Article:
'Show Dogs' removes 2 scenes thought to portray sexual abuse after backlash

 CLOSE The production company behind 'Show Dogs' decided to remove the scenes after parents and advocacy groups said the film sent kids the wrong message about sexual abuse. A revised version of the film hits theaters this weekend. USA TODAY

 Show Dogs production company announced Tuesday that it is re-cutting the movie after parents said it showed sexual abuse. Read about that here.

 Global Road Entertainment is deleting two scenes and a revised version will be available this weekend it said in a statement.

 "Responding to concerns raised by moviegoers and some specific organizations, Global Road Entertainment has decided to remove two scenes from the film SHOW DOGS that some have deemed not appropriate for children. The company takes these matters very seriously and remains committed to providing quality entertainment for the intended audiences based on the film’s rating. We apologize to anybody who feels the original version of SHOW DOGS sent an inappropriate message. The revised version of the film will be available for viewing nationwide starting this weekend."

 The movie stars Ludacris as the voice of Max the Rottweiler and Will Arnett as his human partner. They are undercover officers who must crack the case of a kidnapped panda by infiltrating a prestigious dog show.

 One of the writers for the movie, Max Botkin, applauded the choice to re-cut the movie and made clear that he did not write any of the deleted scenes.

 I'm happy and proud to say that Show Dogs is being recut based on audience concerns and in theaters this weekend in a family-safe version. I didn't write the scenes in question, only the original script which was heavily rewritten. https://t.co/eSsRSfrXAg — Max Botkin (@MaxBotkin) May 23, 2018

 The offensive scenes

 Parents took exception to two scenes in which Max has his testicles inspected by dog show judges. Although this is standard at a dog show, parents' problem was with the way Max was told to deal with the uncomfortable handling.

 Arizona parent Terina Maldonado wrote an essay that went viral on social media on the website Macaroni Kid, saying it was similar to the way a sexual predator grooms children to go to their zen place.

 She told All the Moms, "He was telling him he needs to go to his zen place and I like right away was wait...what? And when it turns into this big pivotal scene in the end and he needs to be allowed to be touched to win the competition and red flags were going up and around in my mommy head."

 Statement by National Center for Sexual Exploitation

 The National Center for Sexual Exploitation called for the movie to halt distribution on its website.

 "Children’s movies must be held to a higher standard, and must teach children bodily autonomy, the ability to say ‘no’ and safety, not confusing messages endorsing unwanted genital touching," said Dawn Hawkins, the center's executive director.

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 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2IFR5Tt ||||| (CNN) A nonprofit group says a children's film about a Rottweiler police dog who tries to infiltrate the world of dog shows is sending a "troubling message that grooms children for sexual abuse," according to a statement made Tuesday.

 The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) claims the film "Show Dogs" features scenes that normalize "unwanted genital touching to its child audience."

 The scenes in question involve the film's K-9 main character Max (voiced by Chris "Ludacris" Bridges).

 In the movie, Max teams up with a human FBI agent (Will Arnett) on a case involving a stolen baby panda. In order to crack the case, Max must go undercover at a dog show and learn what it takes to be a champion, a process that involves "doggie pedicures, Botox and Brazillian waxes," according to a film synopsis.

 Other members of the "Show Dogs" cast include Natasha Lyonne, Stanley Tucci and Jordan Sparks.

 NCOSE takes issue with what it says are "multiple scenes where a dog character must have its private parts inspected, in the course of which the dog is uncomfortable and wants to stop but is told to go to a 'zen place,'" according to a statement from the group's executive director Dawn Hawkins.

 "The dog is rewarded with advancing to the final round of the dog show after passing this barrier. Disturbingly, these are similar tactics child abusers use when grooming children -- telling them to pretend they are somewhere else, and that they will get a reward for withstanding their discomfort," Hawkins said. "Children's movies must be held to a higher standard, and must teach children bodily autonomy, the ability to say 'no' and safety, not confusing messages endorsing unwanted genital touching."

 Global Road Entertainment, which co-produced and co-financed the film with Riverstone Pictures, said the examinations are common practice in dog shows in a statement to CNN.

 "The dog show judging in this film is depicted completely accurately as done at shows around the world; and was performed by professional and highly respected dog show judges," the statement said in part. "Global Road Entertainment and the filmmakers are saddened and apologize to any parent who feels the scene sends a message other than a comedic moment in the film, with no hidden or ulterior meaning, but respect their right to react to any piece of content."

 One of film's main writers, Max Botkin, meanwhile, denies writing the scenes in question. While the film is based on his original script, Botkin claims it was "heavily rewritten by 13 other writers," 12 of which went uncredited.

 Botkin says he did not participate in the rewrites and "didn't get to see the film until it was in its final stage of completion, and had zero say in creative choices the second I signed away the rights to my work."

 "I absolutely condemn any suggestion or act of non-consensual touching in any form, as well as disassociation as a coping mechanism for abuse of any kind," he said in a statement. "I understand and empathize with the parents' and groups' concerns regarding the message the movie may impart."

 NCOSE, an anti-pornography organization, has asked Global Road Entertainment to halt distribution of the film and recut it "so that it no longer contains such unsafe themes," it said in its statement. |||||Summary:

– Global Road Entertainment has announced that it is re-editing the film Show Dogs to delete two scenes that parents and others said portrayed sexual abuse followed by inappropriate handling of the abuse, reports USA Today. In both scenes, a Rottweiler named Max has his testicles inspected by dog show judges, which is standard at a dog show. The parents’ main issue was with the way Max was told by another dog to handle the uncomfortable inspection by going to his “Zen place.” As one parent in Arizona wrote on the family-friendly website Macaroni Kid: “The day of the finals comes and if Max doesn’t let his private parts be touched, he may lose the competition,” Terina Maldonado wrote. “It all rests on his ability to let someone touch his private parts,” and pretend it wasn't happening. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation agreed with the parents and said in a statement that Show Dogs includes scenes that normalize "unwanted genital touching to its child audience," reports CNN, and sends a troubling message “that grooms children for sexual abuse.” Global Road Entertainment apologized for the deleted scenes in a statement to Deadline: “The company takes these matters very seriously and remains committed to providing quality entertainment for the intended audiences based on the film’s rating.” The revised version of the film will be released this weekend. In the PG-rated film, Ludacris (who voices Max) and Will Arnett, as Max’s human partner, are undercover officers who must infiltrate a dog show in order to crack the case of a kidnapped panda.


Don’t count Jay Z out of the streaming wars quite yet.

 Two years ago, the rap star and entrepreneur bought Tidal, a small streaming service, for $56 million, with lofty — if vague — plans to build an online music empire that would lure customers with exclusive content from fellow celebrities.

 The news media pounced on early stumbles by the service, and with its losses mounting, Tidal was quickly put on death watch by the music industry. Almost since Jay Z took it over, the service has been the subject of speculation that it would fail or be subsumed by a deep-pocket competitor like Apple.

 But Jay Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, found a lifeline through a deal announced on Monday in which Sprint will buy a one-third stake in the service for an undisclosed amount. The arrangement injects some needed investment in Tidal and allows it, at least for now, to remain an underdog in a streaming market that has become dominated by giants.

 “Tidal has struggled to make a dent in the streaming market and has shallower pockets than Spotify, Apple or Amazon,” said Mark Mulligan, an analyst at Midia Research, a market research company. “The Sprint deal gives it access to a big customer base, free marketing and a war chest to take on the streaming incumbents.” ||||| Sprint Purchases 33 Percent Stake in Tidal

 Sprint has acquired a 33 percent stake in Jay Z's streaming service Tidal, the two companies announced today (Jan. 23). A source familiar with the matter tells Billboard that the purchase was for $200 million and that Jay and each of the company's two dozen artist-owners will remain part owners.

 As part of the deal, Tidal will become available to Sprint's 45 million retail customers, while the companies will partner for exclusives from its artists, according to a press release. Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure joins Tidal's board of directors.

 "Jay saw not only a business need, but a cultural one, and put his heart and grit into building TIDAL into a world-class music streaming platform that is unrivaled in quality and content," Claure said in a statement. "The passion and dedication that these artist-owners bring to fans will enable Sprint to offer new and existing customers access to exclusive content and entertainment experiences in a way no other service can.”

 Another aspect of the partnership includes the creation of a "dedicated marketing fund," which a source says will have an annual budget of $75 million solely for the artist initiatives and exclusives. For those who already subscribe to Tidal, estimated to be around one million people, there will be no change in the existing service.

 "Sprint shares our view of revolutionizing the creative industry to allow artists to connect directly with their fans and reach their fullest, shared potential," said Jay Z in a statement. "Marcelo understood our goal right away and together we are excited to bring Sprint’s 45 million customers an unmatched entertainment experience."

 Tidal's and Sprint's relationship dates back to the March 2015 U.S. launch of the company, when a report from the New York Post indicated that Sprint had acquired a stake in the company. At the time, Sprint walked back any formal deal, only alluding to negotiations "to determine how to best to make the service available to its customers... We are working together in partnership for the vision of the common cause of reestablishing the value of music, it is NOT a financial investment or exclusive partnership."

