hours. If you fall somewhere in between, well, maybe it’s about time you try for 13.1 miles. Everyone else is. |||||

– Female runners are making half-marathons the sport's most popular distance race, reports Runner's World. It takes note of new stats from Running USA showing that a record 1.95 million people finished a 13.1-mile race last year, which marks a 6% increase from the previous year and an astonishing six-fold rise since 1990. Of last year's finishers, 61% were women, up from 53% in 2004. "Runners, it seems, are divided between people committed to running for maybe 40 minutes and people ready to hoof it for more than two hours," observes Rose Eveleth at Smithsonian. "If you fall somewhere in between, well, maybe it’s about time you try for 13.1 miles. Everyone else is."


ATLANTA (AP) — A man hired women to work as dancers inside a million-dollar mansion and threatened to kill at least one of them if she tried to leave, according to a 911 call.

 Officers helped eight women leave the home after the 911 call was made Tuesday morning, police said Wednesday in a news release. In the 911 recording, the caller cryptically asks the dispatcher for help getting out of a "bad situation."

 Under questioning from the dispatcher, the woman describes a boss who carries a gun, sent her to get plastic surgery, tells her she can leave anytime she wants — but threatens to kill her if she does.

 Kenndric Roberts, 33, faces charges of false imprisonment and trafficking a person for labor. He was in jail with an initial court appearance scheduled for Thursday. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment on the charges.

 "What we believe is he was luring these women to this house with promises of either modeling careers or financial assistance. We're not 100 percent sure on that. The investigation is continuing," Sandy Springs police Sgt. Sam Worsham told WSB-TV.

 As the dispatcher learns more about what's happening, her surprise is clear, her tone at times incredulous: "Wait. Did you say you're in a house full of girls?"

 "Mmm hmm," the woman responds.

 "And somebody's threatening to kill you if you leave?"

 "Mmm hmm."

 "Who's threatening to kill you? One of the girls?"

 "No, our boss."

 "Your boss?"

 The woman says she knows her boss only as "Ken something," that she met him online and that it initially seemed like a good situation because she could make money for dancing. When she arrived about a month ago, he sent her to get plastic surgery, she told the dispatcher.

 The situation quickly turned bad: "He's, like, so mean I just can't stay."

 She describes the home as "a very nice house" in a gated subdivision, with cameras inside. According to Fulton County property records, the two-story brick home measures 6,806 square feet and is valued at $976,300.

 Her boss also lives in the house, drives a lot of different cars and generally has a handgun with him, she told the dispatcher.

 Throughout the 14-minute 911 recording, the woman repeatedly says nothing illegal is going on but that she's scared to leave.

 "Does he know holding someone against their will is against the law?" the dispatcher asks.

 "He is so smart. He knows exactly what he's doing," the woman said. "He'll be like, 'You can leave whenever you want,' and then he'll, like, threaten you right after."

 There were seven other women in the home, she said, but she was the only one who wanted to leave.

 The woman told the dispatcher she was planning to run out of the house and call a car to come pick her up and take her to the airport because she had to catch a flight home to Orlando, Florida, that friends got for her.

 The woman asks the dispatcher to have officers pull up in front of the house and that she'll go out to meet them. ||||| The voice was calm and quiet and desperate: "I'm in a very bad situation, and I need to get out."

 The caller, a 20-year-old woman, told a Georgia dispatcher that she was being held against her will. And it wasn't just her.

 "It's a house full of girls and ... if I try to leave, he'll try to kill me and stuff," she said, prompting the dispatcher to ask, "Wait — did you say you're in a house full of girls?"

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 The caller's Tuesday morning plea helped Georgia authorities to uncover what they believe is a case of human trafficking based out of a $1 million luxury home in the suburbs of Atlanta. The suspect, Kenndric Roberts, 33, was charged with additional felonies Friday, Sandy Springs police told NBC News.

 Roberts faces five counts of false imprisonment, five counts of trafficking persons for labor and two counts for possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. An AK-47 and a Glock .45-caliber handgun were found in the home, police said. Possible federal charges are also pending.

 In total, eight women ranging from ages 19 to 22 were found at the home, said Sgt. Sam Worsham.

 Roberts was renting the residence, Worsham added, and the homeowners weren't there. The president of the local homeowners association told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the group had received complaints from neighbors about cars constantly "coming in and out."

 It's unclear how long some of the women were allegedly held at the home, which is listed as having five bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms. The 911 caller said she had been there about a month.

 Kenndric Roberts, 33, is suspected of human trafficking. via 11alive.com

 She said she met the man holding her captive via SeekingArrangement.com, a website that offers "mutually beneficial relationships," and that "he had me go get, like, plastic surgery."

 Police said Roberts had lured the young women by telling them he could provide them modeling jobs.

 But the promises made of easy money turned into threats of violence, detectives said in an affidavit.

 Related: Flight Attendants Train to Spot Human Trafficking

 One woman "stated that Kendrick [sic] had threatened her on numerous times, one instance where he stated he was going to pay someone to cut her chest open, take out the implants and cut her up," the detective wrote.

 Some of the women also said he forced them to work at local strip clubs, and they had to leave their IDs and phones at home, police said. He offered to pay them more money if they stayed with him — and threatened to hurt them or their families if they left.

 Roberts waived his first court appearance Thursday. He is being held without bond in Fulton County Jail with another hearing planned for later this month.

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 The FBI office in Atlanta is helping to assist the investigation, and is asking for other potential victims to come forward.

 Worsham said all eight of the women have been brought to families or placed in safe houses.

 Atlanta remains one of the largest hubs in the country for sexual exploitation and human trafficking, federal authorities say.

 Kasey McClure, who runs the faith-based nonprofit 4Sarah Inc., which assists victims of sex trafficking in the Atlanta area, said this latest case should be an eye-opener because it happened in an affluent bedroom community where neighbors failed to notify police.

 Related: Human Trafficking Increased in 2016, Organization Reports

 For the women, who are oftentimes desperate for money and a place to live, the lifestyle can seem irresistible, she added.

 "These girls think, 'Well, I’m in a beautiful home. I’m getting fed. I’m getting transportation. I don’t have to worry about paying bills.' It’s glamorized," said McClure, who began the nonprofit in 2005 after leaving the sex industry herself.

 Her organization, which began as a "strip club ministry," aims to help women turn their lives around. While some young girls and women are put off by the violence and leave on their own accord, others sometimes return because they have nowhere else to go, she said.

 But she remains hopeful organizations such as hers can make a difference: "You change lives one girl at a time." ||||| Just One More Thing...

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What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– A man has been charged with holding eight women against their will inside a million-dollar home in the suburbs of Atlanta, NBC News reports. Authorities say 33-year-old Kenndric Roberts met the women online and offered them modeling jobs. But once they moved into the 6,800-square-foot, five-bedroom house he was renting, things changed, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The women—who range in age from 19 to 22—tell police Roberts threatened them if they tried to leave, forced them to work at strip clubs, threatened their families, and made them get plastic surgery. One of the women referred to Roberts as "our boss," the AP reports. It's unclear how long the women had been in the home. What authorities now believe was a human trafficking operation was discovered Tuesday when one of the women called 911 and asked police to help her escape a "very bad situation" in a "very nice house." She said a man who had a "house full of girls" was threatening to kill her if she left. Police responded and found the eight women. Roberts was arrested on Wednesday. He's been charged with multiple counts of false imprisonment, trafficking persons for labor, and more. Federal charges are also possible. The women have been returned to their families or placed in safe houses.


Article:

McDonald’s should probably think about giving one of its Florida cashiers a raise.

 On Tuesday morning, Pedro Viloria, a worker who mans the drive-thru, jumped through the ordering window at a McDonald’s in Doral, Fla., to help a woman who suddenly became unconscious while operating her vehicle.

 Viloria was stationed at his post behind the drive-thru window when a woman — who turned out to be an off-duty Miami-Dade police officer —pulled up in an SUV to order breakfast for herself and her two children. After preparing the order, Viloria returned to the window and noticed that the driver was struggling to breathe.

 MCDONALD'S BLASTED OVER 'INSULTING' SHAMROCK SHAKE TWEET

 Soon after, the woman lost consciousness, her foot slipped from the brake, and her SUV began to roll down the drive-thru lane.

