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– Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is aiming to hold a vote on the Senate's version of ObamaCare repeal-and-replace legislation next week—despite the fact that many GOP senators haven't seen it yet, let alone said they will support it. Insiders tell the Wall Street Journal that although McConnell can only afford to lose two Republican votes, he wants to wrap it up before the July 4 recess so the chamber can move on, and he is gambling that the pressure will make it easier for the GOP to reach a consensus. The Journal notes that if the bill fails to pass before the recess, lawmakers returning home could face "pressure from constituents." The bill is being crafted behind closed doors and sources tell Politico that the text should be ready this week, giving lawmakers around a week to review it before the vote. In contrast, the chamber debated the ObamaCare bill for a month in 2009. The Hill reports that McConnell has focused on winning over moderate Republicans, though conservatives in the House say the bill will die there unless the Senate keeps provisions including the phasing out of ObamaCare's extra Medicaid funding by 2020. "It's close," says GOP Sen. Richard Burr. "Everybody's been counting [votes] since the beginning. It's been close since the beginning." Democrats have slammed the GOP for failing to hold hearings, and plan to "embarrass the heck out of Republicans, who are as much in the dark as we are about their own leadership's plans on the bill," says Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned Monday that Democrats will delay Senate business unless the GOP allows open debate on the legislation.

A frantic scramble to influence the Senate’s healthcare legislation intensified on Monday, with House conservatives pressuring their allies in the Senate and Democrats mounting a furious public relations blitz to kill the bill.

 The pace of activity is picking up ahead of the informal July 4 deadline set by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate passes 0B defense bill Overnight Health Care: New GOP ObamaCare repeal bill gains momentum Overnight Finance: CBO to release limited analysis of ObamaCare repeal bill | DOJ investigates Equifax stock sales | House weighs tougher rules for banks dealing with North Korea MORE (R-Ky.) for a vote.

 McConnell does not want the ObamaCare debate to eat up more precious legislative time, with nearly half the year gone and congressional Republicans and President Trump still looking for a major legislative victory.

 Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman John Barrasso John Anthony BarrassoDems force 'Medicare for All' on Americans but exempt themselves GOP sees fresh opening with Dems’ single payer embrace Overnight Health Care: CBO predicts 15 percent ObamaCare premium hike | Trump calls Sanders single-payer plan ‘curse on the US’ | Republican seeks score of Sanders’s bill MORE (Wyo.) told reporters that he expects a Senate vote on the bill as soon as next week, underlining the importance of the next two weeks.

 McConnell is walking a tightrope in seeking to win over centrists and conservatives for a Senate version of the House-passed American Health Care Act — which is being negotiated entirely behind closed doors.

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 Much of the focus has been on winning over moderates in the 52-member conference, a strategy that risks losing conservative Sens.(R-Ky.),(R-Utah) and(R-Texas). McConnell can only afford two defections, with every Senate Democrat expected to be a “no” vote.

 In an effort to buck up the conservatives, the Republican Study Committee (RSC) — the largest group of conservatives in the House — warned that the Senate risks seeing its bill die in the House if it drifts too far to the center.

 The RSC specifically warned that the bill would lose support in the House if it did not keep four provisions, including the phasing out of extra federal funding for Medicaid in 2020. They also warned McConnell against preserving ObamaCare’s tax increases, removing language defunding Planned Parenthood or barring refundable tax credits from being used to “federally fund abortions.”

 In a bid to keep moderate Republicans on board, McConnell has proposed phasing out enhanced federal funding for Medicaid expansion in 2023.

 GOP senators have also discussed keeping ObamaCare taxes to help pay for the costs of the bill, and language on Planned Parenthood in the House bill may be struck down by the Senate parliamentarian. The Senate plans to use special budgetary rules to prevent Democrats from filibustering the healthcare bill, but this makes certain provisions vulnerable under other Senate rules.

 James Wallner, a former aide to Lee and Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who are both playing active roles in the healthcare talks, said the RSC letter shows that conservatives are laying down their markers before it’s too late.

 “To the extent that the bulk of the party wants to pass the House-passed bill or a modified version of the House-passed bill, individual members need to take steps to give themselves leverage heading into that kind of high-stakes showdown,” he said.

 Senate Democrats are hoping to have an impact, too. They threatened Monday to grind the Senate to a halt to protest Republicans’ decision to craft the bill in private meetings, skipping the regular order of holding hearings and marking it up in public committee sessions.

 “If Republicans won’t relent and debate their healthcare bill in the open for the American people to see, then they shouldn’t expect business as usual in the Senate,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerSenate Dems hold floor talk-a-thon against latest ObamaCare repeal bill This week: Senate wrapping up defense bill after amendment fight Cuomo warns Dems against cutting DACA deal with Trump MORE (N.Y.).

 Democrats planned to hold a late-night talk-a-thon on the Senate floor Monday night to put the spotlight on the GOP’s secretive tactics — a strategy Democrats used earlier this year to protest some of Trump’s controversial Cabinet picks.

 The three conservatives are pressing different issues on healthcare.

 Paul has made clear to colleagues that he will not support legislation that creates a new GOP-sponsored entitlement program in the form of refundable tax credits to help low-income people buy private insurance plans.

 Lee and Cruz are pressing GOP leaders to allow states to get out of two major regulatory requirements under ObamaCare.

 One, known as guaranteed issue, mandates that insurance companies sell insurance plans to people regardless of how sick they are, and another, known as community rating, prohibits insurance companies from pricing those plans to reflect the greater financial risk of insuring people with pre-existing medical conditions.

 A GOP source familiar with the negotiations said McConnell has so far refused to promise conservatives to let states opt out of the community rating requirement — which keeps health plans more affordable for sick people but sends premiums soaring — or to exempt states altogether from the regulatory mandate and allow them to opt in.

 McConnell, however, is worried that if he effectively guts ObamaCare’s popular prohibition against insurers charging higher prices for sick people, he would lose moderate votes.

 Conservatives are stepping up their efforts to mold the bill, as it’s become apparent that Trump is primarily interested in a political victory and is willing to cater to moderates to get one.

 At a meeting at the White House last week with prominent centrists such as Sens. Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiSenate Dems hold floor talk-a-thon against latest ObamaCare repeal bill Collins skeptical of new ObamaCare repeal effort How Senate relationships could decide ObamaCare repeal MORE (R-Alaska), Rob Portman Robert (Rob) Jones PortmanWeek ahead in tech: Debate over online sex trafficking bill heats up 'Hillbilly Elegy' author won't run for Senate Brown, Portman urge Trump administration to move quickly on a steel decision MORE (R-Ohio) and Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsSenate Dems hold floor talk-a-thon against latest ObamaCare repeal bill Ryan: Graham-Cassidy 'best, last chance' to repeal ObamaCare Collins skeptical of new ObamaCare repeal effort MORE (R-Maine), Trump criticized the House-passed bill as “mean” and urged Senate Republicans to craft legislation that is “generous, kind [and] with heart.”

 “That may be adding additional money into it,” the president said at the start of the meeting.

 Moderate Republicans have sought to put their imprint on the legislation by pushing it further to the center.

 A group led by Portman wants to extend the phase-out of extra federal funding for the Medicaid expansion to 2027 but would likely accept 2025 as a split-the-difference compromise with McConnell’s proposed end date of 2023.

 Murkowski and Collins have also emphasized the importance of preserving funding for Planned Parenthood.

 Murkowski wrote in a recent letter to a constituent that she is committed to providing insurance coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, continuing support for Medicaid expansion and preserving funding for Planned Parenthood.