 Those discussions seem to have resulted in today's announcement, which also comes days after Norwegian media outlet Dagens Næringsliv published a lengthy report claiming that Tidal had been inflating subscriber numbers, while rumors of an acquisition, possibly by Apple, have been growing for months. Jay Z bought Tidal from Swedish company Aspiro AB for $56 million in 2015. |||||

Write a summary.

– It looks like a good day for Jay-Z: Sprint is buying a 33% stake in his music-streaming service, Tidal. Billboard reports the deal was for $200 million. Under the terms, Jay-Z and other big-name celebs—including Beyonce, Madonna, and Kanye West—will remain part-owners. Sprint, meanwhile, will be able to provide exclusive music to its customers. The deal may be a life-saver for Tidal, which has been struggling to compete with Apple Music, Pandora, and Spotify, reports the New York Times. Its holding company lost about $28 million in 2015. (Jay-Z maintains that having artists own the site is what sets Tidal apart.)


Summarize this article:

A new bridge in Vietnam is causing quite a stir for its unusual design. Located outside of Danang at the Bà Nà Hills mountain resort, the golden bridge is seemingly suspended in the air by a pair of giant hands that lift it toward the heavens. The nearly 500-foot-long bridge opened in June as part of the continuing development of the Thien Thai Garden within the resort.

 The bridge is suspended almost 4,600 feet above sea level and its path is lined with purple Lobelia Chrysanthemums to give a punch of color. Ho Chi Mihn-based TA Corporation appears to be responsible for the landscape concept, though no designer has been attached to the finished piece. Now, the 1.5 million visitors that flock to Bà Nà Hills will be able to take in this new attraction, which adds to their impressive list of sites.

 Visitors can already visit the Fantasy Park, which was inspired by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and impressive French Gardens. The bridge itself was the recent location of a bridal fashion show and will surely attract selfie-lovers from around the world. The structure is reportedly part of a $2 billion investment to bring more tourists to the area.

 An unusual bridge at Bà Nà Hills in Vietnam appears to be held up by a pair of giant hands.

 A post shared by Tournesoul (@tournesoul.me) on Jul 26, 2018 at 6:27pm PDT

 A post shared by 💋✨JeNNy✨ (@liyinni_jenny) on Jul 26, 2018 at 4:42am PDT

 h/t: [designboom, Arch Daily]

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 A golden bridge held up by two enormous stone-coloured hands has opened in the Ba Na hills, near Da Nang in central Vietnam. It is the latest in a series of statement footbridges around the world. Cau Vang (meaning gold bridge) opened in June, is 150 metres long and 1,400 metres above sea level, with views across the green mountainscape. It took just under a year to construct, with initial designs by TA Landscape Architecture.

 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Cau Vang (Golden Bridge), Ba Na Hills, Vietnam. Photograph: Amazing Things in Vietnam

 The Ba Na hills mountain retreat was a favourite holiday location for the ruling French authorities in the early 20th century but fell into ruin after the revolution against colonial rule in 1945. The area is now home to a replica French village and gardens, along with a 5.8km cable car track – once the world’s longest and highest – as well as a cavernous concrete amusement complex, hidden beneath the kitsch-looking village. Remnants of the original villas have been spotted by travellers riding the cable car.

 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Courtesy of Amazing Things in Vietnam.

 Cau Vang follows in a line of unusual footbridges, seen everywhere from Iowa to India: structures that are noteworthy as architectural statements in themselves, rather than accessories for an already popular location.

 In 2014, the Fan Bridge was unveiled in Paddington Basin in London. It currently only operates Wednesdays and Fridays at noon and Saturdays at 2pm, leaving it somewhere between the practical and the artistic. The hydraulic structure, designed by Knight Architects, positions its five steel beams 20 metres across the water, rising in a similar way to a traditional Japanese fan.

 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Fan Bridge at dusk, Paddington Basin, London. Photograph: Alamy

 The nearby Rolling Bridge (operating Wednesdays and Fridays at noon and 4pm) unfolds its octagonal structure on one side of the canal towpath to form a walkway 12 metres across the water. It was created by Heatherwick Studio and installed in 2004 as a “sculptural object”.

 A 185-metre loop of three interconnected red footbridges form Lucky Knot bridge in Changsha, China, which opened in 2006. Designers Next Architects, were inspired by Chinese knotting folk art and the infinite structure of the Möbius strip.

 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Lucky Knot bridge in Changsha, China. Photograph: Imaginechina/Rex/Shutterstock

 At the opposite end of the technology scale are the sustainable footbridges made by the Khasi people from living, natural resources in the gorges of Meghalaya, north-west India. The living root bridges are deep in the tropical forest, close to village of Mawsynram, the wettest place on earth. The most famous, the Umshiang Double Decker Living Root Bridge, took 15 years to craft into its current form. The practice itself is thought to be 180 years old, with the bridges built from rubber tree roots nurtured for years to hold human weight. This material is a preferable alternative to wood here, which decays during the monsoon season.

 Parting the sea might sound like an impossible act but how about building a permanent pathway through water? The Moses Bridge in the village of Halsteren, in North Brabant, Netherlands, acts like a dam under the waterline, holding the moat on either side. The “sunken” bridge, crafted from pre-treated, rot-resistant wood, was designed by Ro & Ad Architects to provide access to a 17th-century Dutch fort.

 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Moses Bridge, Halsteren, the Netherlands. Photograph: Alamy

 Decades of lovers have transformed a once relatively unremarkable-looking bridge in Serbia, now known as Most Ljubavi – one of the earliest versions of a love bridge. Legend has it that Nada, a teacher, would meet her army officer lover Relja on the bridge to pledge their love – but he left her during the first world war and she subsequently died of a broken heart. It is thought to have become famous thanks to a poem, Prayer for Love, written by Desanka Maksimović in the 1990s. Couples now visit the “Bridge of Love” to attach inscribed padlocks to it. The practice for good luck in love now takes place on bridges around the world.

 The modern, tubular Webb Bridge connects in Melbourne’s South Wharf with the Docklands area, and was designed by sculptor Robert Owen and engineered in 2003 by Arup – the company behind the Sydney Opera House. Also by Arup, the Helix Bridge in Singapore is a spiralling 300-metre DNA-inspired design from Cox architecture, which completed the Marina Bay walkway in 2010.

 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Helix Bridge, Singapore. Photograph: Phung Huynh Vu Qui/Getty Images

 Best visited after dark to see its glowworm appearance, Henderson Waves, undulates through Singapore, connecting Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park. The 274-metre snake-like structure is made up of Balau wood and curved steel “ribs” which form shelters in its upward curves.

 Another delight for dusk, is the High Trestle Trail Bridge in Iowa, which runs half a mile over the Des Moines River Valley. As part of a “rails to trails” project, it helps connect the 25-mile trail from Woodward to Ankeny. The illuminated steel beams represent a view through a mine shaft, reflecting the coal mining history of the local area. ||||| DA NANG, Vietnam (Reuters) - In the mountains of central Vietnam, a colossal pair of hands lifts a golden thread of walkway high above the clifftops, as if the mountain itself has sprouted limbs.

 “I feel like I’m walking on clouds,” said Vuong Thuy Linh, a tourist from Hanoi. “It’s so unique”.

 Tourists walk past giant hand structure on Gold Bridge on Ba Na hill near Danang city, Vietnam August 1, 2018. REUTERS/Kham

 Cau Vang or the “Golden Bridge” in Vietnam’s Ba Na Hills has attracted scores of tourists since it opened in June, eager to see a novel piece of architecture famed for its unusual design.

 The pedestrian walkway, designed by TA Landscape Architecture in Ho Chi Minh City, sits at over 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level and extends over the treetops from the edge of a leafy cliff face, offering tourists uninterrupted views of the majestic landscape beneath.

 The bridge was designed to evoke the image of the “giant hands of Gods, pulling a strip of gold out of the land,” said Vu Viet Anh, Design Principal at TA Landscape Architecture.

 Slideshow (13 Images)

 “It creates a walkway in the sky, among the foggy and fairy-like lands of Ba Na mountain,” said Anh, who added that he had been surprised at the level of attention his firm’s design had attracted both locally and internationally.

 The Ba Na Hills, a popular getaway for the French during the colonial occupation of Vietnam, received over 2.7 million visitors last year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

 But it is the Golden Bridge and its supports - two huge stone-colored human hands styled in such a way that it looks as if the jungle is struggling to reclaim them - which have garnered the most attention from visitors.

 “The two, smooth, giant hands look real,” said Truong Hoang Linh Thuy, another tourist.