 Viloria, who witnessed the woman falling unconscious, says he immediately went into “hero mode” and jumped through the restaurant’s drive-thru window. Surveillance footage also shows Viloria pulling the off-duty officer from the SUV as it rolled forward.

 A second McDonald’s employee, along with paramedics who were in the restaurant, helped to revive the woman at the scene. She was then taken to the hospital for additional treament.

 A representative for McDonald’s has since released a statement on the incident in which they commend Viloria’s bravery, reports Fox 5 NY.

 “First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the officer and her family during this difficult time,” McDonald’s wrote. “I think I speak for our McDonald’s family when I say how proud we are of Pedro. He is an excellent employee, so it didn’t surprise me that he took immediate action and jumped through a window to help save this woman.

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 “And he was not the only member of the team that played a pivotal role in ensuring she received the medical attention she needed. A second employee, who asked to remain unnamed, assisted with CPR. Their quick thinking and action were everything in that moment.”

 As of Wednesday, Miami-Dade Police Detective Daniel Ferrin has yet to release any information on the woman’s condition.

 The Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

 MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A McDonald’s employee jumped right through a drive-thru window in order to help save a Miami-Dade police officer.

 “I thought, ‘If those kids lose their mother today, that’s going to be tragic,’” said Pedro Viloria.

 Viloria was working the window at the McDonald’s on 113th Avenue in Doral early Tuesday morning.

 He was serving breakfast to a lady in an SUV along with her children, a boy and a girl.

 Viloria noticed something wrong with the mother, so did the kids.

 “Her kids were screaming, ‘Mother, mother, stop it, mother what are you doing?’” Viloria recalled.

 On surveillance camera you can see the SUV start to move. Apparently the women’s foot was off the brake.

 Viloria knew he had to make a move, so he hopped out the service window in pursuit of the SUV and the stricken driver. He did it just as the SUV came to a stop up against the driveway curb.

 Viloria said he told the kids to call 911 right away.

 The kids did just that as a firefighter walked into the McDonald’s.

 The firefighter was unaware of what was happening, but soon enough he headed out knowing something was up. He and his partner rushed to help, so did an off-duty paramedic.

 Within what seemed like seconds, fire rescue was on the scene.

 “I was with the kids telling them it was going to be all right,” Viloria said.

 McDonald’s released a statement applauding Viloria’s actions.

 “First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the officer and her family during this difficult time. I think I speak for our McDonald’s family when I say how proud we are of Pedro. He is an excellent employee, so it didn’t surprise me that he took immediate action and jumped through a window to help save this woman. And he was not the only member of the team that played a pivotal role in ensuring she received the medical attention she needed. A second employee, who asked to remain unnamed, assisted with CPR. Their quick thinking and action were everything in that moment.” |||||
What is a summary?

– McDonald's employee Pedro Viloria doesn't typically jump through the drive-thru window, but a shocking moment during his Tuesday breakfast shift in Doral, Florida, led him to do just that. Now, he's being deemed a hero for his quick actions. Mashable reports that after handing over an order to an off-duty police officer at the pick-up window, Viloria noticed she was struggling to breathe. She then fell unconscious, causing her foot to slide off the brake, per Fox News. The officer’s SUV then began rolling forward with her two children inside, yelling in the back seat. In one swift motion, Viloria leapt through the window to help. (You can see video at CBS Miami. "In that moment, I thought, I'd rather save that woman's life," Viloria tells WPLG. The SUV narrowly missed colliding with another vehicle before coming to a stop at a curb. Another McDonald's employee, who asked to remain unnamed, administered CPR along with a number of first responders who happened to be at or nearby the scene. The condition and identity of the officer has yet to be released after she was transported to the hospital. “I think I speak for our McDonald’s family when I say how proud we are of Pedro," says a statement from McDonald's that also thanked his co-worker. "Their quick thinking and action were everything in that moment.”


Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says former Sen. Chuck Hagel should be given a “fair” confirmation hearing if he’s picked as defense secretary, but wouldn’t stand by his previous praise of the Nebraska Republican.

 (Also on POLITICO: Obama to pick Hagel for Pentagon)

 “He ought to be given a fair hearing like any other nominee, and he will be,” McConnell (R-Ky.) said during a pre-taped interview Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “I’m going to wait and see how the hearings go and whether Chuck’s views square with the job he would be nominated to do.”

 When Hagel left the Senate in early 2009, McConnell praised his “clear voice and stature on national security and foreign policy.” But McConnell appeared to back off those comments as Hagel has come under fire from fellow Republicans for not being sufficiently supportive of Israel, especially as it relates to the nuclear threat from Iran.

 “I’m going to take a look at all of the things Chuck has said over the years and review that, and in term of his qualifications to lead our nation’s military,” McConnell said. “He certainly has been outspoken on foreign policy and defense over the years. The question we will be answering,if he is the nominee, is do his views make sense for that part job.”

 Earlier McConnell stated: “Whoever is nominated for secretary of defense is going to have to have a full understanding of our close relationship with our Israeli allies, the Iranian threat and the importance of having a robust military.”

 (Also on POLITICO: The shortlist for Obama’s top jobs)

 Read more about: Mitch McConnell, Chuck Hagel, Pentagon, Defense ||||| Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is shrugging off questions about a potential 2014 challenge from actress Ashley Judd, saying he's more concerned about working through the current battles in Congress.

 "Look, the election is going to occur in 2014," McConnell said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "In the meantime, I'm going to focus on the issues we have going on here."

 Judd is reportedly considering challenging McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, but has yet to declare her candidacy. ||||| Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Sunday attacked President Barack Obama's expected choice of former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel to head the Pentagon, saying that he had ignored bipartisan criticisms of Hagel.

 "This is a president who has drunk the tea. He's high on reelection right now," Cruz, a freshman Republican, said on "Fox News Sunday."

 Hagel, who as a former Republican senator opposed the Iraq war, has come under attack for views he has expressed on Israel. His anticipated nomination to serve as secretary of defense is likely to kick off a hard-fought nomination battle.

 "What I am concerned about are his record and past policy positions," Cruz said of Hagel.

 Read more about: Chuck Hagel, Ted Cruz ||||| Freshman Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, said Sunday he would vote against confirming Republican Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense -- that's if he had a vote -- and suggested there were qualified Democrats whom Obama could pick.

 "I would vote against him," Cotton said on ABC's "This Week," later noting that the Senate votes to confirm presidential nominees "I'm disappointed the president's nominated Mr. Hagel, and I've urged the Senate to oppose that nomination. Mr. Hagel came out against the surge the week that I returned from Iraq in 2006, said the war couldn't be won. No one had told us that when we were fighting it in 2006. He delayed emergency funding for the troops in 2007. Even after the surge succeeded in 2008, he still said that it wasn't because of the troops addition.

 "When you add that to his dangerous views on Iran and Hezbollah and Hamas and terrorism, as well as his strange hostility towards Israel, I think the Senate should oppose Mr. Hagel as secretary of defense," Cotton added There are many other qualified Democratic defense professionals who the president could nominate.

 Read more about: Chuck Hagel, Tom Cotton ||||| Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday called former Republican Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, who is President Barack Obama’s likely pick for defense secretary, an “in-your-face” nomination” and someone who is “out of the mainstream” of thinking on foreign policy issues.

 (Also on POLITICO: Obama to pick Chuck Hagel for Pentagon)

 “I’m going to vote for Senator [John] Kerry [for secretary of state]. I don’t agree with him a lot, but I very much think he’s in the mainstream of thought,” Graham said on CNN’s “State of the Union."

 “Chuck Hagel, if confirmed to be the secretary of defense, would be the most antagonistic secretary of defense toward the state of Israel in our nation’s history," Graham said. “Not only has he said you should directly negotiate with Iran, sanctions won’t work, that Israel should directly negotiate with the Hamas organization, a terrorist group that lobs thousands of rockets into Israel. He also was one of 12 senators who refused to sign a letter to the European Union that Hezbollah should be designated as a terrorist organization."

 “He has long severed his ties with the Republican Party. This is an in-your-face nomination by the president," Graham said. "And it looks like the second term of Barack Obama is going to be an in-your-face term."

 (Also on POLITICO: The shortlist for Obama’s top jobs)

 Read more about: Lindsey Graham, Chuck Hagel, Pentagon, Defense ||||| Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin on Sunday defended President Barack Obama’s likely pick for defense secretary, Chuck Hagel, calling him a “serious candidate.”

