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Uganda adopts draconian anti-gay bill

 By Grace Matsiko (AFP) – Dec 20, 2013

 Kampala — Uganda's parliament on Friday adopted an anti-homosexuality bill that will see repeat offenders jailed for life, with lawmakers hailing it as a victory against "evil".

 Deputies voted overwhelmingly in favour of the text, which has been widely condemned by rights activists and world leaders -- with US President Barack Obama describing it as "odious" and Nobel Peace laureate archbishop Desmond Tutu comparing it to apartheid.

 The lawmaker behind the bill, David Bahati, said a death penalty clause was dropped from the final version of the bill. The approved text must now be given the green light by President Yoweri Museveni, himself a devout evangelical Christian.

 "This is a victory for Uganda. I am glad the parliament has voted against evil," Bahati told AFP.

 "Because we are a God-fearing nation, we value life in a holistic way. It is because of those values that members of parliament passed this bill regardless of what the outside world thinks," he said.

 First proposed in 2009, the bill had been shelved following international condemnation, but parliamentary spokeswoman Hellen Kaweesa said the changes meant that it had secured "majority support" among MPs.

 "Now anybody found practising, recruiting for or publicising homosexuality commits a felony," said Simon Lokodo, Uganda's Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity.

 He added that the law provided for punishments of between two years and life behind bars.

 An early version of the bill would have introduced the death sentence for anyone caught engaging in homosexual acts for a second time, as well as for gay sex where one partner is a minor or has HIV.

 "We think this is an achievement for Uganda because the minors will be protected and the innocents will be saved from abuse and molestation," Lokodo said.

 "We will get hold of all those encouraging others to become homosexuals or lesbians. Anybody we find recruiting or using materials to promote homosexuality, we will arrest."

 Homophobia is widespread in Uganda, where American-style evangelical Christianity is on the rise. Gay men and women in the country face frequent harassment and threats of violence, and rights activists have also reported cases of lesbians being subjected to "corrective" rapes.

 In 2011, prominent Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato was bludgeoned to death at his home after a newspaper splashed photos, names and addresses of gays in Uganda on the front page along with a yellow banner reading "Hang Them".

 Anti-pornography bill

 While homosexuality was already illegal, the new bill stiffens penalties and also criminalises the public promotion of homosexuality -- including discussions by rights groups.

 After the vote, Ugandan gay activist Frank Mugisha declared himself "officially illegal" and also "outraged and disappointed".

 "This is a truly terrifying day for human rights in Uganda," he said. "It will open a new era of fear and persecution. If this law is signed by President Museveni, I'd be thrown in jail for life and in all likelihood killed.

 "We urgently need world leaders to call on President Museveni and demand he stops this bill of hate from becoming law."

 Leslie Lefkow of Human Rights Watch said the law was "abhorrent".

 "The bill?s provision on the criminalisation of 'promotion' is a direct attack on the legitimate work of national and international activists and organisations working to defend and promote human rights in Uganda," HRW added in a statement.

 Amnesty International said the "wildly discriminatory legislation" was "a grave assault on human rights".

 One Ugandan MP, Fox Odoi, was also critical.

 "Fundamentally there is the human rights issue. It's a bad law and it doesn't serve any useful purpose," he said.

 "If a man has sex with a woman and penetrates her anus, there's supposed to be nothing wrong with that. How can you apply two different standards to what is much the same thing? I can't quite understand that."

 The vote also comes a day after the Ugandan parliament passed an anti-pornography and dress-code law that bans anything that is deemed sexually suggestive.

 "Anybody that dresses in very short skirt or a very opened shirt that allows people to see the breast, anybody that dresses in a way that we can see the buttocks, is condemned by this law," Lokodo said.

 It also outlaws "any erotic behaviour intended to cause sexual excitement or any indecent act or behaviour tending to corrupt morals".

 In 2008, former ethics and integrity minister James Nsaba Buturo tried to pass similar legislation claiming a woman wearing provocative clothing risked causing traffic accidents by distracting drivers.

 President Museveni caused an uproar in 2012 when he told female school students to "keep a padlock on your private parts until the time comes to open them when you have a husband."

 In addition to outlawing "provocative" clothing, the anti-pornography bill will result in scantily dressed performers being banned from Ugandan television. It will also closely monitor what individuals watch on the Internet.

 A British man, Bernard Randall, is currently facing trial in Uganda and a possible two-year sentence if convicted for "trafficking obscene publications" after police found pictures of him having gay sex.

 Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved. More » ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Gay rights campaigner Claire Byarugaba: "We would rather stay and fight but we know that people in power are way too powerful"

 Uganda's parliament has passed a bill to toughen the punishment for homosexual acts to include life imprisonment in some cases.

 The anti-homosexuality bill also makes it a crime punishable by a prison sentence not to report gay people.

 The prime minister opposed the vote, saying not enough MPs were present.

 The bill has been condemned by world leaders since it was mooted in 2009 - US President Barack Obama called it "odious".

 I am glad the parliament has voted against evil David Bahati, MP

 The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga in Kampala says the government knows there will be an international outcry, which could see some countries suspend aid to the country.

 She says that Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi might follow up on his complaints about a lack of quorum, while it remains to be seen whether President Yoweri Museveni will sign the bill into law.

 The private member's bill originally proposed the death penalty for some offences, such as if a minor was involved or the perpetrator was HIV-positive, but this has been replaced with life in prison.

 Miniskirt ban

 The MP behind the bill, David Bahati, told the AFP news agency: "This is victory for Uganda. I am glad the parliament has voted against evil."

 Analysis The introduction of this bill led Uganda to be called the worst place to be gay. As parliament debated it, gay activists met in a suburb of the capital Kampala to work out their own plan. They say their lives are often in threat here because of intolerance. First tabled in parliament back in 2009, the proposed law caused such an international backlash that it has languished in parliamentary bureaucracy up until now. It originally proposed a death sentence for certain homosexual acts but this was scrapped and punishment limited to life imprisonment. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has been instrumental in giving the bill a new lease of life. Last year she promised it as a "Christmas gift" to the country. The challenge is enforcement. Authorities need to be able to gather evidence that shows someone has engaged in homosexuality. This is hard to prove and one of the reasons Uganda's current anti-gay legislation has been rarely enforced. But once enacted the bill might give law enforcers extra motivation to tackle "homosexual crimes". This could lead to more arrests and intrusive medical exams.

 "Because we are a God-fearing nation, we value life in a holistic way. It is because of those values that members of parliament passed this bill regardless of what the outside world thinks," he said.

 The bill also bans the promotion of homosexuality.

 "I am officially illegal," Ugandan gay activist Frank Mugisha said after the vote.

 The bill's supporters say it is needed to protect traditional family values, which they say are under attack from Western-inspired gay rights groups.

 Its critics say the bill has been pushed by some US evangelical Christians.

 Uganda is a socially conservative country and on Thursday passed an Anti-Pornography Bill, which bans miniskirts and sexually suggestive material such as some music videos.

 Human rights activists say the bill highlights the intolerance and discrimination the gay community faces in Uganda.

 One gay activist was killed in 2011, although the police denied he was targeted because of his sexuality.

 Meanwhile a local newspaper has been condemned for publishing the names and addresses of people it said were gay.

 Image caption Briton Bernard Randall is facing prosecution in Uganda

 Holidaymakers and visiting foreigners are not immune from prosecution under Uganda's existing anti-homosexuality laws.

 A retired British man is awaiting trial in Entebbe on charges of possessing a gay sex video after thieves found images on his laptop.

 Sixty-five-year-old Bernard Randall, from Kent, faces a possible two-year prison sentence if found guilty.