 “It makes me feel like humans can do anything”. ||||| These crawls are part of an effort to archive pages as they are created and archive the pages that they refer to. That way, as the pages that are referenced are changed or taken from the web, a link to the version that was live when the page was written will be preserved.Then the Internet Archive hopes that references to these archived pages will be put in place of a link that would be otherwise be broken, or a companion link to allow people to see what was originally intended by a page's authors.The goal is to fix all broken links on the web . Crawls of supported "No More 404" sites. |||||

– Emerging from a mountainside 4,600 feet above sea level, two giant hands appear to hold a thin gold thread. Only it's not a thread at all, but a nearly 500-foot-long bridge. Cau Vang or the Golden Bridge, which recently opened in Vietnam's Ba Na Hills after about a year of construction, is the latest architectural feat to make waves around the world. As Reuters reports, it's "as if the mountain itself has sprouted limbs" of weathered stone, dotted with what appears to be green moss. They were designed to mimic the "hands of Gods, pulling a strip of gold out of the land," says Vu Viet Anh of TA Landscape Architecture in Ho Chi Minh City, which designed the new pedestrian bridge in Thien Thai Garden. Per the BBC, a second, connecting bridge of silver, to resemble a god's strand of hair, is also in the works. The stone-colored hands made of steel mesh and fiberglass appear to hold the golden pedestrian bridge, whose supports are painted green to blend in with the treetops. "It creates a walkway in the sky, among the foggy and fairy-like lands of Ba Na mountain," says Anh, who was nonetheless surprised by the international response. Per Reuters and My Modern Met, the bridge lined with purple flowers has already hosted "scores of tourists" and a bridal fashion show since opening in June. Many more visitors are expected, as the Ba Na Hills area drew more than 2.7 million visitors last year. The attraction, which offers majestic views of Da Nang, is apparently worth the trip. "It makes me feel like humans can do anything," one tourist tells Reuters. The Guardian has photos of other unusual pedestrian walkways. (Another modern marvel: the largest cruise ship to ever set sail.)


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 As Congress debates the federal budget, a Democratic senator strongly backed by Nevada casino interests and a Republican senator staunchly opposed to betting are working together to push an online-gambling bill into the mix.

 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl are seeking language in a legislative package during the lame-duck session that could expand some forms of online wagering and would limit others. Among other things, the bill would create an Office of Online Poker Oversight under the Department of Commerce.

 The initiative has long been discussed behind closed doors but never publicly introduced. It ... |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Papa needs a new pair of … cows? Zynga yesterday filed the first salvo of paperwork necessary to obtain an online gambling license in Nevada, the Wall Street Journal reports. But don't expect to be betting on Farmville (or more likely titles like Zynga Poker) anytime soon. The document filed yesterday was a request for the state to decide if Zynga is even potentially suitable for a license, and that decision alone is expected to take 12 to 18 months. It's unclear how long after that final approval would come. The move comes amidst a rapidly changing legal landscape around online gambling. Nevada became the first state to legalize online poker earlier this year. Though it has handed out a few licenses already, none of the companies' online poker games is up and running yet. And when they are, they'll be limited to state residents. But that could soon change: Harry Reid and Jon Kyl are working on a bill that would legalize online poker nationwide and even create an Office of Online Poker Oversight, the Journal reported yesterday. However, the bill would simultaneously ban most other forms of online gambling.


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The adage about a picture being worth a thousand words never seemed as true as it did early Monday morning, when a video clip shot around the Internet showing a passenger being violently removed from a United Airlines plane in Chicago for refusing to be “voluntarily” bumped from the flight.

 United no doubt will expend thousands of words explaining or apologizing for this incident in coming hours, days and weeks. It won’t help. The video is just too raw.

 Indeed, the airline’s initial response to the publicity already has left it covered in shame.

 This is an upsetting event to all of us here at United. I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers. — United CEO Oscar Munoz

 United’s PR department first issued a statement explaining blandly that the Chicago-to-Louisville flight late Sunday was overbooked, and that “after our team looked for volunteers, one customer refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate. We apologize for the overbook situation. Further details on the removed customer should be directed to authorities.”

 United CEO Oscar Munoz then made things worse with a statement of Orwellian doublespeak. “This is an upsetting event to all of us here at United,” he said. “I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers,” whatever that means.

 [UPDATE: According to CNBC, Munoz followed up Monday evening with a letter to employees defending the airline’s ground staff and describing the still-unidentified passenger as “disruptive and belligerent.” He said the airline agents “were left with no choice but to call Chicago Aviation Security Officers to assist in removing the customer from the flight.”

 [But Munoz, whose version of the episode appears to come from the playbook of how to dig oneself into an ever deeper hole, also undermined the argument that the flight was overbooked. He related that “after the flight was fully boarded,” gate agents “were approached by crewmembers that were told they needed to board the flight.” The implication is that the crewmembers heading to Louisville were late in arriving, that every passenger held a paid ticket and had been properly boarded, and only that only belatedly did United decide to pull passengers off the plane to make room.

 [It’s unclear from United’s contract of carriage how either its rule regarding “refusal of transport” (Rule 21) or “denied boarding compensation” (Rule 25) applies to a passenger already seated and instructed to deplane to make room for a company employee rather than another paying passenger.

 [Whether United had “no choice” but to forcibly eject the passenger also is questionable, as presumably the airline could have transported its crewmembers to Louisville either by road (a five-hour drive) or by chartering another aircraft. In any event, Munoz in his letter asserts that “treating our customers and each other with respect and dignity is at the core of who we are.”]

 Plainly this was a botched job in countless ways and at multiple levels. The reports are that the flight was the last one to Louisville on Sunday, and that United offered passengers up to $800 plus overnight accommodations and an alternative flight leaving Monday afternoon in order to free up four seats for a flight crew needing to reach Louisville.

 When you buy a plane ticket, here's what you have to agree to »

 Video posted by United passenger Audra Bridges shows a passenger being forcibly removed from a flight. Video posted by United passenger Audra Bridges shows a passenger being forcibly removed from a flight. SEE MORE VIDEOS

 When the voluntary offer failed, four passengers evidently were chosen at random to be involuntarily bumped. This happened after the plane had been loaded, which is certainly an unusual wrinkle in the annals of passenger treatment. One couple went quietly, but another passenger objected. Before being dragged off the plane, he reportedly identified himself as a doctor with patients to see on Monday. When he refused to go, the ground staff summoned airport police, who physically manhandled him out of his seat and dragged him, bloodied, down the aisle as several other passengers documented the event on their smartphones. The plane was delayed by two hours.

 What sort of training United offers its personnel to manage such episodes isn’t known, but plainly it stinks.

 What’s even more important is what this episode says about the terms and conditions of air travel in the United States. It’s in a bad way.

 To begin with, the law allows air carriers to overbook flights — that is, sell more tickets than they have seats for. That’s plainly a situation that benefits the airlines almost exclusively, because it tends to ensure that every seat will be filled even at the cost of leaving some passengers behind. How many businesses do you know of that can sell you a good or service, accept payment, and then withdraw that good or service unilaterally for their own purposes — much less by force?

 Passengers bumped involuntarily have rights to compensation, but the airlines have great latitude to set their own priority rules for bumping travelers. Typically it’s those paying the lowest fares, lacking membership in a frequent-flyer program, or checking in late who are most at risk. Bumpees who are going to be more than two hours late to a domestic destination are entitled to compensation of 400% of their one-way fare, up to $1,350, plus the value of their ticket.

 These rules, obviously, are in dire need of upgrading to suit modern conditions. The Department of Transportation acknowledges in its outline of passenger rights that some passengers may be more amenable to voluntary bumping than others, or more flexible in their travel plans: “Almost any planeload of airline passengers includes some people with urgent travel needs and others who may be more concerned about the cost of their tickets than about getting to their destination on time.” The agency encourages airlines to “negotiate with their passengers for mutually acceptable compensation” in order to secure needed seats.

 As Daniel Gross observed at Slate.com, airlines have squeezed their overbooking privilege until it screams for mercy, even as they’re consistently flying fuller planes. (Question: When was the last time you boarded a plane that had more than a small handful of middle seats open?) In the most recent boom-and-bust airline cycle, the industry “load factor” — the percentage of seats filled — bottomed out at 72.21% in February 2009, in the teeth of a crushing recession, but more recently has run in the mid-80s. That appears to be as high as it’s been in this century and may be an absolute limit, because some routes will never run at 100%. ||||| United Airlines has been a real dick lately. On Monday morning, the world woke up to a very disturbing video of a hapless passenger being bloodied and dragged off an overbooked flight so that a United employee flying stand-by could fly instead. This is just the latest in an increasingly enraging pattern of bad behavior by the airline. So what can you do about it? Easy: stop giving United your money.

 This peaceful form of protest is called a boycott, and it’s loads of fun. If you stop flying United and tell all your friends to stop flying United, the airline will suffer, and at least a sliver of justice will be served. The best part is that there are plenty of other airlines out there that don’t abuse passengers and refuse to apologize. (United did apologize for “the overbook situation” but not for the abuse.) Other airlines will gladly take your money and make sure you get to your destination without enlisting a muscleman to slam your head into an armrest and forcibly remove you from the plane so that one of its employees can get a free flight. This is not a normal thing to do. Even the airline’s CEO couldn’t properly apologize for what happened.

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 What’s especially despicable about United is the fact that this latest jaw-dropping incident doesn’t seem out of the ordinary for the airline. It was just a couple of weeks ago that United refused to allow three young girls to board their flight, because they were wearing leggings. United didn’t apologize for that incident, instead pointing concerned customers to an arcane clause in its contact of carriage. That opened United up to a real shitstorm of bad press. Then again, United must be used to this kind of thing by now.