 Hagel, who could be nominated to lead the Pentagon as early as Monday, has come under fire from some Democrats for insensitive comments he made about gays, which he recently apologized for. And Republicans have questioned his support of Israel in light of past remarks.

 “Chuck Hagel was a Republican senator from Nebraska, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam war a person that includes service on the Foreign Relations Committee as well as the Intelligence Committee,” the Illinois senator said. “Yes, he is a serious candidate if the president chooses to name him.”

 And Durbin, who's No. 2 in Senate Democratic leadership, pointed out that Obama won the election and "wants to lead this country."

 Read more about: Barack Obama, Chuck Hagel, Dick Durbin, Pentagon, Defense |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– No sooner had rumors of Chuck Hagel's pending nomination to head up the Pentagon leaked than lips were flapping about what a bad idea it was. Hagel "is an in-your-face nomination by the president," charged Lindsey Graham, who "would be the most antagonistic secretary of defense toward the state of Israel in our nation’s history." Texas Sen. Ted Cruz blasted President Obama as "a president who has drunk the tea. He's high on re-election right now." Mitch McConnell, in an interview taped yesterday, was slightly warmer, saying, "he ought to be given a fair hearing, like any other nominee, and he will be. I’m going to wait and see how the hearings go and whether Chuck’s views square with the job he would be nominated to do.” Elsewhere on your Sunday dial, as per Politico: Dick Durbin on Hagel: “Chuck Hagel was a decorated veteran of the Vietnam war, a person that includes service on the Foreign Relations Committee as well as the Intelligence Committee. Yes, he is a serious candidate if the president chooses to name him.” Freshman Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on Hagel: "I would vote against him. Mr. Hagel came out against the surge the week that I returned from Iraq in 2006, said the war couldn't be won. No one had told us that when we were fighting it in 2006." McConnell on a potential challenge from Ashley Judd: "Look, the election is going to occur in 2014. In the meantime, I'm going to focus on the issues we have going on here."


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 Americans are not ideologues. They think ideology is something squished down on their heads from on high, something imposed on them by big thinkers who create systems we're all supposed to conform to. Americans are more interested in philosophy, which bubbles up from human beings, from tradition and learned experience, and isn't imposed.

 Lately we are hearing a bit about ideology, but the work of a great political philosopher, Edmund Burke, is more pertinent. Burke respected reality, acknowledged human nature, and appreciated political context. In "Reflections on the Revolution in France," he wrote, "Circumstances (which with some gentlemen pass for ... ||||| Vice-presidential picks are always judged by their effect on the coming election. They rarely have any.

 They haven’t had a decisive influence since Lyndon Johnson carried Texas for John Kennedy in 1960. (That and Illinois put Kennedy over the top.) This time, however, the effect could be significant. The Democrats’ Mediscare barrage is already in full swing. Paul Ryan, it seems, is determined to dispossess Grandmother, then toss her over a cliff. If the charge is not successfully countered, good-bye Florida.

 Republicans have a twofold answer. First, hammer home that their Medicare plan affects no one over 55, let alone 65. Second, go on offense. Point out that President Obama cuts Medicare by $700 billion to finance Obamacare.

 It’s a sweet judo throw: Want to bring up Medicare, supposedly our weakness? Fine. But now you’ve got to debate Obamacare, your weakness — and explain why you are robbing Granny’s health care to pay for your pet project.

 If Mitt Romney and Ryan can successfully counterattack Mediscare, the Ryan effect becomes a major plus. Because:

 (a) Ryan nationalizes the election and makes it ideological, reprising the 2010 dynamic that delivered a “shellacking” to the Democrats.

 (b) If the conversation is about big issues, Obama cannot hide from his dismal economic record and complete failure of vision. In Obama’s own on-camera commercial — “the choice . . . couldn’t be bigger” — what’s his big idea? A 4.6-point increase in the marginal tax rate of 2 percent of the population.

 That’s it? That’s his program? For a country with stagnant growth, ruinous debt and structural problems crying out for major entitlement and tax reform? Obama’s “plan” would cut the deficit from $1.20 trillion to $1.12 trillion. It’s a joke.

 (c) Image. Ryan, fresh and 42, brings youth, energy and vitality — the very qualities Obama projected in 2008 and has by now depleted. “Hope and change” has become “the other guy killed a steelworker’s wife.” From transcendence to the political gutter in under four years. A new Olympic record.

 While Ryan’s effect on 2012 is as yet undetermined — it depends on the success or failure of Mediscare — there is less doubt about the meaning of Ryan’s selection for beyond 2012. He could well become the face of Republicanism for a generation.

 There’s a history here. By choosing George H.W. Bush in 1980, Ronald Reagan gave birth to a father-son dynasty that dominated the presidential scene for three decades. The Bush name was on six of seven consecutive national tickets.

 When Dwight Eisenhower picked Richard Nixon in 1952, he turned a relatively obscure senator into a dominant national figure for a quarter-century, appearing on the presidential ticket in five of six consecutive elections.

 Even losing VP candidates can ascend to party leader and presumptive presidential nominee. Ed Muskie so emerged in 1968, until he melted down in New Hampshire in 1972. Walter Mondale so emerged in 1980 and won the presidential nomination four years later. (The general election was another story.)

 Winning is even better. Forty percent of 20th-century presidents were former VPs: Theodore Roosevelt, Coolidge, Truman, Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Bush (41).

 Before Aug. 11, Ryan already was the party’s intellectual leader and de facto parliamentary leader — youngest-ever House Budget Committee chairman whose fiscal blueprint has driven congressional debate for two years. Now, however, he is second only to Romney as the party’s undisputed political leader.

 And while Romney is the present, Ryan is the future. Romney’s fate will be determined on Nov. 6. Ryan’s presence, assuming he acquits himself well in the campaign, will extend for decades.

 Ryan’s importance is enhanced by his identity as a movement conservative. Reagan was the first movement leader in modern times to achieve the presidency. Like him, Ryan represents a new kind of conservatism for his time.

 Reagan rejected the moderate accommodationism represented by Gerald Ford, the sitting president Reagan nearly overthrew in 1976. Ryan represents a new constitutional conservatism of limited government and individual opportunity that carried Republicans to victory in 2010, not just as a rejection of Obama’s big-government hyper-liberalism but also as a significant departure from the philosophically undisciplined, idiosyncratically free-spending “compassionate conservatism” of Obama’s Republican predecessor.

 Ryan’s role is to make the case for a serious approach to structural problems — a hardheaded, sober-hearted conservatism that puts to shame a reactionary liberalism that, with Greece in our future, offers handouts, bromides and a 4.6 percent increase in tax rates.

 If Ryan does it well, win or lose in 2012, he becomes a dominant national force. Mild and moderate Mitt Romney will have shaped the conservative future for years to come.

 The cunning of history. Or if you prefer, its sheer capriciousness.

 letters@charleskrauthammer.com |||||Summary:

– Assuming Paul Ryan doesn't flop over the next three months, then, win or lose, "he could well become the face of Republicanism for a generation," declares a happy Charles Krauthammer in the Washington Post. Ryan is the natural leader of a "new constitutional conservatism" in America, just as Reagan was in his time. And, oddly, the credit for shaping this "conservative future" goes to none other than Mitt Romney. As for 2012, the success of Romney-Ryan will hinge on which party controls the message on "Mediscare," writes Krauthammer, who wants the GOP to push the theme that Ryan's plan will save it while ObamaCare will gut it. Another prominent voice on the right, Peggy Noonan, suggests a campaign ad showing a "Clark Kent" character—that would be Ryan—saving Granny from going off a cliff. She also thinks that Ryan and Romney should campaign together all the time, against tradition, and that Ryan should do long, substantive interviews frequently. "Romney just threw a long ball," she writes in the Wall Street Journal. "Fine. The GOP will have to play an audacious, longball game." Read Noonan's full column here, Krauthammer's here.


– It's the end of another year, and thus time for Michigan's Lake Superior State University to release its 38th annual List of Words to be Banished from the Queen's English for Misuse, Overuse, and General Uselessness. The dozen words and phrases that made this year's cheeky list, per the AP: Spoiler alert Kick the can down the road Trending Bucket list Superfood Guru Job creators Double down YOLO ("You only live once") Boneless wings Passion/passionate, particularly when used by companies And the submission receiving the most nominations: fiscal cliff Click to see the "amazing" words that made last year's list.

