text
stringlengths 2.57k
160k
| hyperpartisan
bool 2
classes | bias
int64 0
4
| cleaned_text
stringlengths 1.79k
91.8k
| word_count
int64 512
12.5k
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
<p>CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Cameron Johnson never let himself fret about the outside shot that had seemingly abandoned him in his brief North Carolina career. It's a big reason why the 15th-ranked Tar Heels still have their unblemished all-time home record against Clemson.</p>
<p>The Pittsburgh graduate transfer broke loose for a season-high 21 points, helping UNC hold off the 20th-ranked Tigers 87-79 on Tuesday night to improve to 59-0 at home in the series.</p>
<p>Johnson's outside shooting was one of the biggest reasons he was considered such a key offseason addition for the reigning national champions, but he had made just 31 percent of his 3s since his debut Dec. 20 against Wofford. He made 7 of 10 shots and 6 of 9 3s against the Tigers — and the Tar Heels (15-4, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) sure needed them all.</p>
<p>"It just fell today. Sometimes it happens," Johnson said. "I try not to worry about missed shots because it happens to the best of them, the best 3-point shooters shoot in the mid-40s (percentage). You've just got to keep going. You've just got to stay in the gym and not get down and try not to think about it, and just let it go."</p>
<p>In the end, UNC hung on despite seeing most of an 18-point lead erased by Clemson's torrid second-half shooting.</p>
<p>"I told the guys I started the season at (age) 67," coach Roy Williams said, "I'm going to end the season at 97."</p>
<p>Marcquise Reed scored 21 points for the Tigers (15-3, 4-2), who missed their first shot of the second half and didn't miss again for nearly 11 minutes. That run of 15 straight made baskets changed the dynamic of what was heading for an oh-so-routine home win for UNC against Clemson.</p>
<p>The Tigers thrice closed within two points in the final 10 minutes but no closer, cooling off to make just 4 of their last 15 shots.</p>
<p>UNC, meanwhile, shot 65 percent after halftime.</p>
<p>"The way they shoot the ball now, I think it's one of their better shooting teams, and we were certainly worried about that," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said, adding: "There's a lot of guys to cover, and because of that, it's hard to cover them all."</p>
<p>BIG PICTURE</p>
<p>Clemson: Year after year, the Tigers have faced the question of what it would take to end its unprecedented losing streak here. Tuesday looked to be as good of a chance as any, with this being the first meeting here with both teams ranked in the AP Top 25 since January 2009. But Clemson got a bad start and spent the rest of the night playing catch-up.</p>
<p>"I think we got caught up in the moment, really," guard Shelton Mitchell said. "Especially with us, how we haven't won here, I think we all got caught up in the moment. ... A lot of guys didn't have a good start, so I think once we started out, we kind of got in a slump and then we dug ourselves a hole way too deep."</p>
<p>UNC: While the Tigers faced annual futility, the Tar Heels have long had the opposite issue — the pressure each time to ensure the streak doesn't end on that particular squad's watch. And that pressure could be felt in the Smith Center when the Tigers made their incredible second-half shooting surge to get back in it before the Tar Heels held on to make this game end just like all the others here.</p>
<p>MAYE'S CUT</p>
<p>Luke Maye scored 11 points while playing with a stitched-up cut on the right side of his nose, an injury suffered shortly before halftime when he took an elbow from teammate Kenny Williams on a rebound. He came up with a couple of big baskets late, including a 3 with 4:50 left and UNC up 69-66.</p>
<p>Maye said he needed five stitches and was tested for a concussion before returning.</p>
<p>"I think it looks OK," Maye said of his cut. "I feel like I already have a girlfriend, so it's all good."</p>
<p>THE STREAK GROWS</p>
<p>UNC's 59-0 all-time home record against Clemson, including a 28-0 mark in the Smith Center, is the longest home winning streak against a single opponent in NCAA history.</p>
<p>"Even though we play them again at their place, it was good just for them not to come in here and end that streak," said UNC's Joel Berry II, who had 14 of his 17 points after halftime.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Clemson: The Tigers host Notre Dame on Saturday.</p>
<p>UNC: The Tar Heels host Georgia Tech on Saturday.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP college basketball: <a href="http://collegebasketball.ap.org" type="external">http://collegebasketball.ap.org</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap</a></p>
<p>CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Cameron Johnson never let himself fret about the outside shot that had seemingly abandoned him in his brief North Carolina career. It's a big reason why the 15th-ranked Tar Heels still have their unblemished all-time home record against Clemson.</p>
<p>The Pittsburgh graduate transfer broke loose for a season-high 21 points, helping UNC hold off the 20th-ranked Tigers 87-79 on Tuesday night to improve to 59-0 at home in the series.</p>
<p>Johnson's outside shooting was one of the biggest reasons he was considered such a key offseason addition for the reigning national champions, but he had made just 31 percent of his 3s since his debut Dec. 20 against Wofford. He made 7 of 10 shots and 6 of 9 3s against the Tigers — and the Tar Heels (15-4, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) sure needed them all.</p>
<p>"It just fell today. Sometimes it happens," Johnson said. "I try not to worry about missed shots because it happens to the best of them, the best 3-point shooters shoot in the mid-40s (percentage). You've just got to keep going. You've just got to stay in the gym and not get down and try not to think about it, and just let it go."</p>
<p>In the end, UNC hung on despite seeing most of an 18-point lead erased by Clemson's torrid second-half shooting.</p>
<p>"I told the guys I started the season at (age) 67," coach Roy Williams said, "I'm going to end the season at 97."</p>
<p>Marcquise Reed scored 21 points for the Tigers (15-3, 4-2), who missed their first shot of the second half and didn't miss again for nearly 11 minutes. That run of 15 straight made baskets changed the dynamic of what was heading for an oh-so-routine home win for UNC against Clemson.</p>
<p>The Tigers thrice closed within two points in the final 10 minutes but no closer, cooling off to make just 4 of their last 15 shots.</p>
<p>UNC, meanwhile, shot 65 percent after halftime.</p>
<p>"The way they shoot the ball now, I think it's one of their better shooting teams, and we were certainly worried about that," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said, adding: "There's a lot of guys to cover, and because of that, it's hard to cover them all."</p>
<p>BIG PICTURE</p>
<p>Clemson: Year after year, the Tigers have faced the question of what it would take to end its unprecedented losing streak here. Tuesday looked to be as good of a chance as any, with this being the first meeting here with both teams ranked in the AP Top 25 since January 2009. But Clemson got a bad start and spent the rest of the night playing catch-up.</p>
<p>"I think we got caught up in the moment, really," guard Shelton Mitchell said. "Especially with us, how we haven't won here, I think we all got caught up in the moment. ... A lot of guys didn't have a good start, so I think once we started out, we kind of got in a slump and then we dug ourselves a hole way too deep."</p>
<p>UNC: While the Tigers faced annual futility, the Tar Heels have long had the opposite issue — the pressure each time to ensure the streak doesn't end on that particular squad's watch. And that pressure could be felt in the Smith Center when the Tigers made their incredible second-half shooting surge to get back in it before the Tar Heels held on to make this game end just like all the others here.</p>
<p>MAYE'S CUT</p>
<p>Luke Maye scored 11 points while playing with a stitched-up cut on the right side of his nose, an injury suffered shortly before halftime when he took an elbow from teammate Kenny Williams on a rebound. He came up with a couple of big baskets late, including a 3 with 4:50 left and UNC up 69-66.</p>
<p>Maye said he needed five stitches and was tested for a concussion before returning.</p>
<p>"I think it looks OK," Maye said of his cut. "I feel like I already have a girlfriend, so it's all good."</p>
<p>THE STREAK GROWS</p>
<p>UNC's 59-0 all-time home record against Clemson, including a 28-0 mark in the Smith Center, is the longest home winning streak against a single opponent in NCAA history.</p>
<p>"Even though we play them again at their place, it was good just for them not to come in here and end that streak," said UNC's Joel Berry II, who had 14 of his 17 points after halftime.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Clemson: The Tigers host Notre Dame on Saturday.</p>
<p>UNC: The Tar Heels host Georgia Tech on Saturday.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP college basketball: <a href="http://collegebasketball.ap.org" type="external">http://collegebasketball.ap.org</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap</a></p>
| false | 2 |
chapel hill nc ap cameron johnson never let fret outside shot seemingly abandoned brief north carolina career big reason 15thranked tar heels still unblemished alltime home record clemson pittsburgh graduate transfer broke loose seasonhigh 21 points helping unc hold 20thranked tigers 8779 tuesday night improve 590 home series johnsons outside shooting one biggest reasons considered key offseason addition reigning national champions made 31 percent 3s since debut dec 20 wofford made 7 10 shots 6 9 3s tigers tar heels 154 42 atlantic coast conference sure needed fell today sometimes happens johnson said try worry missed shots happens best best 3point shooters shoot mid40s percentage youve got keep going youve got stay gym get try think let go end unc hung despite seeing 18point lead erased clemsons torrid secondhalf shooting told guys started season age 67 coach roy williams said im going end season 97 marcquise reed scored 21 points tigers 153 42 missed first shot second half didnt miss nearly 11 minutes run 15 straight made baskets changed dynamic heading ohsoroutine home win unc clemson tigers thrice closed within two points final 10 minutes closer cooling make 4 last 15 shots unc meanwhile shot 65 percent halftime way shoot ball think one better shooting teams certainly worried clemson coach brad brownell said adding theres lot guys cover hard cover big picture clemson year year tigers faced question would take end unprecedented losing streak tuesday looked good chance first meeting teams ranked ap top 25 since january 2009 clemson got bad start spent rest night playing catchup think got caught moment really guard shelton mitchell said especially us havent think got caught moment lot guys didnt good start think started kind got slump dug hole way deep unc tigers faced annual futility tar heels long opposite issue pressure time ensure streak doesnt end particular squads watch pressure could felt smith center tigers made incredible secondhalf shooting surge get back tar heels held make game end like others mayes cut luke maye scored 11 points playing stitchedup cut right side nose injury suffered shortly halftime took elbow teammate kenny williams rebound came couple big baskets late including 3 450 left unc 6966 maye said needed five stitches tested concussion returning think looks ok maye said cut feel like already girlfriend good streak grows uncs 590 alltime home record clemson including 280 mark smith center longest home winning streak single opponent ncaa history even though play place good come end streak said uncs joel berry ii 14 17 points halftime next clemson tigers host notre dame saturday unc tar heels host georgia tech saturday ___ ap college basketball httpcollegebasketballaporg httpwwwtwittercomap_top25 ___ follow aaron beard twitter httpwwwtwittercomaaronbeardap chapel hill nc ap cameron johnson never let fret outside shot seemingly abandoned brief north carolina career big reason 15thranked tar heels still unblemished alltime home record clemson pittsburgh graduate transfer broke loose seasonhigh 21 points helping unc hold 20thranked tigers 8779 tuesday night improve 590 home series johnsons outside shooting one biggest reasons considered key offseason addition reigning national champions made 31 percent 3s since debut dec 20 wofford made 7 10 shots 6 9 3s tigers tar heels 154 42 atlantic coast conference sure needed fell today sometimes happens johnson said try worry missed shots happens best best 3point shooters shoot mid40s percentage youve got keep going youve got stay gym get try think let go end unc hung despite seeing 18point lead erased clemsons torrid secondhalf shooting told guys started season age 67 coach roy williams said im going end season 97 marcquise reed scored 21 points tigers 153 42 missed first shot second half didnt miss nearly 11 minutes run 15 straight made baskets changed dynamic heading ohsoroutine home win unc clemson tigers thrice closed within two points final 10 minutes closer cooling make 4 last 15 shots unc meanwhile shot 65 percent halftime way shoot ball think one better shooting teams certainly worried clemson coach brad brownell said adding theres lot guys cover hard cover big picture clemson year year tigers faced question would take end unprecedented losing streak tuesday looked good chance first meeting teams ranked ap top 25 since january 2009 clemson got bad start spent rest night playing catchup think got caught moment really guard shelton mitchell said especially us havent think got caught moment lot guys didnt good start think started kind got slump dug hole way deep unc tigers faced annual futility tar heels long opposite issue pressure time ensure streak doesnt end particular squads watch pressure could felt smith center tigers made incredible secondhalf shooting surge get back tar heels held make game end like others mayes cut luke maye scored 11 points playing stitchedup cut right side nose injury suffered shortly halftime took elbow teammate kenny williams rebound came couple big baskets late including 3 450 left unc 6966 maye said needed five stitches tested concussion returning think looks ok maye said cut feel like already girlfriend good streak grows uncs 590 alltime home record clemson including 280 mark smith center longest home winning streak single opponent ncaa history even though play place good come end streak said uncs joel berry ii 14 17 points halftime next clemson tigers host notre dame saturday unc tar heels host georgia tech saturday ___ ap college basketball httpcollegebasketballaporg httpwwwtwittercomap_top25 ___ follow aaron beard twitter httpwwwtwittercomaaronbeardap
