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 Enabling Cookies in Mobile Safari (iPhone, iPad) ||||| A cafe is serving up the coffee to rival all others and it looks almost fatal.

 The suitably-named Ass Kicker is being served at Viscous Cafe in Adelaide, Australia and it contains the caffeine equivalent of 80 standard cups-o-joe.

 Legend has it, the first incarnation of the beverage was made for an emergency department nurse who needed to stay awake. The drink was consumed over a period of two days and kept the nurse up for three days in total.

 Since then, Viscous Cafe owner Steve Benington has "toned it down a little" for general sale but the drink it still comes with a warning that it is not for the faint of heart.

 The drink apparently tastes more like toffee than coffee and is designed to be consumed over a long period of time, with Benington telling Mashable his creation aims to "lift you up and keep you there instead of peaking through the roof and dumping you hard later."

 For those chasing an instant hit, be warned; not all the caffeine in the drink is released immediately. "Combining the minimum drinking time and the slow release of cold drip-imparted caffeine is how we achieve the sustained uptime" Benington said.

 Some pointed out that while the beverage packs a serious punch, some say it could also pose a serious risk to health, if consumed too quickly or by those with high blood pressure.

 A fatal dose of caffeine for a healthy adult is considered to be roughly 18 grams of caffeine consumed over a one to two hour period. A large Ass Kicker has five grams of caffeine and is recommended to to be consumed over a three to four hour period.

 As Bebington said "some people love it and some are broken by it, but it’s all in the name of fun." ||||| (CNN) How many cups of coffee does it take to get you going in the morning?

 If the answer is many, the invention of a turbo-powered superbrew that is so strong it comes with a health warning might put your habit into perspective.

 A cafe in Adelaide, Australia, is serving the "Asskicker," a concoction of four espresso shots, two different strengths of cold drip and milk that its inventor says contains 80 times the amount of caffeine of a standard shot.

 The drink, designed to be sipped slowly over three to four hours, promises to keep coffee lovers buzzing for up to 18 hours.

 Turbo coffee

 Steve Benington, owner of Viscous Coffee , developed the drink for a local emergency room nurse who needed something to keep her going during unexpected night shifts.

 "We had to tone it down a bit because it kept her up for a total of three days," said Benington, adding that the nurse sipped it over two days.

 Friday fuel to get us to the weekend // Buzzing // #cupofjoe #coffee #siphonthat A photo posted by Alpha Box & Dice (@alphaboxdice) on Mar 26, 2015 at 2:38pm PDT

 The barista, who opened his cafe a year and a half ago after a career in the Australian Navy, said the turbo coffee has become very popular in recent weeks.

 However, he actively discourages customers interested only in a gimmick, and advertises it with a warning for those with high blood pressure or heart conditions.

 "I have a quite detailed talk with people before they actually purchase one. If I can talk someone out of it, they're not ready for the drink," said Benington.

 Warning signs of coffee overdose include shakes and sweats, dilated pupils, stammering over your words, vertigo and nausea.

 "If you keep going, those symptoms will get worse," said the coffee-loving business owner. "If you stay within the guidelines, you're fine."

 The Asskicker experience will set you back around $12 ($16 AUD) for a 16 ounce cup.

 World's favorite drug

 Occurring naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves and cacao, caffeine is the most commonly used drug in the world.

 The average amount of caffeine consumed by adults is 300 milligrams per day, according to a 2012 FDA report (PDF). Caffeine is a bitter white alkaloid that stimulates the central nervous system -- the brain, spinal cord and nerves -- to make us feel more awake.

 While studies have not proven (PDF) that caffeine produces significant life-threatening health risks such as cancer or heart disease, excess consumption can lead to increased blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems and raised cholesterol.

 Though rare, there have been some deaths linked to caffeine. A 14-year-old with a heart condition died after drinking two energy drinks in 24 hours. A 19-year-old overdosed on a dozen caffeine pills, and in another case, a high school wrestler from Ohio died after consuming powdered caffeine -- a highly concentrated form that the FDA has issued strong warnings about

 Withdrawal symptoms

 People with pre-existing heart conditions, as well as children and pregnant women, are advised to drink less caffeine -- but how much is too much varies significantly from person to person, according to Maggie Sweeney, a Johns Hopkins University researcher who studies caffeine.

 "That's certainly an awful lot of caffeine," Sweeney said of the brew's 5 grams. "With much lower doses of caffeine you see the effects of caffeine intoxication. Depending on an individual's sensitivity and tolerance, you would expect they might experience some negative side effects upwards of 250 milligrams."

 While differing levels of tolerance make it difficult to name a lethal dose, Sweeney said she believes "about 10 grams" could kill someone, twice the caffeine content of the Asskicker.

 Sweeney's program works with people whose caffeine dependencies are interfering with their day to day life, most of whom consume "less than 1,000 milligrams a day." Symptoms can range from restlessness and insomnia to irregular heartbeat in severe cases.

 "We've seen people who have missed work because of the severity of their caffeine withdrawal, people who have gotten into arguments with friends and family about their caffeine use," she said.

 The researcher said she believes genetics play a role in the rate at which our bodies process the stimulant, a factor still being investigated.

 "Caffeine isn't necessarily a bad thing; there's some evidence it can have health benefits, such as protection from Parkinson's disease," said Sweeney. "But for a subset of individuals -- and we're trying to determine exactly how many -- their dependence on caffeine has a negative impact."

 A couple of cups a day

 Other experts on the drug are convinced of its health benefits. Harvard Medical School's Dr. Sanjiv Chopra's book, " The Big 5 ," lists drinking coffee as one of five things you can do to live a longer and healthier life.

 Join the conversation See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter.

 "People who drink coffee have a lower risk of five cancers: liver, prostate, colon, endometrial and skin cancer. It protects against cirrhosis (liver disease), Parkinson's, cognitive decline, Type II diabetes," said Chopra.

 A 2012 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that men and women who drank more than three cups of coffee a day had a 10% lower risk of death from heart disease, respiratory illness, stroke, injuries or accidents, diabetes and infections.

 But even the coffee evangelist believes the Asskicker is a dose too far.

 "I would be very wary of consuming it," said Chopra. "That's a huge caffeine load."

 "What I recommend is two to four cups [a day]. If you can drink them regularly it's better for the liver." |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– One cafe owner in Adelaide, Australia, is playing around with the world's most popular drug, and experts aren't feeling terribly perky about it. Steve Benington, owner of Viscous Coffee, has created the Asskicker, a drink consisting of four shots of espresso, four 48-hour brewer cold drip ice cubes (each containing a bit more caffeine than is found in two shots of espresso), 120ml of 10-day brewed cold drip, and another four of those cold drip ice cubes to finish it off, reports Adelaide Now. All told, it has 5 grams of caffeine, about 80 times as a typical espresso, and it provides 18 hours of "sustained up time," as Benington puts it. "Some people love it and some are broken by it, but it’s all in the name of fun," he says. Benington developed the drink after an emergency room nurse asked for something that would get her through a long shift. It comes with a warning for people with heart or blood pressure issues, and he has "quite a detailed talk" with anyone who orders it because "if I can talk them out of it, they're not ready," he tells CNN. One area dietitian is not amused. "Caffeine is a drug, not a game or a toy," she says. The author of a book espousing the benefits of caffeine also chimes in that this drink goes too far. "I would be very wary of consuming it." Mashable notes that Benington does suggest people sip the drink over three to four hours to "lift you up and keep you there." It also notes that a fatal dose of caffeine is generally considered to be 18 grams over one or two hours. (There is such a thing as fatal caffeine intoxication.)


Now that reason has finally been hurled out of American politics, we can get down to the real business of getting more reality TV stars into the White House.

 And what better place to start than last weekend’s gathering of alt-right luminaries in Washington DC? A delightful Saturday night out, where the keynote speaker, in the words of the New York Times, “railed against Jews and, with a smile, quoted Nazi propaganda in the original German.”

 And who better to represent them than early noughties MTV darling and flat-earth truther, Tila Tequila?

 She’s a perfect figure to bang the alt-right‘s drum – just hear what she said about Jews six months ago: “There are only two things in this world, for which I would gladly sacrifice my own life; the destruction of all Jews and preservation of the white race.”

 So it made perfect sense that the star of Tila Tequila’s A Shot of Love and Tila Tequila’s A Shot at Love II would be in attendance at the alt-right’s coming out conference, and tweeting a photo of herself giving a Nazi salute with the words: “Seig [sic] heil!” Classic Tila!

 Luckily, we got hold of her as she was arriving at the airport to ask her a bit more.

 Tila Tequila, how’s it going? That picture of you doing the Nazi salute – what’s that all about?

 Well, obviously, we were doing the Roman salute. We were just trolling around. Everyone was making such a big deal about this event, and all these people were Nazis or whatever. I’m obviously not white and I think it’s so funny to get a rise out of people who are so easily triggered by things like that. I like to be a bit more fun. And a lot of people are missing out on that point. We’re actually preserving the freedom to be able to speak online and do these things, that’s important. Just as protesters have the right to protest, we have the right to things like that. It’s important to preserve these rights.

 Is that the reasoning behind your cover photo on Twitter?

 That was a long time ago, 2013. I honestly think it’s not even big deal. People take it way too seriously. It makes my job so much more fun and easier, haha! The more people give me crap for it the more I’m going to keep doing stuff like this. There wouldn’t be a movement like this without them.

 You’ve said a lot about Jews in the past – what’s the deal?

 Well, half and half is trolling. But why do we focus on Israel? You know, it’s kind of weird. Why is the entire entertainment industry owned by them, you know? It’s biased, in a sense. It’s not healthy for a society to have a lot… If anything, if I feel like they are more like the Nazis! They’re running everything – propaganda, news, all kinds of stuff. Anyone who speak outs against them, you get laughed at, you get banned and blocked. It’s not cool at all. It’s very toxic for a society.