Expand this summary.

Lake Superior State University 2014 List of Banished Words

 Tweet Add your comments on our Facebook page SELFIE Has the honor of receiving the most nominations this year. "People have taken pictures of themselves for almost as long as George Eastman's company made film and cameras. Suddenly, with the advent of smartphones, snapping a 'pic' of one's own image has acquired a vastly overused term that seems to pop up on almost every form of social media available to us….A self-snapped picture need not have a name all its own beyond 'photograph.' It may only be a matter of time before photos of one's self and a friend will become 'dualies.' LSSU has an almost self-imposed duty to carry out this banishment now." – Lawrence, Coventry, Conn. and Ryan, North Andover, Mass.

 "Named 'Word of the Year' by Oxford Dictionary? Give me a break! Ugh, get rid of it." – Bruce, Ottawa, Ont. "Myselfie disparages the word because it's too selfie-serving. But enough about me, how about yourselfie?" – Lisa, New York, NY "It's a lame word. It's all about me, me, me. Put the smartphone away. Nobody cares about you." -- David, Lake Mills, Wisc. Dayna of Rochester Hills, Mich., laments how many people observe "Selfie Sunday" in social media, and Josh of Tucson, Ariz., asks, "Why can't we have more selflessies?" TWERK / TWERKING Another word that made the Oxford Dictionaries Online this year. Cassidy of Manheim, Penn. said, "All evidence of Miley Cyrus' VMA performance must be deleted," but it seems that many had just as much fun as Miley did on stage when they submitted their nominations. "Let's just keep with 'shake yer booty' -- no need to 'twerk' it! Hi ho, hi ho, it's away with twerk we must go." – Michael, Haslett, Mich. Bob of Tempe, Ariz. says he responds, "T'werk," when asked where he is headed on Monday mornings.

 "I twitch when I hear twerk, for to twerk proves one is a jerk -- or is at least twitching like a jerk. Twerking has brought us to a new low in our lexicon." – Lisa, New York, NY

 "Time to dance this one off the stage." – Jim, Flagstaff, Ariz. "The fastest over-used word of the 21st century." – Sean, New London, NH. "The newest dictionary entry should leave just as quickly." – Bruce, Edmonton, Alb.

 HASHTAG We used to call it the pound symbol. Now it is seeping from the Twittersphere into everyday expression. Nearly all who nominated it found a way to use it in their entries, so we wonder if they're really willing to let go. #goodluckwiththat "A technical term for a useful means of categorizing content in social media, the word is abused as an interjection in verbal conversation and advertising. #annoying!" – Bob, Grand Rapids, Mich. "Typed on sites that use them, that's one thing. When verbally spoken, hashtag-itgetsoldquickly. So, hashtag-knockitoff." – Kuahmel, Gardena, Calif. "Used when talking about Twitter, but everyone seems to add it to everyday vocabulary. #annoying #stopthat #hashtag #hashtag #hashtag ." – Alex, Rochester, Mich. "It's #obnoxious #ridiculous #annoying and I wish it would disappear." – Jen, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. "#sickoftheword" – Brian, Toronto, Ont. TWITTERSPHERE To which we advise, keep all future nominations to fewer than 140 characters. "There cannot possibly be any oxygen there." – Matt of Toledo, Ohio MISTER MOM The 30-year anniversary of this hilarious 1983 Michael Keaton movie seems to have released some pent-up emotions. It received nearly as many nominations as "selfie" and "twerk" from coast to coast in the U.S. and Canada, mostly from men. "It was a funny movie in its time, but the phrase should refer only to the film, not to men in the real world. It is an insult to the millions of dads who are the primary caregivers for their children. Would we tolerate calling working women Mrs. Dad?" says Pat, of Chicago, who suggests we peruse the website captaindad.org, the manly blog of stay-at-home parenting. "I am a stay-at-home dad/parent. And if you call me 'Mr. Mom,' I will punch you in the throat. – Zachary, East Providence, RI. "Society is changing and no longer is it odd for a man to take care of his children. Even the Wall Street Journal has declared, "Mr. Mom is dead" (Jan. 22, 2013). I think it is time to banish it." – Chad, St. Peters, Mo. T-BONE This common way of describing an automobile collision has now made it from conversation into the news reports. While the accident's layout does, indeed, resemble its namesake cut of beef, we'd prefer to dispense with the collateral imagery and enjoy a great steak. "As in 'crashed into another car perpendicularly.' Making a verb out of a cut of beef?" – Kyle, White Lake, Mich. _______ ON STEROIDS New! Improved! Steroidal! "Please, does the service at my favorite restaurant have to be 'on steroids' (even though the meat may be)?" – Betsy, Los Angeles, Calif. SUFFERING SUFFIXES: Many in advertising and in the news took two words – Armageddon and Apocalypse and shortened them into two worn-out suffixes this year. –AGEDDON –POCALYPSE "Come on down, we're havin' car-ageddon, wine-ageddon, budget-ageddon, a sale-ageddon, flower-ageddon, and so-on-and-so-forth-ageddon! None of these appear in the Book of Revelations." – Michael, Haslett, Mich. "Every passing storm or event is tagged as ice-ageddon or snow-pocalypse. There's a limited supply of ...ageddons and ...pocalypses; I believe it's one, each. When running out of cashews becomes nut-ageddon, it's time to re-evaluate your metaphors." – Rob, Sellersville, Penn. POLITICS: Politicians never fail to disappoint in providing fodder for the list. INTELLECTUALLY / MORALLY BANKRUPT Used by members of each political party when describing members of the other. OBAMACARE A wandering prefix (see 2010's "Obama-") finally settles down. We thought it might rival "fiscal cliff," the most-nominated phrase on the 2013 list, but it didn't come close. Cal of Cherry Hill, NJ wonders, "Are there intellectual creditors?" "Because President Obama's signature healthcare law is actually called the Affordable Care Act. The term has been clearly overused and overblown by the media and by members of Congress." – Ben of New Jersey "What more can I say?" – Jane, McKinney, Tex. SPORTS: ADVERSITY Heard often in the world of football. FAN BASE Why use one word when apparently two are twice as better? "Facing adversity is working 50 hours a week and still struggling to feed your kids. Facing third and fifteen without your best receiver with tens of millions in the bank, is not." – Kyle, White Lake, Mich. "From the world of sports comes the latest example of word inflation. What's wrong with the word 'fans'?" – Paul, Canton, Mich. Add your comments on our Facebook page LSSU accepts nominations for the banished-words list throughout the year. To submit your nomination for the 2015 list, go to http://www.lssu.edu/banished/submit_word.php. Check out the compiled list to make sure your nomination hasn't already been banished! Lake Superior State University, overlooking the St. Mary’s River in Sault Ste. Marie, is Michigan's smallest public university with an enrollment of about 3,000 students. It is known for its academic programs such as fisheries and wildlife management, engineering, nursing, criminal justice, fire science and much more. Students enjoy the personal attention they receive from their professors both in the classroom and in the field. For admissions information, go to LSSU's admissions web site, www.lssu.edu/admissions. ||||| Spoiler alert: This story contains words and phrases that some people want to ban from the English language. "Spoiler alert" is among them. So are "kick the can down the road," `'trending" and "bucket list."

 A dirty dozen have landed on the 38th annual List of Words to be Banished from the Queen's English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness. The nonbinding, tongue-in-cheek decree released Monday by northern Michigan's Lake Superior State University is based on nominations submitted from the United States, Canada and beyond.

 "Spoiler alert," the seemingly thoughtful way to warn readers or viewers about looming references to a key plot point in a film or TV show, nevertheless passed its use-by date for many, including Joseph Foly, of Fremont, California. He argued in his submission the phrase is "used as an obnoxious way to show one has trivial information and is about to use it, no matter what."

 At the risk of further offense, here's another spoiler alert: The phrase receiving the most nominations this year is "fiscal cliff," banished because of its overuse by media outlets when describing across-the-board federal tax increases and spending cuts that economists say could harm the economy in the new year without congressional action.

 "You can't turn on the news without hearing this," said Christopher Loiselle, of Midland, Michigan, in his submission. "I'm equally worried about the River of Debt and Mountain of Despair."

 Other terms coming in for a literary lashing are "superfood," `'guru," `'job creators" and "double down."