 There are plenty more incidents that suggest that United Airlines is an evil company. Last year, former Port Authority chairman David Samson pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy after an investigation revealed that Samson had given United permission to build a hangar in exchange for the airline reopening a route between Newark and Columbia, South Carolina, close to where the chairman had a weekend home. The favor-trading scandal also led to Jeff Smisek to resign as United’s CEO. Two other senior executives also resigned in disgrace.

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 But wait, there’s more. Just a few months before Smisek’s resignation, United made headlines for diverting a flight in order to kick an autistic child off of a flight. This happened after fellow passengers claimed that the child was not being disruptive and pleaded with the flight crew to be more sensitive to the her needs. United apparently didn’t apologize for that incident initially, even though the local police who had to take the autistic child off the plane did. In response to the incident, hundreds called for a boycott of United flights.

 Two weeks after the incident with autistic girl, United fucked up again! Tahera Ahmad, a Muslim chaplain at Northwestern University accused the airline of discrimination after she requested an unopened can of Diet Coke for “hygienic reasons” and the flight attendant refused. “Well I’m sorry I just can’t give you an unopened can so no Diet Coke for you,” the flight attendant reportedly said. But then, she gave an unopened can of beer to the man sitting next to Ahmad. When the Muslim woman protested, the flight attendant said, “We are unauthorized to give unopened cans to people because they may use it as a weapon on the plane.” The call for a United boycott was quickly renewed when the story went viral on Facebook.

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 So it’s safe to say that this United boycott idea is overdue. After all, the above horror stories are just a sampling of United’s bad behavior from the past couple years, and it seems obvious that they aren’t just isolated incidents. There seems to be a systematic pattern of United treating passengers badly and even engaging in corrupt dealings with the authorities. This is probably why United consistently ranks as one of the worst airlines for customer service. The airline is so terrible that last it enlisted a team to figure out how to be less awful. Clearly, they didn’t figure it out because United’s bad behavior seems to be getting worse, now that the airline is bringing in hired goons to bloody up passengers who are just trying to get home.

 Do you want to get beat up by a mercenary on your next flight? Of course you don’t. So stop flying United, and tell your friends to stop flying United. There are plenty of good airlines out there. You shouldn’t have to give your money to a bad one. ||||| In case the viral video of police violently dragging a man off an overbooked United Airlines flight in Chicago didn’t make it clear, let us repeat: Airlines often have more passengers than available seats and some carriers, apparently, aren’t afraid to kick you off.

 United said it not have enough room for all its booked passengers because it had to transport four crew members to Louisville for another flight.

 United’s fumbling of the situation is one matter. Here’s a look at what overbooking is—and why airlines do it.

 Why are there more tickets than seats?

 Airlines frequently sell more seats on their flights than the airplane holds, a way to guard against passengers who cancel or somehow fail to make it to the airport. It’s legal, and airlines won’t it abandon the practice anytime soon because they would leave precious pennies on the table when passengers are no-shows. No airline wants to give passengers compensation, so United’s incident also exposes what might be a poorly managed inventory system.

 Do I have to get off the airplane?

 Yes. There are two ways passengers can be denied boarding: voluntarily and involuntarily. The US Department of Transportation requires airlines to first seek volunteers to take a later flight and carriers will generally offer compensation in the form of a voucher for future travel. If you go for this option, negotiate the terms and make sure the airline tells you if there are any blackout dates to use the voucher. The voucher amount can vary, depending on how many volunteers are needed and how many people are willing to get bumped. If 10 people come forward in hopes of a voucher, you’ll likely be disappointed because there could be more than enough volunteers. That will likely mean not the sweetest of offers.

 What if no one wants to take another flight?

 This is where airlines get nervous, and passengers should too. Without volunteers, airlines can pick passengers at random to get bumped. They make money when the planes are in the sky, not at the gate, so they’ll want to ensure they don’t hold up the plane. The Department of Transportation and airlines’ contracts of carriage spell out the amount of compensation, which depends on the fare and how long it will be before bumped passenger can fly.

 If the airline offers you a new flight that will get you to your destination within an hour of your original arrival time, there is no compensation. If the new flight’s arrival is within one to two hours after the original arrival time, compensation must be at least 200% of the flight cost, but with a limit of $675.

 On the Chicago to Louisville flight caught on video, United reportedly offered $800 and two people accepted. Under federal rules, if the substitute flight will get you to your final destination more than two hours later, or if the airline doesn’t make any other travel arrangements, compensation is 400% of the fare ,up to $1,350. United caps compensation at $1,350.

 The passenger in the video was reportedly a doctor who refused to be bumped because he had patients scheduled the next day, according to the Courier-Journal.

 Following a series of large airline mergers, passengers have fewer carriers to to choose from, an issue that crops up during technical glitches that ground airlines. That means that if passengers are involuntarily bumped but absolutely need to fly (think: a wedding, a funeral, a vital meeting) they have fewer carriers on which to catch a last-minute flight.

 Can an airline forcibly remove me?

 Yes. Airlines have a low bar for kicking passengers off planes. Any boarding disturbance could delay the flight’s departure, or if an incident escalates in the air, it could force the pilot to divert to another airport, a costly detour.

 An airline can remove you from a flight for screaming at passengers, insulting a president’s daughter (yes, really), singing, or even for smelling badly.

 Under those rules, the United crew on Sunday generally would be allowed to deem the passenger a security risk merely for his refusal to obey crew instructions. That brings on airport security or the police.

 Isn’t there a better way?

 Probably. The backlash against United on social media has been swift following the alarming images of the bloodied passenger. Higher compensation to the passengers might have drawn more volunteers, and saved the airline from yet another public-relations black eye like last month’s leggings debacle. Certainly the airline could have afforded to offer more—its profits topped $2 billion last year. |||||

– United Airlines' treatment of a passenger who was forcibly removed from an overbooked flight is the final straw, writes Adam Clark Estes on Gizmodo: It's time for a boycott. "There are plenty of other airlines out there that don’t abuse passengers and refuse to apologize," Estes writes. "Other airlines will gladly take your money and make sure you get to your destination without enlisting a muscleman to slam your head into an armrest and forcibly remove you from the plane so that one of its employees can get a free flight." This, by the way, is "just the latest in an increasingly enraging pattern of bad behavior by the airline"; other reasons to boycott United include, but are not limited to, the time United diverted a flight to kick off an autistic child and the time it refused to give an unopened can of soda to a Muslim chaplain on one of its flights. Estes is far from the only person outraged—Sasha Lekach at Mashable calls United's attempts at apologizing for the situation "meaningless corporate jargon" that just enraged people more. At the Los Angeles Times, Michael Hiltzik says United's handling of the entire incident was "botched" and shameful, but notes that the real problem is that the law allows airlines to overbook, even at risk of a situation like this. "How many businesses do you know of that can sell you a good or service, accept payment, and then withdraw that good or service unilaterally for their own purposes—much less by force?" At Slate, Daniel Gross calls the overbooking system airlines use "ridiculous" and "outdated," and notes that lately, more passengers than usual are getting bumped from overbooked flights, a fair number of them involuntarily: It's time for "a better way," he writes. If you find yourself in the same unfortunate situation as the United passenger, Quartz offers up an explainer of what you're legally entitled to.


– People are outraged after video surfaced Sunday night showing a passenger being forcibly and violently removed from a United Airlines flight that had been overbooked. As the Courier-Journal reports, four seats were needed on the Chicago-to-Louisville flight so that crew members could get to Louisville for a flight assignment Monday morning. Passengers were told that volunteers were needed to give up their seats and that they would receive $400, a hotel stay, and a flight the following day. They were told the flight wouldn't take off until four people had given up their seats, but no one volunteered. The airline then doubled the offer to $800 and still no one volunteered. A manager then came on board and used a computer to randomly select passengers who would need to leave the flight. A couple was selected and left, and then the man in the video was selected. He explained that he's a doctor and had patients he needed to see Monday morning, but was told that security would be called if he didn't exit the flight voluntarily. He said he would be calling his lawyer, and eventually, three security officials came onboard, pulled him from his seat, and dragged him down the aisle and off the plane. Passengers say everyone on the flight was appalled, and children onboard were scared. The man got back on the plane, reportedly "disoriented" and with his face bloodied, and ran to the back of the plane. A medical crew came aboard and passengers were asked to return to the gate while the plane was "tidied up." Eventually the plane departed two hours late. United has since apologized for overbooking, the Week reports, but no update has been given on the passenger who was removed. Video of the incident from two different angles is here and here.

Expand this summary.

A man was forcibly removed from an overbooked United Airlines flight Sunday, sparking widespread horror after a video of the incident was posted online:

 @United overbook #flight3411 and decided to force random passengers off the plane. Here's how they did it: pic.twitter.com/QfefM8X2cW — Jayse D. Anspach (@JayseDavid) April 10, 2017

 According to the passenger who filmed the video, United initially asked if four volunteers on the flight from Chicago to Louisville would be willing to give up their seat for $400, a free night in the hotel, and a flight at 3 p.m. Monday. The plane required the seats for flight crew members, who were needed in Louisville in order to arrive in time for their next flights. When no passenger accepted the trade, the airline doubled the offer to $800. When still no one accepted, United reportedly used a computer to randomly choose passengers who had already boarded the flight to be required to give up their seats.