 You don’t really believe that though – you sound like a nice person on the phone.

 Me?

 Yeah – why the hate?

 Because I’ve seen the inside of that world. It’s all run by one group of people. It’s like they’re the ones bullying everyone else while claiming to be victims. It’s psychological warfare, I believe. It’s not healthy. It’s very toxic for a society. It needs to be broken down a little bit.

 Who’s on your “celebrity sacrifice list?”

 All the people who at first were kind of anti-Trump. Now a lot of them are trying to come back on the Trump Train. They want to be back in. They’re very fake. I don’t respect them. They are very few of them that I respect, if that. They’re very brainwashed, they’re not original, they walk around in this false reality bubble of theirs, I know how it is – I used to live there. They think everything they say goes. They were so cocky, just because Hillary had a lot of media supporters. I was very happy to see them all crying when Hillary didn’t win.

 What would you like to see happen to America’s Jews?

 I don’t have a problem with people, I have friends who are Jewish. I have friends of all kinds of races, whatever, I have them all. I just mean when they become a corporation, like a machine, things like that, they need to be broken down. They need to be replaced. It needs to bring on a more enlightened period.

 Tell me about the alt-right, how long have you been involved in it?

 It was a natural progress leading towards that direction. I’ve been in Hollywood my whole life, I’ve lived through that machine. At the end of it, I realized it wasn’t something I enjoyed anymore. I woke up and it lead me straight into this.

 You must be so excited about Trump winning the election.

 When he first announced he was running for President, everyone was laughing at him. I was one of the first public people to come out and support him. I got so much shit for it, oh my gosh. Especially last summer when all that happened. But I never wavered in that belief. We really helped lead him into presidency, it really worked.

 What are you excited to see him get started on?

 There needs to be balance in everything in life. For a very long time, it’s been open borders. People are freaking out about it, but it’s alright to have a little break. We need to balance it, it’s not forever. But a moment in time to pause it a little bit is fine. Let us recuperate a little bit over a year.

 A lot of people are saying registering Muslims under Trump’s plan is a lot like Nazi Germany registering Jews – what do you think?

 I don’t think so. People are making it more extreme than it is. This is America first, and it remains so. There’s a time and a place for everything, and I think it’s fine to want to preserve cultures and stuff.

 You like Hitler – what could Trump learn from him?

 It’s important right now to focus on nationalizing agriculture and having people start growing their own fruits and veggies and start up the communities again. That would really help rebuild the local communities back up. That would help a lot. To focus on here.

 What about these hate crimes that have seen a surge following the election?

 Honestly, because I know the guys in the alt-right, we personally wouldn’t do stuff like that. If anything it might be the other people pretending to be them, to start problems. We’re the ones being chased down the streets. We left the event on Saturday and there were people protesting outside. We’re not the ones doing that, harassing people. I personally feel like they’re acting more like fascists than we are?

 Is the alt-right anti-Semitic?

 There are factions, I think that it depends on who it is. For the most part, people don’t have an issue with that. It’s similar to what I’m saying – it’s more of a problem with the dogma thing and how it needs to be taken down. It’s not a people kind of thing, you know?

 Umm.

 Change is good, change is good!

 I have to ask – you think the earth is flat. Are there other flat planets, or is it just ours that special?

 There could be others. But for now, this is just like the earth’s snow globe. I think it’s like the mirror world, where it’s not really the real world, but the people don’t really know that. I left the fake world in like 2014, and yeah, changed over to this one. It’s kind of like a little sandbox to play in. That’s why things can get a little quirky, weird out here. It’s like the alternate universe, haha!

 Excellent. Tila Tequila, let’s do some quick fire questions. Jews or juice?

 Juice.

 Do you miss MySpace?

 I don’t miss it, because it’s still my space, this is all my space, I’m still living in it. It’s true.

 Would you serve in a Trump administration?

 Absolutely.

 If Trump asked you to perform at his inauguration, what would you sing?

 I Love You.

 Are Beyonce and Jay Z in the Illuminati?

 No, I’d say they’re more like puppets.

 Of who?

 Yeah.

 Yeah?

 They’re…yeah, whatever.

 What’s the best color of shirt, blackshirt or brownshirt?

 Brownshirt!

 Thanks, Tila Tequila.

 @hshukman ||||| This screenshot was taken Monday from a Twitter account that has since been suspended.

 A restaurant in Northwest Washington issued an apology Monday after hosting an alt-right, white nationalist event whose participants offered praise of Adolf Hitler.

 [Protesters try to confront white nationalists in D.C. for conference]

 The dinner, held Friday at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Friendship Heights, was sponsored by the National Policy Institute, a white nationalist organization that supported President-elect Donald Trump in the election and held a conference in the District to celebrate his victory. Protesters tried to confront those attending the dinner Friday, but were forced out by police.

 Maggiano's Little Italy in Friendship Height issued an apology after the white nationalist group, National Policy Institute, hosted a dinner there on Nov. 18. Maggiano's said "the reservation was made under a different name" and they didn't know anything about the patrons. (WUSA)

 On Monday, Maggiano’s apologized, saying that it was “the inadvertent site” of the protest and that it closed the restaurant for the safety of its staff and guests.

 “This was a last minute booking made Friday afternoon, and the reservation was made under a different name, therefore we were not aware that NPI was dining with us or what the group represents,” Steve Provost, the president of the 51-restaurant chain, said in a statement posted to Facebook.

 The statement also referred to a tweet sent by “an attendee . . . in which she made a ‘Sieg Heil salute’ in support of Hitler and white supremacy.”

 “This expression of support of Hitler is extremely offensive to us, as our restaurant is home to Teammates and Guests of every race, religion and cultural background,” the statement said.

 [What is the alt-right?]

 Brinker International, the Texas-based company that owns the Maggiano’s chain, referred questions about the incident to Provost.

 Hundreds rallied in Washington Saturday, Nov. 20, to protest gathering of white nationalists celebrating President-elect Donald Trump's victory, according to media reports. (Reuters)

 The statement said Maggiano’s would donate $10,000, the profit from its Friday restaurant sales, to the D.C. office of the Anti-Defamation League, “which for decades has been working to bring people together in peace and understanding.”

 Read more:

 Donald Trump first swept into the nation’s capital 40 years ago. It didn’t go well.

 Fake news writers need to meet the real reporters who die trying to do their jobs ||||| Updated 4:15 p.m.

 If someone told you that reality star Tila Tequila would give the Heil Hitler salute at a Friendship Heights station Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant, would you believe them? Or would you think such a scene could only happen in some kind of sick fever dream. Well, see below. It happened Friday night.

 Maybe you remember Tequila from her show A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila. Maybe you don't. Let us catch you up. Tequila has since authored an article titled, "Why I Sympathize with Hitler: Part I." She's also unapologetically tweeted:

 "Women who complain about Trump saying, "Grab her by the pussy!" Are retards because I love getting grabbed by the pussy! Lmao!

 I just recruited some Hitler Youth people for the #AltRight

 "I noticed all the protestors tonight were really ugly. No wonder they're so angry! So glad I'm beautiful!"

 The protestors Tequila mentions were related to her visit to D.C. this weekend where she participated in a National Policy Institute conference, as reported by The Daily Beast. Members of the group are known to be white-nationalists.

 Before Saturday's conference held at the Ronald Reagan Building, some attendees headed to Maggiano's, which hosted a private banquet dinner for the group Friday night. Protesters showed up in droves the next day, even causing the restaurant to close.

 Maggiano's, a family-style Italian restaurant with three local locations, issued an apology today on Facebook. It reads:

 On Friday night, Maggiano’s in Friendship Heights was the inadvertent site of a protest that caused us to close our restaurant to protect the safety of our Teammates and Guests.

 The protesters were upset because of a banquet we were hosting for a group called the National Policy Institute (NPI). This was a last minute booking made Friday afternoon, and the reservation was made under a different name, therefore we were not aware that NPI was dining with us or what the group represents. After the event, an attendee sent a tweet in which she made a “Sieg Heil salute” in support of Hitler and white supremacy. This expression of support of Hitler is extremely offensive to us, as our restaurant is home to Teammates and Guests of every race, religion and cultural background.

 We want to sincerely apologize to the community of Friendship Heights for inadvertently hosting this meeting, which resulted in hateful sentiment. We want you to know that at the suggestion of one of our Guests, we are donating the profits from our restaurant sales on Friday, $10,000, to the DC office of the Anti-Defamation League, which for decades has been working to bring people together in peace and understanding.

 The above was the second apology attempt for Maggiano's Little Italy. Its initial post, which has since been deleted, said "we were the inadvertent site of a protest that disrupted our restaurant." Later in the post, it cited other events the restaurant has hosted. "We hosted Malia Obama's high school graduation party, a community breakfast meeting for Donald Trump in Chicago, and a private dinner for Bernie Sanders in Philadelphia." As if neo-Nazis are somehow as benign as Bernie bros.

 The post, authored by a managing parter named Jennifer concludes: "We are open to the public and serve delicious food to guests who come from all walks of life. The only party we favor is the one which serves lasagna with marinara sauce and a good red wine."

 Thanks to tipster "Lexie_Gruber" for screen-grabbing the initial post.