 University spokesman Tom Pink said that in nearly four decades, the Sault Ste. Marie school has "banished" around 900 words or phrases, and somehow the whole idea has survived rapidly advancing technology and diminishing attention spans.

 Nominations used to come by mail, then fax and website, he said, and now most come through the university's Facebook page. That's fitting, since social media has helped accelerate the life cycle of certain words and phrases, such as this year's entry "YOLO" _ "you only live once."

 "The list surprises me in one way or another every year, and the same way every year: I'm always surprised how people still like it, love it," he said.

 Rounding out the list are "job creators/creation," `'boneless wings" and "passion/passionate." Those who nominated the last one say they are tired of hearing about a company's "passion" as a substitute for providing a service or product for money.

 Andrew Foyle, of Bristol, England, said it's gotten to the point where "passion" is the only ingredient that keeps a chef from preparing "seared tuna" that tastes "like dust swept from a station platform."

 "Apparently, it's insufficient to do it ably, with skill, commitment or finesse," Foyle said. "Passionate, begone!"

 As usual, the etymological exercise _ or exorcise _ only goes so far. Past lists haven't eradicated "viral," "amazing," `'LOL" or "man cave" from everyday use.

 ___

 Follow Jeff Karoub on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffkaroub |||||


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 A federal judge in Manhattan on Tuesday ordered the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to display an ad from a pro-Israel group on buses after the agency declined to run it last year.

 The group, the American Freedom Defense Initiative, sued the authority in October, saying it had infringed on the group’s First Amendment rights by rejecting the ad. The authority had argued that the ad could be seen as a call to violence against Jews.

 The ad shows a man with a scarf across his face next to the words, “Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah,” attributed to “Hamas MTV.” Below that, it reads: “That’s his Jihad. What’s yours?”

 The judge, John G. Koeltl, of United States District Court, ruled that the ad qualified as protected speech and granted a preliminary injunction ordering the transportation authority to run the ad. He said the order would not take effect for 30 days so the agency could consider whether it would appeal the decision.

 “While the court is sensitive to the M.T.A.’s security concerns, the defendants have not presented any objective evidence that the ‘Killing Jews advertisement’ would be likely to incite imminent violence,” Judge Koeltl wrote in the order.

 The judge noted that a similar ad ran in Chicago and San Francisco in 2013 without incident.

 Pamela Geller, president of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, called the ruling a “triumph for liberty and truth.” The group initially planned to run the ad with others as part of a campaign. Ms. Geller said she would now buy more ad space on more buses since it was running alone.

 A spokesman for the authority, Adam Lisberg, said in a statement that the agency was disappointed by the ruling and would review its options.

 The set of ads was intended to parody a “My Jihad” campaign by the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Those “My Jihad” ads portrayed jihad as a concept of nonviolent individual and personal struggle.

 Ms. Geller’s group successfully sued the authority in 2012 over another ad that the agency eventually had to run. In that case, a federal judge ruled that the authority had violated the group’s First Amendment rights.

 Judge Koeltl, in his order on Tuesday, said that there was no evidence that seeing one of the ads on the back of a bus would prompt a violent reaction.

 “The defendants underestimate the tolerant quality of New Yorkers,” he wrote, “and overestimate the potential impact of these fleeting advertisements.” ||||| Born and raised on the mean streets of New York City's Upper West Side, Katie Halper is a comedian, writer and filmmaker. She is the host of the Katie Halper Show on WBA1, writes for places like The Nation, Feministing, Jezebel and appears on places like MSNBC, RT, Sirius radio (which hung up on her once). Katie's had her photo taken with Rudy Giuliani and was called "cute and somewhat brainy" by the National Review.

 image via pam geller

 For some weird reason, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) wasn’t keen on running ads which read “Killing Jews is worship that draws us closer to Allah.” But thanks to a judge’s decision on Tuesday, these catchy anti-Semitic-seeming-but-actually-Islamophobic posters will be coming soon to a bus near you (if you live in New York)!

 The ad in question was paid for by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), a so called “Pro-Israel” organization, which the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) labels a hate group, lead by Pamela Geller, whom the SPLC calls, “the anti-Muslim movement’s most flamboyant figurehead.” You may remember Geller from her previous tasteless and hateful campaigns like the San Francisco bus signs which compared Muslims to Nazis and said “Stop the hate… End all U.S. aid to Islamic countries.” Or the Washington DC-based billboards which read, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat jihad.”

 The poster designed for the New York state of mind features a man wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh who is quoted as saying, “Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah.” The ad attributes the quote to “Hamas MTV” and follows up with the killer (pun intended) tagline, “That’s His Jihad. What’s yours?”

 The campaign attempts to parody the “MyJihad” campaign sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which sought to reclaim Islam from “Muslim and anti-Muslim extremists.” Ironically, the MyJihad campaign itself was a response to the “savage” AFDI campaign.

 The MTA declined to run the MyJihad ads, which is part of the reason they didn’t want to run these ads and had asked for an injunction against AFDI. Not only are the ads Islamophobic but, ironically, they could easily function as anti-Semitic, since the otherwise powerful and stinging satire will be lost on all commuters who don’t follow the hot and heavy AFDI vs CAIR transit-based-ad-campaign rivalry.

 But Judge John Koeltl disagreed, determining that the MTA could not prove the ads would lead to violence that would outweigh the AFDI’s freedom of speech. And, in one of my favorite sentences ever, Justice Koeltl wrote “the defendants have not presented any objective evidence that the Killing Jews advertisement would be likely to incite imminent violence.”

 It was a major victory for not just bigotry but for bigotry which is poorly expressed through confusing, obscure, inner-baseball advertising campaigns. (They are pretty meta, though. I’ll give them that.) Not surprisingly, Geller praised the decision as a “triumph for liberty and truth.” Her lawyer, David Yerushalmi, who the Anti-Defamation League denounced for his “record of anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant and anti-black bigotry,” was equally thrilled:

 Judge Koeltl’s well-written and considered opinion sends a loud and clear message to Islamic terrorists around the globe as well as to those government bureaucrats who believe that Sharia’s blasphemy laws are an exception to the First Amendment. And that message is this: America’s liberties will not give way to Islamic terror threats nor to government bureaucrats who are quick to cast aside our liberties for fear of offending Muslims. ||||| Conservative activist Pamela Geller won the latest court decision against a local transportation authority trying to censor her anti-jihad and anti-sharia campaign.

 New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority had sought to keep off city buses one of four ads purchased by her American Freedom Defense Initiative. The ad had quoted a Palestinian TV station run by the Hamas government of the Gaza Strip as saying that “Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah.”

 In a ruling dated Monday but released Tuesday, Federal District Court Judge John Koeltl said the ad was protected political speech under the First Amendment and that a government agency cannot refuse it based on unspecific fears that the ads would incite violence. He granted AFDI’s request for a preliminary injunction against the MTA’s rejection.

 “Under the First Amendment, the fear of such spontaneous attacks, without more, cannot override individuals’ rights to freedom of expression,” Judge Koeltl said, noting both that the ads had essentially already ran without incident in Chicago and San Francisco.

 He also said the MTA claim that the ad would incite violence “thoroughly unpersuasive.”

 “The defendants contend that the advertisement could be read as urging a subset of Islamic extremists to follow Hamas’s command, but if that group is as violent and radicalized as the defendants contend, presumably they would not need a bus advertisement to remind them of Hamas’s interpretation of the Quran,” Judge Koeltl wrote.

 At her site, Ms. Geller called the decision “another huge AFDI victory for freedom and individual rights … The Judge came down on our side on every point, upholding the Constitution and beating back sharia restrictions on free speech.”

 Ms. Geller’s ads parody a previous ad campaign by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called “MyJihad,” which paints “jihad” as about personal struggle against sins or temptations and not a call to wage holy war against infidels. The CAIR ads had lines like “”My Jihad is to stay fit despite my busy schedule. What’s yours?” and “My Jihad is to not judge people by their cover. What’s yours?”

 After quoting the “Killing Jews” or other lines, Ms. Geller’s ads end by riffing off CAIR’s campaign: “That’s his Jihad. What’s yours?”

 None of Islam’s major jurisprudential schools say “jihad” cannot mean “holy war,” though there is a general consensus that it has a broad meaning and many applications.

 The judge stayed his order for a month in order to let any appeals go forward, though MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said the agency hadn’t decided what to do yet.