| 888 |
<p>Jan 18 (Reuters) - Oxley Holdings Ltd:</p>
<p>* ‍IS PROPOSING BONUS ISSUE OF NEW ORDINARY SHARES ON BASIS OF 1 BONUS SHARE FOR EVERY FIVE 5 EXISTING ORDINARY SHARES I​N CAPITAL OF CO Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>(This version of the April 13th story corrects title of Scott Morris as senior fellow of Center for Global Development)</p>
<p>By David Lawder</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is expected to support a $13 billion capital increase for the World Bank in a deal that will reform the development bank’s lending rules and increase China’s shareholding, three people close to the matter said on Friday.</p>
<p>U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is expected to lend his support for the plan at next week’s World Bank and International Monetary Fund spring meetings, the sources said. But the deal will need an endorsement from the World Bank’s shareholders and approval from its board of directors.</p>
<p>“Barring unforeseen challenges, there will be a capital increase,” one of the sources told Reuters.</p>
<p>U.S. backing for the capital increase was first reported by the Financial Times.</p>
<p>The Trump administration was initially skeptical of the World Bank’s long-running effort to boost its capital, proposing major cuts to multilateral development banks last year.</p>
<p>U.S. Treasury Undersecretary David Malpass has long criticized multilateral development banks for contributing to the build-up of debt in poor countries, and has chided the World Bank’s lending to higher income countries such as China, saying they should “graduate” to non-concessional loans.</p>
<p>“When the World Bank does not graduate these countries, less funding is available to reach countries with greater development needs and there is an excess burden placed on shareholder capital,” Malpass, who heads international affairs at the Treasury, said in congressional testimony last year.</p>
<p>The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan has not been formally announced, said it would include reforms that would raise financing costs for higher-income countries.</p>
<p>Scott Morris, a former Treasury official who now is a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, said the capital increase deal is a victory for World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, an Obama administration nominee who has cultivated a relationship with the Trump administration, launching a women’s empowerment fund in cooperation with President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka.</p>
<p>Morris said the increase in shareholding for China “reflects reality of the global economy” with China’s growing economic clout. But it is unclear how Mnuchin will characterize the shift given Trump’s threats to impose steep tariffs on Chinese goods over China’s intellectual property practices, he added.</p>
<p>Under terms of the deal, according to the sources familiar with it, China’s shareholding in the World Bank would rise to about six percent from 4.68 percent currently. China would still be in third place behind the United States and Japan.</p>
<p>About $7.5 billion of the capital increase would go to the World Bank’s main concessional lending arm, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with $5.5 billion going to the International Finance Corp, the group’s private sector lending arm.</p>
<p>A U.S. Treasury spokesman declined to comment, while a World Bank spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Leslie Adler</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>BERLIN (Reuters) - German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Saturday he would press for “reasonable results” in the next round of pay talks with more than two million public sector workers, but he rejected the Verdi union’s demand for a six percent increase.</p> FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Justice Minister Katarina Barley and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer react as they pose for a group photo at the German government guesthouse Meseberg Palace in Meseberg, Germany, April 10, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch
<p>Wage talks are due to resume on Sunday after 150,000 public sector employees staged warning strikes and walkouts last week that left thousands of passengers stranded at airports, and hit hospitals, childcare centres and waste depots.</p>
<p>Seehofer, the federal government’s top negotiator in the talks, underscored the importance of public sector workers and said it was “self-evident” that they should benefit from the country’s economic growth.</p>
<p>However, he said Verdi’s demand was unreasonable.</p>
<p>“It is and remains clear that the union demand for a six percent increase is too high for one year,” he said in a statement issued by his ministry. “We will continue the negotiations in such a way that we can quickly achieve reasonable results.”</p>
<p>Verdi said 17,000 people participated in walkouts on Friday, bringing the total for the week’s labour actions to 150,000.</p>
<p>Verdi leader Frank Bsirske said last week he expected a breakthrough in the third round of talks that will begin on Sunday in Potsdam, near Berlin. He said public sector workers should benefit from surging German tax revenues.</p>
<p>The federal government and municipalities have rejected the union’s demands, but the head of the VKA association of local employer organisations last week said he expected an agreement to emerge from the next round of talks.</p>
<p>In the industrial sector, 3.9 million workers agreed on a pay and flexible working hours deal in February that amounted to a roughly 4 percent rise per year for 2018 and 2019. Inflation edged up to 1.5 percent in March.</p>
<p>Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, is in solid shape, with buoyant tax revenues and a record budget surplus. Falling unemployment, inflation-busting pay rises and low borrowing costs are fuelling a consumer-led upswing.</p>
<p>The European Central Bank (ECB) is keeping a close eye on the German pay talks for any sign that wage growth is picking up, potentially lifting inflation and giving the ECB added leeway to start winding down its massive stimulus programme.</p>
<p>Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Helen Popper</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=RR.L" type="external">RR.L</a>) will bid to provide engines for a new wide-body jetliner that China is developing with Russia, the China Daily newspaper reported on Saturday, citing the British engineering company.</p>
<p>The newspaper, citing Rolls-Royce’s chief technology officer Paul Stein, said the first round of bidding to supply the CR929 liner with engines was expected to begin in May.</p>
<p>Chinese state planemaker Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC), which is developing the jet with Russia’s United Aircraft Corp, issued the request for a proposal to engine makers in December.</p>
<p>“We are taking it very seriously. We want to be the engine provider. The CR929 will invite a lot of positive competition and innovative opportunities to the aviation industry,” Stein was quoted as saying in Beijing.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=RR.L" type="external">Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC</a> 866.8 RR.L London Stock Exchange -14.40 (-1.63%) RR.L GE.N BA.N AIR.PA
<p>The newspaper also said that Rolls-Royce, the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines behind U.S. group General Electric ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GE.N" type="external">GE.N</a>), has been in talks about potential cooperation opportunities with Chinese firms, including aero engine manufacturers, without providing further details.</p>
<p>Rolls-Royce did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p>
<p>China has been plowing billions of dollars into developing jets to raise its profile in global aviation and to disrupt the current Boeing Co ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=BA.N" type="external">BA.N</a>) and Airbus SE ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AIR.PA" type="external">AIR.PA</a>) duopoly.</p>
<p>The company, which sent its C919 narrowbody jet on its maiden flights last year, has established a joint venture for the C929 wide-body with an aim to eventually take 10 percent of a market dominated by the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350.</p>
<p>Reporting by Brenda Goh; editing by Richard Pullin</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>(Reuters) - Two multi-billion dollar takeovers of semiconductor makers are being stalled by Chinese regulatory reviews amid rising U.S.-China trade tensions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.</p> FILE PHOTO: A sign on the Qualcomm campus is seen in San Diego, California, U.S. November 6, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
<p>Qualcomm Inc’s ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=QCOM.O" type="external">QCOM.O</a>) proposed $44 billion purchase of Dutch chip maker NXP Semiconductors NV ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=NXPI.O" type="external">NXPI.O</a>) could be at risk due to the delayed review. China is the only country that has not yet signed off on the deal, or on Toshiba Corp’s ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=6502.T" type="external">6502.T</a>) planned $19 billion sale of its chip unit to a Bain Capital consortium, according to the newspaper.</p> Slideshow (2 Images)
<p>Qualcomm’s merger agreement with NXP was extended for a second time in January, giving the two until to April 25, although the parties could decide to extend the deadline.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=QCOM.O" type="external">Qualcomm Inc</a> 55.73 QCOM.O Nasdaq +0.53 (+0.96%) QCOM.O NXPI.O 6502.T
<p>China’s Vice President, Wang Qishan, last month assured Qualcomm Chief Executive Steve Mollenkopf that the review would not be affected by politics, the newspaper said.</p>
<p>Qualcomm and Toshiba did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p>
<p>In a move to force China to lower its $375 billion trade surplus with the U.S., the Trump administration this month unveiled tariffs representing about $50 billion on Chinese technology, transport and medical products, drawing an immediate threat of retaliatory action from Beijing.</p>
<p>At the same time, China pledged to further open the country’s economy and lower import tariffs on certain products, moves it said were unrelated to the trade spat.</p>
<p>Reporting by Gary McWilliams; editing by Diane Craft</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