 — Jordain Carney and Rachel Roubein contributed. ||||| Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch said he hopes Republicans have "as much time as it takes" to study the proposal. | Getty Senate GOP prepares for Obamacare repeal vote next week Republicans are working behind closed doors — and quickly — to finalize a bill and bring it to the floor.

 Senate Republicans are preparing to vote on Obamacare repeal next week, according to multiple sources familiar with the negotiations, potentially leaving rank-and-file lawmakers with no more than a week to review legislation that would affect millions of Americans and one-sixth of the U.S. economy.

 Senators are expected to see the text of the bill as soon as the end of this week, those sources said, provided this week's work goes smoothly. The timeline could change based on the response from individual senators toward the proposal at party meetings, but Republicans are increasingly optimistic they can hold a vote next week if this week's lunch talks go well.

 Story Continued Below

 Sen. Bob Corker said Tuesday that he expects legislation to be made public on Thursday and for a vote to take place roughly a week later. The Tennessee Republican told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” he would have preferred "a more open process" but that he would ultimately vote based on the substance of the measure.

 "I believed the majority leader when he said he's going to take it up. I expect us to vote on it next week," Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said Monday. "It's close. Everybody's been counting [votes] since the beginning. It's been close since the beginning."

 Such a timeline would mean Republicans would have about a week to review text of a bill to repeal the 2010 health care law. Burr said he would be comfortable with that timeline: "We’ll debate it for 20 hours."

 Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said he hopes Republicans have "as much time as it takes" to study the proposal. Democrats have slammed Republicans for moving so quickly and without holding public hearings.

 POLITICO Pulse newsletter Get the latest on the health care fight, every weekday morning — in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time.

 "It's not a light bill," Hatch said. Asked whether they will vote this month, he replied: "We could. But clearly I wonder if we could."

 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) tried on Monday evening to get Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to commit to allowing at least 10 hours to review the legislation before it comes to the floor for a vote. McConnell wouldn't commit to such a number.

 "We'll have ample opportunity to read and amend the bill," McConnell said.

 The timeline could blow up because there is no final deal yet on any of the sticking points and negotiations are still extremely fluid. McConnell can lose just two senators in his 52-member caucus to pass the bill, with Vice President Mike Pence as a tie-breaker.

 Democrats have been revving up their opposition to the legislation, organizing hours of speeches on Monday attacking the GOP's secretive process. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) called it "an affront to democracy itself."

 Democrats spent Monday drawing a contrast between the passage of Obamacare and its potential repeal, emphasizing that hundreds of Republican amendments were considered and Congress devoted weeks to debate in committee and on the floor before the bill, also known as the Affordable Care Act, was passed.

 "We had a month of debate in the United States Senate in 2009 — that seems like a reasonable amount of time" for the GOP bill, said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

 But Republicans threw the Democrats' own history on health care back at them, arguing that Democrats deployed secretive techniques and the party-line budget reconciliation process to ultimately pass a portion of Obamacare into law.

 "I hope they'll have more time than we did on Christmas Eve when [former Sen. Harry] Reid produced his bill," said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

 Republican leaders believe that entering the July 4th recess with their Obamacare quagmire unsolved could lose votes as well as hurt the GOP politically. But the rushed timeline could put rank-and-file Republicans in a tough spot with little time to deliberate such a consequential vote.

 "We're going to need a significant amount of time," to review text, said Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). "More than hours." His remarks are the latest from rank-and-file GOP senators who have grumbled publicly about the process even as their leadership has vowed to steam ahead.

 Last week, Republicans discussed insurance market stabilization in the short term as well as how to overhaul Medicaid and wind down its expansion. One proposal being floated would phase out the law's Medicaid expansion over three years beginning in 2020 or 2021 and eventually curb the Medicaid growth rate more strictly than the House-passed bill, but that proposal has not yet been agreed on.

 This week, Republicans will discuss how far to cut Obamacare's regulatory regime and how much to beef up the House bill's tax credits to help people buy insurance. Conservatives want to gut the regulations as much as possible; there is more consensus on the tax credits but not necessarily how to pay for them.

 There is no guarantee the legislation will pass given the party divisions. But McConnell has made clear to associates he prefers not to let the bill linger so the Senate can turn to funding the government, raising the debt ceiling and rewriting the tax code, according to people who speak with him regularly. ||||| WASHINGTON—Senate GOP leaders have set a timeline to vote next week on legislation to repeal large chunks of the Affordable Care Act, even though they don’t yet appear to have secured enough support to pass it.

 Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) is intent on keeping pressure on Senate Republicans to move quickly on the bill rolling back and replacing much of the 2010 health law, lawmakers and GOP aides said. The push for a quick vote before the weeklong July 4 recess could backfire, however, as some conservative and... |||||


– Put away the calculator and enjoy dessert: There's no more tipping at Joe's Crab Shack, the first national full-service chain restaurant to test a no-tipping policy, Consumerist reports. In a conference call last week, Ray Blanchette, CEO of parent company Ignite Restaurant Group, told investors that 18 of its 131 units are trying out the no-tipping policy that began in August, making up for lost tips by upping servers' starting minimum wage to $14 an hour from $2.13 (exact pay depends on work performance), Restaurant Business Online reports. The goal: to prevent staff turnover and improve service. "I personally believe tipping is an antiquated model," Blanchette said in the call, per the OC Register. "The no-tipping service model gets us above the fray with regards to the increased minimum wage conversations that seem to be happening all over the country." Blanchette explained that, in addition to servers being more likely to stick around for the long haul with a higher hourly wage, they'd also be guaranteed the same pay whether they worked a dead shift on a Monday afternoon or a busy Friday night, per National Restaurant News. And service would likely improve, too, he noted, especially when servers start sharing table duties for large parties (instead of getting territorial over a table for an anticipated big tip). The wage increase is paid for by raising menu prices 12% to 15%—which could still save customers money if they usually tip 18% or more. Results so far have been positive. "What makes us optimistic is the restaurant that has been in test the longest is gaining the most traction," Blanchette tells NRN. Consumerist notes that the parent company of 13 well-known NYC restaurants has been testing its own no-tipping policy since October, leveling wages between front-house and kitchen staff. (A NYT writer says tipping is "degrading" to women.)

Expand this summary.

The parent company of Joe’s Crab Shack is taking the controversy over federal minimum wage polices to a new level by testing a no-tipping policy at 18 of its 131 locations.

 The test by Houston-based Ignite Restaurant Group scraps tips in exchange for raising wages for its restaurant workers.

 “I personally believe tipping is an antiquated model,” Chief Executive Ray Blanchette told investors in a conference call last week. “We believe that the no-tipping service model gets us above the fray with regards to the increased minimum wage conversations that seem to be happening all over the country.”

 Joe’s operates two restaurants in Orange County – one in Newport Beach and the other in Garden Grove near Disneyland. Those restaurants are not part of the pilot.

 Test restaurants have raised the fixed hourly rate of workers based on factors that include employees’ historical compensation and their importance to the business, Blanchette said. Joe’s declined to discuss salary specifics.

 Restaurants testing the policy are in Utah, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska and Kansas. At these restaurants, Joe’s is not adding service charges to checks, though there have been small increases for menu items, the company said.

 Last week, Blanchette said he expects less employee turnover by eliminating tips because workers will enjoy a fixed rate, of “say, $14 an hour” compared with $2.25 an hour – a model seen in some states where employers are allowed to pay tipped workers below the federal minimum wage as long as their tips make up the difference.

 Joe’s test comes a month after famed New York restaurateur Danny Meyer announced plans to eliminate tipping at all of his New York City restaurants. The no-tipping policy will be phased in starting later this month at The Modern, he said. Diners will face menu price hikes to ensure all workers are paid fairly, he said.