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

– A private banquet dinner, a reality-TV star, and a tweet showing a Nazi salute have placed a DC Italian restaurant in the center of controversy. Maggiano's Little Italy hosted a dinner Friday for a group that had a conference in DC the next day, apparently without knowing the group was the National Policy Institute, known for its white nationalist members, Washington City Paper and the Washington Post report. How the restaurant became clued in: a protest against NPI that formed at the eatery, followed by dinner attendee Tila Tequila sending out a tweet showing herself and two men performing the Nazi salute along with the caption "Seig [sic] heil!" Tequila's Twitter account was suspended Monday, Twitter confirmed to BuzzFeed, though it didn't elaborate. Maggiano's posted on Facebook Monday the dinner had been a "last minute booking" and that NPI had used a different name on the reservation. The restaurant also railed against Tequila's tweet, saying, "This expression of support of Hitler is extremely offensive to us, as our restaurant is home to Teammates and Guests of every race, religion, and cultural background." It says it's donating all profits from Friday's sales—$10,000—to DC's Anti-Defamation League. The Tab caught up to Tequila at the airport, where she claimed she and her photo mates were "just trolling everyone," adding, "I think it's so funny to get a rise out of people who are so easily triggered by things like that."


– A "savvy" 25-year-old gamed the Dallas school system and posed as a high school student, all apparently so he could play some basketball, officials say. The Dallas Morning News reports Sidney Bouvier Gilstrap-Portley was arrested Friday after authorities say he pretended to be 17-year-old "Rashaun Richardson" and enrolled at two high schools—first Skyline in August, then Hillcrest in October, where he joined that school's basketball team and was voted District 11-5A's offensive player of the year. The Dallas ISD superintendent says the "perfect storm" that led to this involved an actual storm: Gilstrap-Portley reportedly said he'd been left homeless by Hurricane Harvey and came to Dallas alone. More: The district tells WFAA students who've been through a natural disaster or are homeless aren't asked for the same documentation that's typically required, per federal law. Gilstrap-Portley may have scammed his way in with just immunization and physical records, a district rep says.

Expand this summary.

"He was always respectful to me. He said he understood my concerns but said that he was only 17 and that he didn't see a problem with them dating."

 She said teachers and coaches at Hillcrest told her that he was a good kid, but that he seemed to have been through a lot and came off as much older than 17 years old.

 The woman said she never suspected Gilstrap-Portley was leading a double life until a detective contacted her Monday. The detective told her that Gilstrap-Portley, who has a young child, claimed he was looking to start over his athletic career by playing for a high school again, the mother said.

 "I’m upset, frustrated, angry and sad at the same time," she said. "If it’s happening at Hillcrest, then it could be happening somewhere else. People need to know. It could have gone differently if he had other intentions to hurt her or to traffic her."

 Hurricane Harvey claim

 Hillcrest principal Chris Bayer said in a letter to students and parents Tuesday that the school immediately notified the district and local authorities once it "became aware of a student enrolled at our school under false pretenses claiming to be a displaced Hurricane Harvey victim."

 "We believe it is absolutely essential that every young person, especially in times of great difficulty, feels safe and secure, and that was the guiding principle when we were welcoming students displaced by the hurricane," Bayer said. "This is a unique situation that shows us areas that need improving when we open our doors to students in times of need." ||||| This crawl of online resources of the 115th US Congress was performed on behalf of The United States National Archives & Records ||||| A 25-year-old man was arrested after allegedly posing as a Hurricane Harvey evacuee and enrolling as a freshman at a Dallas ISD high school.

 Sidney Bouvier Gilstrap-Portley apparently enrolled at Hillcrest High School under the name Rashun Richardson after claiming to be a victim displaced by Harvey, which made landfall in the Houston area in mid-August.

 He was booked into the Dallas County Jail Friday on charges of tampering with government records and has since been released.

 Gilstrap-Portley had enrolled at Skyline High School in August and re-enrolled at Hillcrest two months later, WFAA confirmed.

 The reasons for his enrollment in Dallas ISD, and for the transfer, weren’t immediately clear.

 “This school year our district welcomed evacuees displaced by Hurricane Harvey. During that time, an individual used that opportunity for personal gain,” district spokeswoman Robyn Harris told WFAA.

 DISD told WFAA that when a student enrolls and claims they are homeless or an evacuee due to a natural disaster, federal law exempts them from requiring documents they might not have.

 Dallas Hillcrest was led by 6’2 Guard 🌡📈🎒💉Rashun Richardson 34 points 15 Rebounds #ChrisBoshShootout Coaches he gave the #1 team in the Nation a 40🏀 in 3 quarters a few weeks ago! 💪🏾🔋⛽ pic.twitter.com/un2YCLEVBt — GT Prospect Report™© (@ProspectsReport) December 9, 2017

 A district spokesperson said Gilstrap-Portley may have provided as little as just immunization records and proof of a physical.

 The last day he showed up to class was April 25, the district said.

 Gilstrap-Portley even played for the Hillcrest basketball team, the school confirmed. According to a write-up by the Preston Hollow People, “Rashun Richardson” scored 17 points in the team’s first-round playoff loss.

 Gilstrap-Portley graduated from North Mesquite High School in 2011, a source told WFAA. It was revealed that he was an imposter when his former basketball coach recently saw him playing for a high school team, the source said.

 For more on this story, including a statement from Hillcrest principal Chris Bayer, please visit our TEGNA partner WFAA. |||||


– The unrelenting protests in Ferguson, Mo., after the police shooting of Michael Brown clearly have the full attention of Washington now. Both President Obama and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill weighed in today, while Anonymous claimed to ID the officer who did the shooting. Details: McCaskill: Speaking at a local church, she got a standing ovation when she said St. Louis County must "demilitarize the police response," reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Afterward, she told reporters that the "police response has been part of the problem." Obama: The president called for "peace and calm" and a transparent investigation, reports USA Today. He said there's no excuse for police to use excessive force against protesters, but nor is there "an excuse for violence against police or those who would use this tragedy as a cover for vandalism or looting." He also criticized police for arresting journalists at the protests. Gov. Jay Nixon: Speaking after McCaskill at the same church, he promised an "operational shift" in police tactics. "You will see a different tone," he said, promising details later. Anonymous: The hacker collective claimed to identify via Twitter the officer who shot the unarmed Brown last weekend, though police say the name is wrong, reports Reuters. Anonymous is standing by its post, while authorities are standing by their decision to keep the officer unidentified for safety reasons. "We can't let anonymous groups or even public groups pressure us into doing anything we don't think we should do," said a spokesman for the St. Louis County prosecutor's office. (Anonymous previously released police audio from the night of the shooting.)

Expand this summary.

President Obama makes a statement on the situation in Iraq and in Ferguson, Mo., at Martha's Vineyard, Mass., on Aug. 14, 2014. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm, AFP/Getty Images)

 Addressing crises both domestic and foreign, President Obama appealed for calm Thursday amid violent protests in a St. Louis suburb, and said a rescue operation for religious minorities in Iraq will not be necessary.

 Obama, speaking from his vacation at Martha's Vineyard, Mass., called the weekend death of 18-year-old Michael Brown a tragedy, and urged police and protesters in Ferguson, Mo., to "take a step back" and consider how to best move forward.

 "Now's the time for healing," Obama said. "Now's the time for peace and calm on the streets of Ferguson."

 STORY: Governor vows a 'different tone' on Ferguson's streets

 STORY: Michael Brown had no criminal record, police say

 The president called on local police to be "open and transparent" about their investigation of Brown's death. He said there is never an excuse for looting and violence toward police officers, and "there's also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protests, or to throw protesters in jail for lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights."

 In particular, Obama criticized police for detaining two journalists during protests Wednesday, and for threatening others. Officers "should not be bullying or arresting journalists who are just trying to do their jobs and report to the American people on what they see on the ground," he said.

 Police have used tear gas and smoke bombs on crowds who gathered to protest the death of Brown on Saturday; some protesters have thrown Molotov cocktails.

 Obama called the teenager's death "heartbreaking and tragic," and said the Department of Justice is working with local officials on the investigation. The president said he made it clear to Attorney General Eric Holder that "we should do what is necessary to help determine exactly what happened and to see that justice is done."

 The president also said he spoke with Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, calling him "a good man."

 While "emotions are raw right now" and "there are certainly passionate differences about what has happened," Obama asked citizens to remember that all Americans remain united by common values.

 "That includes belief in equality under the law, a basic respect for public order and the right to peaceful public protest," Obama said. "A reverence for the dignity of every single man, woman and child among us and the need for accountability when it comes to our government."

 As for Iraq, Obama said there has been progress with the limited military mission he announced last week.

 Earlier in the week, the Obama administration began considering a rescue operation for members of the Yazidi religion who were trapped atop Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq, surrounded by Islamic State fighters.

 On Wednesday, a Pentagon assessment team reported that most of the Yazidi have escaped, and a full-scale rescue operation would not be needed.

 "We broke the ISIL siege of Mount Sinjar," Obama said. "We helped vulnerable people reach safety; and we helped save many innocent lives."

 He added, "I could not be prouder of the men and women of our military who carried out this humanitarian operation almost flawlessly."

 Obama said airstrikes would continue against militants who are threatening U.S. personnel and others in northern Iraq. Humanitarian relief to displaced Iraqis will also continue.

 The president praised development of a new government in Iraq, saying it will be better able to eventually take control of the fight against militants.

 Said Obama: "We are modestly hopeful that the Iraqi government situation is moving in the right direction."

 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/VpCRbA ||||| McCulloch blasts Nixon

 St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch Thursday night blasted the decision by Gov. Jay Nixon to replace St. Louis County Police control of the Ferguson situation with the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

 “It's shameful what he did today, he had no legal authority to do that," McCulloch said. "To denigrate the men and women of the county police department is shameful."

 McCulloch noted that no one was seriously injured in the effort led by County Police Chief Jon Belmar until Nixon handed control of the Ferguson over to the state agency on Thursday.

 “For Nixon to never talk to the commanders in the field and come in here and take this action is disgraceful," McCulloch said.

 "I hope I'm wrong, but I think what Nixon did may put a lot of people in danger."