 After two people willingly left the plane, the man in the video reportedly said he was unwilling to surrender his seat because he was a doctor and had patients to see in the Louisville area Monday morning. He was then aggressively dragged from the plane, his face bloodied by officers forcing him out of his seat. Passengers filmed the incident, and the man can be heard screaming in captured footage. The man was eventually allowed to re-board the plane, which left with a two-hour delay.

 "Everyone was shocked and appalled," said Audra D. Bridges, who recorded the video and gave her account of the events to The Courier-Journal. "There were several children on the flight as well that were very upset."

 A spokesperson for United said: "Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville was overbooked. After our team looked for volunteers, one customer refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate. We apologize for the overbook situation." Jeva Lange ||||| United Airlines planes at San Francisco International Airport on July 25, 2013. (Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)

 A video posted on Facebook late Sunday evening shows a passenger on a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville being forcibly removed from the plane before takeoff at O’Hare International Airport.

 The video, posted by Audra D. Bridges at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, is taken from an aisle seat on a commercial airplane that appears to be preparing to take flight. The 31-second clip shows three men wearing radio equipment and security jackets speaking with a man identified as Elizabethtown doctor David Dao seated on the plane. After a few seconds, one of the men grabs the passenger, who screams, and drags him by his arms toward the front of the plane. The video ends before anything else is shown.

 A United spokesperson confirmed in an email Sunday night that a passenger had been taken off a flight in Chicago.

 "Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville was overbooked," the spokesperson said. "After our team looked for volunteers, one customer refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate.

 "We apologize for the overbook situation. Further details on the removed customer should be directed to authorities."

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 Bridges, a Louisville resident, gave her account of the flight Sunday night.

 Passengers were told at the gate that the flight was overbooked and United, offering $400 and a hotel stay, was looking for one volunteer to take another flight to Louisville at 3 p.m. Monday. Passengers were allowed to board the flight, Bridges said, and once the flight was filled those on the plane were told that four people needed to give up their seats to stand-by United employees that needed to be in Louisville on Monday for a flight. Passengers were told that the flight would not take off until the United crew had seats, Bridges said, and the offer was increased to $800, but no one volunteered.

 Then, she said, a manager came aboard the plane and said a computer would select four people to be taken off the flight. One couple was selected first and left the airplane, she said, before the man in the video was confronted.

 On Monday, United released a statement from CEO Oscar Munoz: "This is an upsetting event to all of us here at United. I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers. Our team is moving with a sense of urgency to work with the authorities and conduct our own detailed review of what happened. We are also reaching out to this passenger to talk directly to him and further address and resolve this situation."

 United CEO response to United Express Flight 3411. pic.twitter.com/rF5gNIvVd0 — United (@united) April 10, 2017

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 Bridges said the man became "very upset" and said that he was a doctor who needed to see patients at a hospital in the morning. The manager told him that security would be called if he did not leave willingly, Bridges said, and the man said he was calling his lawyer. One security official came and spoke with him, and then another security officer came when he still refused. Then, she said, a third security official came on the plane and threw the passenger against the armrest before dragging him out of the plane.

 The man was able to get back on the plane after initially being taken off – his face was bloody and he seemed disoriented, Bridges said, and he ran to the back of the plane. Passengers asked to get off the plane as a medical crew came on to deal with the passenger, she said, and passengers were then told to go back to the gate so that officials could "tidy up" the plane before taking off.

 Bridges said the man shown in the video was the only person who was forcibly removed.

 "Everyone was shocked and appalled," Bridges said. "There were several children on the flight as well that were very upset."

 The flight was delayed around two hours before it could fly to Louisville, and it arrived in Kentucky later Sunday night. No update was given to the passengers about the condition of the man forcibly removed, Bridges said.

 The Chicago Department of Aviation said Monday afternoon that it had placed the security officer who pulled the man out of his seat on leave pending a “thorough review” of the situation.

 The aviation department said in an emailed statement that the incident wasn’t in accordance with its standard operating procedure and the officer’s actions “are obviously not condoned by the Department.”

 The department confirmed that all three men who were seen on video talking to the man who was removed from the flight were aviation security officers.

 CLOSE A video posted on Facebook late Sunday evening shows a passenger on a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville being forcibly removed from the plane before takeoff at O’Hare International Airport. Wochit

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Summarize this article:

After three long and challenging weeks, Sandy Hook Elementary students returned to class Thursday at a nearby middle school in Monroe, Conn., where they will remain until their old school is no longer designated a crime scene. NBC's Rehema Ellis reports.

 The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School returned to class Thursday, filling buses that took them to a new building where they were thrilled to reconnect with their friends and teachers after three weeks of mourning.

 “Most of the kids were excited,” said Monroe, Conn., Police Lt. Keith White.

 “They were anxious to get into the hallways and meet up with the other kids, and you could see the teachers had the same response.”

 The 400-plus students had not been back to school since Adam Lanza blasted his way into Sandy Hook and killed 20 first-graders, six staffers and himself with a semi-automatic rifle.

 Their old school in Newtown is still a crime scene, so an unused middle school in nearby Monroe was refurnished for them.

 Teachers tried to make the new surroundings as familiar as possible. Their old desks were brought in, along with backpacks, coats, and lunch boxes that were left behind as they fled on Dec. 14.

 Even the new principal was a known face: Donna Page, who retired from the role at Sandy Hook in 2010, agreed to come back after her successor, Dawn Hochsprung, was killed in the rampage.

 Yet there were also reminders of how much the Sandy Hook community has changed since the shooting rocked the nation and stirred debate on gun control.

 Monroe Police Dept. / AP This photo provided by the Monroe Police Department shows the new Sandy Hook Elementary School on the first day of classes in Monroe, Conn. The school, formerly known as Chalk Hill School, was overhauled especially for the students from Sandy Hook

 Police officers and counselors were on hand. Parents were allowed to stay in the building for the day. And children cuddled with therapy dogs.

 He said attendance was robust, with most school buses full as they rumbled down streets that had been decorated with balloons and welcome signs.

 Andrew Paley said he waited for the bus with his 9-year-old twins at the bottom of his driveway Thursday morning.

 “They just ran on. They didn’t even look back,” he said. “There was probably some anxiety but it was more excitement. They both love school, so they loved going back.’

 PhotoBlog: See images of Sandy Hook students returning to class for first day

 While security was very visible, it will become more low-key as the weeks pass in an effort to restore some normalcy.

 “We don’t want them to think this is a police state,” White said. “We want them to know that this is a school and a school first, and that’s a place that they are to come to learn, enjoy their friends and grow up.

 “We want to move on and let the kids move on, too.”

 Lt. Keith White says Sandy Hook students were excited to see friends as they returned to school on Thursday for the first time since the Dec. 14 massacre in Newtown, Conn.

 Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said it took a “Herculean effort” to prepare the school in Monroe for the Sandy Hook kids.

 He also announced a commission that will spearhead legislative and policy reforms designed to ensure no other children have to endure the horror they survived.

 “We don’t yet know the underlying cause behind this tragedy, and we probably never will,” he said, referring the mystery of Lanza’s motive for attacking the school. “But that cannot be an excuse for inaction.”

 He said the 15-member commission would look at three areas -- school security, mental health services, and gun laws.

 “If 30-round clips had continued to be illegal in the nation or in our state, the availability of that clip to this particular perpetrator may not have existed,” Malloy said.

 “These things aren’t used to hunt deer. You don’t need a 30-round clip to go hunting ... to honor the Constitution of the United States.”

 The panel, which will issue recommendations in March, will be headed by Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson, who said the issues resonated with him personally.

 “This is an issue that touches us all,” Jackson said. “My son is in first grade.”

 NBC News' Joo Lee contributed to this report.

 Shannon Stapleton / Reuters Children from Sandy Hook Elementary School make their way to their new school in Monroe Conn. As they leave Newtown on Jan. 3.

 More content from NBCNews.com:

 Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook ||||| Sandy Hook students and teachers will be reunited in the classroom on Thursday, but today they have a chance to tour their new school in Monroe.

 Sandy Hook Elementary School students returned to classes Thursday in Monroe.

 Students, teachers and staff are "going back to business as usual," said Monroe Police Lt. Keith White Thursday.

 Students were excited as they entered their new school building and reunited with friends as classes got back together, White said.

 Attendance was very good Thursday, the first day classes resumed after 20 students and six women were killed in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on Dec. 14, White said.

 Most students arrived by bus, White said. Parents were invited into the school as Sandy Hook principal Donna Page, Newtown School Superintendent Janet Robinson and members of the Newtown board of education greeted students and parents, White said.

 Parents met with school officials and law enforcement members as students resumed a regular school day, White said.

 Once a middle school, the former Chalk Hill School in Monroe has been given a makeover and renamed. It is now Sandy Hook Elementary School — a nod to its new occupants who began classes in the building Thursday.

 Newtown's neighbor, Monroe, offered use of the former Chalk Hill School, which was closed almost two years ago.

 The new Sandy Hook school is about 7 miles south of the old school.