 Meyer operates Union Square Hospitality Group, whose other restaurants include, Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern and Blue Smoke. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. |||||


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– Blockbuster ended in-store rentals for good last Saturday night. So what was the final movie rental ever? Incredibly appropriately, it was Seth Rogen comedy This Is the End, checked out at 11pm in Hawaii, according to a tweet by the company. The question now, notes the Verge, is just how the customer will return the DVD. Blockbuster announced last week that it is shuttering its remaining 300 US stores. Meanwhile, over in the UK and Ireland, there are still 264 Blockbusters, but the company has just gone into administration, the BBC reports.

Add a location to your Tweets

 When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more ||||| Image caption Barratts first went into administration in 2009

 High Street shoe chain Barratts and DVD rental chain Blockbuster have both gone into administration, putting more than 3,000 UK and Irish jobs at risk.

 Duff & Phelps has been appointed as administrator to Barratts.

 It said it was reviewing the shoe chain's financial position, as well as seeking a sale of the business.

 Restructuring firm Moorfields Corporate Recovery has been appointed administrator of TS Operations, which trades as Blockbuster.

 'No choice'

 It is the third time in four years that Barratts has gone into administration.

 Philip Duffy, Duff & Phelps partner, blamed "difficult trading conditions" for its most recent failure.

 He said an investor had recently offered to inject £5m into the shoe chain, but withdrew this offer on 7 November.

 "In view of the financial position of the company and withdrawal of that equity offer the directors were left with no choice but to appoint administrators," said Mr Duffy.

 Barratts has 75 stores and 23 concessions across the UK and Ireland employing 1,035 people in total.

 Neil Saunders, managing director at retail consultancy Conlumino, said he expected Barratts to survive "in one form or another".

 "I would be surprised if it disappeared from the High Street altogether. It has a sizeable estate. I expect it to emerge as a much smaller business with fewer stores," he added.

 Hope for Blockbuster

 At Blockbuster, there were also suggestions that the DVD and computer game rental chain could survive.

 Moorfields said there were parties that were interested in parts of the business.

 "Our focus will be to secure a future for as much of the business as possible as well as trying to save jobs before Christmas," said Simon Thomas, joint administrator at Moorfields.

 Mr Thomas said Blockbuster, which employs 2,000 people across 264 stores, would continue to trade in the meantime.

 Last month, private equity firm Gordon Brothers Europe, which bought Blockbuster for an undisclosed sum in March, said it was filing a notice of intention to appoint an administrator to the retailer. ||||| It was the end of an era. Saturday marked the last day for in-store rentals at local Blockbuster outlets, after the company announced that it would be shuttering its remaining 300 stores last week. The final rental was made at 11PM Saturday, when this grinning customer rented the incredibly appropriate This Is the End. Blockbuster celebrated by tweeting the following this morning:

 As to how the customer would go about returning the Seth Rogen-James Franco apocalyptic lovefest, that's still unclear. We've reached out to Blockbuster for comment.

 Update 1: Seth Rogen got wind of the news on Twitter and had this to say:

 Update 2: A spokesperson with Dish Network, which owns Blockbuster, informed us that customers who rented movies before the last day for rentals can simply drop their movies off at any Blockbuster drop box location. |||||


Supporters light candles during a vigil for 15-year-old Jordan Edwards in Balch Springs, Texas, Thursday, May 4, 2017. Edwards was killed leaving an unruly house party Saturday night when former police... (Associated Press)

 Supporters light candles during a vigil for 15-year-old Jordan Edwards in Balch Springs, Texas, Thursday, May 4, 2017. Edwards was killed leaving an unruly house party Saturday night when former police officer Roy Oliver opened fired on the car Edwards was a passenger in. Oliver was fired Tuesday for... (Associated Press)

 DALLAS (AP) — A white Texas police officer faces a murder charge in the shooting of a black teenager after being fired earlier in the week, authorities said.

 Roy Oliver turned himself in Friday night, just hours after the Dallas County Sheriff's Office issued a warrant for his arrest in the April 29 death of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. Oliver, a former officer in the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs, was later released after posting bail at the Parker County Jail in Weatherford, about 95 miles west of Dallas. His bond had been set at $300,000.

 The sheriff's office said in a statement the warrant was issued based on evidence that suggested Oliver "intended to cause serious bodily injury and commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused the death."

 Oliver fired a rifle at a car full of teenagers leaving a party, fatally shooting Edwards who was a passenger in the vehicle. The teen's death led to protests calling for Oliver to be fired and charged. On Tuesday, the same day that the officer was fired, news broke of the Justice Department's decision not to charge two white police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the shooting death of a black man in 2016. And a white officer in North Charleston, South Carolina, pleaded guilty that day to federal civil rights charges in the fatal shooting of a black man in 2015.

 Edwards and his two brothers and two other teenagers were leaving an unruly house party in Balch Springs when Oliver opened fire on their car with a rifle. The bullets shattered the front passenger-side window and struck Edwards. It took a few moments for Edwards' 16-year-old brother, who was driving, and other passengers to notice that he was slumped over in his seat.

 Police had said the teenagers' car was backing up toward officers "in an aggressive manner," but later said body camera video showed the vehicle actually driving away from the officers.

 The investigation into the shooting "will continue and does not conclude with the arrest," sheriff's spokeswoman Melinda Urbina said.

 Attorneys for Oliver and the family of Edwards didn't respond to requests for comment.

 Oliver's firing Tuesday was for violating department policies in the shooting.

 Records show that Oliver was briefly suspended in 2013 following a complaint about his conduct while serving as a witness in a drunken-driving case.

 Personnel records from the Balch Springs Police Department obtained by The Associated Press show Oliver was suspended for 16 hours in December 2013 after the Dallas County District Attorney's Office filed the complaint. Oliver also was ordered to take training courses in anger management and courtroom demeanor and testimony.

 The personnel records also included periodic evaluations that noted at least one instance when Oliver was reprimanded for being "disrespectful to a civilian on a call." That evaluation, dated Jan. 27, 2017, called the reprimand an isolated incident and urged Oliver to be mindful of his leadership role in the department.

 The complaint from the prosecutor's office said the office had a hard time getting Oliver to attend the trial, he was angry he had to be there, he used vulgar language that caused an assistant district attorney to send a female intern out of the room, and he used profanity during his testimony.

 "In an email from one of the prosecutors he states you were a 'scary person to have in our workroom,'" then-Balch Springs Police Chief Ed Morris wrote in the suspension findings.

 Oliver joined the Balch Springs department in 2011 after being an officer with the Dalworthington Gardens Police Department for almost a year. A statement from Dalworthington Gardens officials on Wednesday included details of that and previous intermittent employment as a dispatcher and public works employee between 1999 and 2004.

 He received an award for "meritorious conduct" as a dispatcher and there were no documented complaints or disciplinary action in either his work as a public safety officer or dispatcher, according to the statement. Between his employment as a dispatcher and officer in the Dallas suburb, Oliver was in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of sergeant while serving two tours in Iraq and earning various commendations. He served for two years in the Texas National Guard reserves through 2012.

 After the Dallas County Attorney's Office complained about Oliver's behavior, Morris suspended the officer for 16 hours, which Oliver completed by forfeiting two sick days.

 ___

 Weissert reported from Austin. Associated Press writers Terry Wallace, Paul J. Weber in Austin and Juan A. Lozano in Houston contributed to this report. ||||| Police originally said Oliver fired on the car because it was backing up aggressively toward the officers. But the department revised its account after reviewing body-cam footage, saying the car was driving away when Jordan was shot.

 The arrest warrant affidavit, obtained Friday by The Dallas Morning News, says another officer used his gun to break the car's rear window before Oliver got behind the officer and fired several rounds into the car as it drove past.