jan 18 reuters oxley holdings ltd proposing bonus issue new ordinary shares basis 1 bonus share every five 5 existing ordinary shares capital co source text eikon company coverage standards thomson reuters trust principles version april 13th story corrects title scott morris senior fellow center global development david lawder washington reuters trump administration expected support 13 billion capital increase world bank deal reform development banks lending rules increase chinas shareholding three people close matter said friday us treasury secretary steven mnuchin expected lend support plan next weeks world bank international monetary fund spring meetings sources said deal need endorsement world banks shareholders approval board directors barring unforeseen challenges capital increase one sources told reuters us backing capital increase first reported financial times trump administration initially skeptical world banks longrunning effort boost capital proposing major cuts multilateral development banks last year us treasury undersecretary david malpass long criticized multilateral development banks contributing buildup debt poor countries chided world banks lending higher income countries china saying graduate nonconcessional loans world bank graduate countries less funding available reach countries greater development needs excess burden placed shareholder capital malpass heads international affairs treasury said congressional testimony last year sources spoke condition anonymity plan formally announced said would include reforms would raise financing costs higherincome countries scott morris former treasury official senior fellow center global development said capital increase deal victory world bank president jim yong kim obama administration nominee cultivated relationship trump administration launching womens empowerment fund cooperation president donald trumps daughter ivanka morris said increase shareholding china reflects reality global economy chinas growing economic clout unclear mnuchin characterize shift given trumps threats impose steep tariffs chinese goods chinas intellectual property practices added terms deal according sources familiar chinas shareholding world bank would rise six percent 468 percent currently china would still third place behind united states japan 75 billion capital increase would go world banks main concessional lending arm international bank reconstruction development 55 billion going international finance corp groups private sector lending arm us treasury spokesman declined comment world bank spokesman could immediately reached comment additional reporting lucia mutikani editing leslie adler standards thomson reuters trust principles berlin reuters german interior minister horst seehofer said saturday would press reasonable results next round pay talks two million public sector workers rejected verdi unions demand six percent increase file photo german chancellor angela merkel justice minister katarina barley interior minister horst seehofer react pose group photo german government guesthouse meseberg palace meseberg germany april 10 2018 reutersfabrizio bensch wage talks due resume sunday 150000 public sector employees staged warning strikes walkouts last week left thousands passengers stranded airports hit hospitals childcare centres waste depots seehofer federal governments top negotiator talks underscored importance public sector workers said selfevident benefit countrys economic growth however said verdis demand unreasonable remains clear union demand six percent increase high one year said statement issued ministry continue negotiations way quickly achieve reasonable results verdi said 17000 people participated walkouts friday bringing total weeks labour actions 150000 verdi leader frank bsirske said last week expected breakthrough third round talks begin sunday potsdam near berlin said public sector workers benefit surging german tax revenues federal government municipalities rejected unions demands head vka association local employer organisations last week said expected agreement emerge next round talks industrial sector 39 million workers agreed pay flexible working hours deal february amounted roughly 4 percent rise per year 2018 2019 inflation edged 15 percent march germany europes biggest economy solid shape buoyant tax revenues record budget surplus falling unemployment inflationbusting pay rises low borrowing costs fuelling consumerled upswing european central bank ecb keeping close eye german pay talks sign wage growth picking potentially lifting inflation giving ecb added leeway start winding massive stimulus programme reporting andrea shalal editing helen popper standards thomson reuters trust principles shanghai reuters rollsroyce holdings plc rrl bid provide engines new widebody jetliner china developing russia china daily newspaper reported saturday citing british engineering company newspaper citing rollsroyces chief technology officer paul stein said first round bidding supply cr929 liner engines expected begin may chinese state planemaker commercial aircraft corp china comac developing jet russias united aircraft corp issued request proposal engine makers december taking seriously want engine provider cr929 invite lot positive competition innovative opportunities aviation industry stein quoted saying beijing rollsroyce holdings plc 8668 rrl london stock exchange 1440 163 rrl gen ban airpa newspaper also said rollsroyce worlds secondlargest maker aircraft engines behind us group general electric gen talks potential cooperation opportunities chinese firms including aero engine manufacturers without providing details rollsroyce immediately respond requests comment china plowing billions dollars developing jets raise profile global aviation disrupt current boeing co ban airbus se airpa duopoly company sent c919 narrowbody jet maiden flights last year established joint venture c929 widebody aim eventually take 10 percent market dominated boeing 787 airbus a350 reporting brenda goh editing richard pullin standards thomson reuters trust principles reuters two multibillion dollar takeovers semiconductor makers stalled chinese regulatory reviews amid rising uschina trade tensions wall street journal reported saturday citing people familiar matter file photo sign qualcomm campus seen san diego california us november 6 2017 reutersmike blakefile photo qualcomm incs qcomo proposed 44 billion purchase dutch chip maker nxp semiconductors nv nxpio could risk due delayed review china country yet signed deal toshiba corps 6502t planned 19 billion sale chip unit bain capital consortium according newspaper slideshow 2 images qualcomms merger agreement nxp extended second time january giving two april 25 although parties could decide extend deadline qualcomm inc 5573 qcomo nasdaq 053 096 qcomo nxpio 6502t chinas vice president wang qishan last month assured qualcomm chief executive steve mollenkopf review would affected politics newspaper said qualcomm toshiba immediately respond requests comment move force china lower 375 billion trade surplus us trump administration month unveiled tariffs representing 50 billion chinese technology transport medical products drawing immediate threat retaliatory action beijing time china pledged open countrys economy lower import tariffs certain products moves said unrelated trade spat reporting gary mcwilliams editing diane craft standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,002 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Luján, who was appointed chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in November, will be the master of ceremonies at the DCCC’s annual “issues conference,” based at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort and Spa, just off the Santa Fa plaza. The conference allows about 150 of the Democratic Party’s big donors and national elected officials to rub elbows and swap ideas.</p>
<p>In recent years, the annual gathering has convened in other prestigious locales, such as Napa Valley and New York City. But thanks to Luján’s DCCC chairmanship, it’s Santa Fe’s turn in the spotlight.</p>
<p>Luján will start his day today with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., at Santa Fe Community College, where they will tour the school, meet with the college president and talk about the importance of education in lifting people out of poverty. Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales said he will officially welcome the Democratic group at an event at the Center for Contemporary Arts tonight.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The conference itself is scheduled for Saturday at La Posada resort, according to an invitation obtained by the Journal. On Saturday night, conference attendees are invited to “Chairman Luján’s Taste of Santa Fe,” a party at the nationally renowned Gerald Peters Art Gallery.</p>
<p>Luján said he’s proud to showcase his hometown.</p>
<p>“I wanted it to be held in Santa Fe because I wanted to show off New Mexico,” Luján said, grinning ear to ear during a Journal interview this week in his office at the DCCC headquarters on Capitol Hill. “Anytime we can get people coming to Santa Fe, it’s good for the local economy. I hope a lot of art is bought and restaurants visited.”</p>
<p>PELOSI: Says Luján has “hit the ground running”</p>
<p>In a statement provided to the Journal, Pelosi praised Luján, her handpicked leader of the 2016 Democratic congressional campaign. The longtime Democratic power player said in November that she chose Luján because of his energy and “political astuteness.” Political observers said Luján’s Hispanic heritage likely also factored into Pelosi’s decision as the Democratic Party seeks out candidates who appeal to the nation’s fastest-growing ethnic group. Pelosi said Luján has “hit the ground running” in his first few months on the job.</p>
<p>“Chairman Luján has shown he has the energy and the dynamism to lead House Democrats to victory in 2016,” Pelosi said in a statement provided to the Journal this week. “With Ben Ray’s tireless determination, his values, and his deep strategic savvy, Democrats will continue to champion bigger paychecks and better infrastructure for hardworking Americans across the country.”</p>
<p>Asked his priority as DCCC chairman, Luján was direct.</p>
<p>“My top goal is to put the House in play,” he said, adding that he was routinely working 12- to 15-hour days to ensure he can attend to his regular duties as a congressman, as well as lead the DCCC.</p>
<p>Recapturing the House in 2016 would seem to be a tall order, considering that Republicans now hold a 59-seat advantage in the House. With 247 seats over the Democrats’ 188, the GOP has its largest majority since the 71st Congress, which convened from 1929 to 1931.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“Putting the House ‘in play’ is something the DCCC chair should try to do, but it isn’t very realistic this cycle – at least not now,” said Stu Rothenberg, a respected Washington political handicapper and author of the Rothenberg Political Report. “Things could change, of course, but 30 seats is a big number and the way districts are now drawn, there simply aren’t that many great Democratic opportunities.</p>
<p>“In a big Democratic wave, 30 seats is possible,” Rothenberg added. “But there are no signs of that now and presidential years generally don’t generate big partisan waves the way midterm elections do.”</p>
<p>In the fundraising contest, Luján – at least so far – is more than holding his own. In total, House Democrats raised $6.3 million in January, compared with House Republicans’ total of $4.4 million. Luján set the pace personally, transferring $150,000 from his own campaign coffers to the DCCC’s. A half-dozen other Democrats followed suit, shifting $100,000 each to the DCCC.</p>
<p>Ian Prior, spokesman for the Republican National Congressional Committee, said Luján has had trouble recruiting legitimate candidates early in his term and been embarrassed by slip-ups, including an erroneous fundraising email claiming that House Republicans had allowed the Department of Homeland Security to be shut down. Although the DHS funding battle went to the brink, the agency was never closed.</p>
<p>“Thus far into his term as DCCC Chairman, Ben Ray Luján has been unable to recruit legitimate candidates in several competitive House seats, making his delusional predictions of Democrats retaking the House all the more laughable,” Prior said. “Meanwhile, the organization he leads has even been blasted by liberals for its questionable tactics and it has embarrassed itself repeatedly with unforced errors, like sending out fundraising emails erroneously claiming that the Department of Homeland Security had been shut down.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Santa Fe Mayor Gonzales said he’s excited to see his old friend Luján returning home as a national political figure. Gonzales also said he expects the Democrats to talk about income disparity – a reality they can witness for themselves in New Mexico’s capital city.</p>
<p>“For all of the incredible cultural assets we have in Santa Fe that are globally recognized, we still have many families that are earning below poverty wages and a lot of our children – at least a third of them – go to school hungry every day or count on our schools to be fed,” Gonzales said. “We have many families who continue to struggle every day to support their kids and be a part of the middle class, so it’s fitting that they’re here and they can see it.”</p>
<p />
| false | 2 |