 Paul Hampel, 8:33 p.m.

 Two assaults reported

 A Washington University student was reportedly assaulted near the Ferguson McDonald's in what one witness said appeared to be a knock-out game.

 Restaurant employees gave the unidentified victim ice to ease face swelling. Acquaintances subsequently transported him to a hospital.

 The victim praised the "many people here (who) rushed to help me."

 Eli Rosenberg, a reporter for KMBC in Kansas City, meanwhile tweeted that an unknown assailant delivered four punches to the face of his cameraman.

 "Paramedics say (the cameraman) will feel it in the morning, but should be okay," Rosenberg tweeted.

 Paul Hampel at 12:05 p.m.

 Black Panthers help Ferguson head in the right direction

 A half-dozen members of the New Black Panther political movement were out on West Florissant Avenue Thursday night as night fell. Not a police officer was in sight. The New Black Panthers directed traffic.

 "If you want the police to stay away, somebody has to do it. Nobody is doing it," said Jarren Brown, aka "Brother Genius," as he signaled to cars, stopping some so others could turn on side streets, stopping others so some can turn off side streets.

 The group, wearing all black and at least one with a small New Black Panthers pin on his lapel, worked up a sweat as they moved. They exuded a friendly but firm stance, urging the slowing, honking cars on West Florissant to move along.

 Koran Addo at 8:55 p.m.

 No police presence on West Florissant Avenue

 A cheer went up as police departed the area near the Ferguson QuikTrip looted and burned during a night of unrest Sunday night.

 Demonstrators remained on the sidewalk after the departure and did not attempt to block traffic on West Florissant Avenue. Motorists signaled their support for the protesters by honking their horns and the chant of "Hands Up! Don't Shoot!" occasionally filled the air.

 But the scene near the site where Michael Brown was gunned down last Saturday remained calm.

 Paula Lotts of St. Louis, came to Ferguson Thursday night to support her three boys.

 “It's sad our children have to live like this," she told a reporter. "We're not scared of people in the community, we're afraid of the police. The police stop our kids everywhere they go. Every black child is not doing wrong. Please don't put our children in that category. It's not a black-white thing - it's a police thing."

 Koran Addo at 7:10 p.m.

 Peaceful march

 As many as 300 marchers made their way along West Florissant Avenue late Thursday afternoon in the most peaceful demonstration since the shooting death of Michael Brown five days ago.

 Capt. Ronald Johnson, the Missouri State Highway Patrol officer Gov. Jay Nixon placed in charge of the Ferguson situation Thursday afternoon led the procession.

 Johnson marched in shirtsleeves - a stark contrast with the para-military uniforms that have become the symbol of the Ferguson police presence during nearly a week of unrest.

 In an impromptu discussion with reporters, Johnson allowed that he has "a big dog in this fight."

 Johnson grew up nearby, close to the intersection of Halls Ferry and Chambers Roads.

 "I occasionally go to Red's Barbeque," he said, giving a shout out to a popular Ferguson restaurant. "And I've had a few beers in this town, too."

 Well-wishers and residents handed the marchers bottles of water, pizza, homemade dishes and cookies as they passed.

 "I'm out here hoping for peace for the protesters and the police," said Bridgett Norise of Dellwood. “It's nice to see no divisions. This is the most unity I've seen in years."

 Her friend, Regina Carter, agreed.

 “It's very nice to see white and black people marching together peacefully," she said.

 But the presence of Johnson was clearly the difference between Thursday and the four nights of turmoil that preceded it.

 “I love this man so much,” said Angela Whitman of Berkeley. "He's been here since the beginning,giving us encouragement and letting us know we'll get through this."

 Marchers under Johnson's eye picked up debris along the demonstration route - another sign that perhaps tensions are at at last easing in the troubled North County community.

 Paul Hampel and Koran Addo at 6:40 p.m.

 Nixon turns police control over to Missouri State Highway Patrol

 Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has given police oversight of the Ferguson situation to the Missouri State Highway Patrol under the command of Capt. Ronald S. Johnson, a St. Louis area native.

 Nixon said the change in command will include a softening in "tone" and "amplitude" regarding protective force.

 "Clearly you'll see as the afternoon and evening starts, a little different picture," Nixon said, adding, "We should all know there will be resources out there if things get difficult, that people will be safe."

 Nixon addressed questions from the press at the University of Missouri-St. Louis after touring areas of Ferguson. He was flanked by Johnson, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay.

 Johnson pledged to protect Ferguson while allowing protesters and marchers to have their say. He said he wants to rebuild trust and respect in the community.

 "I grew up here and this is clearly my community and my home. Therefore, this means a lot to me personally," he said. "I understand the anger and fear that the citizens of Ferguson are feeling, and I understand and respect both of those."

 Earlier today at a gathering at Christ the King United Church of Christ Nixon pledged to make an "operational shift" in the way Ferguson protests are being handled by police and had promised to reveal his plans later today.

 "We will have a different approach today," Johnson said. He planned to go to the burned out QuikTrip that has been a center for protesters and visit with them.

 •••

 McCaskill calls to "demilitarize the police response"

 U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill got a standing ovation inside Christ the King United Church of Christ this morning when she told a crowd the county should "demilitarize the police response" in Ferguson.

 McCaskill spoke moments after Gov. Jay Nixon told the same crowd there would be an "operational shift" in the handling of Ferguson.

 Afterward she told reporters, "The police response has been part of the problem."

 McCaskill told reporters, "It is my understanding that the county police will be taken off the investigation."

 But when pressed on it, she didn't elaborate.

 Nixon got loud applause from the crowd when he talked about the media. "If people in the newspapers want to cover things and take pictures and stuff," he said. "They ought to do it. It's a free country."

 -Kevin McDermott at 11:10 a.m. with updates

 •••

 Obama calls for "peace and calm" in Ferguson

 President Barack Obama today called again for "peace and calm on the streets of Ferguson," addressing for the second time the police shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown and the violent clashes between police and protesters that have ensued.

 "Let us remember we are all part of one American family," Obama said in a short address from Martha's Vineyard, where he is vacationing. "We are united in common values and that includes belief in equality under the law, basic respect for public order and the right of peaceful protest."

 Obama also notably gave a vote of confidence to Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon. Obama said he talked with Nixon this morning and "I expressed my concern over the violent turn of events" in Ferguson.

 "He is a good man and fine governor," Obama said.

 Obama said he was briefed this morning on the situation in Ferguson by Attorney General Eric Holder. He criticized the arrest of journalists, said there is no excuse for police use of force against peaceful protesters, and that there is "never an excuse for violence against police or those who would use this as a cover for vandalism or looting."

 - Chuck Raasch at 12:10 p.m. Thursday

 •••

 Ferguson Chief outlines plan to "reduce tensions"

 Calling the situation a "powder keg," Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson signaled a change of strategy this afternoon, describing a plan to try to "reduce tensions" by allowing protesters to use sidewalks while keeping streets open to traffic.

 He said officials want to tone down the confrontations and will talk about "not only the tactics but the appearance" of police in riot gear. He said tactical units would remain on standby in case of trouble.

 Pressed about use of tear gas on non-violent demonstrators, Jackson suggested that people need to distance themselves from those who provoke police with aggressive acts or threats.

 "There is gunfire. There are fire bombs being thrown at the police," he said.

 Jackson said police were devising a plan to make sidewalks around West Florissant available to the protesters, and that they were going to put up cones so people would stay out of the street. Port-A-Potties would also be provided

 "We'll allow them to freely protest for as long as they want," he said. "We want to facilitate their ability to protest because it's a constitutional right."

 He acknowledged last night's police response did not look good and said, "there are several meeting going on to evaluate tactics."

 "We're going to talk about not only the tactics but the appearance. We're having conversations."

 Jackson said decisions regarding dispersing crowds with tear gas were made by tactical commanders at the scene "based on the threat of violence."

 "We can't individually go in and say, 'Are you peacefully protesting? Are you throwing rocks? Are you throwing Molotov cocktails?'"

 An Al-Jazeera reporter asked why police shot tear gas at their camera crew on a block with no protesters nearby. Jackson said he wasn't sure who made the decision to do that and would look into it. "The media is not a target," he said.

 He also said he didn't know why two reporters were arrested at a McDonald's Wednesday night.

 - Pat Gauen and Walker Moskop at 12:35 p.m. Thursday with updates

 •••

 Area clergy plan 5 p.m. peace march with Ferguson youth

 The St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition has planned a 5 p.m. community march "to stand in solidarity with the peaceful youth of Ferguson so their voices can be heard in the wake of the killing of Michael Brown," said The Rev. Michael Kinman of Christ Church Cathedral, in a written release.

 "This is a nonviolent action and our goal is not so much to raise our voices but to make sure the voices of the young people of Ferguson are heard," Kinman said in the statement.

 Marchers plan to gather at 5 p.m. today at the Mobil station on the corner of West Florissant Ave. and Chambers Road. Clergy were asked to bring their Bibles, "so that we are marching with the power of the Word of God."

 Participants were also asked to bring a care package in a clear plastic bag containing toiletries and other items for people who have been unable to go to the store because of the protests and police action.

 "So we take this action not just out of love for the young people of Ferguson and Michael Brown and his family," Kinman wrote in the release. "We take this action out of love for the Ferguson Police Department and all the officers of the many Metropolitan Police Departments who have pledged to protect and serve and who put their lives on the line for this community."

 - Nancy Cambria at 2:40 p.m. Thursday

 •••

 Two injuries reported from last night's unrest in Ferguson

 Christian Hospital treated one 23-year-old male for rubber bullet-related injuries Wednesday evening following the demonstrations in Ferguson, said hospital spokesman Bret Berigan. The patient was released shortly after treatment.

 Police also reported an officer injured an ankle when a brick was thrown at him.