 The white officer's shooting of an unarmed black teenager has renewed allegations nationwide that racial bias among police has led to deadly overreactions.

 An attorney for Jordan's family, Lee Merritt, said Friday that Jordan's parents were "grateful" investigators sought a murder charge. The news came as they prepared to bury Jordan on Saturday.

 Merritt said it was clear from the start that Oliver should be arrested on the highest possible charge.

 "I think it begins to at least give the appearance that the state is not going to sweep this clear wrong under the rug as it's done in the past," Merritt said. "However we also have to learn from history that we don't have a conviction yet. And so we still have some ways to go." ||||| A fired Balch Springs police officer faces a murder charge in the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, the Dallas County Sheriff's Office says. (Published Saturday, May 6, 2017)

 A fired Balch Springs police officer has been released on bond after he surrendered to authorities Friday to face a murder warrant in the shooting of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards.

 Roy Oliver posted a $300,000 bond after he was booked at the Parker County Jail in Weatherford, about 95 miles west of Dallas.

 Fired Balch Springs Police Officer Booked on Murder Charge

 A fired Balch Springs police officer has been released on bond after he surrendered to authorities Friday to face a murder warrant in the shooting of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. (Published Friday, May 5, 2017)

 "I was elated," said Edwards family attorney, Jasmin Crockett. "We've seen this play out so many times in so many cities across America. So in less than a week, we have an officer that got fired, we have an officer that has an arrest warrant."

 Lee Merritt, another attorney for the Edwards family, said the family has now filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Oliver, the Balch Springs Police Department and the city of Balch Springs.

 On Saturday, Jordan Edwards mother Shaunkeyia Stephens released a statement.

 Now the hard work of justice begins to ensure Mr. Oliver is held responsible for his horrific act of violence against my son.Shaunkeyia Stephens, Jordan Edwards mother

 "I was driving home. It was on the radio," said Balch Springs Police Chief Jonathan Haber, explaining how he heard the news. "This is a horrific tragedy we know that the Edwards family is grieving. We're in a lot of pain over here, too."

 The chief said he didn't get a heads-up on the arrest warrant because he asked for an independent, transparent investigation, and that's how it's supposed to work.

 The shooting occurred around 11 p.m. last Saturday as officers responded to a 911 call reporting intoxicated teens walking around in the 12300 block of Baron Drive.

 Balch Springs police originally said the vehicle in which Edwards was riding backed up toward officers "in an aggressive manner." But Chief Haber said Monday that police video shows the vehicle was instead "moving forward as the officers approached."

 Haber wouldn't release the police video or describe it in detail other than to acknowledge he erred in describing the encounter, but he said he was troubled by what he saw.

 "It did not meet our core values. We have a certain set of values, and it did not meet our values," Haber added.

 Oliver was later fired from the police department.

 Investigators say evidence suggests Oliver "intended to cause serious bodily injury and commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused the death of an individual," according to the warrant.

 "If there's something to learn, let's learn it, but let's not learn it as individuals," Haber said. "Let's learn as a group and push that message out together."

 The Dallas County Sheriff's Office said Friday that its investigation into Edwards' death will continue. |||||

Write a summary.

– Roy Oliver, the former Texas police officer who fatally shot 15-year-old Jordan Edwards last Saturday night, turned himself in hours after an arrest warrant was issued Friday. Oliver, who was fired from the force in the Dallas suburb of of Balch Springs on Tuesday, was freed Friday night after posting $300,000 bail at the Parker County Jail, the AP reports. According to the arrest warrant, the officer, who is charged with murder, fired a rifle into a car full of teenagers leaving a rowdy party. The teenager's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the officer, the city, and the Balch Spring Police Department. Their lawyers say they are glad to see swift action taken against a white officer who shot a black youth. "I was elated," Edwards family attorney Jasmin Crockett tells NBC 5. "We've seen this play out so many times in so many cities across America. So in less than a week, we have an officer that got fired, we have an officer that has an arrest warrant." Oliver, an Iraq vet who had been with the Balch Springs force since 2011, was involved in another gun incident just two weeks before the Edwards shooting, reports the Dallas Morning News. Monique Arrendondo, 26, says the officer, in plain clothes and off-duty, drew his gun and demanded ID after his truck was rear-ended. "As soon as I put my gear into park, he was already out of his truck, and he was at my window," she says. "He pulled out his gun on me."


News article:

Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| Republican candidate Frank Lasee faces questions about whether he lives in the district of Rep. Reid Ribble, left, who is retiring, or Speaker Paul D. Ryan, who isn't. (Scott J. Ferrell/CQ Roll Call)

 Note to congressional hopefuls: If you are trying to prove residency in a district, it might not be a good idea to advertise that residence on Airbnb.

 Especially if you also own a much nicer house in a district that would force you to run against a crazy popular incumbent like House Speaker Paul D. Ryan .

 Case in point: Wisconsin Republican Frank Lasee is facing questions in his home state about whether he actually lives in the two-bedroom, "luxury apartment," he was advertising for rent until recently for $210 a night on Airbnb.com, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Saturday.

 Lasee, a state senator, is one of two candidates vying for Republican Rep. Reid Ribble's soon-to-be vacant 8th District seat in an election expected to favor the GOP nominee . His wife own a home in Racine — in Ryan's home district — assessed at $262,000, the paper reported.

 [Related: Ribble Retirment Creates Vulnerable GOP Open Seat] Reporters at the Journal Sentinel thought the arrangement was curious enough that they tried to book Lasee's apartment for one day last month, prompting a reply from Lasee's wife, Amy Joy Lasee, who wanted to know who they were and why they wanted the apartment, the paper reported. She then denied the request.

 Not long after that, local conservative talk radio host Jerry Bader brought up the listing , noting that the available dates had recently been limited to weekends of Green Bay Packers home games.

 "Your story is hard to swallow," Bader said, addressing the senator.

 Then the listing disappeared.

 Lasee at first declined to explain to Journal Sentinel reporters why the couple removed the listing. "Because we wanted to," he told the paper. He then said they didn't want "everyone in the world looking at it."

 He went on to say he had a "crazy living arrangement," in which he lived most of the time at the apartment but occasionally stayed at the Racine house.

 Lasee said Democrats had filed a complaint about his residence with the state Government Accountability Board during a previous election, and the board had dismissed the complaint after he produced a 2011 lease — which, the paper pointed out, said that Lasee and his wife were occupants of the apartment and they were not allowed to sublease without the owners' consent.

 [Related: State Senator Likely to Run for Wisconsin Senate] Lasee also speculated in the interview that backers of his primary opponent were the ones bringing up the issue this time.

 "It's a campaign issue," he told the paper.

 Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call on your iPhone or your Android. ||||| State Sen. Frank Lasee (R-De Pere) lists a condo he owns in a building in De Pere as his voting address. But until recently, Lasee’s condo was available for anyone to rent at anytime through the popular online lodging website Airbnb.com. Credit: Mark Hoffman

 Daniel Bice No Quarter SHARE State Sen. Frank Lasee’s name is listed on an apartment building in De Pere. The unit has been available for rent on Airbnb. Mark Hoffman Frank Lasee

 We know where state Sen. Frank Lasee wants to go.

 The veteran Republican legislator wants to go to Congress.

 But this is what we don't know: Where he actually calls home.

 He says he lives in De Pere, which is located in his Senate district and the congressional one he soon hopes to represent. But the facts raise serious questions about that.

 Consider this:

 Lasee does rent an apartment in a small complex on Swan Road in De Pere. He is one of two GOP candidates vying for U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble's soon-to-be vacant seat.

 But until just the other day, Lasee's "luxury apartment" was available for anyone to rent at any time through the popular online lodging website Airbnb.comfor $210 a night.