luján appointed chairman democratic congressional campaign committee november master ceremonies dcccs annual issues conference based la posada de santa fe resort spa santa fa plaza conference allows 150 democratic partys big donors national elected officials rub elbows swap ideas recent years annual gathering convened prestigious locales napa valley new york city thanks lujáns dccc chairmanship santa fes turn spotlight luján start day today house minority leader nancy pelosi dcalif santa fe community college tour school meet college president talk importance education lifting people poverty santa fe mayor javier gonzales said officially welcome democratic group event center contemporary arts tonight advertisement conference scheduled saturday la posada resort according invitation obtained journal saturday night conference attendees invited chairman lujáns taste santa fe party nationally renowned gerald peters art gallery luján said hes proud showcase hometown wanted held santa fe wanted show new mexico luján said grinning ear ear journal interview week office dccc headquarters capitol hill anytime get people coming santa fe good local economy hope lot art bought restaurants visited pelosi says luján hit ground running statement provided journal pelosi praised luján handpicked leader 2016 democratic congressional campaign longtime democratic power player said november chose luján energy political astuteness political observers said lujáns hispanic heritage likely also factored pelosis decision democratic party seeks candidates appeal nations fastestgrowing ethnic group pelosi said luján hit ground running first months job chairman luján shown energy dynamism lead house democrats victory 2016 pelosi said statement provided journal week ben rays tireless determination values deep strategic savvy democrats continue champion bigger paychecks better infrastructure hardworking americans across country asked priority dccc chairman luján direct top goal put house play said adding routinely working 12 15hour days ensure attend regular duties congressman well lead dccc recapturing house 2016 would seem tall order considering republicans hold 59seat advantage house 247 seats democrats 188 gop largest majority since 71st congress convened 1929 1931 advertisement putting house play something dccc chair try isnt realistic cycle least said stu rothenberg respected washington political handicapper author rothenberg political report things could change course 30 seats big number way districts drawn simply arent many great democratic opportunities big democratic wave 30 seats possible rothenberg added signs presidential years generally dont generate big partisan waves way midterm elections fundraising contest luján least far holding total house democrats raised 63 million january compared house republicans total 44 million luján set pace personally transferring 150000 campaign coffers dcccs halfdozen democrats followed suit shifting 100000 dccc ian prior spokesman republican national congressional committee said luján trouble recruiting legitimate candidates early term embarrassed slipups including erroneous fundraising email claiming house republicans allowed department homeland security shut although dhs funding battle went brink agency never closed thus far term dccc chairman ben ray luján unable recruit legitimate candidates several competitive house seats making delusional predictions democrats retaking house laughable prior said meanwhile organization leads even blasted liberals questionable tactics embarrassed repeatedly unforced errors like sending fundraising emails erroneously claiming department homeland security shut meanwhile santa fe mayor gonzales said hes excited see old friend luján returning home national political figure gonzales also said expects democrats talk income disparity reality witness new mexicos capital city incredible cultural assets santa fe globally recognized still many families earning poverty wages lot children least third go school hungry every day count schools fed gonzales said many families continue struggle every day support kids part middle class fitting theyre see
| 566 |
<p>Jan 24 (Reuters) - Eservglobal Ltd:</p>
<p>* CORE BUSINESS REVENUE EXPECTED TO FALL SHORT OF PREVIOUS GUIDANCE &amp; REVENUE WILL BE BETWEEN EUR 8.3MTO EUR 8.5M FOR 14 MONTHS TO DEC 2017​ Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Global tech giants including Facebook and Twitter on Thursday expressed concern about a possible Singapore plan to bring in a new law to tackle the threat of fake news, saying sufficient rules are already in place.</p> FILE PHOTO: People holding mobile phones are silhouetted against a backdrop projected with the Twitter logo in this illustration picture taken in Warsaw, Poland, September 27, 2013. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
<p>Officials of Facebook, Twitter and Google attended a parliamentary hearing on how to counter the threat that Singapore said it was particularly vulnerable to due to its size, its role as a global financial hub and its ethnic and religious mix.</p>
<p>They were among 79 people asked to speak in parliament over the eight days set for the hearing.</p>
<p>The wealthy city state is among the countries looking to introduce legislation, so far unspecified, to rein in fake news, a trend that has stirred concern that such laws could be used to exert government control over the media.</p>
<p>“We do not believe that legislation is the best approach to addressing the issue,” Alvin Tan, Facebook’s head of public policy for Southeast Asia, said in a written submission.</p>
<p>“Singapore already has a variety of existing laws and regulations which address hate speech, defamation and the spreading of false news.”</p>
<p>Singapore ranks 151 among 180 countries rated by the World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders, a non-government group that promotes freedom of information.</p> FILE PHOTO: A Facebook logo is seen at the Facebook Gather conference in Brussels, Belgium, January 23, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
<p>Lawmakers in the United States and Europe have called for probes into how Facebook allowed Cambridge Analytica to access data on 50 million users and use it to help the election campaign of U.S. President Donald Trump.</p>
<p>Expressing the view that social media networks were not capable of regulating themselves, Singapore’s law minister, K Shanmugam, questioned Facebook official Simon Milner over how “one of the world’s most competent firms” could have breached users’ trust.</p>
<p>“Right now, it doesn’t feel like it,” Milner, the firm’s Asia policy chief, responded. He conceded failure to be upfront about the breach of user data, saying, “We had a moral obligation to do it (notify our users).”</p> FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is pictured atop an office building in Irvine, California, U.S. August 7, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
<p>He added, “As I understand it, there was not a legal obligation.”</p>
<p>Milner questioned the premise that a legal framework could be used to decide whether information was fake news, however.</p>
<p>“How do you define ... what is a deliberate online falsehood and what is not? We are skeptical about that.”</p>
<p>Microblogging site Twitter also shared concerns about Singapore’s plans.</p>
<p>“No single company, governmental or non-governmental actor, should be the arbiter of truth,” said Kathleen Reen, Twitter’s director of Public Policy for Asia Pacific.</p>
<p>Reporting by Fathin Ungku; Editing by Jack Kim and Clarence Fernandez</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>OSLO (Reuters) - Norway said on Thursday it wants to buy electric passenger planes in the coming years to help slow climate change, building on its success with big tax breaks that have made it the world leader in electric car sales.</p> FILE PHOTO: An Airbus E-Fan.1, an electrical aircraft, participates in a flying display at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport, June 16, 2015. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo
<p>State firm Avinor, which runs 45 airports in Norway, said the commitment to battery-powered aircraft could encourage development of electric and hybrid technologies by companies such as Airbus or Boeing.</p>
<p>“In my mind, there’s no doubt that by 2040 Norway will be operating totally electric” on short-haul flights, Dag Falk-Pedersen, head of Avinor, told reporters at an aviation conference in Oslo.</p>
<p>Among airlines, “Airbus told us they need a customer and they need a market - and we can offer them both,” he said. “Of course they need a bigger market and more customers. But someone has to start.”</p>
<p>Norway, a mountainous country of 5 million people with towns beside remote fjords, would be ideal for electric planes which can accelerate faster than conventional planes and so need shorter runways, he said.</p>
<p>But electric planes so far have big problems of weight, with bulky batteries, and limited ranges. The first electric planes flew across the English Channel in July 2015, including an Airbus E-Fan.</p> FILE PHOTO: A row of wooden houses are reflected in the still waters of a fjord in western Norway, Oct. 6, 2007. REUTERS/Bob Strong/File Photo
<p>“It could be that we are presenting a tender within a year or two to the market to commercialize electric aircraft,” Falk-Pedersen said, adding that such a tender might be for 5 to 15 planes of between 12 and 50 seats.</p>
<p>Norway’s Transport Minister Ketil Solvik-Olsen said Oslo would try to repeat its success in promoting electric cars, backed by tax breaks and other perks such as free parking and recharging points.</p> FILE PHOTO: An E-Fan aircraft is seen on the tarmac for its first public flight during e-Aircraft Day at Bordeaux Merignac airport, southwestern France, April 25, 2014. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo
<p>Last year, more than half of new cars sold in Norway were electric or hybrid, the highest rate in the world. But he admitted “when we talk about battery driven planes there’s no doubt that most people are a bit skeptical”.</p>
<p>Norway’s centre-right government, in a political platform worked out in January, told Avinor to work to shift to electric planes in commercial transport and promote use of biofuels.</p>
<p>Norway, western Europe’s biggest oil and gas producer, has struggled to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions which were three percent above 1990 levels in 2016.</p>
<p>In November, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens teamed up to develop a hybrid electric engine.</p>
<p>And in October, a Seattle-area start-up, backed by the venture capital arms of Boeing and JetBlue Airways Corp also announced plans to bring a hybrid-electric aircraft, with up to 12 passengers, to market by 2022.</p>
<p>Reporting by Alister Doyle; Editing by Alison Williams</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>FRANKFURT (Reuters) - BMW ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=BMWG.DE" type="external">BMWG.DE</a>) will not mass produce electric cars until 2020 because its current technology is not profitable enough to scale up for volume production, the chief executive said on Thursday.</p> FILE PHOTO: The plug-in charger for a BMW i3 electric car is pictured during the Auto China 2016 in Beijing, China, April 25, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo
<p>Munich-based BMW unveiled its first battery electric car in 2013, and has been working on different generations of battery, software and electric motor technology since then.</p>
<p>The i8 Roadster model, due to hit showrooms in May, is equipped with what BMW calls its fourth-generation electric drive technology. Advances in battery raw materials and chemistry has increased its range by 40 percent over the previous version, BMW said.</p>
<p>BMW is working to make electric car technology more modular and scalable to make mass production commercially viable.</p>
<p>“We wanted to wait for the fifth generation to be much more cost competitive,” Chief Executive Harald Krueger told analysts in Munich. “We do not want to scale up with the fourth generation.”</p>
<p>The cost advantage between BMW’s fourth and fifth generation electric vehicle technology was a “two digit number” in percent terms, Krueger said. He did not offer precise figures.</p>
<p>“If you want to win the race, you must be the most cost competitive in the segment, otherwise you cannot scale up the volume,” he said.</p>
<p>BMW is working on a sixth generation of its technology and is investing a three-digit-million euro amount in battery cell research to better understand mass production, the company said.</p>
<p>BMW makes electric cars at 10 plants across the world but has focused mainly on hybrids, which combine combustion engines with battery powered electric motors, rather than vehicles reliant solely on batteries for their power.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=BMWG.DE" type="external">Bayerische Motoren Werke AG</a> 84.16 BMWG.DE Xetra -1.17 (-1.37%) BMWG.DE
<p>BMW said it wanted to add 25 new electrified models by 2025, of which 12 vehicles will be fully battery electric variants.</p>
<p>Thanks to a new production method available from 2020 onwards, BMW will be able to make all its cars with pure electric, hybrid and combustion engined variants.</p>
<p>In 2019 BMW will start making a fully electric Mini at its plant on the outskirts of the British city of Oxford, and will start production of a battery electric version of the X3 offroader in 2020.</p>
<p>BMW is increasing the number of factories where it makes the X3 offroader. This year it will start making the X3 in China and South Africa, in addition to Spartanburg in the United States.</p>
<p>BMW has chosen Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) as its partner in China for battery cell production, Krueger said.</p>
<p>Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Tom Sims and Edmund Blair</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - Facebook Inc came under further pressure from lawmakers, investors, advertisers and users on Thursday, the day after Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg admitted the social media network made mistakes in letting 50 million users’ data get into the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.</p>
<p>U.S. lawmakers demanded Zuckerberg personally testify in Washington to explain his company’s actions.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, advertisers Mozilla and Commerzbank suspended ads on the service and the hashtag #DeleteFacebook remained popular online, although it was hard to tell how many users are abandoning Facebook.</p>