 His friend Albert Cheptoyek, a Ugandan national with whom he shares a house, has denied a more serious charge of carrying out "acts of gross indecency", which could see him jailed for up to seven years if found guilty. |||||

– Ugandan lawmakers today overwhelmingly approved what would be one of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world. Homosexual acts were already illegal in Uganda, but now anyone caught committing this crime twice will be imprisoned for life, the AFP reports. The first draft of the law called for the death penalty in such cases, but it was shelved for years amidst international outrage. The bill also makes not reporting homosexuals a crime you could go to jail for, the BBC reports. It essentially outlaws gay rights groups as well, making it illegal to promote homosexuality. (Though many groups were already specifically banned.) The bill passed despite opposition from the prime minister, who said not enough lawmakers were present. "This is a victory for Uganda," the lawmaker behind the bill said. "I am glad the parliament has voted against evil." Activists are naturally despairing. "I am officially illegal," one said following the vote. The bill still needs to be signed by President Yoweri Museveni.


Michael Horn admits carmaker was dishonest with US regulators as France calls for Europe-wide inquiry into emissions-fixing scandal

 The US chief executive of Volkswagen has said the company has “totally screwed up” over the emissions scandal that has rocked the automotive industry.

 Michael Horn admitted at an event in Brooklyn, New York, on Monday night that VW had been dishonest with regulators and the public.

 VW scandal: what the emissions revelations mean Read more

 The world’s second-biggest carmaker could face a fine of up to $18bn (£11.6bn), criminal charges for its executives, and legal action from customers and shareholders due to US claims it used a defeat device to falsify emissions data. The device recognises when the car is being tested and immediately cuts emissions to a level that is much lower than normal and unsustainable under usual driving conditions.

 Shares in Volkswagen fell by another 5% on Tuesday after losing almost a fifth of their value on Monday.

 In further developments, France’s finance minister called for a “Europe-wide” investigation into diesel cars to “reassure” the public.

 Michel Sapin told French radio: “This is not a minor subject, it’s not about speed or the quality of leather. What we are dealing with is making sure people avoid being poisoned by pollution.”

 South Korea said on Tuesday it would investigate emissions of the VW Jetta and Gold models plus Audi A3 cars produced in 2014 and 2015. If problems are found, South Korea’s environment ministry said its inquiry could be expanded to all German diesel imports, which have surged in popularity in recent years in a market long dominated by local producers such as Hyundai.

 VW scandal must change how we think about transport and the environment | Letters Read more

 The US Congress also confirmed it is investigating the scandal. The House energy and commerce committee chairman, Fred Upton, and the oversight and investigations subcommittee chairman, Tim Murphy, announced that the oversight and investigations subcommittee will hold a hearing.

 In addition, the US Department of Justice could conduct a criminal investigation into Volkswagen.

 Horn, speaking at an event to launch a new version of the Passat sedan, which featured rock star Lenny Kravitz, said: “Our company was dishonest with the EPA, and the California air resources board and with all of you, and in my German words: we have totally screwed up.

 “We must fix the cars to prevent this from ever happening again and we have to make this right. This kind of behaviour is totally inconsistent with our qualities.

 “We are committed to do what must be done and to begin to restore your trust. We will pay what we have to pay.”

 The comments from Horn are the first in public by a senior VW executive since the scandal emerged, although the company apologised on Sunday. He left the event without taking questions.

 One of the officials involved in uncovering the alleged behaviour has told the Guardian that the emissions-fixing scandal could extend to other companies and countries.

 Billions of pounds have been wiped off the value of global carmakers amid growing concerns that emissions tests may have been rigged across the industry.

 “We need to ask the question, is this happening in other countries and is this happening at other manufacturers? Some part of our reaction is not even understanding what has happened exactly,” said John German, one of the two co-leads on the US team of the International Council for Clean Transportation (ICCT), the European-based NGO that raised the alarm.

 The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Friday that VW had installed illegal software to cheat emission tests, allowing its diesel cars to produce up to 40 times more pollution than allowed. The US government ordered VW to recall 482,000 VW and Audi cars produced since 2009.

 In response, Martin Winterkorn, chief executive of VW, said in a statement on Sunday he was “deeply sorry” for breaking the trust of the public and ordered an external investigation.

 A British expert in low-emission vehicles claimed the manipulation of air pollution data could be widespread and that tests in Europe are “much more open to this sort of abuse”.

 Greg Archer, a former government adviser and head of clean vehicles at the respected Transport & Environment thinktank, said: “I am not surprised. There has been a lot of anecdotal evidence about carmakers using these defeat devices. All credit to the EPA for investigating and finding the truth.”

 Archer, the former managing director of the UK’s Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership and non-executive director for the government’s Renewable Fuels Agency, said the scandal could spread into petrol cars and CO2 levels. “It is probably not limited to diesel and not limited to emissions,” he added.

 The devices are thought to work by injecting more urea – an exhaust fluid – into the car when it is being tested. This limits nitrogen oxide emissions to a fraction of their usual level. The car detects it is being tested because devices such as the anti-collision systems have to be turned off when it is in the laboratory. The extra urea is not injected into the car when it is on the road because it would quickly run out.

 Archer claims European tests are more open to abuse because they are conducted before the car goes into mass production and by companies that have been paid by the carmakers. These testing companies have been verified by regulators in each country, such as the Vehicle Certification Agency, but in the US the tests are conducted by an independent body.

 Industry leaders in Britain claimed there was no evidence that manufacturers are cheating the system in Europe but admitted it needs to be reformed.

 Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the industry trade body, said: “The EU operates a fundamentally different system to the US – with all European tests performed in strict conditions as required by EU law and witnessed by a government-appointed independent approval agency. There is no evidence that manufacturers cheat the cycle.

 “The industry acknowledges, however, that the current test method is outdated and is seeking agreement from the European commission for a new emissions test that embraces new testing technologies and is more representative of on-road conditions.”

 The US allegations involve a series of diesel cars produced by VW and the brands it owns, such as Audi. These include the Audi A3, VW Jetta, Beetle, Golf and Passat models. VW has halted sales of these models. ||||| SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said Tuesday it will investigate emission levels of Volkswagen diesel vehicles after the world's top-selling automaker admitted cheating U.S. tests.

 Park Pan-kyu, a deputy director at South Korea's environment ministry, said that four models — Golf, Jetta, Beetle and Audi A3 — are subject to the probe, which is expected to end in November. About 6,000 vehicles made in 2014 and 2015 were sold under those nameplates in South Korea.

 Volkswagen AG admitted that it rigged U.S. tests so it would appear that its diesel-powered cars were emitting fewer nitrogen oxides, which can contribute to ozone buildup and respiratory illness.

 Park said Volkswagen could be fined up to 4 billion won ($3.4 million) and required to recall the vehicles if wrongdoing is found.

 "Volkswagen Korean office says that South Korean models are different from the U.S. models but we'll have to test," Park said. "We think they could be similar."

 The German automaker's Korean office declined to comment.

 Some $15 billion was wiped from Volkswagen's market value after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the violations on Friday.

 The automaker faces up to $18 billion in penalties in the U.S. alone.

 Volkswagen overtook Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. to become the world's top-selling automaker in the first half of the year. ||||| Image copyright Getty Images

 The boss of Volkswagen's US business has admitted the firm was dishonest in using software to rig emissions tests.

 Michael Horn said the firm was dishonest with US regulators, adding: "We have totally screwed up."

 Last Friday, the regulators said VW diesel cars had much higher emissions than tests had suggested.

 French Finance Minister Michel Sapin has called for an EU inquiry, but a UK car industry spokesman said there was "no evidence" of cheating.

 Mike Hawes, who is chief executive of the UK's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said the EU operated a "fundamentally different system" from the US, with tests performed in strict conditions and witnessed by a government-appointed independent approval agency.

 "There is no evidence that manufacturers cheat the cycle," he said. "Vehicles are removed from the production line randomly and must be standard production models, certified by the relevant authority - the UK body being the Vehicle Certification Agency, which is responsible to the Department for Transport."

 However, he also described current testing methods as "outdated" and said the car industry wanted an updated emissions test, "more representative of on-road conditions".