 Here is the online description of Lasee's place: "2 bdrm 2 bath apartment is located just 7 miles from Lambeau Field. It is beautifully decorated with all of the comforts of home. Overlooking pond, gas fireplace, close to shops and restaurants. 8 Miles to the Radisson Conference Hotel and Casino."

 This was so well known that three of Lasee's constituents and a GOP aide pointed this out. Lasee's questionable residency has become a running joke among Republicans in Madison.

 So we thought we'd take a firsthand look at his so-called residence.

 A colleague of mine here at the Journal Sentinel tried to book Lasee's De Pere place last month, putting in a request for the night of April 21. The colleague had no problem selecting the date, which was listed as being available.

 But the request apparently set off a bunch of alarms. Amy Joy Lasee, the senator's wife and the host for the De Pere apartment, began asking scads of questions, including the purpose for my co-worker's trip and personal details beyond what is requested by Airbnb.

 After all that, Amy Joy Lasee — who owns a house in Racine, incidentally — denied the request. She didn't say the date was unavailable; she simply turned down my colleague after a lengthy back and forth.

 Then, on April 25, conservative talk show host Jerry Baderwent on air to call attention to the same problem. Bader noted that Lasee had recently limited the available dates for his apartment to weekends in which the Green Bay Packers had home games.

 Before long, the Lasees pulled their listing from Airbnb entirely, though a cached version of the apartment can still be found.

 Reached the other day, Lasee was reluctant to explain why he took down the listing: "Because we wanted to."

 A few minutes later, Lasee — who was first elected to the Legislature in 1995 — elaborated. "We didn't want everyone in the world looking at it," he said.

 Lasee said Democrats made an issue of his residence in a 2014 complaint, which the Government Accountability Board dismissed. He speculated that Republicans are now the ones calling attention to it because he will have a GOP primary in his congressional race.

 "It's a campaign issue," said Lasee, who is running against businessman and former Marine Mike Gallagher, a former aide to Gov. Scott Walker's presidential campaign who has a big lead in fundraising so far.

 Records provided by Lasee to GAB two years ago included a copy of his 2011 lease for his place. That lease barred the renters from subleasing the property without the owner's consent and restricted the occupants to the two individuals listed on the application.

 That would be Lasee and his wife.

 Lasee acknowledged that he has a "crazy" living arrangement, saying he lives most of the time in De Pere while his wife owns a Racine house, which is assessed at $262,000. He said he does occasionally stay at his wife's house.

 "Yes, it's difficult," Lasee said. "It is what it is."

 If he were to declare Racine as his residence, Lasee would have to take on House Speaker Paul Ryan to make it to Washington, D.C. That, of course, would be political suicide.

 Senate records show that Lasee lists the De Pere address as his home and has collected $9,139 since January 2015 in mileage reimbursement for travel between his Brown County apartment and the Capitol. A round-trip to the statehouse from Racine would have trimmed about 60 miles from his commute — or about $30 less per trip for Lasee.

 Lasee said he and his wife, who is a full-time real estate agent, decided to put his apartment on Airbnb with the hopes of renting it out during Packers weekends. The website, however, did not restrict the dates when my colleague tried to rent it, and Lasee's wife never brought that up as an issue.

 Lasee didn't say how often he let others book his place, except to say it happened "very rarely."

 But that's as far as the veteran lawmaker would go.

 Asked about his Wednesday fundraiser at the home of big-time GOP donor Michael Eisenga, Lasee shut down the conversation.

 "I've got to go," Lasee said. "Have a great day."

 He refused to answer any text or voice messages with follow-up questions. Eisenga also could not be reached.

 Eisenga is the wealthy Columbus businessman who tried in 2014 to persuade state Rep. Joel Kleefisch (R-Oconomowoc) to push through a bill aimed at capping how much high earners pay in child support. Eisenga had recently lost a court fight to trim his child support because of a drop in income.

 For his part, Lasee waged a decadelong paternity and child-support battle in the courts with an ex-girlfriend.

 "It seems having failed in what looked like pay-to-play effort for a state law change, Mr. Eisenga now has his sights set on federal law," said Scot Ross, head of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now. "Based on his long history of self-dealing as a member of the Legislature, who better to target than Frank Lasee?"

 More interesting, Lasee listed his wife's Racine home as his residence in that child custody case in 2010 before switching it to De Pere.

 He also used his current wife's address again from 2009 to 2011 in his divorce case. He and his wife are listed as borrowers on two mortgages tied to the Racine home, according to online records. The residence is listed as "noncommercial real estate" on his latest state ethics statements.

 What to make of all that?

 Bader, the conservative talk show host, made it clear that he was not buying Lasee's explanation of his "crazy" living arrangement.

 "Your story," Bader said on air, "is hard to swallow."

 Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– If Frank Lasee ran for office using his wife's house as his primary residence, he'd have to run against incumbent Paul Ryan—which the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says would be "political suicide." Instead, the GOP state senator looking to fill a soon-to-be-vacant congressional seat says he mainly lives in a De Pere apartment in a different district. Only problem: He's listed out the place on Airbnb, Roll Call notes. The listing has since been taken down, but a cached version shows a $210-a-month offering for the "luxury apartment," which Journal Sentinel reporters actually tried booking in April. They dealt with Amy Joy Lasee, Frank's wife, who asked why they wanted to stay there and ultimately denied their request. Why did they pull the listing? "Because we wanted to," says Lasee, who adds that they didn't want "everyone in the world looking at it." He then described a "crazy living arrangement" involving him mostly shacking up at the apartment and sometimes in Racine. This isn't new for Lasee, who had to produce a lease in 2014 when pressed by Democrats wanting evidence that he wasn't subletting the apartment. In a response to the state's Government Accountability Board, he said custody arrangements and the challenges of a "blended family" forced him to retain both residences. Yet he has switched his official residence a few times between Racine and De Pere during various divorce and child custody proceedings. Lasee chalks the whole hubbub up this time around to "a campaign issue."


Here is a news article: LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tyra Banks is hosting the 12th season of "America's Got Talent." NBC said Sunday that the supermodel, Emmy-winner and creator of "America's Next Top Model" will be joining the competition series alongside returning judges Simon Cowell, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel.

 Banks will be taking over hosting duties from Nick Cannon, who left the show earlier this year after eight years in the post. Banks said she looks forward to "connecting with the dreamers" and will try to get a few to "smize" for the audience.

 Contestants in the popular summer series come out to show off a wide array of talents to compete for a $1 million prize.

 Episodes will be aired live this summer from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. |||||
A summary of this is?

– Tyra Banks is hosting the 12th season of America's Got Talent, the AP reports. NBC said Sunday that the supermodel, Emmy-winner, and creator of America's Next Top Model will be joining the competition series alongside returning judges Simon Cowell, Mel B, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel. Banks will be taking over hosting duties from Nick Cannon, who left the show earlier this year after eight years in the post. Banks said she looks forward to "connecting with the dreamers" and will try to get a few to "smize" for the audience. Contestants in the popular summer series come out to show off a wide array of talents to compete for a $1 million prize. Episodes will be aired live this summer from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Tyra Banks, Stanford professor?)


Article:

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)– A Boulder woman is mourning the loss of her family’s cat after a mountain lion broke into her home and killed the cat named Klondike.

 “There was a mountain lion standing in our living room, it looked right at him and licked its lips and he took off,” said Kayla Slaughter.

 She believes the big cat likely got into the home through a window.

 “I got her my junior year of college. She’s been with me for 10 years,” said Slaughter when describing her beloved cat.

 It took hours for officers to figure out what to do since this is a rare occurrence, especially in Boulder.