<p>In light of those concerns, investors continued to sell off Facebook shares, although not at the pace of earlier in the week. They closed on Thursday at $164.89, down 2.7 percent. The S&amp;P 500 Index was down 2.5 percent on the day. Facebook shares closed at $185.09 on Friday.</p>
<p>The company has lost more than $50 billion in market value since allegations this week that Cambridge Analytica improperly accessed data to build profiles on American voters and influence the 2016 presidential election.</p>
<p>Five days after the scandal broke, Zuckerberg apologized on Wednesday for mistakes his company made and promised to restrict developers’ access to user information as part of a plan to protect privacy.</p>
<p>On Thursday, Facebook executives were still saying sorry.</p>
<p>“We know this is an issue of trust. We know this is a critical moment for our company, for the service we provide,” Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said in an interview broadcast on CNBC.</p>
<p>Zuckerberg’s apology and promises were not enough to ease political pressure on the world’s largest social media company.</p>
<p>“It shouldn’t be for a company to decide what is the appropriate balance between privacy and innovation and use of data. Those rules should be set by society as a whole and so by parliament,” British minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Matt Hancock, told BBC Radio.</p>
<p>Zuckerberg’s media rounds did little to satisfy Washington lawmakers in either political party who have demanded this week that the 33-year-old billionaire testify before Congress.</p>
<p>The Republican chairman and top Democrat of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee said they will in coming days formally ask Zuckerberg to testify.</p>
<p>The request came a day after company executives briefed committee aides for nearly two hours and left with a list of at least 60 questions they were unable to answer, two aides said.</p>
<p>Zuckerberg said in media interviews on Thursday he would be willing to testify if he is the right person at the company to speak to lawmakers.</p> A 3D-printed Facebook logo is seen in front of displayed stock graph in this illustration photo March 20, 2018. Picture taken March 20. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
<p>“My message to Mark Zuckerberg is you are right person. There’s no question you are the right person,” Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, told reporters after Facebook executives briefed Senate staff on Thursday.</p>
<p>Facebook said it had no comment beyond what Zuckerberg had already said.</p>
<p>Executives also briefed another House committee on Thursday, and while they answered questions about Cambridge Analytica they were unprepared to address broader questions about Facebook’s privacy policies, according to a staffer who was present.</p> REPUTATIONAL COSTS
<p>Wall Street analysts expressed relief that there were no signs so far of a fundamental shift in the company’s advertising-driven revenue model, but some said there would be costs to shore up its reputation.</p> Slideshow (4 Images)
<p>Facebook, with more than 2 billion monthly active users, made almost all its $40.6 billion in revenue last year from advertising.</p>
<p>Sandberg said Facebook’s priority was restoring users’ trust, even if that meant accepting regulation of the data that is central to its ad business, and she said the company was “massively ramping hiring.”</p>
<p>Several analysts cut price targets. Technology stocks have fallen along with Facebook this week as investors worried about tighter scrutiny of global platforms like Alphabet’s Google, Twitter and Snapchat.</p>
<p>Analysts said Zuckerberg’s promises to investigate thousands of apps, and to give members a tool that lets them turn off access, would not substantially reduce advertisers’ ability to use Facebook data - the company’s lifeblood.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, open-source browser and app developer Mozilla said it was “pressing pause” on its Facebook advertising after the revelations prompted it to take a closer look at the site’s default privacy settings.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-facebook-cambridge-analytica-eu/eu-leaders-tell-social-networks-to-guarantee-users-privacy-idUSKBN1GY31E" type="external">EU leaders tell social networks to guarantee users' privacy</a>
<a href="/article/us-facebook-cambridge-analytica-kogan/senate-subcommittee-seeks-information-on-facebook-data-idUSKBN1GY2LS" type="external">Senate subcommittee seeks information on Facebook data</a>
<a href="/article/us-facebook-cambridge-analytica-warrants/cambridge-analytica-london-search-warrant-delayed-by-court-idUSKBN1GY1DW" type="external">Cambridge Analytica London search warrant delayed by court</a>
<p>“We found that its current default settings leave access open to a lot of data – particularly with respect to settings for third-party apps,” Mozilla said in a blog post.</p>
<p>British advertising group ISBA, which represents thousands of brands, threatened to withdraw ads if investigations show data has been misused.</p>
<p>“We think this issue is more likely to snowball than recede and that advertisers are reaching a tipping point at which spending on not only Facebook and other online platforms, is re-evaluated,” brokerage Liberum said in a note.</p>
<p>But Sharon Rowlands, president of USA Today Network Marketing Solutions, said it was unlikely a flood of brands would stop advertising on Facebook because of its powerful targeting tools.</p>
<p>“The challenge is that the platform performs,” Rowlands said.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Jessica Toonkel in New York, Munsif Vengattil in Bangalore, Paul Sandle in London and David Ingram in San Francisco; Writing by Susan Thomas, Editing by Nick Zieminski</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
jan 24 reuters eservglobal ltd core business revenue expected fall short previous guidance amp revenue eur 83mto eur 85m 14 months dec 2017 source text eikon company coverage standards thomson reuters trust principles singapore reuters global tech giants including facebook twitter thursday expressed concern possible singapore plan bring new law tackle threat fake news saying sufficient rules already place file photo people holding mobile phones silhouetted backdrop projected twitter logo illustration picture taken warsaw poland september 27 2013 reuterskacper pempelfile photo officials facebook twitter google attended parliamentary hearing counter threat singapore said particularly vulnerable due size role global financial hub ethnic religious mix among 79 people asked speak parliament eight days set hearing wealthy city state among countries looking introduce legislation far unspecified rein fake news trend stirred concern laws could used exert government control media believe legislation best approach addressing issue alvin tan facebooks head public policy southeast asia said written submission singapore already variety existing laws regulations address hate speech defamation spreading false news singapore ranks 151 among 180 countries rated world press freedom index reporters without borders nongovernment group promotes freedom information file photo facebook logo seen facebook gather conference brussels belgium january 23 2018 reutersyves hermanfile photo lawmakers united states europe called probes facebook allowed cambridge analytica access data 50 million users use help election campaign us president donald trump expressing view social media networks capable regulating singapores law minister k shanmugam questioned facebook official simon milner one worlds competent firms could breached users trust right doesnt feel like milner firms asia policy chief responded conceded failure upfront breach user data saying moral obligation notify users file photo google logo pictured atop office building irvine california us august 7 2017 reutersmike blakefile photo added understand legal obligation milner questioned premise legal framework could used decide whether information fake news however define deliberate online falsehood skeptical microblogging site twitter also shared concerns singapores plans single company governmental nongovernmental actor arbiter truth said kathleen reen twitters director public policy asia pacific reporting fathin ungku editing jack kim clarence fernandez standards thomson reuters trust principles oslo reuters norway said thursday wants buy electric passenger planes coming years help slow climate change building success big tax breaks made world leader electric car sales file photo airbus efan1 electrical aircraft participates flying display paris air show le bourget airport june 16 2015 reuterspascal rossignolfile photo state firm avinor runs 45 airports norway said commitment batterypowered aircraft could encourage development electric hybrid technologies companies airbus boeing mind theres doubt 2040 norway operating totally electric shorthaul flights dag falkpedersen head avinor told reporters aviation conference oslo among airlines airbus told us need customer need market offer said course need bigger market customers someone start norway mountainous country 5 million people towns beside remote fjords would ideal electric planes accelerate faster conventional planes need shorter runways said electric planes far big problems weight bulky batteries limited ranges first electric planes flew across english channel july 2015 including airbus efan file photo row wooden houses reflected still waters fjord western norway oct 6 2007 reutersbob strongfile photo could presenting tender within year two market commercialize electric aircraft falkpedersen said adding tender might 5 15 planes 12 50 seats norways transport minister ketil solvikolsen said oslo would try repeat success promoting electric cars backed tax breaks perks free parking recharging points file photo efan aircraft seen tarmac first public flight eaircraft day bordeaux merignac airport southwestern france april 25 2014 reutersregis duvignaufile photo last year half new cars sold norway electric hybrid highest rate world admitted talk battery driven planes theres doubt people bit skeptical norways centreright government political platform worked january told avinor work shift electric planes commercial transport promote use biofuels norway western europes biggest oil gas producer struggled reduce greenhouse gas emissions three percent 1990 levels 2016 november airbus rollsroyce siemens teamed develop hybrid electric engine october seattlearea startup backed venture capital arms boeing jetblue airways corp also announced plans bring hybridelectric aircraft 12 passengers market 2022 reporting alister doyle editing alison williams standards thomson reuters trust principles frankfurt reuters bmw bmwgde mass produce electric cars 2020 current technology profitable enough scale volume production chief executive said thursday file photo plugin charger bmw i3 electric car pictured auto china 2016 beijing china april 25 2016 reutersjason leefile photo munichbased bmw unveiled first battery electric car 2013 working different generations battery software electric motor technology since i8 roadster model due hit showrooms may equipped bmw calls fourthgeneration electric drive technology advances battery raw materials chemistry increased range 40 percent previous version bmw said bmw working make electric car technology modular scalable make mass production commercially viable wanted wait fifth generation much cost competitive chief executive harald krueger told analysts munich want scale fourth generation cost advantage bmws fourth fifth generation electric vehicle technology two digit number percent terms krueger said offer precise figures want win race must cost competitive segment otherwise scale volume said bmw working sixth generation technology investing threedigitmillion euro amount battery cell research better understand mass production company said bmw makes electric cars 10 plants across world focused mainly hybrids combine combustion engines battery powered electric motors rather vehicles reliant solely batteries power bayerische motoren werke ag 8416 bmwgde xetra 117 137 bmwgde bmw said wanted add 25 new electrified models 2025 12 vehicles fully battery electric variants thanks new production method available 2020 onwards bmw able make cars pure electric hybrid combustion engined variants 2019 bmw start making fully electric mini plant outskirts british city oxford start production battery electric version x3 offroader 2020 bmw increasing number factories makes x3 offroader year start making x3 china south africa addition spartanburg united states bmw chosen contemporary amperex technology co ltd catl partner china battery cell production krueger said reporting edward taylor editing tom sims edmund blair standards thomson reuters trust principles washingtonlondon reuters facebook inc came pressure lawmakers investors advertisers users thursday day chief executive mark zuckerberg admitted social media network made mistakes letting 50 million users data get hands political consultancy cambridge analytica us lawmakers demanded zuckerberg personally testify washington explain companys actions meanwhile advertisers mozilla commerzbank suspended ads service hashtag deletefacebook remained popular online although hard tell