 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Michael Horn, president and chief executive of Volkswagen Group of America: "Our company was dishonest... we have totally screwed up"

 Fines looming

 France's Mr Sapin said inquiries in Europe had to be conducted "at a European level".

 "We are a European market with European rules," he told Europe 1 radio. "It is these that have to be respected. It is these that have been violated in the United States."

 Elsewhere, the South Korean government said it would test up to 5,000 Jetta and Golf cars, along with Audi A3s made in 2014 and 2015.

 Its investigation will be expanded to all German diesel cars if issues are found.

 VW shares plunged nearly 20% on Monday after the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that software in several diesel cars could deceive regulators.

 Volkswagen was ordered to recall half a million cars in the US on Friday.

 In addition to paying for the recall, VW faces fines that could add up to billions of dollars. There may also be criminal charges for VW executives.

 The White House in Washington also reportedly said it was "quite concerned" about VW's conduct.

 Volkswagen scandal 11 million Vehicles affected worldwide €6.5bn Set aside by VW

 $18bn Potential fines

 No. 1 Global carmaker in sales

 Analysis: Richard Westcott, Transport Correspondent

 There's one question people keep asking me at the moment. Is this the car industry's version of Libor, the scandal that rocked the financial world?

 It's way too early to say just yet. But the pressure is now on the car industry to prove that cheating the pollution figures isn't a widespread problem stretching across both sides of the Atlantic.

 The German government is investigating whether other companies are massaging their emissions data. The American regulator is widening its probe to other carmakers.

 If they dig up more examples, the implications could be huge. Fines running into billions. A complete loss of credibility. And worst of all, the possibility that people have become ill or even died early because of higher emissions.

 Americans don't tend to buy diesels. They represent just 3% of their car market. But half of all new cars sold in Europe are a diesel.

 Diesel cars: Is it time to switch to a cleaner fuel?

 Chief apologises

 Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn apologised after the scandal emerged and said he would "support" the German transport ministry's investigation into the carmaker.

 He has launched an investigation into the software, which allowed VW cars to emit less during tests than they would while driving normally.

 "We do not and will not tolerate violations of any kind of our internal rules or of the law," Mr Winterkorn said.

 The EPA found the "defeat device", the device that allowed VW cars to emit less during tests than they would while driving normally, in diesel cars including the Audi A3 and the VW Jetta, Beetle, Golf and Passat models.

 VW has stopped selling the relevant diesel models in the US, where diesel cars account for about a quarter of its sales.

 'A very bad light'

 The EPA said that the fine for each vehicle that did not comply with federal clean air rules would be up to $37,500 (£24,000). With 482,000 cars sold since 2008 involved in the allegations, it means the fines could reach $18bn.

 That would be a considerable amount, even for the company that recently overtook Toyota to be the world's top-selling vehicle maker in the first six months of the year. Its stock market value is about €66bn ($75bn; £48bn).

 VW has ordered an external investigation, although it has not revealed who will be conducting it.

 "It's clearly putting German industry under a very bad light," former VW employee Arndt Ellinghorst, now head of global automotive research at Evercore ISI, told BBC News.

 Mr Ellinghorst explained why it was so difficult to sell diesel cars in the US: "Carmakers have to comply with 31mg NOx (nitrogen oxide) emissions per km. In Europe, that's 80mg, so it's much easier to comply in Europe when you're selling a diesel vehicle compared to the US.

 "It makes cars far more expensive, because carmakers have to add more technology." |||||

Write a summary.

– After rigging emissions tests to fool regulators, Volkswagen appears to have belatedly decided that honesty is the best policy. Michael Horn, the chief of the German automaker's US business, told an audience at an event in New York last night that the company had cheated, the BBC reports. "Our company was dishonest with the EPA, and the California air resources board and with all of you, and in my German words: We have totally screwed up," he said, promising that the company would "make this right" and "will pay what we have to pay." The company will face around $18 billion in fines in the US alone, and countries such as South Korea are now also investigating emissions from Volkswagen's diesel vehicles, the AP reports. Volkswagen may be punished with more than fines: Sources tell Bloomberg that the Justice Department—which recently launched a push to go after individuals as well as corporations in cases of corporate wrongdoing—is considering criminal proceedings, which could involve executives in both Germany and the US. The scandal has already wiped more than $16 billion off Volkswagen's share price and the fallout could just be beginning. Experts tell the Guardian that the use of software to cheat emissions tests could be widespread in other countries and with other manufacturers. (Some 500,000 diesel Volkswagen vehicles in the US have been recalled, and Consumer Reports has yanked its favorable ratings.)


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Under a new Arizona abortion law that takes effect Thursday, more babies with fatal fetal defects are expected to be carried to term, even though they will die within minutes, hours or days. But more will also be done to help their families get through the trauma of losing a child.

 House Bill 2036 forbids doctors from aborting most fetuses with a gestational age of 20 weeks or older, even in situations where the doctor discovers the fetus has a fatal defect. The law also defines gestational age as beginning on the first day of the woman's last period, meaning abortions are actually banned starting at 18 weeks of pregnancy -- typically about the same time a doctor would perform ultrasounds where most abnormalities are detected.

 Eight other states also ban abortions after 20 weeks, but Arizona is the only one with a law that actually pushes the ban back to 18 weeks into the pregnancy.

 According to state records, women in Arizona terminate about 100 pregnancies a year after 20 weeks, but it's unclear how many of those are because of a problem with the pregnancy.

 The new law requires doctors to offer information about perinatal hospice services to women considering abortion at any stage of their pregnancy because of a fatal fetal abnormality. It also requires the state to maintain a website list of organizations that provide services.

 The two organizations that offer such help, MISS Foundation and Embrace, provide counseling and comfort, help develop birth plans, attend births, organize meals, create mementos, make funeral arrangements and prepare families for every outcome.

 The Legislature provided no funding for such services, and volunteers for the two groups, while thrilled the state and doctors will spread the word about the service, worry they'll be overwhelmed when the law takes effect.

 In other states with similar abortion restrictions, most of the programs for families continuing with a difficult pregnancy are hospital- or hospice-based. They also often don't provide services as broad as the Arizona organizations do, such as services that extend to the entire family and continue after delivery.

 The Arizona organizations scrape by with private donations and volunteer help. Unlike similar pediatric programs for sick children or hospice services, before-birth programs are a relatively new idea and not billable to insurance companies. Participating families aren't asked to pay for help.

 "This law may have intended to do good, but it can really adversely affect non-profit organizations that desperately want to help people but maybe can't help the number of people who now come to us," MISS Foundation founder and CEO Joanne Cacciatore said. "We are already stretched very, very thin. I don't know where this money would come from."

 Cacciatore said one or two families a month facing a pregnancy with a fatal prognosis contact MISS Foundation.

 "They're finding us on their own," she said. "I don't know what will happen when the Legislature opens this up."

 Berdette Carrasco, Dana Southworth, Christina Portillo and Dani Baxter run Embrace while juggling full-time jobs and caring for their own families. They do what they do because they have expertise in obstetrics and therapy, and are compelled to help others. Carrasco and Southworth have gone through the loss of one of their own children because of a fetal anomaly.

 "The natural order is that grandparents die," Southworth said. "It's not children dying before parents. It shatters our order."

 Carrasco said she doesn't know how many new families the new law may bring to them, but they are trying to prepare for everyone who may need their help.

 "There will be people now having to continue a pregnancy without an option (in Arizona)," she said. "We want to support these families."

 Getting help

 Julia Gonzales still had an option when she learned earlier this year that there was something very wrong with her baby. Her daughter Carmen is due any day now, but she likely won't live long enough to take her first breath.

 Eighteen weeks into the pregnancy, doctors diagnosed Carmen with anencephaly, a neural-tube defect in which babies develop without most of their brain or skull.

 As a devout Catholic, Gonzales, 30, refused to consider abortion.

 "I didn't even have the idea in my mind to stop the pregnancy," she said. "And then two weeks after they told us, we saw her. She was a girl. But we never expected it would be this bad. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't stop the pregnancy."