 But the city’s political leaders were not happy with the judge’s decision.

 “These anti-Islamic ads are outrageous, inflammatory and wrong, and have no place in New York City, or anywhere,” Monica Klein, a spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio, noted in a statement.

 “These hateful messages serve only to divide and stigmatize when we should be coming together as one city,” she said.

 Copyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission. ||||| 'Killing Jews' Parody Ads Will Grace NYC Subways MANHATTAN (CN) - There is no public-safety threat in an advertising campaign on New York City subways and buses that tells commuters: "Killing Jews is worship that draws us closer to Allah," a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

 Paid for by the American Defense Freedom Initiative (AFDI), the ad shows a picture of a man draped in a Palestinian keffiyeh next to a quotation attributed to "Hamas MTV."

 Viacom does not have a channel in the Gaza Strip devoted to Hamas propaganda.

 In the advertisement, the "Hamas MTV" citation refers to Palestinian Media Watch's translation of a hateful music video that militants broadcast on the public airwaves of the Gaza Strip.

 AFDI quoted this inflammatory language to parody the "My Jihad" ad campaign by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an initiative aimed to reclaim a tenet of the Muslim faith from violent extremists and bigotry against their creed.

 Sending up that campaign, the "Killing Jews" ad ends: "That's his jihad. What's yours?"

 Both AFDI and CAIR have courted controversy for years over advocacy that their critics say crosses the line to hatred.

 The Department of Justice under former President George W. Bush branded CAIR "unindicted co-conspirators" in a case against the Holy Land Foundation accusing the groups of support for Hamas.

 Calling this designation a product of the post-Sept. 11 climate of fear, CAIR has long complained that the "unindicted co-conspirator" accusation offered no chance to clear its name at a trial. The group also has struggled to live down the taint of an expression of sympathy for Hamas that an executive has since repudiated.

 For its part, AFDI's vitriolic ad campaigns across the United States have led to its labeling as a hate group. The Southern Poverty Law Center called its leader Pamela Geller "the anti-Muslim movement's most flamboyant figurehead," and the Anti-Defamation League denounced her lawyer David Yerushalmi for his "record of anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant and anti-black bigotry."

 Geller is quick to tell her detractors that the oldest Queens Village Republican Club has honored her as "American Patriot of the Year."

 New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority had more of a problem with the message than the messenger.

 Since CAIR's "My Jihad" ad never ran in New York, the MTA worried that commuters would interpret the ad as an endorsement of anti-Semitic murder.

 U.S. District Judge John Koeltl saw little risk of that Tuesday.

 "While the court is sensitive to the MTA's security concerns, the [administration has] not presented any objective evidence that the Killing Jews advertisement would be likely to incite imminent violence," the 28-page opinion states. "Indeed, as the [MTA] knew when considering whether to run the ad, substantially the same advertisement ran in San Francisco and Chicago in 2013 without incident."

 Finding that the ads qualified as protected speech, Koeltl said the MTA "restricted it based on its content without a compelling interest or a response narrowly tailored to achieving any such interest."

 Though two MTA officials testified that the threat was real in daylong hearings on March 25, Koeltl believed then and now that New Yorkers were savvy enough to distinguish genuine Hamas propaganda from a send-up of it.

 To prevent any confusion, Koeltl suggested that the MTA put up an "adjacent advertisement countering the quote from Hamas or stating that the entire AFDI ad is [a] parody."

 An MTA spokesman said: "We are disappointed the judge's decision and are reviewing our options."

 Yerushalmi reacted to the decision with a statement that lashes out against "terrorists" and "government bureaucrats" he alleged to be mutually bound by Islamic speech codes.

 "Judge Koeltl's well-written and considered opinion sends a loud and clear message to Islamic terrorists around the globe as well as to those government bureaucrats who believe that Sharia's blasphemy laws are an exception to the First Amendment," he said. "And that message is this: America's liberties will not give way to Islamic terror threats nor to government bureaucrats who are quick to cast aside our liberties for fear of offending Muslims." |||||

– Soon, you could see MTA buses in New York with the words "Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah" on the side. That's because a controversial pro-Israel group wants to run the ads—they show a man with a Palestinian keffiyeh covering his face alongside the aforementioned quote, which is attributed to "Hamas MTV," plus the slogan, "That's his Jihad. What's yours?"—and this week a federal judge decreed that the MTA must comply in order to abide by the First Amendment, Courthouse News reports. (There is no "Hamas MTV"; the ad is actually referencing a music video militants broadcast in the Gaza Strip.) The decision won't take effect for a month, in case the agency wants to appeal, the New York Times reports. The pro-Israel organization in question is Pamela Geller's American Freedom Defense Initiative, which has previously brought us anti-Islam ads in New York and Chicago, ads comparing jihadists to "savages," and ads showing a plane about to hit the World Trade Center. (The Southern Poverty Law Center labels the AFDI a hate group, Raw Story notes.) The group sued the MTA after the "Killing Jews" ads were initially rejected. Though the MTA says it fears the ads could be seen as calling for harm to Jews, the judge noted that similar ads in Chicago and San Francisco in 2013 did not result in violence. The ad is a parody of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' "My Jihad" campaign, which seeks to frame jihad as a "personal struggle against sins or temptations" rather than holy war, the Washington Times notes.


News article:

FILE - In this Feb. 4, 2007 file photo, Prince performs during the halftime show of the Super Bowl XLI football game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. A Minnesota judge overseeing Prince's estate said Thursday,... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this Feb. 4, 2007 file photo, Prince performs during the halftime show of the Super Bowl XLI football game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. A Minnesota judge overseeing Prince's estate said Thursday,... (Associated Press)

 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota judge overseeing Prince's estate narrowed down the wide pool of potential heirs for the late superstar's fortune on Friday, ruling out nearly 30 claimants while ordering genetic testing for six purported family members.

 Carver County Judge Kevin Eide's order requires genetic testing for Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, plus three half-siblings: Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson and John Nelson. Ken Abdo, the attorney for the three half-siblings declined to comment. Tyka Nelson's attorney did not immediately return a voicemail.

 Eide also ordered testing for Brianna Nelson, who has claimed to be Prince's niece, and possible grand-niece Victoria Nelson. The pair has claimed Briana Nelson's father was Prince's half-brother. Their attorney, Andrew Stoltman, declined to comment.

 It's unclear why the judge did not order testing for Omar Baker or Alfred Jackson, two men who were listed as half-brothers in the original petition for the court to name a special administrator to the estate, but Eide's order includes a note that the court "is not aware of any objection or dispute" that all six siblings or half-siblings are legitimate heirs.

 Jackson's attorney, Justin Bruntjen, declined to comment. An attorney for Baker could not be immediately reached.

 Prince died April 21 of a drug overdose. The process of determining his heirs and parceling out his estate has fallen to the courts because he had no known children and left no will. A DNA test has already ruled out a Colorado prison inmate who claimed to be Prince's son.

 Barring any others who could come forward claiming ties, Eide's order drastically limits who may benefit from Prince's fortunes — an estimated $300 million or more — or gain control of his legacy.

 Among those excluded from potential heirship in Eide's order are five unidentified people with shaky claims that Prince was their biological father. For example, one woman who said she was adopted claimed Prince was her father because "based upon the general description of the lifestyle of her biological parents, her fascination with the Decedent and physical similarities."

 The order also tosses out a handful of claimants who alleged that Prince's father was someone other than John L. Nelson, who is listed in court records as Prince's father.

 Among those claimants was Venita Jackson Leverette, whose attorney, James Selmer, called Eide's decision "a travesty" and said he's considering an appeal. Selmer opined that his client would be banned from undergoing testing while a man serving an eight-year prison sentence in Colorado was given a DNA test.

 "The better course would be to allow people that have a plausible connection to him to have a blood test," he said.

 The four Prince siblings or half-siblings ordered to undergo genetic testing all claim John L. Nelson as their father. Susan Link, head of estate planning for Minneapolis-based Maslon, said the judge may have ordered them tested because of the claimants who said John L. Nelson wasn't actually Prince's father — even though he threw out those claims.

 The two that don't need to be tested — Baker and Jackson — claim relation to Prince through a common mother, Mattie Shaw, but different fathers. ||||| (Reuters) - A Minnesota judge has excluded nearly 30 would-be heirs from the estate of the late pop star Prince, bolstering the inheritance claims of the performer’s sister and surviving half-siblings, probate court records released on Friday showed.