 - Samantha Liss at 2:45 p.m. Thursday with updates

 Moment of silence prior to Cardinals game

 Fans at the first St. Louis Cardinals home game since the Saturday shooting of Ferguson teen Michael Brown observed a moment of silence Thursday in honor of the recent Normandy High School graduate.

 "For over a century Cardinals baseball has been an integral part of the fabric of St. Louis – bringing us together as a community and enriching our lives in so many important ways. St. Louis is a good community with good people who care about one another, our neighborhoods and our region. In recent days we have all been heartbroken by a series of violent events that do not reflect who we are as a people. We ask that you join us tonight in taking a stand against violence as we unite as one community," the field announcer told fans prior to the Cardinals contest with the San Diego Padres.

 Derrick Goold at 9:50 p.m.

 •••

 Sharpton back to St. Louis on Sunday

 Civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network is heading back to St. Louis to lead a rally in support of Michael Brown. Brown's parents, Attorney Benjamin Crump, the family's lawyer, and Martin Luther King III are all expected to speak at the event. The rally is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at Greater Grace Church in Ferguson. Sharpton spoke at Greater St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church earlier in the week, drawing more than 1,000 supporters.

 - Lilly Fowler at 1:50 p.m. Thursday with update of new location

 •••

 St. Charles County swat team releases statement regarding handling of media camera equipment

 Amid international criticism of the way law enforcement treated media covering Ferguson last night, the St. Charles County Regional SWAT Team released the following statement this afternoon saying its officers were helping reporters last night:

 "Over the last few days, the St. Charles County Regional SWAT Team has assisted in Ferguson at the request of the St. Louis County Police Department to help respond to looting and for protection of the property of Ferguson citizens and businesses. On Wednesday, August 13th, video footage was taken of St. Charles County SWAT officers handling media camera equipment. The position of the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department is that the media has the right to cover these events and supports the freedom of the press, and the SWAT Team has not been any part of attempting to prevent media coverage. In fact, last night the SWAT Team officers were assisting the media in moving their camera equipment and media personnel to a safer area with their consent so that they could continue to cover the event. The Sheriff has notified St. Louis County Police that the St. Charles County Regional SWAT Team is available to protect life and property but does not have a continued role in crowd control during this time of civil protest."

 SWAT teams were heavily criticized on social media after video emerged showing tear gas being lobbed directly at a camera crew for the news organization Al-Jazeera. The SWAT officers were later filmed dismantling the camera equipment.

 - Nancy Cambria at 2:05 p.m. with updates

 •••

 McCaskill says riot equipment amplifying tensions

 Sen. Claire McCaskill followed Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson to the microphone at a press conference this afternoon, suggesting that the riot equipment used by police has amplified the tension -- and lauding officials' apparent recognition of it. "I think the demilitarization of the response is going to help a lot," she said.

 She said most police officers are good people eager to keep the community safe, and could relate better to the protesters as people. "I’d love it if some of the officers would go over and have a bottle of water with them."

 As for law enforcement officials' refusal to release information about the case, McCaskill said that letting out information "in dribs and drabs" can hamper the quality of the investigation and compromise justice in the end. McCaskill, a Democrat, is a former prosecutor.

 - Pat Gauen at 1 p.m. Thursday

 •••

 Ferguson situation resonates at international United Nations conference on civil rights

 Delegations of American civil rights officials and activists are in Geneva, Switzerland this week for a United Nations conference on racial equality, and the shooting death of Michael Brown is reverberating there.

 "Clearly this issue is resonating here... and they knew about it before we got here," said Hilary O. Shelton, director of the NAACP Washington Bureau. The story "continues to run in circulation over and over again (on Geneva television). The world is watching what is happening in Ferguson, Missouri."

 - Chuck Raasch at 1:45 p.m. Thursday

 •••

 Nixon will tour West Florissant Avenue area this afternoon, meet with press at UMSL

 Misouri Gov. Jay Nixon will take a tour of the the area where rioting and protests have taken place since Micheal Brown was shot and killed by a police officer on Saturday. He is touring the area without media. At 3 p.m. he is scheduled to take questions from the press at the J.C. Penney Conference Center on the campus of University of Missouri-St. Louis.

 - Kevin McDermott at 12:50 p.m. Thursday

 •••

 Town and Country Rep. urges Nixon to declare state of emergency, impose curfew

 House Majority Leader John Diehl, R-Town and Country, said today that Gov. Jay Nixon should declare a state of emergency in Ferguson and impose a curfew in the St. Louis County "corridor" that has seen violence.

 "Whether it's eight o'clock or nine o'clock, whenever it hits, law-abiding people would know they need to be off the street at that time," Diehl said in an interview. "Curfews are routinely and legitimately used as a law enforcement technique in situations like this.

 - Virginia Young at 1:20 p.m. Thursday

 •••

 Ferguson situation creates rift between St. Louis city and county police

 The militarized police response to protests in Ferguson has become so divisive that it has driven a rare wedge between two forces that often work closely together – the two largest police departments in the area – St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Louis County Police.

 Terry Kennedy, alderman of the 18th Ward, emailed St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson on Wednesday night to discourage him from sending city police officers into Ferguson. A copy of the email exchange was posted on Twitter by community activist John Chasnoff; Dotson could not immediately be reached, but Kennedy confirmed it was authentic.

 Kennedy wrote to Dotson: “The possibility of having St. Louis Police Department personnel present with the Ferguson Police in what appears to be a racially-charged and possibly discriminating environment could make it appear that the St. Louis Police Department supports racial discrimination and disenfranchisement.”

 Dotson’s response: “I agree and removed our tactical assistance. We did not send tactical resources to Ferguson on Tuesday or Wednesday. Our only assistance was that of four traffic officers to help divert traffic and keep both pedestrians and motorists safe. On Thursday we will have no officers assisting Ferguson.”

 Dotson said in an interview this afternoon that he does not support the county police tactics in Ferguson, and has decided to keep his officers in the city.

 He said he made the decision earlier this week, long before the confrontation between police and protesters on Wednesday night that saw officers responding to the protests on armored vehicles carrying military weapons.

 “My gut told me what I was seeing were not tactics that I would use in the city and I would never put officers in situations that I would not do myself,” he said.

 - Jeremy Kohler at 12:45 p.m. Thursday with updates

 •••

 Hacker group claims it has name of cop who killed Brown

 The hacker group Anonymous has released the name of the person it says is the officer who shot and killed Michael Brown.

 The Post-Dispatch has not been able to verify the information. Police and the Ferguson mayor have both said the name Anonymous has released is wrong.

 Twitter suspended the account that Anonymous was using to release the information.

 Twitter suspended the account of the Anonymous-associated operative who released the name of the officer. The person or persons tweeting under the handle @TheAnonMessage confirmed via email that the account was suspended, “for practicing free speech,” the person wrote.

 He said Anonymous indeed was responsible for the St. Louis County web crash.

 - David Hunn at 11:15 a.m. with updates.

 •••

 St. Louis alderman released from jail

 St. Louis Alderman Antonio French emerged Thursday morning from a night in jail after his arrest at the Ferguson protests to say that the police officers' "heavy-handed" approach on the streets is making the situation worse.

 French said police pulled him from his car Wednesday night and arrested him. Police say he didn't listen to their orders to disperse. Police gave him no documentation that says why he was arrested. He was released about 7 a.m. today without having to post any bail.

 French said he should never have been locked up, nor should the dozen or so others at the jail overnight.

 "Inside that jail is nothing but peacekeepers," he said. "They rounded up the wrong people ... reverends, young people organizing the peace effort."

 Police arrested about a dozen people Wednesday night, including French and Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery and Huffington Post reporter Ryan Reilly.

 Police used tear gas and sonic cannons to disperse the crowds. Today, President Obama will mention the Ferguson troubles in a speech. Also today, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is scheduled to visit Ferguson in the wake of the growing protests.

 "The worsening situation in Ferguson is deeply troubling, and does not represent who we are as Missourians or as Americans,” Nixon said in a statement.

 As French walked out of the Ferguson Jail this morning, he wore his signature oxford button-down shirt -- slightly wrinkled from sleeping in it on a jail cot, and with a burnt orange color on the shoulder from where a fellow inmate had wiped his eyes from the burning tear gas.

 French talked with reporters about his experience. He said he was near the burned-out QuikTrip on West Florissant Avenue at about 9 p.m. Wednesday when police in riot gear ordered protesters to disperse. Several hundred people were there.

 "Police had just given a final warning to disperse and released smoke bombs, people scattered and ran," French said. "Police started to move forward with riot gear and tear gas started to come."

 "I moved away when it looked like they were throwing what I thought was tear gas ... it turned out to be smoke bombs," French added. "I realized the best place (to be was in my) car with the windows rolled up. That's where I was."

 He said he was in car recording video of what was happening outside. When the line of police officers came to French's car door, an officer opened the door and pulled him out, French said. French asked why, and the officer told him, "Because you didn't listen."

 When a reporter asked French today how he went from being in his car to being arrested, he said: "They open your door and drag you out."

 "They just rounded up anybody they could see," he said.

 He had no complaints about the way the officer treated him, other than how securely the officer wrapped his wrist with the plastic handcuffs.

 "I don't think I was mistreated," he said. "The roughest things were those zip ties ... pretty tight."

 He said he was treated well inside the jail and offered a honey bun at 6 a.m. for breakfast, which he declined. He was told he'd be held 24 hours on a charge of unlawful assembly, but then he was inexplicably released without bail or any paperwork at 7 a.m.

 French is in his first term as alderman of the 21st Ward in St. Louis. His ward includes the Mark Twain, Penrose and O'Fallon neighborhoods. After the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson on Saturday afternoon, French has been attending protests and rallies, posting updates on social media.