 Gonzales is an example of what an unknown number of Arizona women will be required to face under HB 2036. But she's also getting the kind of help that will be more accessible under the new law.

 Gonzales struggles to speak through her tears when she thinks about what will happen when Carmen is born. But she is determined to spend every moment she can with her daughter. She's getting through each day largely with the help of the women who run Embrace.

 Resource for families

 Embrace has about 20 clients. The Gonzales family and one other are awaiting the births of their children. Some of the other families are grieving the death of their child while others are learning how to care for and celebrate children with various health challenges.

 "Bereavement is a piece of what we do, but not everything," Carrasco said. "A lot of babies with congenital anomalies will survive. We are meeting needs of the family that are not just medical, but are also emotional."

 She said their goal is to give families a single resource to help coordinate every need they may have. When Embrace workers first meet with a family, they provide them with accurate medical information about their child's diagnosis and connect them with other families who faced similar diagnoses.

 "Obstetricians tend to not have enough time to educate," Portillo said. "Sometimes we are the first person to really explain something."

 They prepare the family physically and emotionally for what to expect when their child is born.

 Carrasco said she doesn't expect that to change much when more families seek help because they have no choice in continuing with the pregnancy.

 "We have dealt with a couple of families that, because of late diagnosis or a lack of prenatal care, they didn't have a choice," she said. "I don't feel that there was a difference between the people choosing and those who did not by the time they get to this place in their pregnancy."

 She said the fear, sadness and stress are the same.

 "These families are hurting," Carrasco said. "As the delivery happens, regardless of the outcome, the level of stress is significant. There is a dramatic difference in a family not having anyone to help and them having an organization that knows what they're going through."

 The Embrace workers go to doctor appointments with the families and help translate medical jargon that can become overwhelming. They meet in advance with the delivery staff to ensure everyone understands what the family wants the delivery to be like, and are there to help during labor and delivery.

 "We do everything we can to give this child the best quality of life, even if it's just one second of life," Carrasco said.

 Moving away from guilt

 Gonzales, her husband, Joaquin, and 4-year-old twins Christian and John Carlos have met with the Embrace women half a dozen times. Gonzales' doctor told her about them when she was diagnosed, but she never called. Her doctor called Embrace and asked them to help.

 "If that doctor hadn't called Berdette (Carrasco), I wouldn't have been able to make it this far," Gonzales said.

 Before they got involved, Gonzales and her husband struggled to talk to each other about the baby, and her extended family refused to acknowledge the situation. Now the adults are starting to talk to the twins about how sick their baby sister Carmen is and how she will die.

 "At the beginning, I was fighting with God every day," Gonzales said. "When I started talking with Berdette and Dana, they showed me God had a purpose. Thanks to them, it's been easier going through this."

 Southworth pushes them to move away from guilt, from asking why and instead focusing on their love for Carmen.

 "Love her where she's at. What are places you would want to take her? Go there now before she's born and make memories," she tells them.

 Gonzales is trying, but she's not there yet. "How do you enjoy it when you know your daughter's going to die?" she sobbed. "I know I have to enjoy every move she makes inside me, but I can't. I'm trying to find a reason God gave us this baby."

 Prepared no matter what

 Not every family Embrace works with has a sad ending. Mike and Kelly Ely learned 18 weeks into their pregnancy that their son Preston had DiGeorge syndrome. The chromosomal disorder has a wide range of outcomes, most of which aren't known until the baby is born. Preston could have been born blind and deaf, with learning disabilities, deformed features or heart defects. He also could have died at birth.

 "Embrace was a huge support system," Kelly Ely said. "They made us feel so much more comfortable going forward with the pregnancy."

 She said Embrace workers explained what they could expect and helped the couple cope emotionally.

 The Embrace workers also helped the couple communicate with each other and assured them it was OK to be excited about the pregnancy.

 Preston was born with heart defects and had surgery at a week old. He has club feet, which can be corrected. Now 5 months old, he's a beautiful, bright-eyed, happy baby. "He's a little miracle," Kelly Ely said.

 Support through it all

 Together the Gonzales family and Embrace staff have written out a birth plan giving instructions to the hospital staff. Gonzales is terrified of what Carmen will look like, and at the same time feels guilty that fear makes her a bad mother.

 "I'm so scared about seeing her," she said. "When I remember her, I don't want to remember her looking like that. I'm so worried I won't be a good mom for her."

 When she's born -- no matter how long she lives -- Julia and Joaquin will bathe Carmen, dress her in a gown and have a priest baptize her. A professional photographer will capture the only family photos they'll ever take with her. They'll take as long as they need to say goodbye.

 "This is their last chance to parent their child," Southworth said.

 The women of Embrace have prepared the Gonzales family as best they can. But nothing can prepare parents to watch their child die at birth. And nothing can dissuade them from holding out hope for the impossible.

 "We're expecting a miracle," Gonzales said. "When you hear her heart, it's hard to believe she's not strong."

 So in the end, when there is no miracle, the women of Embrace will offer the most important thing they have -- they'll be there.

 "We can't fix this, but we can let them know how much we care," Southworth said. ||||| Arizona's ban on abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy is poised to take effect this week as scheduled after a federal judge ruled Monday that the new law is constitutional.

 U.S. District Judge James Teilborg said the statute may prompt a few pregnant women who are considering abortion to make the decision earlier. But he said the law is constitutional because it doesn't prohibit any women from making the decision to end their pregnancies.

 The judge also wrote that the state provided "substantial and well-documented" evidence that an unborn child has the capacity to feel pain during an abortion by at least 20 weeks.

 Republican Gov. Jan Brewer signed the measure into law in April, making Arizona one of 10 states to enact types of 20-week bans.

 Arizona's ban, set to take effect Thursday, prohibits abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy except in medical emergencies. That is a change from the state's current ban at viability, which is the ability to survive outside the womb and which generally is considered to be about 24 weeks. A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks.

 The New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights and another group filed a notice that they would be appealing Teilborg's decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

 "Today's decision casts aside decades of legal precedent, ignoring constitutional protections for reproductive rights that have been upheld by the United States Supreme Court for nearly 40 years and threatening women's health and lives," said Nancy Northup, the center's president and CEO.

 Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, who was sued as part of the challenge, said there was no telling whether the appeals court would prevent the law from taking effect. Commenting on Monday's decision, Montgomery said, "I thought it was sound legal reasoning and reached the appropriate conclusion."

 Brewer also lauded the ruling, saying in a statement that it protects women and children.

 Teilborg held a hearing Wednesday on a request from abortion-rights groups that he temporarily block the law's enforcement.

 The groups' lawyer said during the hearing that the ban crosses a clear line on what U.S. Supreme Court rulings permit, and it intrudes on women's health decisions at a key point in pregnancy. Montgomery argued the state Legislature was justified in enacting the ban to protect the health of women and to shield fetuses from pain.

 A second Arizona anti-abortion law enacted earlier this year also faces a court challenge. That law would bar public funding for non-abortion health care provided by abortion doctors and clinics.

 The anti-abortion laws are among many approved by Arizona's Republican-led Legislature. The other laws include restrictions on clinic operations, mandates for specific disclosures and a prohibition on a type of late-term abortion.

 Attorney Janet Crepps of the Center for Reproductive Rights argued at Wednesday's hearing that under Supreme Court decisions starting with the 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling that legalized abortion, states can only regulate how abortions are performed, not ban them, before a fetus is viable.

 Montgomery said that not implementing the 20-week ban would doom fetuses that might be saved due to advances in medicine.

 While North Carolina has long had a 20-week ban, Nebraska in 2010 was the first state to recently enact one. Five more states followed in 2010: Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas and Oklahoma.

 Along with Arizona, Georgia and Louisiana approved 20-week bans this year, though Georgia's law doesn't take effect until 2013.