 U.S. musician Prince performs on stage at Yas Arena in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates November 14, 2010. REUTERS/Jumana El-Heloueh/File Photo

 The court order, issued on Thursday, came in response to a flood of individuals seeking a piece of an estate some have valued at more than $500 million, left by Prince when he died unexpectedly in April at the age of 57, apparently without a will.

 Claims have poured into the probate court since Prince’s younger sister, Tyka Nelson, filed a petition seeking appointment of a special administrator for the estate and naming herself and five half-siblings as the only known heirs.

 In his 19-page order, Carver County Judge Kevin Eide appeared to accept those six claims, stating, “The court is not aware of any objection or dispute with the statement that these persons are the siblings or half-siblings” of Prince.

 Under the ruling, Tyka Nelson and three half-siblings by Prince’s father will undergo genetic testing - John, Norrine and Sharon Nelson - along with two more individuals claiming to be Prince’s niece and grandniece.

 No provision for genetic testing was made for two other half-brothers - Alfred Jackson and Omar Baker - who shared a common mother with the singer.

 The judge dismissed claims of heirship from a total of 29 other people purported to have some degree of kinship with Prince, including a professed secret wife who said the CIA had classified their marriage records as top secret.

 Among other would-be heirs he denied were five people who came forward claiming Prince was their biological or adoptive father, and several others claiming their dad was also Prince’s genetic parent by way of an extramarital affair with his mother.

 Also dismissed were a batch of claims by several people who described themselves as descendants of a sister of Prince’s great-grandfather.

 The musician, born as Prince Rogers Nelson, has long been identified in public records as the only surviving son from the marriage between Mattie Della Shaw and John L. Nelson, both of whom are now dead. And Judge Eide ruled there was no “credible, documented claim” of a surviving Prince spouse.

 If Prince also left no will and no surviving offspring of his own, as appears to be the case, his estate under Minnesota law would be apportioned in equal shares to his siblings and the nearest surviving descendants of any siblings now dead. Siblings and half-siblings are treated the same.

 The special administrator of the estate, Bremer Trust, has said it was in the process of determining the fair-market value of Prince’s estate. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– There will be no payday for 29 people who claimed to be Prince's heirs, including a woman who said the CIA covered up her marriage to the superstar, a Minnesota judge ruled in an order disclosed Friday. Reuters reports that Carver County Judge Kevin Eide ordered genetic testing for six other claimants: Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, three half-siblings by his father, and a possible niece and grandniece. Two half-brothers from Prince's mother will not be tested under the judge's ruling, which will determine the future of an estate thought to be worth up to $500 million. Other rejected claimants include at least five people who claimed Prince was their father, and several who claimed that their father had an affair with Prince's mother, making their father Prince's real father and the late star their half-brother, the AP reports. Under Minnesota law, the estate of Prince—who left no known will or surviving offspring—will be split between siblings, half-siblings, and the offspring of any deceased siblings. Despite the order for genetic testing, Eide's ruling says he "is not aware of any objection or dispute" to the six siblings or half-siblings being legitimate heirs. (A DNA test ruled out an inmate in Colorado who claimed he was Prince's son.)


– US missile launchers and other equipment needed to set up a controversial missile defense system have arrived in South Korea, the US and South Korean militaries said Tuesday, a day after North Korea test-launched four ballistic missiles into the ocean near Japan. The plans to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, within this year have angered not only North Korea, but also China and Russia, which see the system's powerful radars as a security threat, the AP reports. China firmly opposes the deployment and it responded quickly, saying it will take "necessary measures" to protect itself and warning that the US and South Korea should be prepared to bear the consequences. Washington and Seoul say the system is defensive and not meant to be a threat to Beijing or Moscow. The US military said in a statement that THAAD can intercept and destroy short and medium range ballistic missiles during the last part of their flights. "Continued provocative actions by North Korea, to include yesterday's launch of multiple missiles, only confirm the prudence of our alliance decision last year to deploy THAAD to South Korea," Adm. Harry Harris, head of the US Pacific Command, said in the statement. The BBC reports that there is also opposition within South Korea, with those living near missile sites fearing that the system itself could become a target.

Expand this summary.

A protester wearing a jacket with "No THAAD" letters, participates during a rally to oppose the plan to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, in front of the Defense Ministry... (Associated Press)

 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — U.S. missile launchers and other equipment needed to set up a controversial missile defense system have arrived in South Korea, the U.S. and South Korean militaries said Tuesday, a day after North Korea test-launched four ballistic missiles into the ocean near Japan.

 The plans to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, within this year have angered not only North Korea, but also China and Russia, which see the system's powerful radars as a security threat.

 China responded quickly, saying it will take "necessary measures" to protect itself and warning that the U.S. and South Korea should be prepared to bear the consequences.

 Washington and Seoul say the system is defensive and not meant to be a threat to Beijing or Moscow. The U.S. military said in a statement that THAAD can intercept and destroy short and medium range ballistic missiles during the last part of their flights.

 "Continued provocative actions by North Korea, to include yesterday's launch of multiple missiles, only confirm the prudence of our alliance decision last year to deploy THAAD to South Korea," Adm. Harry Harris, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, said in the statement.

 Some South Korean liberal presidential candidates have said that the security benefits of having THAAD would be curtailed by worsened relations with neighbors China and Russia.

 "China firmly opposes the deployment of THAAD," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular briefing Tuesday. "We will definitely be taking necessary measures to safeguard our own security interest. All consequences entailed from that will be borne by the U.S. and (South Korea). We once again strongly urge the relevant sides to stop the process of deployment and refrain from going further down that wrong path."

 China's condemnation of South Korea's plans to deploy THAAD has triggered protests against a South Korean retail giant, Lotte, which agreed to provide one of its golf courses in southern South Korea as the site of THAAD. The South Korean government also raised concerns about a reported ban on Chinese tour groups visiting the country.

 On Tuesday, China's Global Times, an outspoken nationalist tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's flagship People's Daily, criticized North Korea over the missiles.

 "By firing four missiles at once this time, the military confrontation between Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington escalates a notch," the paper said. "Noticeably, the Chinese public is angry that Pyongyang's nuclear program has provided an excuse for Seoul to deploy THAAD."

 An official from South Korea's Defense Ministry, who didn't want to be named, citing office rules, said that the equipment that arrived in South Korea included launchers, but didn't confirm how many.

 While South Korea's media speculate that the THAAD deployment could be completed by as early as April, the ministry official couldn't confirm those reports. The official said that the plan was to have the system operational as soon as possible.

 On Monday, North Korea fired four ballistic missiles in an apparent protest against ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal. The missiles flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) on average, three of them landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone, according to South Korean and Japanese officials.

 The North's state media on Tuesday said leader Kim Jong Un supervised a ballistic rocket launching drill, a likely reference to the four launches reported by Seoul and Tokyo. Involved in the drills were artillery units tasked with striking "U.S. imperialist aggressor forces in Japan," according to the Korean Central News Agency.

 There was pride and defiance among the elite citizens who live in North Korea's showcase capital, Pyongyang.

 "If the U.S. imperialists and their South Korean puppets shoot even just one spark into our sovereign territory, we will completely destroy those aggressors, without any mercy, with our invincible Hwasong artillery, which are loaded with nuclear warheads," Sim Chol Su, echoing the propaganda often found in state media, told The Associated Press.

 North Korea uses "Hwasong" to describe a broad range of its ballistic missiles, including Scuds and the mid-range missiles that are referred to as Rodong and Musudan by outside analysts.

 South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the missiles fired by the North were believed to be "improved versions" of Scud missiles. South Korean experts say North Korea's extended-range Scuds and mid-range Rodong missiles are capable of hitting Japan, including U.S. military bases in Okinawa.

 Kim "ordered the KPA (Korean People's Army) Strategic Force to keep highly alert as required by the grim situation in which an actual war may break out anytime," a KCNA dispatch said.

 ___

 Associated Press writers Chris Bodeen and Gillian Wong in Beijing contributed to this report. ||||| Image copyright Reuters Image caption The defence system will take out any missiles considered a threat to South Korea

 The US says it has begun deploying the first parts of a controversial missile defence system in South Korea.

 The Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system (Thaad) is designed to protect against threats from North Korea.

 The move to begin installing the system comes a day after the North launched four ballistic missiles, breaking international sanctions.