 French said he will continue to document the protests and police response as long as the protesters are on the streets. He wasn't able to post anything for the nine hours he was in jail because they took his phone from him. At 8 a.m., French said he was ready to log back in. "I've gotta find a charger somewhere," he joked.

 He said he was also heading to an ATM to get cash to bail out two of his staffers who were arrested after being pulled from their cars. Police told his staffers, two women, that they were arrested for a noise violation, French said.

 "In an American city, people are being tear-gassed and snipers are pointing rifles at them," he said. "Everybody should be upset ... heavy-handed police approach is actually making the situation worse.

 "Before they arrived heavy-handedly, it was a peaceful situation."

 French said the city is wrong to try to limit protests to daylight-only.

 "We have a right to protest 24 hours a day," French said. "Our constitutional rights don't expire at 9 p.m."

 - Kim Bell, 7:25 a.m. Thursday

 •••

 Twitter hashtag calls for moment of silence to honor victims of police brutality

 The hashtag #NMOS14 has been gaining speed on Twitter. The tag stands for "National Moment of Silence" and is intended to honor victims of police brutality, according to people who have been using it. Twitter users are using the hashtag in tweets to plan gatherings and rallies. (Hashtags are used in tweets to create easily searchable words or phrases.)

 The moment of silence vigil will start at 6 p.m., according to a Facebook page for the event.

 - Beth O'Malley at 10:40 a.m.

 •••

 ACLU sues St. Louis County for police reports

 The American Civil Liberties Union sued St. Louis County and the county police this morning to obtain copies of initial police reports surrounding the fatal shooting of Mike Brown by Ferguson police.

 The ACLU filed the lawsuit in St. Louis County Circuit Court after their open records request for the initial incident report of the shooting was rejected by police Wednesday, the suit says.

 - Robert Patrick, 11:30 a.m. Thursday

 •••

 Libertarian Party says police should stand down in Ferguson

 The National Libertarian Party said in a statement that America's war on drugs is frequently used to justify police who accost minorities engaged in peaceful behavior.

 "This may have been what precipitated the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown over the weekend, leading to riots and another shooting on Wednesday," the statement said. "Although all the facts of this case are not yet known, the War on Drugs can be blamed for breeding the tension and resentment that has led to the dangerous rioting we now see in Ferguson."

 "The militarization of our domestic police forces must end," said Nicholas Sarwark, chair of the Libertarian National Committee.

 •••

 Unrest in Ferguson impacting businesses

 Sales are off by $6,000 this week at the Papa John's Pizza on West Florrisant, in Dellwood, four blocks from the burned-out QuikTrip in Ferguson, said a store manager, who halted late-night deliveries this week because of the unrest in the area.

 “I think that drivers are scared because it's just crazy,” said the manager, who declined to be identified.

 Papa John's normally delivers pizzas until midnight but has closed five hours earlier each night this week. Protesters have caused no damage at the shop but the manager said she was threatened over the phone on Monday.

 “They told me I should get beat up because I'm white,” the manager said.

 Early closings this week have cost Papa John's workers about $1,000 in wages, said the manager, adding that all the affected employees live in Ferguson and neighboring Jennings. - Tim Bryant at noon

 •••

 National news organizations condemn treatment of journalists

 The American Society of News Editors, based in Columbia, Mo., released a statement this morning on the arrests of the two journalists and the police handling of events in Ferguson last night.

 “From police physically assaulting citizens engaged in peaceful protest to arresting without cause reporters from The Washington Post and The Huffington Post, it is clear that there is a concerted, top-down effort to restrict the fundamental First Amendment rights of the public and the press,” the release said.

 ASNE President David Boardman said, “From the beginning of this situation, the police have made conscious decisions to restrict information and images coming from Ferguson....Of course, these efforts largely have been unsuccessful, as the nation and the world are still seeing for themselves the heinous actions of the police. For every reporter they arrest, every image they block, every citizen they censor, another will still write, photograph and speak.”

 Later, the Associated Press Media Editors association and the National Association of Black Journalists also released a statement in partnership with ASNE on the same issue.

 "The withholding of information by law enforcement, the unlawful detainment of journalists and the censoring of the unfolding story is unacceptable," said APME President Debra Adams Simmons. "We join with ASNE in calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to protect the First Amendment rights of everyone involved."

 Two reporters were arrested Wednesday night while covering the situation in Ferguson. One of them, Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery, is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.

 “Journalists have a constitutionally protected right to work without the government interference,” NABJ President Bob Butler said. “We call on -- and fully expect -- the authorities to investigate what appears to be a violation of the First Amendment and to hold the officers involved to account, if necessary."

 - Nancy Cambria at 11:05 a.m. with updates

 •••

 Police suspect hackers took down county websites

 St. Louis county government websites have been down since Wednesday and officials are trying to find out why. Police think it is the work of Anonymous, an international group of unnamed computer hackers.

 In an email to the Post-Dispatch, an Anonymous-associated operative took credit for the county computer hack.

 Police say they are aware of the problem but don't know the extent of it. The St. Louis County government website, the police website, parks and revenue are among those that weren't coming up this morning.

 A county source says they have limited access to external email and internet.

 A woman at the county executive's office said she was able to access the website internally this morning after 8 a.m. but would report the troubles for others trying to get on the websites to the county's IT staff. A parks employee said they are working on the problem and that "sometimes they're up and sometimes they're down."

 In the hours after 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer on Saturday, the group Anonymous urged residents to the streets.

 Ferguson's city website went dark Tuesday morning and the phones died. Anonymous also started releasing information about police officers.

 And the hackers vowed retribution if police harmed protesters.

 “We are watching you very closely,” Anonymous’ distinctive electronic voice rasped in a video posted Monday on Twitter. “If you abuse, harass or harm the protesters in Ferguson we will take every Web-based asset of your departments and federal agencies offline.” - Kim Bell, Joel Currier and Steve Giegerich at 8 a.m. with updates

 •••

 NAACP demands Attorney General take action in Ferguson

 The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. called on Attorney General Eric Holder this morning to take immediate action to address the unjustified use of lethal and excessive force against unarmed African Americans by police forces throughout the country.

 “The recent killings of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Ezell Ford, like the killings and beatings of other unarmed African Americans by police officers, are unconscionable,” said Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. “The depravity demonstrated by law enforcement in these recent events must be met with immediate reform.”

 “Today we call upon the Department of Justice to undertake a comprehensive federal review of each instance of excessive police violence against African Americans,” Ifill said. “All involved officers and other public servants must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

 - Nancy Cambria at 11:20 a.m.

 •••

 Business, civic leaders decry unrest in Ferguson

 St. Louis business leaders are denouncing violence and police actions in Ferguson following the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown last Saturday.

 Maxine Clark, founder of the Build-A-Bear Workshop, started the chain of 400 retail stores in Overland and retired as CEO last year. Wednesday night, after two national reporters covering the Ferguson story were arrested while inside a McDonald's, on her Twitter account @ChiefExecBear, Clark Tweeted to her nearly 6,000 followers: “REALLY???? Arresting visitors/news at McD?? This is not the STL I know and love. Stop! This behavior is absurd and unnecessary.”

 Clark's other Tweets reference the worldwide spotlight now on the region, including this Tweet from Wednesday: “Three conf. calls today & everyone asked 'what is going on in STL?' These aren't proud moments. Someone tell Ferg Police honesty matters!”

 Chris Sommers, owner of the Pi Pizzeria chain in St. Louis, also has been active on social media throughout the week, mostly retweeting news accounts of the unfolding events in Ferguson on his Twitter account, @sommerscm, to his more than 800 followers. Sommers said the protests following Brown's death have been mishandled by authorities. “It's devastating to our town,” said Sommers, who's opened six Pi restaurants in the region since 2008. “Many of us have been working really hard to build our city back up, and the St. Louis County and Ferguson police are undoing that in a manner of days.”

 Sommers has two new Pi restaurants opening in Miami and Cincinnati, and said the current unrest here and the attention it's garnering worldwide will have a negative impact the region's economy for a long time. “It's going to suffer,” Sommers said. “I'm grateful that our immediate expansion is not in the St. Louis area. I would certainly think twice about an investment here now. What's infuriating is a lack of leadership and the result of that is a devastation to the economy.”

 Lisa Brown, 9:55 a.m. Thursday

 •••

 Vigil planned tonight in St. Louis

 A vigil is planned in downtown St. Louis city this evening to commemorate Michael Brown and other victims of police-involved shootings. The National Moment of Silence vigil will be held at Luther Ely Smith Square, between the main Arch grounds and the Old Courthouse, said a representative with the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

 A local Twitter user, @TheMegaChloe, has been instrumental in organizing the vigil. Several similar vigils are planned for cities around the country, according to tweets using the hashtag #NMOS14. - Beth O'Malley at 10:30 a.m.

 •••

 OUR EARLIER STORY

 Law enforcement officials on Wednesday asked for patience to allow the investigation into the shooting of Michael Brown to take its course as tension over the teenager’s death continued for a fifth straight day.

 St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch said his office will take as much time as necessary to review circumstances that led a Ferguson police officer to fatally shoot the 18-year-old Brown on a street Saturday afternoon.

 “The timeline on this is there is no timeline,” McCulloch told an afternoon news conference. “We will do this as expeditiously as possible. But we won’t rush.”

 Resisting pressure from street demonstrators and public officials for answers that show why the unnamed officer confronted Brown and a companion shortly after noon on Saturday, McCulloch said the details may not emerge until the process of collecting evidence and presenting it to the grand jury is complete.

 “I know that’s not the answer anybody wants to hear at this point,” he said. “Everybody wants to know what happened.”

 McCulloch called the problem twofold. First, he said, ethical rules prevent prosecutors from disseminating the physical evidence. He also said he won’t do anything to corrupt the integrity of the investigation.