 The Center for Reproductive Rights said none of the 20-week bans have so far been blocked by courts. |||||

– Arizona's new law banning abortions beginning at what the state defines as 20 weeks of pregnancy is constitutional, a US district judge has ruled, setting the stage for the law to go into effect this week. The new law may force some pregnant women to opt for an abortion earlier, but the measure is constitutional because it doesn't ban abortions outright, determined Judge James Teilborg. He also said the state provided "substantial and well-documented" evidence that a fetus can feel pain by at least 20 weeks gestation, reports AP. The ban is set to go into effect for all women except in cases of medical emergencies on Thursday. The New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights has filed a notice that it plans to appeal the decision to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, but it's not clear if that will hold up the law. The law will complicate "fetal defect" cases in which a number of babies with fatal problems must now be carried to term but will likely die in minutes or days after birth, reports the Arizona Republic. The new law forbids doctors from aborting most fetuses with a gestational age of 20 weeks or older, even in situations where the doctor discovers the fetus has such a defect. But the law defines gestational age as beginning with the first day of a woman's last period, which means most fetuses will typically have an actual gestational age of 18 weeks when abortions can no longer be performed. That's about the time ultrasound tests are conducted to detect abnormalities, notes the Republic.


– Relatives of the California Highway Patrol officer whose death sparked the first wave of Toyota recalls are taking the automaker to court. Mark Saylor was killed along with his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law when his Lexus ES350 was involved in a high-speed crash on a freeway last summer. The relatives blame Toyota for producing a fatally flawed vehicle and are suing for product liability and negligence, AP reports. Investigators determined that the crash was caused by a wrong-sized floor mat that trapped the accelerator, causing Saylor—a veteran officer and highly experienced driver—to lose control of the vehicle. Millions of Toyota vehicles were recalled soon afterward. A lawyer for the relatives says they are seeking more than just damages from Toyota, including "responsibility and change,” he told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “And that process has begun.”

Expand this summary.

Relatives of a family killed in a high-speed crash that galvanized attention around safety flaws of Toyotas and led to the recalls of millions of cars have sued the world's largest automaker for product liability and negligence, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

 The lawsuit filed in San Diego County Superior Court names Toyota Motor Corp., Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., other Toyota U.S. entities and El Cajon Luxury Cars, Inc. It seeks unspecified damages.

 California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, 45, his wife, Cleofe, 45, their daughter Mahala, 13, and Cleofe's brother Chris Lastrella, 39, were traveling on a freeway near Santee, California, on Aug. 28 when their vehicle reached speeds of more than 120 mph (193 kph), hit a sport utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames.

 Investigators found that a wrong-sized floor mat that trapped the accelerator was the cause of the crash.

 A haunting emergency call captured Lastrella telling the others to pray before the car launched off the embankment.

 According to the lawsuit, the Lexus ES350 "began to accelerate on its own." Saylor attempted to apply the brakes and do everything possible to stop the car, but he was unable to do so, the lawsuit said.

 Following that crash, Toyota recalled millions of cars to replace floor mats that it said could cause the accelerator to jam. The carmaker later recalled millions more vehicles to replace gas pedals that it said could stick.

 Last week, company president Akio Toyoda apologized to Congress, millions of Toyota owners and to the Saylor family specifically during a hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in Washington, D.C.

 Fe Lastrella, the mother of Chris Lastrella and one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, testified at that hearing.

 "I'm here to speak for my four children and for the safety of the consumers through the world," she told the committee. "You don't want another family to suffer like we are suffering." ||||| Saylor relatives suing Toyota, dealership

 Related stories Government still hearing complaints about fixed Toyotas

 READ THE SUIT View a copy of the lawsuit filed by Saylor family relatives (PDF)

  Relatives of California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor sued Toyota Motor Corp. Tuesday for producing what they say is a fatally flawed vehicle that led to the fiery deaths of Saylor, his wife, daughter and brother-in-law and touched off a wave of recalls by the company.

 The lawsuit filed in San Diego Superior Court also names the car dealership, Bob Baker Lexus in El Cajon, that provided Saylor the 2009 Lexus ES350 sedan as a loaner the morning of Aug. 28. Saylor had taken his car in for service that day.

 Later that day, the Lexus suddenly accelerated as the group traveled along state Route 125 and Saylor — a veteran officer and experienced driver — was unable to control it, according to the lawsuit. After reaching speeds of 120 mph the car crashed where the highway intersects with Mission Gorge Road in Santee.

 The lawsuit alleges product liability against Toyota and negligence against the dealership. It was filed by John Saylor, the officer’s father; Joan Robbins, his mother; Fe and Cleto Lastrella, the parents of Saylor’s wife, Cleofe; and his brother-in-law Christopher.

 Fe Lastrella testified last week at a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in Washington, D.C., that is probing the automaker. She did not directly address the crash but in tearful testimony said, “I’m here to speak for my four children and for the safety of consumers throughout the world.”

 John Gomez, one of the lawyers for the relatives, said testifying in front of Congress was “the first order of business” for the family and that now they wanted to move on with litigation.

 A spokesman for the automaker said the company does not comment on matters involving litigation.

 The lawsuit does not ask for a specific amount of money, which is not uncommon in civil lawsuits. Gomez said the family is also seeking something more.

 “I think responsibility and change,” he said. “And that process has begun.”

 Two weeks after the crash, an investigation by the San Diego Sheriff’s Department concluded that a floor mat may have held the accelerator in the open position. On Sept. 29 the company, citing floor-mat concerns, issued its largest recall ever in the United States, covering 3.8 million vehicles.

 That was followed in January by recalls of 2.3 million cars to fix accelerator pedals.

 The automaker is also facing a barrage of federal class-action lawsuits filed around the country by lawyers experienced in mass litigation involving tobacco and asbestos claims.

 A hearing by a special panel of federal judges on whether those suits will be consolidated into one and assigned to a single federal court judge will be held March 25 in San Diego. |||||


The State Department was forced to apologize on Wednesday for a questionably worded message that was criticized as offensive.

 “Not a ‘10’ in the US?” the department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs asked, apparently referring to a rating of physical attractiveness. “Then not a 10 overseas.”

 Not a “10” in the US? Then not a 10 overseas. Beware of being lured into buying expensive drinks or worse—being robbed. #springbreakingbadly — Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) March 30, 2016

 The tweet drew criticism online, where some said it appeared sexist or patronizing.

 @gonicholasgo We made no mention of gender. This can happen to anyone unfortunately. — Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) March 30, 2016

 @caitlinrcruz @TimHerrera we're not trying to neg anyone - just trying to warn folks about overseas scam artists. — Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) March 30, 2016

 Hours later, the department deleted the tweet and apologized, saying it meant as a warning for Americans “to be careful while traveling.”

 Some have been offended by our earlier tweet and we apologize that it came off negatively (1/2) — Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) March 30, 2016

 We see many Americans fall victim to scams each year & want all to be careful while traveling (2/2) — Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) March 30, 2016

 The “Not a 10?” tweet isn’t the first time the State Department’s Twitter activity came under scrutiny this week, when many colleges and universities are on spring break.

 On Tuesday, it warned about mysterious contests giving winners “free luggage” that is actually “lined with cocaine.” ||||| Archive-It Partner 1067: The Political TV Ad Archive, a project of the Internet Archive, collects political TV ads and social media sites in key 2016 primary election states, unlocking the metadata underneath and highlighting quality journalism to provide journalists, civic organizations, academics, and the general public with reliable information on who is trying to influence them & how. ||||| Play Facebook

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 Embed US Travel Dept. apologizes after awkward attempts at humor on Twitter 1:24 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog

 The State Department tweeted out a warning to Americans traveling overseas Wednesday — and then deleted the tweet after a deluge of criticism from people who called it sexist.