 White reported buses arrived on time Thursday and there were no major issues.White reported buses arrived on time Thursday and there were no major issues. ||||| Dow Jones Reprints: This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.com ||||| The Newtown schools superintendent says preparations have been made for a "normal" day, yet it will likely be anything but that when classes resume for Sandy Hook Elementary School students for the first time since a gunman killed 20 of their classmates.

 Chalk Hill School is seen in Monroe, Conn., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. The Sandy Hook Elementary School students fron Newtown, Conn., will begin classes on Thursday at Chalk Hill School. The school was... (Associated Press)

 A man waves to a child on a bus on the first day of classes after the holiday break, in Newtown, Conn.,Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. School resumes Wednesday for students in Newtown, except for the Sandy Hook... (Associated Press)

 Children board a bus on the first day of classes after the holiday break, in Newtown, Conn., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. Nearly three weeks after the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown,... (Associated Press)

 A police officer greets a bus at the entrance to a school on the first day of classes after the holiday break, in Newtown, Conn., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. Nearly three weeks after the shooting rampage... (Associated Press)

 This December 2012 photo provided by The Newtown Bee shows a sign welcoming Sandy Hook Elementary School students, of Newtown, Conn., to the Chalk Hill School campus in neighboring Monroe, Conn. An open... (Associated Press)

 A woman hugs a child before he boards a bus on the first day of classes after the holiday break, in Newtown, Conn., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. Children from Sandy Hook Elementary School will return to... (Associated Press)

 A green and white ribbon, the school colors of Sandy Hook Elementary School is seen attached to a bus on the first day of school after the holiday break, in Newtown, Conn., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. Nearly... (Associated Press)

 Greg Gnandt, left, and Guy Veneruso work on the installation of 26 stars on the roof of the Sandy Hook fire station Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, in Newtown, Conn. The stars were made and installed by a group... (Associated Press)

 This December 2012 photo provided by The Newtown Bee shows the Chalk Hill School building in Monroe, Conn. An open house was planned for the Sandy Hook Elementary School students, of neighboring Newtown,... (Associated Press)

 A sign for Chalk Hill School is seen in Monroe, Conn., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. School resumes Wednesday for students in Newtown, Conn., except for the Sandy Hook Elementary School students, who will... (Associated Press)

 With their original school still being treated as a crime scene, the students will begin attending classes at a refurbished school in the neighboring town of Monroe on Thursday. Law enforcement officers have been guarding the new school, and by the reckoning of police, it is "the safest school in America."

 Still, Newtown Superintendent Janet Robinson said officials will do their best to make the students feel at ease.

 "We will go to our regular schedule," she said. "We will be doing a normal day."

 On Wednesday, the students and their families were welcomed at an open house at their new school, which was formerly the Chalk Hill Middle School in Monroe but renamed as the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Students received gift boxes with toys inside and shared joyful reunions with teachers.

 One father, Vinny Alvarez, took a moment to thank his third-grade daughter's teacher, Courtney Martin, who protected the class from a rampaging gunman by locking her classroom door and keeping the children in a corner.

 "Everybody there thanked her in their own way," he said.

 The gunman, Adam Lanza, also killed his mother at the home they shared in Newtown before driving to the school, where he slaughtered 20 children and six educators, including the school's principal. Lanza fatally shot himself as police arrived. Police haven't released any details about a motive.

 Numerous police officers on Wednesday guarded the outside of the Monroe school, which is about 7 miles from the old school, and told reporters to stay away.

 "I think right now it has to be the safest school in America," Monroe police Lt. Keith White said.

 Teachers attended staff meetings at the new school on Wednesday morning and were visited by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy before the open house, White said.

 Robinson said Chalk Hill School has been transformed into a "cheerful" place for the surviving students to resume normal school routines. She said mental health counselors continue to be available for anyone who needs them.

 During the open house, Alvarez said his 8-year-old daughter also got to pick out a stuffed animal to take home from the school library.

 "I'm not worried about her going back," he said of his daughter Cynthia. "The fear kind of kicks back in a little bit, but we're very excited for her and we got to see many, many kids today. The atmosphere was very cheerful."

 Several signs welcoming the Sandy Hook students to their new school were posted along the road leading to the school in a rural, mostly residential neighborhood. One said "Welcome Sandy Hook Elementary Kids," while a similar sign added "You are in our prayers."

 Teams of workers, many of them volunteers, prepared the Chalk Hill school with fresh paint and new furniture and even raised bathroom floors so the smaller elementary school students can reach the toilets. The students' desks, backpacks and other belongings that were left behind following the shooting were taken to the new school to make them feel at home.

 ___

 Eaton-Robb reported from Hartford, Conn. |||||

– It's the first day back at Sandy Hook Elementary for survivors of last month's shooting—and its new campus, guarded by law enforcement, is "the safest school in America," police tell the AP. Police are checking every car that enters campus, and there are unspecified "security devices" on site, NBC News reports. Still, Superintendent Janet Robinson is trying to make today as "normal" as possible, and says the students will follow their regular schedule. Much work was done on the new school, a former middle school in a neighboring town, to make the students feel at home. Chalk Hill Middle School was renamed Sandy Hook Elementary School; bathroom floors were raised so its new, younger inhabitants can reach the toilets; and some of the familiar furniture from the old school was brought in, the Hartford Courant notes. That includes their old desks and other items to make the classrooms look the same as the ones students are used to; backpacks, lunchboxes, coats, and other belongings left at the old school were also waiting for students at the new one. Signs welcoming the students were posted along the road leading to the school, and the halls were decorated with snowflakes sent from all over the world and other "cheerful" decor. Former Sandy Hook principal Donna Page, who retired in 2010, returned; her successor, Dawn Hochsprung, died in the shooting. "The main thing it means ... is that they are getting back to their normal structures and routines," a psychiatrist who counseled survivors tells the Wall Street Journal. It's "the right time for them to essentially to step back on the path." Counselors are on hand at the new school for anyone who needs them.


Write a summary based on this article:

The chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee says President Barack Obama might be taking too long to respond to the growing threat from Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria.

 “I’ve learned one thing about this president, and that is he’s very cautious. Maybe, in this instance, too cautious,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in an interview aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

 Feinstein said she agrees with an op-ed by Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina over the weekend in The New York Times calling for an immediate military plan to confront the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

 ISIL’s goal, she said, is to take the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and attack the American Embassy there.

 Though Obama was widely criticized last week for saying the White House didn’t have a strategy for dealing with ISIL, Feinstein said the Pentagon and State Department have been planning for some time. And, she said, she hopes those plans will “coalesce” into a strategy that a coalition of allies can use to confront the militant group.

 Feinstein did praise Obama for including the new Iraqi government in the planning.

 “What I understand he is trying to do is give an opportunity for this new Iraqi government … to make a move that offers an alternative to the Sunni people in [the] country,” she said.

 Read more about: Barack Obama, Iraq, Dianne Feinstein, Syria ||||| The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said on Sunday that President Barack Obama’s "don't-do-stupid-stuff" approach to foreign affairs isn't working and that the White House's response to multiple international crises is causing problems for allies.

 Appearing on “Fox News Sunday," Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said the president needs a stronger response to provocations from Russia and China and to the terrorist threat from Islamic militants in Syria and Iraq.

 “This is an opportunity for the president … to bring the country together so that we understand this ‘don’t-do-stupid-stuff’ policy isn’t working,” Rogers said. “If the world perceives that the United States does not have a consistent policy of saying what it means and meaning what it says, you’re going to see more of this pressure.”

 Rogers said the president has not taken strong enough action against Russia’s incursions into Ukraine and has taken too long to respond to the growing threat of Islamic militants in Syria and Iraq. And, he said, the perceived weakness of the response has encouraged China to push limits in international waters and forced Britain to increase its security measures in the face of threats from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

 “The United States seems to be in the malaise of not being that concerned,” Rogers said. “If you have your own European allies saying, ‘Maybe the United States isn’t a leader on this issue,’ that’s a problem for us.”

 Read more about: Barack Obama, Iraq, Russia, Foreign Policy, Mike Rogers, Syria ||||| Sen. John McCain on Sunday called for “additional U.S. troops” to help in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, but he said those troops should continue playing a support role and not be directly involved in combat.

 Appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” the Arizona Republican blasted President Barack Obama’s handling of the issue, saying “he’s either in denial or overwhelmed.”

 “This is a direct threat to the United States of America,” McCain said of the extremist group’s grip on parts of Iraq and Syria. “It may be one of the biggest we’ve ever faced.”

 Specifically, McCain urged the Obama administration to provide more weapons to Kurdish fighters in Iraq and to expand the U.S. military airstrikes in Iraq to Syria.

 Read more about: John McCain, ISIL ||||| Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, on Sunday defended President Barack Obama’s much-criticized Thursday remark that when it comes to taking on the Islamic State extremist group in Syria, “We don’t have a strategy yet.”

 Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the Maryland congressman said the Obama administration is working to develop a plan and that “when the time is right, we will do what we have to do.”

 Ruppersberger said dealing with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, in Syria was very different than dealing with the group in Iraq, where “the government wants us to come in.” Syria, he said, has sophisticated air defense systems, and the United States has limited intelligence about potential targets in the war-ravaged country.