many users abandoning facebook light concerns investors continued sell facebook shares although pace earlier week closed thursday 16489 27 percent sampp 500 index 25 percent day facebook shares closed 18509 friday company lost 50 billion market value since allegations week cambridge analytica improperly accessed data build profiles american voters influence 2016 presidential election five days scandal broke zuckerberg apologized wednesday mistakes company made promised restrict developers access user information part plan protect privacy thursday facebook executives still saying sorry know issue trust know critical moment company service provide chief operating officer sheryl sandberg said interview broadcast cnbc zuckerbergs apology promises enough ease political pressure worlds largest social media company shouldnt company decide appropriate balance privacy innovation use data rules set society whole parliament british minister digital culture media sport matt hancock told bbc radio zuckerbergs media rounds little satisfy washington lawmakers either political party demanded week 33yearold billionaire testify congress republican chairman top democrat us house energy commerce committee said coming days formally ask zuckerberg testify request came day company executives briefed committee aides nearly two hours left list least 60 questions unable answer two aides said zuckerberg said media interviews thursday would willing testify right person company speak lawmakers 3dprinted facebook logo seen front displayed stock graph illustration photo march 20 2018 picture taken march 20 reutersdado ruvic message mark zuckerberg right person theres question right person senator richard blumenthal connecticut democrat told reporters facebook executives briefed senate staff thursday facebook said comment beyond zuckerberg already said executives also briefed another house committee thursday answered questions cambridge analytica unprepared address broader questions facebooks privacy policies according staffer present reputational costs wall street analysts expressed relief signs far fundamental shift companys advertisingdriven revenue model said would costs shore reputation slideshow 4 images facebook 2 billion monthly active users made almost 406 billion revenue last year advertising sandberg said facebooks priority restoring users trust even meant accepting regulation data central ad business said company massively ramping hiring several analysts cut price targets technology stocks fallen along facebook week investors worried tighter scrutiny global platforms like alphabets google twitter snapchat analysts said zuckerbergs promises investigate thousands apps give members tool lets turn access would substantially reduce advertisers ability use facebook data companys lifeblood nevertheless opensource browser app developer mozilla said pressing pause facebook advertising revelations prompted take closer look sites default privacy settings related coverage eu leaders tell social networks guarantee users privacy senate subcommittee seeks information facebook data cambridge analytica london search warrant delayed court found current default settings leave access open lot data particularly respect settings thirdparty apps mozilla said blog post british advertising group isba represents thousands brands threatened withdraw ads investigations show data misused think issue likely snowball recede advertisers reaching tipping point spending facebook online platforms reevaluated brokerage liberum said note sharon rowlands president usa today network marketing solutions said unlikely flood brands would stop advertising facebook powerful targeting tools challenge platform performs rowlands said additional reporting david shepardson washington jessica toonkel new york munsif vengattil bangalore paul sandle london david ingram san francisco writing susan thomas editing nick zieminski standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,546 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>On Saturday, however, a new balloon arrived to save the fiesta from the dark side: a green balloon shaped like none other than Yoda.</p>
<p>For Stars Wars fans filling the fiesta, and there were plenty of them, the arrival of the Yoda balloon brought an added level of excitement to opening day.</p>
<p>“It was cool,” said 39-year-old Josh Butler of Albuquerque, a Star Wars fan himself.</p>
<p>“It certainly brings all the geeks together,” he pointed out.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Fans in Star Wars shirts and even a few dressed up like characters from the space saga huddled around both the Darth Vader and Yoda balloons – which are shaped like the heads of both characters – at the north end of the fiesta grounds.</p>
<p>Nate and Amber Hoffman of Albuquerque, donning Han Solo and Princess Leia attire, said there had been a rumor around town that a new Star Wars balloon would be revealed on Saturday.</p>
<p>Fans were standing around next to the Darth Vader balloon looking to see what other Star Wars character might appear, Amber Hoffman said.</p>
<p>“They didn’t reveal what it was (beforehand), nobody knew,” she said.</p>
<p>There was a notable migration to the north end of the field when Yoda was inflated, event spokesman Tom Garrity said.</p>
<p>Saturday was the first time the Yoda balloon has been put on public display, said Benoit Lambert of Belgium, who owns both Star Wars balloons.</p>
<p>In fact, Saturday was the first time Lambert himself had seen the Yoda balloon, he said, adding it had been shipped from England, where it was made.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I get the bad guy; I say why not get the good guy? Now you choose your side,” said Lambert, who noted he’s a big Star Wars fan.</p>
<p>The Star Wars balloons were inflated Saturday for fans to see but they did not take flight.</p>
<p>Balloons dot the sky during mass ascension Saturday at the Balloon Fiesta. (Morgan Petroski/AlbuquerqueJournal)</p>
<p>The weather was not what grounded Darth Vader and Yoda, however.</p>
<p>Opening day of the 43rd Balloon Fiesta was blessed with sunny skies. While the grounds were a bit chilly in the early morning leading up to the 7 a.m. mass ascension, the day warmed up nicely after the sun rose over the Sandias, bringing temperatures into the upper 70s by midday.</p>
<p>Several fiesta regulars said it was the most pleasant opening day in years.</p>
<p>“So far it’s been a really good opening day,” said Susan Bell of Albuquerque who was attending her sixteenth fiesta. “Perfect weather.”</p>
<p>Garrity said no balloon crashes were reported. “It was a clean day, as far as we’re aware,” he said.</p>
<p>As for events later in the day, the Twilight Twinkle Glow and fireworks were given the green light, but windy weather delayed until Monday evening the launch of America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race.</p>
<p>Viewers start out early</p>
<p>Heading into the first day of the nine-day gathering, some had feared the ongoing construction around Paseo del Norte and Interstate 25 would cause traffic delays for those heading to the festival.</p>
<p>Garrity said the construction did not cause any major delays, although many attended opening day.</p>
<p>Indeed, it appeared people made an conscious effort to get to the fiesta early. He said that, in previous years, traffic would start to get heavy between 5:30 and 6 a.m. On Saturday, Garrity said, traffic was heavy by 5 a.m.</p>
<p>By 5:45 a.m., traffic on northbound I-25 was nearly stopped from the Jefferson exit to the Alameda exit, westbound traffic on Alameda was also backed up, and the travel time on Tramway from Sandia Resort and Casino to Balloon Fiesta Park was about 40 minutes.</p>
<p>Crowds watch the fireworks show on the north end of Balloon Fiesta Park Saturday night after the balloon glow. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>“Traffic, from what I understand, went pretty smoothly,” said Albuquerque police spokesman Simon Drobik.</p>
<p>Drobik said there were several rear-end crashes – which often happen when people are watching balloons – but no serious collisions that caused injury or held up traffic for long periods of time.</p>
<p>The construction on Paseo del Norte confused some of the out-of-town traffic, but otherwise there were no major problems, Drobik said.</p>
<p>A lot of people used the park-and-ride transportation offered by the fiesta, Garrity said, although he did not have specific figures.</p>
<p>No more fear of heights</p>
<p>More than 550 balloons, including 100 special shapes, are part of this year’s fiesta, which has attracted pilots from across the United States and 21 foreign countries.</p>
<p>Hot-air balloon enthusiasts will tell you there is something magical about flying in one, and Bob Carter agrees. He says a hot-air balloon cured him of his fear of heights.</p>
<p>Carter, of Valley Forge, Pa., is a crew member on Ham-Let, aka When Pigs Fly, which is shaped like a pink pig with white wings.</p>
<p>Carter became one of balloon owner Doug Gannt’s crew members by accident. For four years, however, he never flew in the balloon, or any other.</p>
<p>“I’m not much of a heights person,” Carter said Saturday morning as he prepped the pig for takeoff.</p>
<p>Then, during the 2010 fiesta, Gannt issued Carter an ultimatum: Either he would fly inside Ham-Let’s basket or he could no longer work on his crew. Carter accepted he would have to fly, but his stomach didn’t. Before takeoff Carter threw up three times.</p>
<p>But as the portly pig lifted off, Carter said, he felt no vertigo.</p>
<p>“Then it was like euphoria,” Carter remembered.</p>
<p>And as the winds would have it, Ham-Let was carried to Rio Rancho and Gannt landed the balloon in a field near Enchanted Hills Elementary, where Carter’s daughter, Cassandra, a teacher, was watching the balloons with some of the children from her class.</p>
<p>“We land, and here comes my daughter and the kids from her class and they help us take the balloon down,” Carter said. “So it’s sort of like a really good memory.”</p>
<p />
<p>[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000JNabU4_fZx4″ g_name=”Albuquerque-International-Balloon-Fiesta-2014″ width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]</p>
| false | 2 |
saturday however new balloon arrived save fiesta dark side green balloon shaped like none yoda stars wars fans filling fiesta plenty arrival yoda balloon brought added level excitement opening day cool said 39yearold josh butler albuquerque star wars fan certainly brings geeks together pointed advertisement fans star wars shirts even dressed like characters space saga huddled around darth vader yoda balloons shaped like heads characters north end fiesta grounds nate amber hoffman albuquerque donning han solo princess leia attire said rumor around town new star wars balloon would revealed saturday fans standing around next darth vader balloon looking see star wars character might appear amber hoffman said didnt reveal beforehand nobody knew said notable migration north end field yoda inflated event spokesman tom garrity said saturday first time yoda balloon put public display said benoit lambert belgium owns star wars balloons fact saturday first time lambert seen yoda balloon said adding shipped england made advertisement get bad guy say get good guy choose side said lambert noted hes big star wars fan star wars balloons inflated saturday fans see take flight balloons dot sky mass ascension saturday balloon fiesta morgan petroskialbuquerquejournal weather grounded darth vader yoda however opening day 43rd balloon fiesta blessed sunny skies grounds bit chilly early morning leading 7 mass ascension day warmed nicely sun rose sandias bringing temperatures upper 70s midday several fiesta regulars said pleasant opening day years far really good opening day said susan bell albuquerque attending sixteenth fiesta perfect weather garrity said balloon crashes reported clean day far aware said events later day twilight twinkle glow fireworks given green light windy weather delayed monday evening launch americas challenge gas balloon race viewers start early heading first day nineday gathering feared ongoing construction around paseo del norte interstate 25 would cause traffic delays heading festival garrity said construction cause major delays although many attended opening day indeed appeared people made conscious effort get fiesta early said previous years traffic would start get heavy 530 6 saturday garrity said traffic heavy 5 545 traffic northbound i25 nearly stopped jefferson exit alameda exit westbound traffic alameda also backed travel time tramway sandia resort casino balloon fiesta park 40 minutes crowds watch fireworks show north end balloon fiesta park saturday night balloon glow roberto e rosalesalbuquerque journal traffic understand went pretty smoothly said albuquerque police spokesman simon drobik drobik said several rearend crashes often happen people watching balloons serious collisions caused injury held traffic long periods time construction paseo del norte confused outoftown traffic otherwise major problems drobik said lot people used parkandride transportation offered fiesta garrity said although specific figures fear heights 550 balloons including 100 special shapes part years fiesta attracted pilots across united states 21 foreign countries hotair balloon enthusiasts tell something magical flying one bob carter agrees says hotair balloon cured fear heights carter valley forge pa crew member hamlet aka pigs fly shaped like pink pig white wings carter became one balloon owner doug gannts crew members accident four years however never flew balloon im much heights person carter said saturday morning prepped pig takeoff 2010 fiesta gannt issued carter ultimatum either would fly inside hamlets basket could longer work crew carter accepted would fly stomach didnt takeoff carter threw three times portly pig lifted carter said felt vertigo like euphoria carter remembered winds would hamlet carried rio rancho gannt landed balloon field near enchanted hills elementary carters daughter cassandra teacher watching balloons children class land comes daughter kids class help us take balloon carter said sort like really good memory photosheltergallery g_idg0000jnabu4_fzx4 g_namealbuquerqueinternationalballoonfiesta2014 width600 f_fullscreent bgtranst pho_creditiptc twoupf f_bbart f_bbarbigf fsvisf f_show_captiont cropf f_enable_embed_btnt f_htmllinkst f_lt f_send_to_friend_btnf f_show_slidenumt f_topbarf f_show_watermarkt img_titlecasc linkdestc transxfade target_self tbs5000 f_linkt f_smoothf f_mtrxt f_apt f_upf height400 btypeold bcolorcccccc