 The tweet, sent from the State Department's @TravelGov account at 1:20 p.m. ET, in essence told Americans that they're not as good-looking as they think they are — and not to be flattered by the locals:

 The State Department deleted the offending tweet Wednesday afternoon. Twitter.com

 Cue Internet outrage:

 @TravelGov @gonicholasgo Incredibly irresponsible to use sexist and objectifying language to prove you're "down with the kids." Do better. — Breakthrough U.S. (@BreakthroughUS) March 30, 2016

 State Dept. travel advisories being ghostwritten by college sophomore with popped collar https://t.co/Gco7s4n28w — Leandro Oliva (@lmoliva_) March 30, 2016

 And soon came the parody account:

 if you are a "1" in the united states replace all your "mirrors" with "walls" — Travel Gov (@Travel_Gov) March 30, 2016

 when judging hotness BE WARNED: some countries rate by the binary system

 A 10 in russia is actually TWO PEOPLE standing next to each other — Travel Gov (@Travel_Gov) March 30, 2016

 The State Department initially engaged the responders:

 @caitlinrcruz @TimHerrera we're not trying to neg anyone - just trying to warn folks about overseas scam artists. — Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) March 30, 2016

 But eventually, it gave up and took down the offending tweet, with a two-part apology:

 Some have been offended by our earlier tweet and we apologize that it came off negatively 1/2 — Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) March 30, 2016 |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– The State Department was accused of "negging its own citizens" Wednesday after telling Americans that they should beware of foreigners who find them attractive. "Not a '10' in the US? Then not a 10 overseas. Beware of being lured into buying expensive drinks or worse—being robbed," the Bureau of Consular Affairs tweeted as part of its #SpringBreakingBadly series of warnings. The department deleted the tweet after complaints that it was sexist and patronizing, the Hill reports. The department tweeted that some "have been offended by our earlier tweet and we apologize that it came off negatively," adding that it sees "many Americans fall victim to scams each year & want all to be careful while traveling." The warning was widely mocked online, with parody account Travel Gov issuing warnings like "If you are a '3' in the United States you must carry a 'hand-written' letter of apology with you in order to travel," NBC News reports. (The State Department says that with delays looming, people should renew aging passports as soon as possible.)


Article:
North Korea on Friday secured its presence at South Korea's Pyeongchang Olympics in February with figure skaters Ryom Tae-Ok and Kim Ju-Sik grabbing one of the last qualifying spots on offer at the Nebelhorn trophy.

 The pair's Olympic qualification is seen as positive development amid an escalating crisis on the Korean peninsula and the potential complications this could have for the Games.

 The International Olympic Committee was eager to have North Korean athletes at the Games and has been supporting several of them in terms of equipment, travel and accommodation in their efforts to qualify.

 North Korean speed skaters and Nordic skiers could join the figure skaters with their own qualifiers coming up.

 The Pyongyang natives successfully completed a solid short program to music by the Beatles on Thursday and produced an even better free skate performance to "Je suis qu'une chanson" to make sure of one of five Olympic qualifying spots on offer.

 Kim pumped his fists at the end of their routine, hugging his partner before a team official wrapped a jacket over him.

 The International Skating Union (ISU) confirmed their qualification for Pyeongchang, with Russia and Germany, who were top, having already qualified for the Games in South Korea.

 The final decision regarding their Olympic participation rests with the North Korean Olympic committee which needs to give the green light.

 North Korea did not have any athletes at the 2014 Sochi winter Games.

 Tension on the Korean peninsula has risen in recent weeks as North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump exchanged war-like threats and insults over the North's nuclear and missile development program.

 The North has accused Trump of declaring war after he warned Kim's regime would not last if he persisted in threatening the United States and its allies, having earlier warned North Korea would be totally destroyed in such an event.

 South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in July the North will be given until the last minute to decide whether it will take part in the Olympics. ||||| Story highlights Pair are first North Korean athletes to qualify for 2018 Winter Olympics

 Winter Olympics will be held in South Korea from 9-25 February

 (CNN) In the small Bavarian ski-town of Oberstdorf, figure skaters Ryom Tae-Ok and Kim Ju-sik became the first North Korean athletes to qualify for South Korea's 2018 Winter Olympics -- a development that could have diplomatic implications as well as sporting ones.

 The pair -- who perform to the music of The Beatles and have been training in Canada -- produced an impressive free-skate performance to secure one of the final Olympic spots up for grabs at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany in September.

 Ryom, 18, and 25-year-old Kim finished 15th at the World Championships last season and spent the summer training in Montreal under French coach, Bruno Marcotte.

 Their qualification will be welcome news to South Korea's President Moon Jae-in, who earlier this month told CNN that North Korean participation in PyeongChang will "provide a very good opportunity for inter-Korean peace and reconciliation."

 Read More ||||| The two nations have been on convivial sporting terms this year — North Korea sent its women’s hockey team and a taekwondo team to compete in the South — but the Olympics have never gone forward free of geopolitics.

 North Korea boycotted the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, the South Korean capital. And North Korea’s current leader, Kim Jong-un, is highly unpredictable.

 When the skaters were asked minutes after Friday’s performance if they hoped to compete at the Games, their coach, Kim Hyon-son, stepped in and said, “It is up to the North Korean Olympic Committee to decide whether they will participate or not.”

 The North Koreans appeared relaxed and open — to a point — at a second meeting with reporters after the competition here, the Nebelhorn Trophy, but requested that no questions be asked about the Olympics. Their reluctance probably stemmed from the fact that the decision will not be theirs, said Bruno Marcotte, a prominent French Canadian coach who also works with the skaters.

 “It’s out of their hands,” he said.

 Clearly, though, the outcome was important to North Korea. It has invested considerable time and money to make Ms. Ryom and Mr. Kim eligible for the Winter Games and respected at the international level. The skaters trained over the summer in Montreal with Mr. Marcotte, whose wife, Meagan Duhamel, is a two-time world pairs champion. And the pressure of a suitable performance here seemed to weigh on Ri Chol-un, an official with the North Korean skating federation. |||||Summary:

– Amid rising nuclear tensions, two figure skaters Friday became the first North Korean athletes to qualify for the 2018 Winter Olympics, which will be held just 40 miles south of the demilitarized zone in South Korea, CNN reports. According to the New York Times, 18-year-old Ryom Tae-Ok and 25-year-old Kim Ju-Sik, who have been training in Canada with a French coach, finished with a score of 180.09 at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany. It was a career-best performance in an international competition for the pair. Kim says they were motivated by their coaches and the people cheering for them. Ryom agreed: "There were many people of different nationalities and backgrounds cheering for us. The fact that we gave them some kind of joy, that was the best part in the performance." While Kim and Ryom's sixth place finish in Germany was enough to nab them one of the final spots in February's Olympics, it remains unclear if they'll actually compete, Reuters reports. The decision rests with the North Korea Olympic Committee. Both South Korea and the International Olympic Committee have been pushing for North Korean athletes to participate in the Games, hoping it will be a diplomatic balm for the countries. The IOC has been providing travel, equipment, and accommodation to North Korean athletes attempting to qualify (North Korean skiers and speed skaters still have a shot), and South Korea's president said North Korea will have as much time as possible to decide if it will participate. North Korea boycotted the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea, but it did send a women's hockey team and taekwondo team to competitions in South Korea this year.


News article:

PHIL McCARTEN/REUTERS Andrew Lack has reached a tentative agreement that will keep Brian Williams at NBC.

 It pays to have friends in high places.

 In his first major order of business as the top dog, NBC News chairman Andrew Lack has reached a tentative agreement that will keep Brian Williams at the network after his six-month suspension ends in August, sources say.

 Lack, who rejoined the NBC in April after nearly more than a decade elsewhere, had groomed Williams for the anchor job before he left the network in 2003.

 The two have been close friends for years and Lack has been struggling for months to find a solution that would keep Williams in the fold.

 Executives at NBC hope to announce the deal as soon as Thursday, but there were still some hurdles to clear, multiple sources said.

 Donald Trump's presidential bid forces NBC to put 'The Apprentice' franchise on hold

 While the details are known to only a handful of top network brass, Williams will not be returning to the "NBC Nightly News" but instead will have a new role at the network.