 “It’s extremely urgent, but you just don’t rush in because the media’s talking about it,” Ruppersberger said. “We will do what we have to do to protect us from ISIS,” he said, using another acronym for the group.

 Meanwhile, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Iraq War veteran, said the United States should have started working much earlier to stop ISIL and knocked the president for his "strategy" remark.

 “I think it’s unfortunate that he used the term, we have no strategy in Syria,” the Illinois Republican said.

 Read more about: Barack Obama, Iraq, Syria, Dutch Ruppersberger |||||

– Republicans were today again busily piling on President Obama's strategy—or lack thereof—against Islamic State militants, but this week they were joined by a pretty prominent Democrat: Dianne Feinstein. "I’ve learned one thing about this president, and that is he’s very cautious," said the Senate Intel Committee chair, adding that, "maybe, in this instance, too cautious." Feinstein said she agreed with John McCain and Lindsey Graham's op-ed this weekend calling for military action, reports Politico, adding that she hopes the Pentagon and State Department can "coalesce" their planning into a single strategy to take on ISIS. Elsewhere on your Sunday dial: Mike Rogers: "This is an opportunity for the president to bring the country together so that we understand this ‘don’t-do-stupid-stuff’ policy isn’t working. If you have your own European allies saying, ‘Maybe the United States isn’t a leader on this issue,’ that’s a problem for us." John McCain: The Arizonan wants "additional US troops" to fight ISIS, and says Obama is "either in denial or overwhelmed. This is a direct threat to the United States of America. It may be one of the biggest we’ve ever faced." Dutch Ruppersberger: Referencing the White House's lack of ISIS strategy, the Maryland Democrat said, "It’s extremely urgent, but you just don’t rush in because the media’s talking about it. We will do what we have to do to protect us from ISIS."


Summarize this article:

John Heath in the Danbury Superior Court House for Heath's arraignment on a murder charge for the death of Heath's wife, Elizabeth, 28 years ago in Newtown.

 The husband of a woman whose body was found inside a well under a barn in Newtown pleaded not guilty to a murder charge on Tuesday and is being held on $1 million bond.

 John Heath, 68, of Bridgewater, was charged with the murder of his wife, Elizabeth Gough Heath,on Monday. He appeared in court wearing oxygen tubes, the News-Times reports.

 Heath, whose daughter lives in Puerto Rico, according to the News-Times, was ordered to hand in his passport.

 Prosecutors said officials acted quickly to arrest Heath after a moving truck was spotted at his house over the weekend.

 Elizabeth Gough Heath was reported missing in April 1984, just days after John Heath filed for divorce. She was 30 years old at the time.

 John Heath reported his wife missing on April 6, 1984. According to court records, he told police she took off with $600 cash, but told several friends she left with no money.

 A father and son found Elizabeth Gough Heath’s remains in April 2010 as they were renovating the barn at 89 Poverty Hallow Road.

 They were working on breaking through badly damaged flooring when they found a covered well. Inside were pillows, a blanket, a pillow case and a bag containing what looked like a human femur.

 Elizabeth had been wrapped in bedding and placed head-first into the hole in the barn with a plastic bag covering her skull, according to court records.

 When police questioned John Heath, he said he renovated the barn in 1990 and used a jackhammer to open hole in floor to put a cast iron pipe under concrete, according to information from court. During the renovation, a relative asked him about what was under a concrete lid in the barn and he said it was an old septic tank and to leave it alone.

 When police told John Heath that Elizabeth had a broken forearm and the bone was smashed, Heath said "Smashed like a..." He didn't finish the sentence but raised and lowered his hands as he said "smashed" as if he was holding something, according to court records.

 The medical examiner previously ruled Elizabeth's death a homicide. She died from four blows to the head, the medical examiner determined.

 Her left arm was broken, which authorities said was consistent with a defensive wound, and there was a traumatic amputation of her maxilla.

 Land records show that John Heath owned the property until 2005, when he lost the property to foreclosure.

 John Heath's friends said he was a Vietnam Veteran with a volatile temper and still very disturbed by what he encountered in Vietnam.

 Copyright Associated Press / NBC Connecticut ||||| Heath pleads not guilty in wife's death John Heath: Charged in 1984 murder of his estranged wife, Elizabeth, whose remains were found in Newtown barn in 2010

 John Heath's mug shot. Photo: Contributed Photo / Erin Cox John Heath's mug shot. Photo: Contributed Photo / Erin Cox Image 1 of / 28 Caption Close Heath pleads not guilty in wife's death 1 / 28 Back to Gallery

 DANBURY --Twenty-eight years after telling police she had abandoned him and their 4-year-old daughter in the middle of the night, John Heath pleaded not guilty in state Superior Court on Tuesday morning to the crime friends and family members say they have long suspected he committed, the 1984 murder of his wife at their Poverty Hollow Road home in Newtown.

 The 68-year-old, retired painting contractor was taken into custody by Newtown Police on Monday evening, two years after Elizabeth Heath's remains were found wrapped in bedclothes and stuffed head-first into a cistern beneath the floor of a former dairy barn the new property owner was renovating.

 Newtown Police Chief Michael Kehoe said Tuesday that investigators obtained the arrest warrant for Heath late Monday afternoon, and eventually found him driving on Hannibal Road in Newtown.

 "Obviously, we're pleased," Kehoe said Tuesday. "It's been an exhaustive investigation."

 Breathing with the aid of an oxygen tank and wearing a gray, hooded sweatshirt, Heath was arraigned before Judge John Blawie, who rejected a request by his interim attorney, Public Defender Miles Gerety, to reduce the $1 million bond set when Heath was arrested.

 More Information About John Heath Age: 68 Town: Bridgewater Charge: Murder of wife Elizabeth, in Newtown, on or about April 1, 1984 Bond: $1 million

 State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky said the arrest warrant was issued after authorities were tipped about a moving truck outside Heath's rented home in Bridgewater over the weekend. Heath, his wife, Raquel, and their two children moved there after losing the Newtown property to foreclosure in 2005, triggering the sequence of events that led to the discovery of Elizabeth Heath's body in April 2010.

 Blawie also ordered Heath to surrender his passport.

 Gerety declined to comment after the brief hearing, as did Raquel Heath when she was besieged by reporters as she was leaving the courthouse.

 After repeatedly responding to questions with, "No comment, no comment," she eventually asked one television reporter, ``Do you want me to sing it to you?"

 For years, John Heath told family members and friends that his 32-year-old wife had vanished without explanation as he slept, leaving behind their daughter, her dogs, car and most of her belongings.

 The couple were in the process of getting a divorce, but numerous people interviewed told investigators they had doubts about John Heath's story, and they said Elizabeth Heath would never have abandoned her daughter.

 One former neighbor told investigators that Heath's daughter, Meghann, was "joined to her at the hip," police said in the warrant.

 John Heath obtained the divorce in August 1984 and he married his current wife, who had been a friend of Elizabeth's and a babysitter for their daughter, the following June.

 The 30-page arrest warrant affidavit includes, almost verbatim, many of the interviews police conducted during the lengthy investigation, shedding light on the couple's faltering, nearly six-year marriage and laying bare the suspicions of the couple's friends, neighbors and members of John Heath's family that he was responsible for her disappearance.

 Even John Heath's own mother, who has since died, believed "something wasn't right, I know John did something to her," Elizabeth Heath's sister-in-law, Debbie Lewis, told investigators.

 Lewis, who was married to John Heath's half-brother, said Elizabeth told her, "If anything happens to me, you know that John did it," according to the warrant.

 Detectives also cited inconsistencies in the story John Heath told after Elizabeth disappeared, and quoted one of his current wife's cousins about Heath's response when the cousin asked what was beneath the hatchway in the barn floor while they were building a basement apartment in 1996.

 "Heath stated it was septic and leave it alone," police quoted the cousin, Robert Rivera.

 But most of the information contained in the lengthy document appears to be circumstantial, thin on the kind of forensic evidence that would conclusively tie a suspect to a crime.

 Much of the potential forensic evidence had degraded over the years that the body lay hidden, making it impossible to recover DNA, Kehoe said.

 "Time and environmental factors had a definite effect on what we could do," the chief said. "What we have is a totality of the circumstances. You want to ask the question, `Where did this young lady go and why would she leave her child?'"

 An autopsy determined that Elizabeth Heath died of multiple blows to the head. She also suffered a broken arm, consistent with a defensive wound, according to the affidavit.

 Blawie continued the case to May 16, allowing time for the appointment of a special public defender for Heath, Sedensky said.

 Gerety can no longer continue to represent Heath because members of his staff had been police officers in Newtown, creating a conflict of interests, the prosecutor said.