 “When the cops came to the door and said, ‘There was a report of a mountain lion in your neighbor’s house,’ I thought, ‘What are you talking about?’ It seemed very odd and just unusual,” said neighbor Jessie Frankel.

 Neighbors stayed inside but had a pretty good view from the windows which let them see the big cat wandering around the home.

 “It went upstairs and that’s where I took the video because there is a bathroom upstairs and a window,” said neighbor Leah Frankel.

 “I saw its ears and its face popped up and then it was there for a few seconds.”

 Animal control officers decided to haze the mountain lion.

 “They were shooting these little bean bags and I think trying to scare it out of the upper level and downstairs,” said Frankel.

 Despite the beauty of living near open space, Slaughter says her family will be safer in the future, “We’ll definitely be more vigilant with keeping our windows shut when we’re not here, especially at nighttime.”

 The mountain lion ran out of the house and then made its way up into the wilderness near Boulder Canyon. The mountain lion didn’t appear to be injured by the ammo that was fired.

 Slaughter told CBS4 that while she is concerned the big cat wasn’t captured, she was reassured by officers it likely won’t return after being hit with the bean bags. ||||| This Thursday, Aug. 10, 2018 photo provided by the Boulder, Colo., Police Department shows a mountain lion next to a couch inside a home. Police say the homeowner returned Thursday night and found the... (Associated Press)

 This Thursday, Aug. 10, 2018 photo provided by the Boulder, Colo., Police Department shows a mountain lion next to a couch inside a home. Police say the homeowner returned Thursday night and found the mountain lion inside. It appeared that it had pushed through a screen and couldn’t get back out. (Boulder... (Associated Press)

 This Thursday, Aug. 10, 2018 photo provided by the Boulder, Colo., Police Department shows a mountain lion next to a couch inside a home. Police say the homeowner returned Thursday night and found the mountain lion inside. It appeared that it had pushed through a screen and couldn’t get back out. (Boulder... (Associated Press) This Thursday, Aug. 10, 2018 photo provided by the Boulder, Colo., Police Department shows a mountain lion next to a couch inside a home. Police say the homeowner returned Thursday night and found the... (Associated Press)

 BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A mountain lion that became trapped inside a Colorado home killed a house cat before police and wildlife officers were able to scare it out.

 Boulder police say the homeowner came back to the house late Thursday night and found the mountain lion inside. It appeared that it had pushed through a screen and couldn't get back out.

 The big cat roamed throughout two levels of the home for more than an hour before officers used non-lethal rounds to scare it out the front door and away from the neighborhood, which is just southwest of downtown Boulder.

 Police, who photographed the mountain lion lying down between a coffee table and a couch, called the break-in worrisome and asked residents to keep ground-level doors and windows locked at night. |||||
What is a summary?

– A mountain lion that became trapped inside a Colorado home killed a house cat before police and wildlife officers were able to scare it out, the AP reports. Boulder police say the homeowner came back to the house late Thursday night and found the mountain lion inside. It appeared that it had pushed through a screen and couldn't get back out. The big cat roamed throughout two levels of the home for more than an hour before officers used non-lethal rounds to scare it out the front door and away from the neighborhood, which is just southwest of downtown Boulder. Boulder woman Kayla Slaughter describes the experience of seeing the mountain lion face her cat, Klondike: "There was a mountain lion standing in our living room, it looked right at him and licked its lips and he took off," she tells CBS Denver. Now she's mourning the loss: "I got her my junior year of college," Slaughter says of the cat. "She's been with me for 10 years." Police, who photographed the mountain lion lying down between a coffee table and a couch, called the break-in worrisome and asked residents to keep ground-level doors and windows locked at night.


Summarize this article:

This will appear next to all of your comments

 This will NOT appear anywhere on Newser ||||| MADEIRA BEACH — What if a dog is a woman’s best friend, but also a man’s best friend?

 She adopted the black Labrador retriever mix, but he paid for the vet bills.

 At the end of the day, who is the rightful owner of 4-year-old Elario?

 It’s a question that a Pinellas County judge recently pondered in small claims court.

 The plaintiff was David Somerville, a Vietnam War veteran recovering from lung cancer who credits the dog with improving his health.

 The defendant is his neighbor Tina Marie Walker, a 53-year-old woman who has owned Labrador retrievers her entire life and spent $5 to adopt Elario even though he was emaciated and suffering from kennel cough.

 Judge Lorraine Kelly’s answer: Walker and Somerville must share custody, like divorced parents. She even created a calendar detailing pickup times.

 "Both parties have spent a great deal of time with the dog," Kelly wrote in her order. "Witnesses say he shows great affection to both of his humans."

 • • •

 The story of Elario and his two owners began Jan. 7, 2016, according to court records.

 Walker asked Somerville, 68, for a ride to the Pinellas County Animal Services shelter on Ulmerton Road.

 She wandered through the hallways lined with cages, making her way to the quarantine section. She peered into the second cage on the left.

 Inside was Elario, a black Labrador with honey brown eyes. His name, she learned later with a Google search, means joy.

 On visits to Somerville’s apartment, she brought her new companion along. Her neighbor grew close to Elario, taking him on walks while she worked part-time jobs at a cafe and a restaurant.

 For two years, the 100-pound Labrador sauntered between their apartments.

 But a rift soon formed between the neighbors.

 What went wrong, court records show, depends on whom you ask.

 • • •

 This is Walker’s version:

 Months before the trip to the shelter, Somerville underwent lung surgery. His son asked Walker to keep an eye on him. She lived right across the hall at their Bayshore Drive apartment building facing the Intracoastal Waterway.

 "We spent a lot of time together to the point where I stopped even having food in my apartment," she wrote in court records. "We did our shopping together, shared meals daily."

 When she adopted Elario, she started taking him to Somerville’s apartment.

 But something went awry when Walker went on vacation to Martha’s Vineyard last year and left Elario with Somerville. A few months later, in November, Somerville said he wanted to adopt him.

 Walker offered to add his name to Elario’s microchip.

 On Dec. 22, Somerville sued Walker in Pinellas County court. He wanted to be Elario’s sole owner.

 "This dog is everything to me," Walker told the Tampa Bay Times. "I was only trying to share my joy with someone who needed it."

 • • •

 Somerville could not be reached for comment for this report, but this is what he told the judge in court records:

 He walks Elario up to three times a day and takes him to the dog park in the evenings. When Elario cut his paw on a barnacle or needed a cyst removed, Somerville took him to the vet and handled the bills.

 The animosity between him and Walker began when Somerville wanted Elario’s microchip printed with his name since, he said in court, he is more "financially stable" than Walker.

 That’s when Walker, he says, started to keep Elario away from him.

 "He does not get to see his dog friends at the park anymore," Somerville wrote. "He does not understand why when he sees me, he can’t come to me."

 • • •

 On a recent afternoon, Walker sat on a bench in a dog park next to the Madeira Beach Recreation Department. Elario was sprawled by her feet, chewing on a tennis ball.

 "I love my dog," she said, wiping away tears as she glanced at the court papers on her lap. "It’s all I have in my whole life."

 She has appealed and moved from the apartment building to avoid any more friction with Somerville. To this day, she says, Walker doesn’t understand exactly what happened between them.

 Elario barked and ran in circles around her. He grew still as Walker picked up his soggy tennis ball. He bolted after it when she tossed it across the grass.

 The next day, she would have to drop him off at Somerville’s apartment.