 NAMING OFFICERS FAR FROM ROUTINE

 VOLUNTEERS CLEAN UP AFTER LOOTING

 MAYBE THE CLOSEST EYEWITNESS TO FATAL SHOOTING

 PEACEFUL DAYS, DEFIANT NIGHTS

 In response to a reporter’s question, McCulloch said it will certainly take more than two weeks to complete the investigation. He offered no specific estimate of the timetable. He cited a heavy volume of information that is being gathered in the case.

 “We want to test the veracity and accuracy of anybody who comes to us,” McCulloch said.

 McCulloch said a lot of information has come forward through social media, “some of it good, some of it bad.”

 He stressed that the medical examiner’s report, 911 tapes and other investigative material will be withheld at this point.

 One new detail of Saturday’s shooting did emerge Wednesday when Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson in another news conference said the officer who shot Brown suffered facial injuries and was taken to a hospital.

 Jackson also acknowledged that mending the strained relationship between his department and the African-American community is imperative for the city and region to move ahead following nearly a week of outrage, violence and looting.

 “We have always had real good relations with all of the neighborhood associations,” Jackson said. “Apparently, there’s been this undertow that now has bubbled to the surface, and it’s our first priority to address it, to fix what’s wrong.”

 The first step, he added, is working with the community relations office on race relations that the U.S. Justice Department has dispatched to Ferguson.

 The chief defended the racial makeup of the Ferguson department. Three of the agency’s 53 officers are African-American in a community where two-thirds of the population is black.

 Jackson said he has worked to improve the diversity of the police department, adding it is a “constant struggle to hire and retain personnel.”

 In the past few years, Jackson said, he has tried not only to recruit but improve quality of life in the department, including pay levels, to retain officers longer.

 The comments from law enforcement in a week that has seen forums, prayer vigils and a clergy-led parade Wednesday that passed many of the looted West Florissant Avenue businesses did little to quell the outrage spawned by Brown’s death.

 As has been the case since Monday, the parking lot of a QuikTrip looted and burned Sunday evening has been the epicenter of hostility between protesters and police.

 The animosity for the most part was verbal Wednesday until a thrown bottle prompted police to fire smoke bombs at the crowd shortly before 9 p.m.

 When police then ordered demonstrators to evacuate the area or face arrest the protesters responded that “we are not going anywhere.”

 Police a short time later chased protesters into nearby neighborhoods after dispersing the crowd for the third straight night with tear gas grenades.

 On Wednesday, police also used piercing-sound sonic cannons to scatter the crowd.

 As they have since Saturday, demonstrators throughout the evening taunted and threatened police.

 “If I’m going to go, I’m taking one of you with me,” warned one demonstrator.

 Another shouted, “We’re not dogs, so what the hell you’ve got those whipping sticks for? Because you want to whip us like dogs.”

 A county police tactical operations armored vehicle was deployed at the demonstration site for most of the night.

 Protected by body armor, police sat atop the vehicle methodically fitting high-caliber automatic weapons into tripods which were then trained on the crowd.

 “You are being ordered to leave now!” police announced frequently through a public address system. “If you don’t leave peacefully there will be arrests.”

 The crowd ignored the demand until the tear gas was fired.

 As of midnight there were reports of sporadic gunfire.

 At 2 a.m., several dozen police officers riding inside and on three armored tactical vehicles pulled up in front of the Ferguson police station. Forming a skirmish line, they faced the last of the night's protesters, a group of about 100 gathered across the street on the parking lot of the Andy Wurm Tire & Wheel shop.

 A booming voice from a police loudspeaker ordered the crowd to disperse.

 The protesters complied but not before some of them cursed the cops.

 But 2:15 a.m., a tense quiet had fallen over Ferguson.

 SHOOTING CHARGES

 Prosecutors filed felony charges Wednesday against a man shot by police in a confrontation earlier in the day near the scene of the protests.

 Esrail Britton, 19, was charged with second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer and armed criminal action. He remained hospitalized, and earlier in the day was reported to be in critical condition.

 Officials said they have two addresses for Britton, both of them vacant dwellings in the St. Louis area.

 The shooting occurred about 1 a.m. at West Florissant Avenue and Chambers Road, in an unincorporated area of St. Louis County, as county police responded to a report of four of five men with masks and shotguns in an area where shots were heard.

 ALDERMAN French, JOURNALISTS ARRESTED

 St. Louis Alderman Antonio French was among about 10 people arrested Wednesday night.

 French was being held at the Ferguson Police Department but no details of his arrest were being released.

 Wesley Lowery, a reporter with the Washington Post, was arrested Wednesday evening along with Ryan Reilly of the Huffington Post, according to a Twitter post by Lowery.

 He wrote that police came into the McDonald’s on West Florissant where the two were working, and tried “to kick everyone out.”

 “Officers decided we weren’t leaving McDonald’s quickly enough, shouldn’t have been taping them,” he tweeted.

 “Officers slammed me into a fountain soda machine because I was confused about which door they were asking me to walk out of,” he wrote.

 He said that he was detained, booked, “given answers to no questions. Then just let out.”

 Reilly tweeted that a SWAT team invaded the McDonald’s where he was working and recharging his phone, and asked for identification when he took a photo. They tried to kick everyone out, he wrote. He wrote that he was “assaulted” by an officer.

 SCHOOL START DELAYED

 The continuing unrest forced the Ferguson-Florissant school district to postpone the start of school from today to Monday.

 “In order to allow additional time for the situation to stabilize and for all of our students and their families to resume normal routines, we will reschedule the first day of school,” district officials said in a statement. “We believe that this change will help ensure a strong start to the new school year.”

 Paul Hampel, Stephen Deere, Valerie Schremp Hahn, Joel Currier, Kim Bell, Koran Addo, Ken Leiser, Jessica Bock and Steve Giegerich of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

 •••

 Tense moments between members of crowd

 After the bigger crowds dispersed, some members of the crowd began to fight among themselves. At one point, at about 11:15 p.m., about two dozen people stood around at Lang Drive and West Florissant Avenue, near the Quik Trip site. A German shepherd traipsed through the crowd, with a leash on, but with nobody holding it. People began shouting about the dog, and the owner eventually found the dog and took the leash.

 The owner appeared to be intoxicated, and about three or four men surrounded him, telling him to let his dog go. The man refused and tried to walk away. Suddenly, one of the men hit the man with the dog hard in the chest. Some from the crowd shouted, “Let's shoot this dog and knock this guy out!”

 The man with the dog started walking away, and the crowd shouted out.

 Police, who had returned to the original protest line closer to the gas station, arrived on the scene and trained a spotlight down Lang. Somebody picked up an unexploded sound canister and threw it towards officers, and the canister exploded, spewing smoke. Police got out of their patrol cars and ran, continuing their chase into the dark neighborhood.

 The crowd stood watching, holding their hands in the air.

 --Stephen Deere, 11:57 p.m.

 Police dispense tear gas into crowd

 Shortly after 9 p.m., police dispensed tear gas at the crowd standing on West Florissant Avenue. About 50 demonstrators stood in the middle of the street near the Quik Trip, with several hundred people on the side streets.

 After giving people several verbal warnings to leave the area or face arrest, somebody hurled a bottle at the police line. Police then threw more than a dozen sound canisters at the crowds. The canisters exploded close to people, emitted a loud boom and smoke and sparks. They made an ear-splitting noise.

 Some people picked up the canisters and threw them back at police. Then the police deployed tear gas.

 One young woman screamed to fleeing members of the crowd not to be cowards. "We have to stand and fight here right now!" she screamed.

 Police inched closer and closer to the crowd until they dispersed into side streets. The protesters were reduced to several small, scattered pockets, talking quietly among themselves.

 Some people had no way to get home.

 ----Paul Hampel and Stephen Deere, 9:20 p.m.

 •••

 Body released to family

 Authorities released Michael Brown's body to his family on Wednesday. Funeral arrangements were pending at the Austin A. Layne Mortuary.

 -Michael Sorkin, 5 p.m.

 •••

 Officer who shot Michael Brown has retained attorney

 The officer who shot Michael Brown has retained a lawyer.

 - Robert Patrick, 2:45 p.m.

 •••

 Daytime-only rallies and protests please, Ferguson says

 Ferguson city leaders are trying to stem the riots by urging anyone who wants to protest the shooting death of Michael Brown to assemble only during daylight hours.

 Mayor James Knowles III and the Ferguson City Council posted the request on the city website, following several nights of unrest.

 The announcement says the city mourns the loss of Brown and wants to give people an opportunity to "voice frustrations through prayer vigils and peaceful protests."

 It goes on to say: "We ask that any groups wishing to assemble in prayer or in protest do so only during daylight hours in an organized and respectful manner." Participants should disperse well before the evening hours, the city says.

 "Unfortunately, those who wish to co-opt peaceful protests and turn them into violent demonstrations have been able to do so over the past several days during the evening hours," the city says. "These events are not indicative of the City of Ferguson and its residents."

 The city leaders' post says Ferguson has been through tough situations before — "albeit nothing to this magnitude, but will continue to display resilience and fortitude."

 -Kim Bell, noon

 •••

 Surveillance of St. Louis shoe store looting released; gas station also hit

 St. Louis police have released video of the looting of a Shoe Carnival store in a shopping center on Gravois Avenue in St. Louis shortly before midnight Monday.

 St. Louis police also are investigating a break-in at a Phillips 66 gas station and convenience store in Lafayette Square early Tuesday.

 Police are asking anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-8477.

 - Ken Leiser, 1:30 p.m. ||||| A police officer holds his riot gun while demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri August 13, 2014.

 Demonstrators hold signs during a protest against the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri August 13, 2014.