 Blawie set June 19 as the tentative date for a probable cause hearing in the case.

 jpirro@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342 |||||

– A Connecticut man has pleaded not guilty after being charged in his wife's murder of nearly three decades ago. The remains of Elizabeth Heath were discovered two years ago in a well below a barn that once belonged to her husband. John Heath, 68, who used an oxygen tank in court, reported his wife missing in 1984, days after filing for divorce. He told friends and family she had left him and their daughter with no explanation while he was asleep, the Danbury News Times reports. But her dogs and most of her things—including her car—remained. Her body was discovered by a father and son who were renovating the barn in 2010, after John Heath lost it in a 2005 foreclosure. The body's left arm was broken; when police told Heath the bone had been smashed, he reportedly said, "Smashed like a..." and waved his arms up and down without finishing his sentence, NBC Connecticut reports. Heath was traumatized by his experience fighting in Vietnam, according to friends, who said he had a temper.


Write an article based on this summary:

– Tired of wimpy cappuccinos and limp lattes? Now you can jump-start your day with the "world's strongest coffee." At least that's the claim of the not-so-subtly-named Black Insomnia, which contends it has scientific proof its brew packs multiple times the punch of a normal cup of Joe. The South African newcomer boasts it has achieved "dangerously high levels of caffeine" by harvesting only Robusta beans, rather than the tamer Arabica variety. As for taste, which seems beside the point, the brand promises "a nice walnut and almost sweet taste profile," with nary a trace of "a burnt and high acidic flavor." You can be the judge (kind of): The company announced its beans went on sale in the US via Amazon last Friday, but it's currently listed as unavailable. It's apparently a hot contest for the global title of strongest coffee, with companies such as Death Wish in the running. Food & Wine gives context with this math: Caffeine Informer lists 351mg of caffeine in a 6-ounce cup of Black Insomnia, compared with 330mg for Death Wish. That's skirting the maximum 400mg per day that the Mayo Clinic recommends for "healthy adults." A normal cup packs a relatively paltry 70mg. Founder Sean Kristafor claims to have essentially reached the upper limit, with a press release warning competitors against attempting to "surpass this content in the interest of public health and safety." Further, he notes that while developing his coffee, "any blend that resulted in a higher caffeine content than 702mg [per 12 ounces] adversely affected the flavor and thus was rejected." (These students were given potentially lethal doses of caffeine.)

Though the global takeover of Starbucks and an explosion in third wave roasters have greatly improved coffee’s long time 20th century reputation as a dirt-flavored morning clock-punching aid, all the subtle notes of pink grapefruit and ginger in the world won’t erase the fact that plenty of people just use it as a caffeine delivery system. Which is why while some hip brands focus on things like “single-origin,” a few hardcore companies will always pander to the maximum pick-me-up crowd – aiming to conquer the crown of “world’s strongest coffee.”

 Launched in 2016, Black Insomnia, a South Africa-based coffee company, is the most recent brand to claim that title, saying it has scientific proof that its blend is the most caffeinated in the world – with “dangerously high levels of caffeine” as the brand awkwardly boasts. And now, the king of caffeinated coffees is finally available in the US.

 In the ongoing battle for the “world’s strongest coffee” crown, the unfortunately named Death Wish Coffee Company appeared to be the most legitimate previous king. However, according to Grub Street, Black Insomnia says that after an independent analysis of its beans and its competitors’ beans by a lab in Switzerland, Black Insomnia’s coffee was the “clear winner.” Caffeine Informer says Black Insomnia has 702 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce cup; meanwhile, Death Wish has 660 milligrams. For the record, both brands offer up more of the mild upper per 12-ounce serving than the 400 milligrams medical experts recommend you consume in an entire day. And to give this whole thing a bit of perspective, a “normal” 12-ounce cup of coffee will only have about 150 milligrams of caffeine. Meanwhile, a can of Coke only has 34 milligrams of caffeine. By comparison, the soda’s basically a sleep aid.

 Though caffeine might be its primary selling point, Black Insomnia also wants customers to know its product is “strictly pure coffee” – apparently achieved from sourcing the most highly caffeinated Robusta beans (as opposed to the more flavorful Arabica beans) – all “without a burnt and high acidic flavor.” Its coffee still offers “a nice walnut and almost sweet taste profile,” the brand writes.

 If all of this talk of super strong coffee has left you pining for a case of the jitters, good news, Black Insomnia is finally available in the US thanks to Amazon. A 16-ounce bag will set you back $19.99 – not a bad price all things considered… assuming you don’t factor in any future medical bills. ||||| Our general interest e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

 Caffeine: How much is too much? Caffeine has its perks, but it can pose problems too. Find out how much is too much and if you need to curb your consumption. By Mayo Clinic Staff

 If you rely on caffeine to wake you up and keep you going, you aren't alone. Caffeine is used daily by millions of people to increase wakefulness, alleviate fatigue, and improve concentration and focus.

 How much is too much?

 Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. That's roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two "energy shot" drinks. Keep in mind that the actual caffeine content in beverages varies widely, especially among energy drinks.

 Although caffeine use may be safe for adults, it's not a good idea for children. Adolescents should limit caffeine consumption. Avoid mixing caffeine with other substances, such as alcohol.

 Even among adults, heavy caffeine use can cause unpleasant side effects. And caffeine may not be a good choice for people who are highly sensitive to its effects or who take certain medications.

 Women who are pregnant or who are trying to become pregnant and those who are breastfeeding should talk with their doctors about limiting caffeine use.

 Read on to see if you may need to curb your caffeine routine.

 You drink more than 4 cups of coffee a day

 You may want to cut back if you're drinking more than 4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day (or the equivalent) and you're experiencing side effects such as:

 Migraine headache

 Insomnia

 Nervousness

 Irritability

 Restlessness

 Frequent urination or inability to control urination

 Stomach upset

 Fast heartbeat

 Muscle tremors

 Even a little makes you jittery

 Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than are others. If you're susceptible to the effects of caffeine, just small amounts — even one cup of coffee or tea — may prompt unwanted effects, such as restlessness and sleep problems.

 How you react to caffeine may be determined in part by how much caffeine you're used to drinking. People who don't regularly drink caffeine tend to be more sensitive to its negative effects. Other factors may include genetics, body mass, age, medication use and health conditions, such as anxiety disorders.

 You're not getting enough sleep

 Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night. But caffeine, even in the afternoon, can interfere with this much-needed sleep.

 Chronically losing sleep — whether it's from work, travel, stress or too much caffeine — results in sleep deprivation. Sleep loss is cumulative, and even small nightly decreases can add up and disturb your daytime alertness and performance.

 Using caffeine to mask sleep deprivation can create an unwelcome cycle. For example, you may drink caffeinated beverages because you have trouble staying awake during the day. But the caffeine keeps you from falling asleep at night, shortening the length of time you sleep.

 You're taking medications or supplements

 Certain medications and herbal supplements may interact with caffeine. Examples include:

 Ephedrine. Mixing caffeine with this medication — which is used in decongestants — might increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke or seizure.

 Mixing caffeine with this medication — which is used in decongestants — might increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke or seizure. Theophylline (Theo-24, Elixophyllin, others). This medication, used to open up bronchial airways, tends to have some caffeine-like effects. So taking it with caffeine might increase the adverse effects of caffeine, such as nausea and heart palpitations.

 This medication, used to open up bronchial airways, tends to have some caffeine-like effects. So taking it with caffeine might increase the adverse effects of caffeine, such as nausea and heart palpitations. Echinacea. This herbal supplement, which is sometimes used to prevent colds or other infections, may increase the concentration of caffeine in your blood and may increase caffeine's unpleasant effects.

 Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether caffeine might affect your medications.

 Curbing your caffeine habit

 Whether it's for one of the reasons above — or because you want to trim your spending on coffee drinks — cutting back on caffeine can be challenging. An abrupt decrease in caffeine may cause withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, irritability and difficulty focusing on tasks. Fortunately, these symptoms are usually mild and resolve after a few days.

 To change your caffeine habit, try these tips:

 Keep tabs. Start paying attention to how much caffeine you're getting from foods and beverages, including energy drinks. Read labels carefully. But remember that your estimate may be a little low because some foods or drinks that contain caffeine don't list it.

 Start paying attention to how much caffeine you're getting from foods and beverages, including energy drinks. Read labels carefully. But remember that your estimate may be a little low because some foods or drinks that contain caffeine don't list it. Cut back gradually. For example, drink one fewer can of soda or drink a smaller cup of coffee each day. Or avoid drinking caffeinated beverages late in the day. This will help your body get used to the lower levels of caffeine and lessen potential withdrawal effects.

 For example, drink one fewer can of soda or drink a smaller cup of coffee each day. Or avoid drinking caffeinated beverages late in the day. This will help your body get used to the lower levels of caffeine and lessen potential withdrawal effects. Go decaf. Most decaffeinated beverages look and taste the same as their caffeinated counterparts.

 Most decaffeinated beverages look and taste the same as their caffeinated counterparts. Shorten the brew time or go herbal. When making tea, brew it for less time. This cuts down on its caffeine content. Or choose herbal teas that don't have caffeine.

 When making tea, brew it for less time. This cuts down on its caffeine content. Or choose herbal teas that don't have caffeine. Check the bottle. Some over-the-counter pain relievers contain caffeine — as much as 130 mg of caffeine in one dose. Look for caffeine-free pain relievers instead.

 The bottom line

 If you're like most adults, caffeine is a part of your daily routine. And most often it doesn't pose a health problem. But be mindful of those situations in which you need to curtail your caffeine habit.

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