 Contact Laura C. Morel at [email protected] Follow @lauracmorel. |||||

– A rift between two former neighbors has resulted in them sharing custody of a Labrador retriever mix, the AP reports. The Tampa Bay Times reports that Tina Marie Walker and David Somerville lived next to each other in a Florida apartment complex when he drove her in 2016 to an animal shelter, where she adopted Elario. When she worked, Somerville would take the dog for walks and to the dog park. He says he paid the dog's vet bills. That led to a rift over who really was the dog's owner and Somerville sued Walker in small claims court. Judge Lorraine Kelly ruled recently that they are to share custody and even drew up a schedule. Walker has moved from the apartment complex but now drops Elario off for his stays with Somerville. "Both parties have spent a great deal of time with the dog," Kelly writes in her order. "Witnesses say he shows great affection to both of his humans."


Write an article based on this summary:

– The suicide of a far-right writer/activist at Paris' Notre Dame yesterday is being hailed as a "political act" by other far-right leaders. Dominique Venner, who shot himself in front of an estimated 1,500 people inside the vaunted cathedral, had posted a final essay on his website decrying both the country's recent legalization of gay marriage and immigration from Africa, reports the AFP. The 78-year-old left a letter containing similar statements at the altar before killing himself, says a police source. Venner also left a message that a friend read on a conservative radio station. A sample: "I believe it is necessary to sacrifice myself to break with the lethargy that is overwhelming us. ... I am killing myself to awaken slumbering consciences." On Twitter, National Front party leader Marine Le Pen praised Venner. "All respect to Dominique Venner whose final, eminently political act was to try to wake up the people of France," she wrote. Another senior National Front figure and member of the European Parliament also hailed the "dramatic gesture," and called Venner an "extremely brilliant intellectual," France 24 reports. He noted the death was likely inspired by that of right-wing Japanese author Yukio Mishima, who committed ritual seppuku in 1970 as an act of political protest.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen has hailed Tuesday’s suicide of a far right activist opposed to gay marriage as an "eminently political act". Dominique Venner shot himself at Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral, filled with 1,500 visitors at the time.

 The suicide of a writer and right wing activist at the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris on Tuesday has been hailed as a political act by leaders of France’s far-right National Front party.

 Dominique Venner, an author of many history essays that often decried immigration in France and the decline of European civilizations, shot himself in front of the altar of the famous church in the early afternoon.

 Police sources said Venner pulled out a pistol and put it in his mouth, before pulling the trigger.

 A photo of Dominique Venner posted on his website

 The day before, Venner had left a final essay on his website that suggested his dramatic suicide was intended as a protest against both the recent passing of a bill legalizing gay marriage in France and immigration from Africa.

 He also left a message that was read out after his suicide on the conservative station Radio Courtoisie.

 "I believe it is necessary to sacrifice myself to break with the lethargy that is overwhelming us," he said in the radio message.

 "I am killing myself to awaken slumbering consciences."

 Venner’s suicide was later hailed as a political gesture by National Front leader Marine Le Pen.

 "All respect to Dominique Venner whose final, eminently political act was to try to wake up the people of France," Le Pen said on Twitter, though she added later that "it is in life and hope that France will renew and save itself".

 Bruno Gollnisch, a senior National Front figure and member of the European Parliament also paid tribute to Venner, referring to him as an “extremely brilliant intellectual”.

 "I think his dramatic gesture is a protest against the decadence of our society," Gollnisch told BFM TV.

 In a final essay on his website, Venner railed against France's adoption of a "vile law" legalising gay marriage and adoption.

 French interior minister Manuel Valls comments on suicide at Notre Dame Cathedral

 The gay marriage bill has sparked numerous protests in France, with many on the right bitterly opposed to the act. The bill was finally signed into law by President François Hollande on Sunday.

 Venner also denounced immigration from North Africa which, he said, was the real "peril", calling on activists to take measures to protect "French and European identities".

 In what appeared to be a reference to his suicide, Venner wrote: "There will certainly need to be new, spectacular, symbolic gestures to shake off the sleepiness... and re-awaken the memories of our origins."

 "We are reaching a time when words must be backed up with acts," he added.

 Venner fought for France in the 1954-62 Algerian War of Independence and was a member of the OAS (Secret Armed Organisation), a short-lived paramilitary group that opposed Algeria's independence from France.

 He went on to have a long career publishing right-wing essays, military histories and books on weaponry and hunting.

 Notre Dame, which this year is celebrating its 850th anniversary, is one of France’s top tourist attractions, with 13.6 million visitors passing through its doors in 2011.

 The cathedral contained around 1,500 visitors at the time of the suicide, all of whom were then evacuated without incident, said France’s Interior Minister Manuel Valls, who visited Notre Dame following the incident.

 “I can only imagine the shock for these people, both faithful and tourists,” he said.

 “Notre Dame … is one of the biggest symbols of the capital and the country and we can only imagine the impact that this [act] will have.”

 It was the second dramatic suicide in less than a week in Paris, after a 50-year-old man with a history of family problems shot himself dead Thursday in a primary school near the Eiffel Tower, in front of about a dozen stunned children.

 (FRANCE 24 with wires) ||||| Far-right writer kills self in Paris's Notre Dame

 PARIS — A far-right writer and activist shot himself dead in front of the altar of Paris's famed Notre Dame Cathedral, leaving statements denouncing gay marriage and immigration.

 Police confirmed the man's identity as Dominique Venner, 78, an essayist and activist linked with France's far-right and nationalist group.

 They said he had shot himself with a pistol shortly after 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) Tuesday and the cathedral, which at the time contained about 1,500 people, was then evacuated without incident.

 Venner left a message, which was read out by a friend after his death on the conservative station Radio Courtoisie, and a final essay on his website.

 They denounced both the recently passed law legalising gay marriage and immigration from Africa.

 "I believe it is necessary to sacrifice myself to break with the lethargy that is overwhelming us," he said in the message read out on the radio.

 "I am killing myself to awaken slumbering consciences."

 Venner's suicide was hailed by Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Front National (FN), as a political gesture.

 "All respect to Dominique Venner whose final, eminently political act was to try to wake up the people of France," Le Pen said on Twitter, though she added later that "it is in life and hope that France will renew and save itself".

 Cathedral rector Monsignor Patrick Jacquin told AFP that Venner had laid a letter on the altar before killing himself. A police source said the letter contained similar writings to those on Venner's website.

 "We did not know him, he was not a regular at the cathedral," Jacquin said, adding that he believed it was the first time anyone had committed suicide inside the cathedral.

 Jacquin said masses had been cancelled and that church officials would hold a vigil later on Tuesday.

 "We will pray for this man, as for so many others at their end," he said. "This is terrible, we are thinking of him and his family."

 In a final essay on his website, Venner railed against France's adoption of a "vile law" legalising gay marriage and adoption. It finally became law on Saturday after months of bitter political protests from the right.

 Venner also denounced immigration from north Africa which, he said, was the real "peril", calling on activists to take measures to protect "French and European identities".

 In what appeared to be a reference to his suicide, Venner wrote: "There will certainly need to be new, spectacular, symbolic gestures to shake off the sleepiness... and re-awaken the memories of our origins."

 "We are reaching a time when words must be backed up with acts," he added.

 Venner had a long career publishing right-wing essays, military histories and books on weaponry and hunting.

 He was a soldier during France's war in Algeria and was a member of the OAS (Secret Armed Organisation), a short-lived paramilitary group that opposed Algeria's independence from France.

 Venner's publisher, Pierre-Guillaume de Roux, said his next book due in June was titled "A Western Samurai".

 He said the writer's death had "an extremely strong symbolic power that approximates (Yukio) Mishima," the radical right-wing Japanese author who committed ritual suicide in 1970.

 Mishima had likely been an inspiration for Venner's suicide, Gollnisch, a Japan expert, added.

 Mishima, considered one of modern Japan's most important authors, killed himself in a dramatic, samurai-style disembowelment at a Self Defense Force camp in Tokyo at age 45 in a political protest.