 It was not clear Wednesday what Williams new job will be, but there has been speculation that he could land at MSNBC or take on a role similar to Anne Curry after she was booted from the "Today" show.

 JEFFREY R STAAB/CBS Brian Williams and David Letterman talk about the killing of Osama Bin Laden on the ‘Late Show’ in 2011. NBC NewsWire/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images Anchor and Managing Editor, Brian Williams of ‘NBC Nightly News’ reports from Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq on March 8, 2007. Previous Next

 Enlarge

 Lester Holt, who has been filling in as the anchor of “Nightly News” during Williams’ suspension, is expected to permanently take over, sources say.

 Williams' lawyer, Rob Barnett and numerous reps for NBC News declined to comment on Wednesday evening.

 NBC Sports boss wants NHL players to shave their playoff beards, show how 'young and attractive' they are

 Atlanta news anchor nabbed for DUI: cops

 But rank and file staffers at NBC were not happy about the decision — and have said as much as negotiations with the fallen anchor have dragged on for almost four months.

 NBC NewsWire/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images Anchor and Managing Editor, Brian Williams of ‘NBC Nightly News’ reports from Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq on March 8, 2007.

 Most hoped NBC News would toss out the anchor — who signed a $50 million deal last year. They worried of a "Williams effect," — a taint on the news division’s image will only get stronger now.

 Inside NBC there has been mounting pressure to end the talks with Williams as top brass have feared that the bulk of network’s internal investigation of Williams would leak.

 While the investigation's findings had supposed to remain secret, some details have leaked.

 Among them are doubts about Williams' comments regarding his experience covering Israel's military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 and the possibility that the newsman exaggerated how close he was to Cairo's Tahrir Square during 2011's Arab Spring protests.

 CNN Money first reported word of the deal.

 The scandal erupted in February when Williams attended a New York Rangers game with a soldier who helped guard him and other American soldiers while a convoy of military helicopters they were flying on was forced to land on a desert in Iraq in 2003.

 Williams said the helicopter he was on had been hit by enemy fire and forced down. Veterans from the convoy challenged Williams' story - which he has repeated in the past - on Facebook. And the anchorman recanted the story on air Wednesday after Stars and Stripes wrote a story about their online exchange and interviewed Williams and the veterans.

 Other news reports began emerging after the story, questioning other Williams statements. Williams has said he saw a body floating in front of his hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

 ON A MOBILE DEVICE? WATCH THE VIDEO HERE. ||||| Suspended "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams "has the chance to earn back everyone's trust," his boss at NBC News said Thursday, as the network confirmed that Williams will return to television later this summer, but in a reduced role.

 NBC also confirmed that Lester Holt, Williams' fill-in since February, will become the permanent anchor of the "Nightly News."

 The appointment makes Holt the first African-American solo anchor of a weekday network nightly newscast.

 In a press release, NBC News chairman Andy Lack credited Holt with performing "remarkably well over the last few months under very tough circumstances."

 Related: Lester Holt gets anchor chair in historic moment

 As for Williams, Lack said the anchorman's "excellent work" in the past had earned him a second chance. Williams quickly embarked on what was dubbed an "apology tour," meeting with NBC staffers in both New York and Washington D.C., where he was "deeply apologetic."

 After Williams' suspension ends in August, he will have two main jobs: he'll be an "anchor of breaking news and special reports" on NBC's ratings-starved MSNBC cable news channel, and he'll "serve as a breaking news anchor for NBC News live special reports when Holt is not available."

 Here's how the news was reported on Thursday's "Nightly News:" "Brian Williams is staying with the NBC family; he'll be covering breaking news with our colleagues at MSNBC when his suspension ends."

 Related: NBC's Brian Williams investigation: What we know now

 The decision caps months of deliberations by network executives.

 "As you would imagine this was a difficult decision," Lack's boss, NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke, said. "Brian Williams has been with NBC News for a very long time and he has covered countless news events with honor and skill. As I said in February, we believe in second chances, and I am hopeful that this new beginning will be good for Brian and the organization."

 Burke optimistically added, "This matter has been extensively analyzed and deliberated on by NBC. We are moving forward."

 The new arrangement means that Williams will take a "substantial" pay cut, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal. (The New York Times first reported the salary change.) The contract Williams signed two months before his suspension reportedly guaranteed him $10 million a year for the next 5 years.

 Furthermore, a revised contract for Holt will pay him "significantly" more than Holt currently makes, the person said, declining to put a specific price tag on the deal.

 Breaking his silence for the first time since February, Williams, 56, began his own statement with two simple words: "I'm sorry."

 "I said things that weren't true," he said. "I let down my NBC colleagues and our viewers, and I'm determined to earn back their trust."

 NBC confirmed an earlier CNNMoney report that Williams taped an interview with Matt Lauer, the co-host of the "Today" show, earlier this week.

 Parts of the interview will be shown on Friday's "Today" show and "Nightly News."

 Thursday's statement and Friday's interview segments are the start of a comeback attempt by Williams, who was suspended in February amid a controversy over exaggerated stories.

 He was suspended after he admitted "misremembering" an incident in which he claimed his helicopter was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq. Williams was not on the chopper that was attacked.

 NBC launched an internal investigation to fact-check the anchorman and identified several other times when Williams exaggerated.

 But the network said Thursday that it would not publish the detailed results of the investigation.

 Instead, it offered a two paragraph summary of the findings.

 "The extensive review found that Williams made a number of inaccurate statements about his own role and experiences covering events in the field," NBC said. "The statements in question did not for the most part occur on NBC News platforms or in the immediate aftermath of the news events, but rather on late-night programs and during public appearances, usually years after the news events in question."

 In other words, the network bosses concluded that Williams' puffed up stories were embarrassing, but not career enders.

 Williams elaborated on the exaggerations in the forthcoming interview with Lauer.

 The NBC News headquarters in New York was abuzz this week about an imminent Williams announcement. CNNMoney reported on Wednesday evening that the anchorman would be staying with the network in some sort of new role.

 Speculation centered around MSNBC. Still, some television news analysts expressed surprise on Thursday that Williams had actually accepted a demotion of sorts.

 Then again, leaving NBC altogether may have been the anchorman's only other choice.

 One senior executive said the notion of Williams returning to "Nightly News" at the end of his six month suspension was a non-starter.

 The executive described Williams' removal from "Nightly News" a "severe punishment," but an appropriate one.

 Keeping him in the fold avoids an awkward scenario where Williams could show up on a rival network or web site and potentially embarrass NBC.

 The move back to MSNBC will be a homecoming of sorts for Williams: he anchored a signature 9 p.m. newscast on the cable channel back in the late 1990s before ascending to "Nightly News."

 The cable channel has changed dramatically since then. It is now known for its liberal bent, particularly with its afternoon and evening programs.

 But Burke and Lack seem to be bending it back somewhat.

 Williams "will be the face of MSNBC" when there are big breaking news stories, a person with knowledge of the channel's plan said.

 NBC said Mark Lukasiewicz, a senior vice president for special news reports, has been charged with leading "a team to strengthen MSNBC's daytime coverage by further leveraging NBC News' expertise in breaking news."

 That might mean that Williams will take over for the channel's existing anchors whenever there are significant developing stories.

 Williams concluded his statement by saying, "I am grateful for the chance to return to covering the news. My new role will allow me to focus on important issues and events in our country and around the world, and I look forward to it." |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– It's official: NBC has confirmed that it has given Brian Williams "the chance to earn back everyone's trust," but his days as Nightly News anchor are behind him. Instead, Williams will head to MSNBC, reports CNN, where he'll anchor breaking news and special reports, while Lester Holt's interim role on Nightly News will become permanent. Williams faces a challenge with the struggling network, and the New York Times notes that in the months after the Iraq controversy, Williams went from being the 23rd most trusted US celebrity to No. 3,352 in rankings published by research firm Marketing Arm. Insiders tell the Times that it wasn't easy to find a new role for Williams—especially since his interviewing skills are not his strongest point—but the network didn't want him to end up at a competitor. The anchor's tall tales lost him the trust not only of the public, but of many NBC staffers who didn't want him to return at all, sources tell the New York Daily News. The sources say NBC's internal investigation uncovered several other dubious claims from Williams, including a 2011 Daily Show appearance in which he said he was on the ground in Cairo's Tahrir Square during protests—instead of on a balcony overlooking them.