 A police officer aims his weapon at a demonstrator protesting the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri August 13, 2014.

 Demonstrators raise their hands while protesting the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri August 13, 2014.

 A sign and a pin are pictured on the back of a demonstrator during a protest against the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri August 13, 2014.

 A mother and daughter raise their hands in front of riot police while protesting the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri August 13, 2014.

 U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a statement on the shooting in Ferguson, Missouri and the situation in Iraq from his vacation on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts August 14, 2014.

 FERGUSON Mo. Missouri's governor moved on Thursday to calm days of racially charged protests over the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager, naming an African-American captain of the Highway Patrol to oversee security in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson.

 Captain Ron Johnson, who grew up in Ferguson, told reporters he would take a new approach after complaints that police have used heavy-handed tactics, arresting dozens of protesters and using teargas and pepper pellets to break up crowds.

 Ferguson, a mostly black town of 21,000 with a predominantly white police force that has been accused of racial profiling in the past, was bracing for a fifth straight night of protests on Thursday after a police officer shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown last weekend.

 Since Sunday, there have been peaceful vigils and demonstrations - with hundreds of protesters holding their hands in the air and chanting "hands up, don't shoot" - as well as episodes of looting, vandalism and violence.

 U.S. President Barack Obama, seeking to defuse tensions in Ferguson, called on police to respect peaceful demonstrations.

 "There is never an excuse for violence against police or for those who would use this tragedy as a cover for vandalism or looting," Obama said.

 "There's also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protesters or to throw protesters in jail for lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights," he said in remarks broadcast from Edgartown, Massachusetts, near where he is vacationing with his family.

 The protests have cast a spotlight on racial tensions in greater St. Louis, where civil rights groups have complained in the past that police racially profiled blacks, arrested a disproportionate number of blacks and had racist hiring practices.

 Governor Jay Nixon praised Ferguson on Thursday for being a diverse, hard-working community, but he said, "lately it has looked a little bit more like a war zone, and that is unacceptable."

 Police have pledged to do better but have also justified the tactics, saying they have responded to the threat of violence during protests.

 "We are going to have a different approach," Johnson said at the news conference where Nixon announced his role in directing Ferguson's security. He said he would go to "ground zero" on Thursday evening, the area where Brown was killed and also where a convenience store was burned down on Sunday in riots.

 Additionally, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement that police had accepted an offer of technical assistance from the Justice Department "to help conduct crowd control and maintain public safety without relying on unnecessarily extreme displays of force."

 The Justice Department, the FBI and the St. Louis County prosecutor's office are all investigating Brown's death.

 HANDS IN THE AIR

 Protesters have decried what they say is a lack of transparency by police investigating the incident - including the refusal to release the officer's name. And some have called for St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCullough to be removed from the case.

 Early on Thursday, a member of the Anonymous hacker activist collective tweeted the name of a person alleged to be the police officer who shot Brown. But police and other Anonymous tweeters said the activist had named the wrong person.

 Police said threats from cyber activists were one reason they continued to be reluctant to release the officer's name. But Nixon said on Thursday that authorities should be expeditious about identifying the officer.

 There is little clarity on what occurred during Saturday's incident.

 Police have said that Brown struggled with the officer who shot and killed him. The officer involved in the shooting was injured during the incident and was treated in a hospital for swelling on the side of his face, they said.

 But some witnesses have said that Brown held up his hands and was surrendering when he was shot multiple times in the head and chest.

 (Reporting by Nick Carey; Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, David Bailey in Minneapolis, Carey Gillam in Kansas City and Jeff Mason in Edgartown, Mass.; Writing by Fiona Ortiz; Editing by Eric Beech) |||||


Here is a news article: More than 20,000 people accused of drunken driving in New Jersey could have their cases tossed based on a Tuesday ruling of the state's Supreme Court.

 In a unanimous decision, the high court found criminal charges against a State Police sergeant who was in charge of calibrating breath-testing devices made the test results from five counties inadmissible as evidence.

 The court vacated the conviction of a woman who pleaded guilty to drunken driving based on a result from one of those machines - and then died while waiting for the legal fight to finish.

 It also ordered state authorities to notify anyone whose case involved results from machines Sgt. Marc Dennis handled that those results weren't scientifically sound.

 The decision opens the floodgates for thousands of people to challenge DWI convictions that occurred over nearly a decade.

 20K DWI cases now in jeopardy

 In 2016, Dennis was accused of lying on official documents about performing a legally required temperature check while calibrating just three machines, known as Alcotest devices, which gauge the blood-alcohol level of accused drunken drivers.

 The criminal case against Dennis is still pending. Reached Tuesday, his attorney said the sergeant maintains his innocence.

 The accusations called into question any test result involving a machine Dennis handled, including devices used by local police in Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union counties between 2008 and 2016.

 The disclosure prompted a New Jersey woman, Eileen Cassidy, to seek to withdraw a guilty plea she entered in Spring Lake Municipal Court based on the results of a breath test. Cassidy died of a terminal illness in March, but the justices still ruled on the case because of the "significant public importance" of the issue.

 State authorities maintained that the temperature check Dennis was accused of skipping was one of several "redundancies and fail-safes" to ensure the readings are accurate and that omitting that one step did not invalidate the results. New Jersey is the only state that requires the step, they argued.

 But the Supreme Court, siding with Judge Joseph Lisa, who was appointed as a "special master" to handle the issue, found the omission of the step raised "substantial doubts" about the reliability of the machines.

 County prosecutors began notifying defendants in 2016 that their cases could be thrown out, but those cases had been on hold pending the Supreme Court's ruling. On Tuesday, the court ordered state authorities to "notify all affected defendants of our decision ... so that they may take appropriate action."

 Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said at an unrelated event Tuesday that his office was reviewing the decision.

 "We're still coming up with guidance for our county prosecutors and municipal prosecutors who handle many of these cases," he said.

 It's unclear how many cases will ultimately be tossed. Breath tests are an important part of DWI cases, but a person can still be convicted of drunken driving without one.

 Michael Hobbie, the Eatontown attorney who represented Cassidy, said the pool of 20,667 includes an unknown number of people who may have been found not guilty at trial, or were convicted on the observation of the officers at the scene rather than a breathalyzer result.

 What's more, Hobbie said, defendants have to come forward to challenge their conviction, and because the pool of cases goes back years, many of them may have already served their license suspensions and other punishments in the time that has passed.

 "Are you going to want to go out and hire a lawyer and go prosecute this case again?" he said.

 S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook. ||||| [What you need to know to start your day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]

 More than 20,000 drunken-driving convictions in New Jersey could be in jeopardy after the state’s highest court ruled on Tuesday that breathalyzer tests used to win those judgments were inadmissible.

 The unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court stems from criminal charges brought more than two years ago against a State Police sergeant who was accused of falsifying calibration records on breath test devices that were used in five of New Jersey’s 21 counties.

 It is unclear how state courts and law enforcement officials will now proceed. The Supreme Court ruling does not automatically expunge all the drunken-driving convictions, but the justices did note that defendants tested by the affected breath machines could now seek to challenge their convictions. The decision also raises questions about cases that are still moving through the judicial system.

 “We’ll be issuing guidance shortly for our county prosecutors and municipal prosecutors over how to handle those cases,” Gurbir Grewal, the New Jersey attorney general, said at a news conference on Tuesday. ||||| TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A ruling issued Tuesday by the New Jersey Supreme Court could cause more than 20,000 drunken driving convictions to be vacated.

 The justices unanimously found that criminal charges pending against a state police sergeant made breath-testing device test results from five counties inadmissible as evidence.

 Sgt. Marc Dennis was in charge of calibrating the devices, and authorities have alleged that he skipped a required step in the calibration process. Dennis has denied any wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty to records tampering and other charges.

 The court's decision means that as many as 20,667 DWI convictions could now be challenged, according to state authorities and the lawyer for the now-dead plaintiff who brought the case that the court ruled on.

 The accusations against Dennis called into question any test result involving a machine he handled, including devices used by local police in Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union counties between 2008 and 2016.

 State authorities have maintained that the step Dennis allegedly skipped was one of several redundancies and fail-safes meant to ensure the readings are accurate. They claim that omitting that one step didn't invalidate the results, noting New Jersey is the only state that requires the step.

 The Supreme Court, though, sided with Judge Joseph Lisa, who was appointed as a special master to handle the issue. He found the step omission raised substantial doubts about the reliability of the machines.

 As part of their decision, the justices ordered state authorities to notify anyone whose case involved results from machines Dennis calibrated. They must tell them that those results were not scientifically sound, so they can decide whether they want to go to court and seek to have their convictions vacated. |||||
A summary of this is?

– A lot of drunk drivers in New Jersey could end up getting away with it because one police officer allegedly failed to do his job properly. The state's Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that some 20,667 people accused of drunk driving could have their cases tossed because of Sgt. Marc Dennis, who allegedly failed to perform a temperature check while calibrating machines used to check blood-alcohol levels, NJ.com reports. The ruling means that test results from five of New Jersey's 21 counties—Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union—are inadmissible as evidence if they involve "Alcotest" machines that Dennis handled. A criminal case against the officer, who denies wrongdoing, is still pending. It's not clear how many convictions will actually be vacated—some defendants will have been found not guilty, while others could have been convicted on other evidence. State authorities told the top court that the step Dennis allegedly skipped is only required in New Jersey, the AP reports. The judges ordered the state to notify people who could seek to have DWI convictions vacated because of the ruling, though lawyer Matthew W. Reisig predicts a "hornets' nest" lies ahead in the courts. "The state at some point is going to notify people, but we don’t know if they are notifying the correct people," he tells the New York Times. "I have zero confidence that the state knows who the affected people are." (This driver was involved in a fatal DUI crash 90 minutes after police let him go.)