 Minutes before his suicide he addressed the troops, condemning the post-war pacifist constitution and lamenting the decadence of modern Japan. He called on soldiers to rise up to build a nation with the emperor at its core.

 The Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral on an islet on the River Seine is one of the most visited sites in Paris, attracting 13.6 million visitors in 2011, and is this year celebrating its 850th anniversary.

 Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved. More » |||||


Article:
Eight-year-old Chloe-May Kabealo, who swam to safety while her mother, sister and brother drowned when their car plunged into a northern NSW river, has said goodbye to her family at their funeral service this afternoon.

 Hundreds of people farewelled the "heroic" mother Stephanie King, 43, and two of her children: Ella Jane, 11, and seven-year-old Jacob, at Tweed Heads Elevation Church this afternoon.

 Chloe miraculously escaped the submerged car after it slid off a muddy Tumbulgum road into the Tweed River last Monday, when the region was hit by heavy rains that followed Cyclone Debbie.

 A mother and her two children who drowned after their car plunged into a northern NSW river have been farewelled at a funeral at Tweed Heads. Picture: 7 News

 Stephanie King, with Ella Jane (top right), Chloe, and Jacob. Picture: Supplied

 Local Tumbulgum pastor Rob Stuttle who conducted the service, earlier said the close-knit community were rallying together as the clean-up of the devastated area continued.

 He said Chloe and her father Matt Kabealo are "coping as best as they can".

 Pastor Rob Stuttle said Chloe and her father Matt Kabealo are "coping as best as they can". Picture: 7 News

 Police last week hailed Ms King a hero.

 "The mother was trying to get one of her children out of the car when she passed away ... she was with the child, holding the child," Superintendent Wayne Starling told reporters last week.

 “I have no doubt she would still be alive if she wasn’t trying to save her children.”

 Police believe Ms King lost consciousness trying to free two of her three children from the crash.

 Supt Starling said Chloe's miraculous escape was possibly a result of her mother’s desperate efforts.

 Stephanie King, 43, from Bilambil, died in the accident with two of her children. Photo: Supplied

 Former police officer Matt Grinham and his family pulled up moments after the accident at Dulguigan Road and tried to help.

 Mr Grinham dove in to try to find the car, but could not.

 "Just the helplessness of not being able to find the car. The bubbles were there but we just couldn't get to the car."

 His son Thomas Grinham said the little girl who swam free was "really upset".

 "She couldn't say much she just said my mum and little sister and my brother have gone in the river in a car."

 A photo from the scene. Picture: Peter Fegan 7 News.

 Emergency services were called after Chloe escaped from the river and ran to a nearby property to raise the alarm.

 A NSW Ambulance spokesperson told 7 News Online the survivor was taken to Tweed Heads District Hospital.

 Chloe was treated for multiple lacerations to her legs, abrasions and neck pain. ||||| Video

 Image Chloe-May talks about terrifying ordeal 0:31 THE young girl who was the sole survivor of a horror crash at Tumbulgum three weeks ago has broken her silence. Courtesy: 9 News

 AN eight-year-old girl who was the sole survivor of a horror crash that killed her mother and two siblings in northern New South Wales has spoken of how she escaped the sinking car.

 Only three weeks ago, Chloe-May Kabealo’s world changed when she managed to get out of the van her mother, Stephanie King, was driving.

 The vehicle has plunged into the swollen Tweed River at Tumbulgum, which had flooded following a lashing from Cyclone Debbie.

 Speaking at a fundraiser for the remaining members of the family — Chloe-May and her dad Matt Kabealo — the eight-year-old told of her miraculous escape.

 “I unbuckled my seatbelt and I tried to go up for air, and then I just kept floating up out of something and then I got out,” she said.

 The girl managed to climb out of the river’s bank and run to a nearby farmhouse where she was assisted by locals.

 “They just took me in and let me get into clean clothes and cleaned up all my cuts on my feet,” she said.

 Chloe-May said the family had been supported over the past three weeks.

 “We’ve been having heaps of people saying we’re there for you and all that,” she said.

 Her father was not holding up so well.

 “I’m shattered buddy, I’m not holding up,” he told a news reporter at the Tweed Heads fundraiser.

 “(I’m) just being strong for my daughter. We’re just going to get through it the best we can.”

 Tweed Byron police co-ordinated the fundraiser which raised more than $10,000 for the grieving family.

 “Nothing that we do could ever replace Chloe’s two siblings, younger brother and sister, but anything we can do to make their life a little bit better we can,” Senior Constable Brad Foster said.

 Chloe-May said of her mum and siblings: “They were all loved and they’ll never be forgotten.” ||||| Image copyright facebook Image caption Chloe (bottom left) survived when the car sank, but her mother, brother and sister did not

 A girl of eight who survived when the car she was in sank in Australia, killing three family members, has described her desperate struggle to raise the alarm.

 Chloe Kabealo said she had unbuckled her seatbelt and tried to "go up for air", then "just kept floating up out".

 She said of her lost family members: "They were all loved and they'll never be forgotten."

 Her father, who was not in the car, said he was "shattered" by the loss.

 "I'm not holding up," Matt Kabealo said. "I'm just being strong for my daughter."

 Chloe and her mother, sister and brother were in a car in the small town of Tumbulgum in New South Wales when it slid off a muddy road into a flooded river earlier this month.

 Chloe escaped and ran to a farmhouse to raise the alarm.

 Stephanie King, 43, died trying to save her children.

 Local police superintendent Wayne Starling told reporters from 7 News at the time: "The mother was trying to get one of her children out of the car when she passed away.

 "She was with the child, holding the child. I have no doubt she would still be alive if she wasn't trying to save her children."

 Ella Jane, 11, and seven-year-old Jacob also died.

 Chloe and Mr Kabealo were speaking at an event raising funds for them. So far efforts have gathered tens of thousands of Australian dollars.

 "Anything we can do to make their lives a little bit better, we'll try anything we can," local policeman Constable Brad Foster told 7 News.

 In March last year, a four-month old baby was the sole survivor when a car sank off the coast of Donegal in the Republic Ireland.

 Advice for escaping a sinking car

 If a car you are in starts to sink, get out as fast as possible. Do not phone for help or try to retrieve possessions. There is very little time.

 Open the windows straightaway before contact with water makes the electric system fail or water pressure stops you winding the windows down.

 If that doesn't work, get the door open, undo your seatbelt and get out.

 The third option, in last resort, is to pull a headrest out and use the metal part of it to hit the window, hard, in the corner and hopefully break it open.

 If you are underwater when you leave the car, push away from it, and if you don't know for sure which way is up, check what direction bubbles are floating in and swim that way.

 sources: Popular Mechanics, The Art of Manliness and Top Gear |||||Summary:

– Chloe Kabealo unbuckled her seatbelt after the car her mother was driving slid off a muddy Australia road into a flooded river and tried to "go up for air," then "just kept floating up out." That's how the 8-year-old survived the crash as the car sank, a harrowing experience she relived at a fundraising event this week, the BBC reports—but her mother, 11-year-old sister, and 7-year-old brother all drowned. "I'm not holding up," Chloe's dad, Matt, who was not in the car, said at the event. "I'm just being strong for my daughter." Chloe ran to a nearby farmhouse to get help, but rescuers couldn't save Stephanie King, 43, who was found to have died while trying in vain to save her other two children. "The mother was trying to get one of her children out of the car when she passed away," the local police superintendent told 7 News after the crash three weeks ago. "She was with the child, holding the child. I have no doubt she would still be alive if she wasn't trying to save her children." The fundraising event raised more than $10,000 for the family, news.com.au reports.