 But the US-South Korean arrangement has angered many on the Korean peninsula and around the region, including China.

 South Korean media said operations to install a Thaad battery had begun on Monday, with some parts flown from the US to an air base near Seoul. A statement from the US military confirmed that the "first elements" of the system had been sent to South Korea.

 South Korea's Yonhap news agency, quoting a military official, said the system could be operational "as early as April".

 Chinese foreign spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday that China opposed the deployment and would "resolutely take necessary measures to defend our own security interests".

 What is the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (Thaad)?

 Shoots down short and medium-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of their flight

 Uses hit-to-kill technology - where kinetic energy destroys the incoming warhead

 Has a range of 200km and can reach an altitude of 150km

 US has previously deployed it in Guam and Hawaii as a measure against potential attacks from North Korea

 What impact will S Korea's expanded missile defence system have?

 1. The enemy launches a missile

 2. The Thaad radar system detects the launch, which is relayed to command and control

 3. Thaad command and control instructs the launch of an interceptor missile

 4. The interceptor missile is fired at the enemy projectile

 5. The enemy projectile is destroyed in the terminal phase of flight

 The launcher trucks can hold up to eight interceptor missiles.

 But the deployment is controversial?

 There is domestic opposition - many South Koreans believe the defence system will itself become a target, endangering people who live around the military sites. Opponents have staged multiple demonstrations.

 Internationally, both China and Russia have raised concerns, saying the system could affect the regional security balance.

 Last year, China's foreign minister said the system went "far beyond" the defence needs of the Korean peninsula. Russia's envoy to Seoul has called it a "direct threat" to national security.

 So why is China worried? By Jonathan Marcus, BBC News defence correspondent

 The Thaad system is well-suited to defend South Korean targets against relatively limited range North Korean missiles. But it has no ability to intercept Chinese inter-continental ballistic missiles that target the US. Why then is China so annoyed?

 What concerns Beijing is the system's powerful X-band radars that can "reach" far into Chinese territory. The Chinese military worries that these could be used to spot Chinese missile launches and feed the data to cue up other US defensive systems, eg interceptor missiles based in the US, potentially affecting China's deterrent capability.

 But the US already has powerful radars based in Japan and a Thaad system in Guam. It's not easy to quantify the additional benefit that Thaad radars in South Korea would give the Pentagon. But they will certainly give the South Koreans an important and expanded new layer of defence against missile attack.

 What happened in the latest missile launch?

 North Korea threatened last week to fire missiles in response to the start of the Foal Eagle US-South Korean military exercises. The annual drills infuriate the North, which sees them as preparation for an invasion from the South.

 Then early on Monday, it fired four missiles from the Tongchang-ri region, near the border with China.

 Three of the projectiles flew some 1,000km (620 miles) and fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The exact type of missile is not yet clear but South Korean officials said they appeared to be an upgraded version of a Scud missile.

 What was the international reaction?

 The US and Japanese leaders held phone discussions after the missile launch and the United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Wednesday in an emergency meeting requested by the US and Japan to discuss the incident.

 Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the US South Pacific Command, said the launch confirmed "the prudence" of the decision to deploy Thaad.

 But the deployment will likely worsen tensions between Seoul and Beijing. In recent days South Korea has accused China of economic retaliation linked to Thaad in areas, including tourism and air travel.

 There has also been an outpouring of anger by Chinese consumers against the South Korean retailer Lotte, which allowed Thaad to be installed on one of its sites. Several of Lotte's stores in China have been closed down suddenly. Beijing rejects claims of economic retaliation.

 Is China retaliating against Lotte missile deal? |||||


Article:
FILE - This Nov. 16, 2015 file photo suspected Phoenix freeway shooter Leslie Allen Merritt Jr., right, talks with his attorney Ulises Ferragut during a motion to modify his release at Superior Court... (Associated Press)

 FILE - This Nov. 16, 2015 file photo suspected Phoenix freeway shooter Leslie Allen Merritt Jr., right, talks with his attorney Ulises Ferragut during a motion to modify his release at Superior Court... (Associated Press)

 PHOENIX (AP) — A judge on Tuesday allowed a man charged in freeway shootings that rattled Phoenix last year to be released from jail amid questions about evidence authorities say links him to the crimes.

 The judge overseeing the case of Leslie Merritt Jr. reduced his bond to zero and said he can return to his home under electronic monitoring. He was expected to be released later in the day.

 The reduction of the bond — once $1 million — was a major victory as defense lawyers contend that ballistic tests cast doubt on the claim by authorities that Merritt was behind four of the freeway shootings.

 "With all due respect your honor, there's no evidence against him to show he's responsible for this," defense lawyer Jason Lamm said. "He is no more the I-10 shooter than, respectfully, you are."

 Merritt lifted up his shackled arms in celebration as he walked from the courtroom. After the hearing, family members hugged and shook the hands of defense lawyers.

 Merritt has pleaded not guilty to drive-by shooting, aggravated assault and other charges.

 Judge Warren Granville has imposed a gag order on lawyers in the case. As a result, lawyers said they could not discuss the evidence that prompted the shift in bond.

 Arizona Department of Public Safety officials declined to comment, citing the gag order. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office did not immediately return requests for comment.

 Lamm told a crowd of reporters outside the courtroom that Merritt was elated and overwhelmed.

 "Our client was branded public enemy No. 1, he was called a domestic terrorist and he's been in jail in solitary confinement for seven months. Our reaction? We're thrilled," Lamm said.

 The shootings caused panic on Phoenix-area freeways, where 11 vehicles were hit in August and September. The head of the Department of Public Safety said the shootings were the work of a domestic terrorist, and authorities heightened patrols and surveillance in pursuit of a suspect.

 Detectives took Merritt into custody on Sept. 18, prompting Gov. Doug Ducey to declare "We got him!" on Twitter five minutes after the arrest.

 In court the next day, Merritt adamantly denied shooting any cars, telling the judge, "I'm the wrong guy."

 His lawyers immediately began raising questions about the evidence, citing ballistics information and phone records they say provided an alibi for their client.

 They also pointed to road rage shootings that happened on Phoenix-area freeways after Merritt was arrested, saying the cases were proof that the culprit was still out there.

 Granville set a May 18 court date and told Merritt that it's important for him to show up.

 "I'll be here sir," Merritt said. ||||| BROOKSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say a driver suspected of firing a gun at motorists on an Alabama highway and exchanging gunfire with officers has been killed.

 Alabama State Troopers say the ordeal began around 7 a.m. Tuesday in Blount County, where 911 dispatchers got word that someone was opening fire on motorists on U.S. 278. They say they found a vehicle matching the description around 8:15 a.m. on another highway, and the driver fled from officers, touching off a pursuit.

 Authorities say the vehicle crashed, and the driver exchanged gunfire with law officers. He was later pronounced dead.

 The suspect's name wasn't released, nor was the officer's. No other details, such as the race of the suspect or the officer, were immediately released.

 Blount County is about 45 miles northeast of Birmingham. |||||Summary:

– A judge on Tuesday allowed a man charged in freeway shootings that rattled Phoenix last year to be released from jail amid questions about evidence authorities say links him to the crimes. The judge overseeing the case of Leslie Merritt Jr. reduced his bond to zero and said he can return to his home under electronic monitoring, the AP reports. He was expected to be released later in the day. The reduction of the bond—once $1 million—was a major victory as defense lawyers contend that ballistic tests cast doubt on the claim by authorities that Merritt was behind four of the freeway shootings. "With all due respect your honor, there's no evidence against him to show he's responsible for this," defense lawyer Jason Lamm said. "He is no more the I-10 shooter than, respectfully, you are." Merritt lifted up his shackled arms in celebration as he walked from the courtroom. After the hearing, family members hugged and shook the hands of defense lawyers. Merritt has pleaded not guilty to drive-by shooting, aggravated assault, and other charges. The shootings caused panic on Phoenix-area freeways, where 11 vehicles were hit in August and September. Detectives took Merritt into custody on Sept. 18; in court the next day, Merritt adamantly denied shooting any cars, telling the judge, "I'm the wrong guy." His lawyers immediately began raising questions about the evidence, citing ballistics information and phone records they say provided an alibi for their client. (Also Tuesday, a motorist suspected of shooting at other vehicles on an Alabama highway died after a shootout with officers.)