| 622 |
<p>BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — Ask Daniel Maloney, 26, about chocolate, and he digs into his knapsack for a slender bar wrapped in gold foil.</p>
<p>“You are going to like this,” he said with a wide grin, holding up the bar and talking about its “notes of raspberry, cherry and citrus” as if he was describing a fine wine.</p>
<p>A 2009 graduate of Central High School and 2013 graduate of Fairfield University, Maloney has a degree in electrical engineering and a job as a construction manager in Manhattan.</p>
<p>He identifies, however, as a chocolatier and credits his success to a program he joined as a teen.</p>
<p>At the Bridgeport Holiday Inn on Jan. 9 to address a Mentoring for Academic Achievement and College/Career Success — or MAACS — reunion, Maloney told fellow alumni of the college prep program that with enough effort, everyone has the capability to follow multiple passions.</p>
<p>“Each and every one of us has the capability to create a luxury product. To tell a story and transform an emotion. Basically anything is possible if you are willing to sacrifice, be flexible and do the work,” Maloney said.</p>
<p>Along with older brothers Dominic and Nicholas — who also graduated from Bridgeport high schools — Maloney runs Sol Cacao, a bean-to-bar craft chocolate factory in the South Bronx. They do so juggling their day jobs: While Daniel manages construction contracts, Dominic is a biotechnologist and Nicholas is a registered nurse.</p>
<p>The three run their chocolate business out of a 2,000-square-foot-factory for six to eight hours after they get off work.</p>
<p>It was something they had talked about doing for years and finally made a reality in March 2015.</p>
<p>“Even in college, I knew I was going to be doing this,” said Maloney. “I love chocolate and every step of the process from how it is grown to how it should be enjoyed.”</p>
<p>The brothers were born on Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean islands filled with cacao trees. Their great-grandfather planted cacao trees. Their great-grandmother was a cinnamon farmer.</p>
<p>“Growing up, we didn’t have much, but we always ate well,” Maloney recalls.</p>
<p>The family moved to New York when the boys were young and then to Bridgeport in 2004 when Maloney was in the seventh-grade.</p>
<p>He attended Dunbar, then Central Magnet School. In his senior year, he was introduced to MAACS through Jessica Bromberg, then a coordinator of the program.</p>
<p>Sponsored by the Bridgeport Public Education Fund, MAACS pairs participants with mentors who stick with them through college, helping them with adjustment issues, finances and fitting into college.</p>
<p>“MAACS made me realize the importance of attending college,” Maloney said. “I always find myself looking back at the past wondering how life would have turned out without the support of my mentors.”</p>
<p>Maloney’s mentor was Antonio Musto, a couple of years older than Maloney and a student at Fairfield University. Musto is why Maloney ended up at Fairfield.</p>
<p>“Getting real time insight on what college is like makes a difference,” Marge Hiller, director of the fund, said.</p>
<p>To date, the MAACS program has provided mentoring to more than 6,000 students and has a success rate of 95 percent of its students going on to college.</p>
<p>Maloney viewed college as an opportunity to think critically and creatively. He wanted to create something other people weren’t really doing.</p>
<p>It took years of research and trial and error to perfect their recipes, settling on two ingredients: cacao beans — sourced from farmers in Madagascar, Ecuador and Peru — and raw cane sugar.</p>
<p>“Craft chocolate is all about letting the bean speak for itself,” said Maloney. “Less is more. You will be impressed with how much flavor we are able to generate.”</p>
<p>Maloney said his goal is to demystify the chocolate-making process and introduce palates to dark chocolate that tastes differently.</p>
<p>He does not want to be the next Hershey. Hershey, he said, is mostly fat and sugar.</p>
<p>“Hershey disrupts the pallet and confuses people to what chocolate really is,” he said.</p>
<p>The brothers sell Sol Cacao online and in markets throughout New York City, along with a smattering of shops from Massachusetts to Oregon.? They are also working on opening a retail space and a cacao tea recipe.</p>
<p>Sol Cacao, as of yet, can not be found in Connecticut, where many people, Maloney said, still do not understand the $8 a bar price point.</p>
<p>In New York, home to five bean-to-bar chocolate makers, it is less of a learning curve.</p>
<p>“People appreciate it for the experience,” he said. “It is something special.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Online: <a href="http://bit.ly/2rsLWpD" type="external">http://bit.ly/2rsLWpD</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Connecticut Post, <a href="http://www.connpost.com" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.connpost.com" type="external">http://www.connpost.com</a></p>
<p>BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — Ask Daniel Maloney, 26, about chocolate, and he digs into his knapsack for a slender bar wrapped in gold foil.</p>
<p>“You are going to like this,” he said with a wide grin, holding up the bar and talking about its “notes of raspberry, cherry and citrus” as if he was describing a fine wine.</p>
<p>A 2009 graduate of Central High School and 2013 graduate of Fairfield University, Maloney has a degree in electrical engineering and a job as a construction manager in Manhattan.</p>
<p>He identifies, however, as a chocolatier and credits his success to a program he joined as a teen.</p>
<p>At the Bridgeport Holiday Inn on Jan. 9 to address a Mentoring for Academic Achievement and College/Career Success — or MAACS — reunion, Maloney told fellow alumni of the college prep program that with enough effort, everyone has the capability to follow multiple passions.</p>
<p>“Each and every one of us has the capability to create a luxury product. To tell a story and transform an emotion. Basically anything is possible if you are willing to sacrifice, be flexible and do the work,” Maloney said.</p>
<p>Along with older brothers Dominic and Nicholas — who also graduated from Bridgeport high schools — Maloney runs Sol Cacao, a bean-to-bar craft chocolate factory in the South Bronx. They do so juggling their day jobs: While Daniel manages construction contracts, Dominic is a biotechnologist and Nicholas is a registered nurse.</p>
<p>The three run their chocolate business out of a 2,000-square-foot-factory for six to eight hours after they get off work.</p>
<p>It was something they had talked about doing for years and finally made a reality in March 2015.</p>
<p>“Even in college, I knew I was going to be doing this,” said Maloney. “I love chocolate and every step of the process from how it is grown to how it should be enjoyed.”</p>
<p>The brothers were born on Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean islands filled with cacao trees. Their great-grandfather planted cacao trees. Their great-grandmother was a cinnamon farmer.</p>
<p>“Growing up, we didn’t have much, but we always ate well,” Maloney recalls.</p>
<p>The family moved to New York when the boys were young and then to Bridgeport in 2004 when Maloney was in the seventh-grade.</p>
<p>He attended Dunbar, then Central Magnet School. In his senior year, he was introduced to MAACS through Jessica Bromberg, then a coordinator of the program.</p>
<p>Sponsored by the Bridgeport Public Education Fund, MAACS pairs participants with mentors who stick with them through college, helping them with adjustment issues, finances and fitting into college.</p>
<p>“MAACS made me realize the importance of attending college,” Maloney said. “I always find myself looking back at the past wondering how life would have turned out without the support of my mentors.”</p>
<p>Maloney’s mentor was Antonio Musto, a couple of years older than Maloney and a student at Fairfield University. Musto is why Maloney ended up at Fairfield.</p>
<p>“Getting real time insight on what college is like makes a difference,” Marge Hiller, director of the fund, said.</p>
<p>To date, the MAACS program has provided mentoring to more than 6,000 students and has a success rate of 95 percent of its students going on to college.</p>
<p>Maloney viewed college as an opportunity to think critically and creatively. He wanted to create something other people weren’t really doing.</p>
<p>It took years of research and trial and error to perfect their recipes, settling on two ingredients: cacao beans — sourced from farmers in Madagascar, Ecuador and Peru — and raw cane sugar.</p>
<p>“Craft chocolate is all about letting the bean speak for itself,” said Maloney. “Less is more. You will be impressed with how much flavor we are able to generate.”</p>
<p>Maloney said his goal is to demystify the chocolate-making process and introduce palates to dark chocolate that tastes differently.</p>
<p>He does not want to be the next Hershey. Hershey, he said, is mostly fat and sugar.</p>
<p>“Hershey disrupts the pallet and confuses people to what chocolate really is,” he said.</p>
<p>The brothers sell Sol Cacao online and in markets throughout New York City, along with a smattering of shops from Massachusetts to Oregon.? They are also working on opening a retail space and a cacao tea recipe.</p>
<p>Sol Cacao, as of yet, can not be found in Connecticut, where many people, Maloney said, still do not understand the $8 a bar price point.</p>
<p>In New York, home to five bean-to-bar chocolate makers, it is less of a learning curve.</p>
<p>“People appreciate it for the experience,” he said. “It is something special.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Online: <a href="http://bit.ly/2rsLWpD" type="external">http://bit.ly/2rsLWpD</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Connecticut Post, <a href="http://www.connpost.com" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.connpost.com" type="external">http://www.connpost.com</a></p>
| false | 2 |
bridgeport conn ap ask daniel maloney 26 chocolate digs knapsack slender bar wrapped gold foil going like said wide grin holding bar talking notes raspberry cherry citrus describing fine wine 2009 graduate central high school 2013 graduate fairfield university maloney degree electrical engineering job construction manager manhattan identifies however chocolatier credits success program joined teen bridgeport holiday inn jan 9 address mentoring academic achievement collegecareer success maacs reunion maloney told fellow alumni college prep program enough effort everyone capability follow multiple passions every one us capability create luxury product tell story transform emotion basically anything possible willing sacrifice flexible work maloney said along older brothers dominic nicholas also graduated bridgeport high schools maloney runs sol cacao beantobar craft chocolate factory south bronx juggling day jobs daniel manages construction contracts dominic biotechnologist nicholas registered nurse three run chocolate business 2000squarefootfactory six eight hours get work something talked years finally made reality march 2015 even college knew going said maloney love chocolate every step process grown enjoyed brothers born trinidad tobago caribbean islands filled cacao trees greatgrandfather planted cacao trees greatgrandmother cinnamon farmer growing didnt much always ate well maloney recalls family moved new york boys young bridgeport 2004 maloney seventhgrade attended dunbar central magnet school senior year introduced maacs jessica bromberg coordinator program sponsored bridgeport public education fund maacs pairs participants mentors stick college helping adjustment issues finances fitting college maacs made realize importance attending college maloney said always find looking back past wondering life would turned without support mentors maloneys mentor antonio musto couple years older maloney student fairfield university musto maloney ended fairfield getting real time insight college like makes difference marge hiller director fund said date maacs program provided mentoring 6000 students success rate 95 percent students going college maloney viewed college opportunity think critically