Summarize this article:

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — The leader of al-Qaida's affiliate in Yemen has released an audio recording in which he describes President Donald Trump as the "White House's new fool" and says a recent U.S. raid against the group killed 25 people, including 11 women and children.

 Addressing his followers in the recording, which emerged late Saturday, Qassim al-Rimi says: "The White House's new fool has received a painful blow at your hands in his first outing on your land."

 Al-Rimi identifies all 25 purported victims of the Jan. 29 raid and claims that scores of U.S. soldiers were killed or wounded.

 The recording's authenticity could not be immediately verified, but the voice was similar to that of previous recordings by al-Rimi.

 The U.S. military says a Navy SEAL was killed in the raid. ||||| The Navy SEAL raid in Yemen last week had a secret objective — the head of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, who survived and is now taunting President Donald Trump in an audio message.

 Military and intelligence officials told NBC News the goal of the massive operation was to capture or kill Qassim al-Rimi, considered the third most dangerous terrorist in the world and a master recruiter.

 But while one SEAL, 14 al Qaeda fighters and some civilians, including an 8-year-old girl, were killed during a firefight, al-Rimi is still alive and in Yemen, multiple military officials said.

 On Sunday, al-Rimi — who landed on the United States' most-wanted terrorist list after taking over al Qaeda's Yemen affiliate in 2015 — released an audio recording that military sources said is authentic.

 "The fool of the White House got slapped at the beginning of his road in your lands," he said in an apparent reference to the Jan. 29 raid.

 Qassim al-Rimi, the head of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula AQAP video via Reutes

 It's not clear whether al-Rimi was at the al Qaeda camp but escaped when SEAL Team 6 and United Arab Emirates commandos descended, whether he happened to be elsewhere, or whether he was even tipped off.

 The White House, the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command had no comment on Monday, but issued a series of denials on Tuesday.

 The Pentagon's chief spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, disputed that al-Rimi was the target of the raid.

 "I can tell you it’s not true," he said, adding that the military “never had any hope, intention or plan" of killing or capturing the AQAP leader in the operation.

 A spokesman for U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for operations in the Middle East, said they had not expected to find al-Rimi at the encampment.

 "There was no discussion of al-Rimi potentially being at that objective. We didn’t expect to see him there. We didn’t plan for him to be there, and this was not a raid that had anything to do with targeting that individual," Col. John Thomas said.

 "The objective was site exploitation to find out more about how AQAP operates, functions, and how they communicate with each other.”

 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said during a briefing that the raid was "highly successful."

 "The goal of the raid was intelligence gathering and that's what we received and that’s what we got and that’s why we can deem it a success," he said.

 A senior White House official, however, said that al-Rimi had been at the target site in the past and "the possibility of any capture drove the highest level deliberations."

 U.S. Central Command — which received a visit from Trump on Monday — was not the only player involved. The Special Operations Command, which oversees global counter-terrorism military operations, and the CIA also had key roles in the mission, according to multiple military sources. The CIA declined comment.

 "These types of missions have many tracks and are part of many worlds outside of the Pentagon," the senior White House official said. "This was a high-risk mission demanding the president's approval." ||||| (CNN) Days after a raid on an al Qaeda compound in Yemen led to the first US military combat death under Donald Trump, the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released an audio message taunting the new American President.

 In an 11-minute recording, AQAP leader Qassim al-Rimi condemned the January 29 raid, saying, "The new fool of the White House received a painful slap across his face."

 The message was released online Saturday and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group

 In the recording, Rimi also claimed "dozens of Americans were killed and wounded," a number starkly at odds with the US account, which reported the death of one Navy SEAL, Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens. Three additional SEALs also were wounded.

 Rimi acknowledged the deaths of 14 men and 11 women and children in the raid, a joint counterterrorism effort between the United States and United Arab Emirates.

 A senior US military official told CNN on Monday that Rimi was a target of the operation. The recording was released after last week's raid.

 Civilian deaths

 Reportedly among the dead was the 8-year-old the daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki , the late US-born cleric who directed attacks against the United States. Awlaki was killed in 2011.

 Reprieve , a London-based nongovernmental organization, and a Sanaa-based human rights worker told CNN that at least 23 civilians were killed in the attack.

 "When the Americans escaped, they dragged their killed and wounded, and they found no other alternative but to destroy their own planes so that it would not be proof of their scandal," Rimi said.

 JUST WATCHED White House: Yemen raid not 100% success Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH White House: Yemen raid not 100% success 02:35

 The senior US military official told CNN on Monday that intelligence collection wasn't the only objective of the Yemen raid but that it had also targeted Rimi.

 In the event Rimi wasn't there, the US military believed it would find intelligence that would help lead to him, the official said.

 Green-lighting the mission was not dependent on al-Rimi being there, however, a senior US military official emphasized.

 US Central Command, which oversees forces in the region, and the Pentagon are strongly denying al-Rimi was an objective of the raid.

 On Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said, "There was never any intention, hope, anticipation or plan that he would be part of this operation."

 "It wasn't a high-value target mission," Col. John Thomas told CNN, referring to operations aimed at killing or capturing terrorist leaders.

 Thomas added no hard intelligence indicated a "high possibility" Rimi was at the compound on the night of the raid, saying that Navy SEALs would have captured any leaders of the al Qaeda affiliate, including Rimi, as part of an intelligence-gathering operation.

 "Anyone found on site would have been taken," Thomas said.

 NBC first reported that Rimi was a target of the raid.

 The chance to take out such a pivotal member of al Qaeda may explain the large allocation of resources used in the mission.

 Raid missteps

 Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters detected the SEAL team before it reached its objective, leading to an intense firefight.

 Following news of the raid, the military had said the goal of the mission was to gather intelligence on the al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen.

 On Friday, the Pentagon released clips from an al Qaeda training video seized during the raid but later pulled them because the video was nearly a decade old.

 Government officials previously told CNN plans for the raid had been in the works for months and that Trump green-lighted the mission shortly after his inauguration.

 The Pentagon said the battle resulted in the deaths of 14 al Qaeda fighters, including two AQAP leaders.

 Many observers have considered al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula among the most dangerous, if not the most dangerous, branch of al Qaeda since its formation in 2009. |||||

– Military officials who've been trying to justify a Jan. 29 raid that killed a Navy SEAL in Yemen now say the goal was to capture al-Qaeda leader Qassim al-Rimi, who they believe escaped unscathed. They believe this because al-Rimi—considered the third most dangerous terrorist in the world, per NBC News—can be heard taunting President Trump in an 11-minute audio recording released over the weekend, which officials believe is authentic. "The new fool of the White House received a painful slap across his face," CNN quotes al-Rimi as saying. Al-Rimi also claims 25 people died in the raid, noting "dozens of Americans were killed and wounded," per the AP. The US military has said one Navy SEAL died and three others were wounded. A White House official tells NBC that Trump approved the raid after Defense Secretary James Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford told him al-Rimi's capture would be a "game changer." However, an official tells CNN that al-Rimi was not essential to the mission, which officials believed would lead to him one way or another. Though al-Rimi wasn't captured—it isn't clear if he was at the site—military officials have said the mission was "successful." Fourteen al-Qaeda fighters were killed and "al-Qaeda was disrupted, at least in terms of that cell," says a former national security adviser under former President George W. Bush. "They understand that the US is willing to lean forward, and perhaps they're being deterred or disrupted in their activities." (The military initially claimed it nabbed a decade-old video.)


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