creatively wanted create something people werent really took years research trial error perfect recipes settling two ingredients cacao beans sourced farmers madagascar ecuador peru raw cane sugar craft chocolate letting bean speak said maloney less impressed much flavor able generate maloney said goal demystify chocolatemaking process introduce palates dark chocolate tastes differently want next hershey hershey said mostly fat sugar hershey disrupts pallet confuses people chocolate really said brothers sell sol cacao online markets throughout new york city along smattering shops massachusetts oregon also working opening retail space cacao tea recipe sol cacao yet found connecticut many people maloney said still understand 8 bar price point new york home five beantobar chocolate makers less learning curve people appreciate experience said something special ___ online httpbitly2rslwpd ___ information connecticut post httpwwwconnpostcom bridgeport conn ap ask daniel maloney 26 chocolate digs knapsack slender bar wrapped gold foil going like said wide grin holding bar talking notes raspberry cherry citrus describing fine wine 2009 graduate central high school 2013 graduate fairfield university maloney degree electrical engineering job construction manager manhattan identifies however chocolatier credits success program joined teen bridgeport holiday inn jan 9 address mentoring academic achievement collegecareer success maacs reunion maloney told fellow alumni college prep program enough effort everyone capability follow multiple passions every one us capability create luxury product tell story transform emotion basically anything possible willing sacrifice flexible work maloney said along older brothers dominic nicholas also graduated bridgeport high schools maloney runs sol cacao beantobar craft chocolate factory south bronx juggling day jobs daniel manages construction contracts dominic biotechnologist nicholas registered nurse three run chocolate business 2000squarefootfactory six eight hours get work something talked years finally made reality march 2015 even college knew going said maloney love chocolate every step process grown enjoyed brothers born trinidad tobago caribbean islands filled cacao trees greatgrandfather planted cacao trees greatgrandmother cinnamon farmer growing didnt much always ate well maloney recalls family moved new york boys young bridgeport 2004 maloney seventhgrade attended dunbar central magnet school senior year introduced maacs jessica bromberg coordinator program sponsored bridgeport public education fund maacs pairs participants mentors stick college helping adjustment issues finances fitting college maacs made realize importance attending college maloney said always find looking back past wondering life would turned without support mentors maloneys mentor antonio musto couple years older maloney student fairfield university musto maloney ended fairfield getting real time insight college like makes difference marge hiller director fund said date maacs program provided mentoring 6000 students success rate 95 percent students going college maloney viewed college opportunity think critically creatively wanted create something people werent really took years research trial error perfect recipes settling two ingredients cacao beans sourced farmers madagascar ecuador peru raw cane sugar craft chocolate letting bean speak said maloney less impressed much flavor able generate maloney said goal demystify chocolatemaking process introduce palates dark chocolate tastes differently want next hershey hershey said mostly fat sugar hershey disrupts pallet confuses people chocolate really said brothers sell sol cacao online markets throughout new york city along smattering shops massachusetts oregon also working opening retail space cacao tea recipe sol cacao yet found connecticut many people maloney said still understand 8 bar price point new york home five beantobar chocolate makers less learning curve people appreciate experience said something special ___ online httpbitly2rslwpd ___ information connecticut post httpwwwconnpostcom
| 854 |
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers are already in playoff mode. That was enough to beat the spotty Washington Capitals.</p>
<p>Travis Konecny scored 27 seconds into overtime, and the surging Flyers beat the Capitals 2-1 on Sunday.</p>
<p>Michael Raffl also scored for Philadelphia, and Brian Elliott had 27 saves. The Flyers, who lost 10 consecutive games earlier in the season, have won three in a row and seven of eight to move into playoff position in the Eastern Conference.</p>
<p>“Coming in here and getting a win, it definitely says something about our character,” Konecny said. “There’s just that vibe in the locker room right now. We really want that playoff opportunity and we’re pushing for it.”</p>
<p>Konecny found space in the middle of the offensive zone and his shot deflected off Washington’s T.J. Oshie and past Braden Holtby for his eighth of the season.</p>
<p>Konecny also scored in Saturday’s 3-1 win against New Jersey. Washington began the day with 18 home wins, tied with the Vegas Golden Knights for the most in the NHL.</p>
<p>“We’re just finding ways to win hockey games,” Konecny said. “It’s a hard road game coming in here and you know they rested yesterday. I don’t know, we’re just keeping things simple and we’re just trusting our abilities.”</p>
<p>Washington has dropped three in a row.</p>
<p>“You’re playing a Philly team that’s playing extremely well right now. They’re in playoff mode,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “There’s not a lot separating first (place) and eighth. Every game is going to be huge. It’s going to get ramped up here.”</p>
<p>Alex Ovechkin scored his NHL-best 29th goal, but the Capitals came up empty on several viable scoring chances against Elliott.</p>
<p>“The chances were there. We created lots of chances, lots of opportunities,” Ovechkin said. “We can give the goalie too (many) easy saves. We have to manage the puck better when we have opportunities.”</p>
<p>Elliott and Philadelphia’s defense certainly played a part in keeping Washington’s offense in check.</p>
<p>“Guys were boxing out in front and forcing those shots from the outside. It kind of gets you in a groove and I thought we did that well all night,” Elliott said.</p>
<p>Both teams scored in the second period.</p>
<p>Working from behind Washington’s net, Valtteri Filppula sent a deft pass to Raffl, whose shot from the left slot bounced off Holtby and into the net at 13:48.</p>
<p>Raffl’s ninth goal in his last 26 games topped his total from last season. The left wing did not score in his first 21 games.</p>
<p>The Capitals, who sit third in the East, tied it on Ovechkin’s power-play goal with 15.8 seconds left. With captain Claude Giroux in the box for slashing, John Carlson’s pass set up Ovechkin’s blistering one-timer from just above the left circle.</p>
<p>Despite the loss, Washington sounded upbeat after some recent down performances. The Capitals stymied the Flyers on three power-play chances and did not allow many shots on goal. Holtby made 21 stops.</p>
<p>“I’m not too disappointed. I’m disappointed in the final outcome, but I’m not disappointed in the game,” Trotz said. “There’s a lot to like in our game.”</p>
<p>NOTES: Philadelphia won the first meeting 8-2 on Oct. 14. ... Ovechkin remains one assist shy of 500 for his career. ... Elliott returned to the lineup after G Michal Neuvirth started the previous two games. ... Capitals F Alex Chiasson, who has played in 44 games this season, was a healthy scratch. . Philadelphia is 0 for 12 on the power play over the last four games.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Flyers: Visits Detroit on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Capitals: Visits Florida on Thursday night.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP hockey: <a href="" type="internal">https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey</a></p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers are already in playoff mode. That was enough to beat the spotty Washington Capitals.</p>
<p>Travis Konecny scored 27 seconds into overtime, and the surging Flyers beat the Capitals 2-1 on Sunday.</p>
<p>Michael Raffl also scored for Philadelphia, and Brian Elliott had 27 saves. The Flyers, who lost 10 consecutive games earlier in the season, have won three in a row and seven of eight to move into playoff position in the Eastern Conference.</p>
<p>“Coming in here and getting a win, it definitely says something about our character,” Konecny said. “There’s just that vibe in the locker room right now. We really want that playoff opportunity and we’re pushing for it.”</p>
<p>Konecny found space in the middle of the offensive zone and his shot deflected off Washington’s T.J. Oshie and past Braden Holtby for his eighth of the season.</p>
<p>Konecny also scored in Saturday’s 3-1 win against New Jersey. Washington began the day with 18 home wins, tied with the Vegas Golden Knights for the most in the NHL.</p>
<p>“We’re just finding ways to win hockey games,” Konecny said. “It’s a hard road game coming in here and you know they rested yesterday. I don’t know, we’re just keeping things simple and we’re just trusting our abilities.”</p>
<p>Washington has dropped three in a row.</p>
<p>“You’re playing a Philly team that’s playing extremely well right now. They’re in playoff mode,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “There’s not a lot separating first (place) and eighth. Every game is going to be huge. It’s going to get ramped up here.”</p>
<p>Alex Ovechkin scored his NHL-best 29th goal, but the Capitals came up empty on several viable scoring chances against Elliott.</p>
<p>“The chances were there. We created lots of chances, lots of opportunities,” Ovechkin said. “We can give the goalie too (many) easy saves. We have to manage the puck better when we have opportunities.”</p>
<p>Elliott and Philadelphia’s defense certainly played a part in keeping Washington’s offense in check.</p>
<p>“Guys were boxing out in front and forcing those shots from the outside. It kind of gets you in a groove and I thought we did that well all night,” Elliott said.</p>
<p>Both teams scored in the second period.</p>
<p>Working from behind Washington’s net, Valtteri Filppula sent a deft pass to Raffl, whose shot from the left slot bounced off Holtby and into the net at 13:48.</p>
<p>Raffl’s ninth goal in his last 26 games topped his total from last season. The left wing did not score in his first 21 games.</p>
<p>The Capitals, who sit third in the East, tied it on Ovechkin’s power-play goal with 15.8 seconds left. With captain Claude Giroux in the box for slashing, John Carlson’s pass set up Ovechkin’s blistering one-timer from just above the left circle.</p>
<p>Despite the loss, Washington sounded upbeat after some recent down performances. The Capitals stymied the Flyers on three power-play chances and did not allow many shots on goal. Holtby made 21 stops.</p>
<p>“I’m not too disappointed. I’m disappointed in the final outcome, but I’m not disappointed in the game,” Trotz said. “There’s a lot to like in our game.”</p>
<p>NOTES: Philadelphia won the first meeting 8-2 on Oct. 14. ... Ovechkin remains one assist shy of 500 for his career. ... Elliott returned to the lineup after G Michal Neuvirth started the previous two games. ... Capitals F Alex Chiasson, who has played in 44 games this season, was a healthy scratch. . Philadelphia is 0 for 12 on the power play over the last four games.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Flyers: Visits Detroit on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Capitals: Visits Florida on Thursday night.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP hockey: <a href="" type="internal">https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey</a></p>
| false | 2 |
washington ap philadelphia flyers already playoff mode enough beat spotty washington capitals travis konecny scored 27 seconds overtime surging flyers beat capitals 21 sunday michael raffl also scored philadelphia brian elliott 27 saves flyers lost 10 consecutive games earlier season three row seven eight move playoff position eastern conference coming getting win definitely says something character konecny said theres vibe locker room right really want playoff opportunity pushing konecny found space middle offensive zone shot deflected washingtons tj oshie past braden holtby eighth season konecny also scored saturdays 31 win new jersey washington began day 18 home wins tied vegas golden knights nhl finding ways win hockey games konecny said hard road game coming know rested yesterday dont know keeping things simple trusting abilities washington dropped three row youre playing philly team thats playing extremely well right theyre playoff mode capitals coach barry trotz said theres lot separating first place eighth every game going huge going get ramped alex ovechkin scored nhlbest 29th goal capitals came empty several viable scoring chances elliott chances created lots chances lots opportunities ovechkin said give goalie many easy saves manage puck better opportunities elliott philadelphias defense certainly played part keeping washingtons offense check guys boxing front forcing shots outside kind gets groove thought well night elliott said teams scored second period working behind washingtons net valtteri filppula sent deft pass raffl whose shot left slot bounced holtby net 1348 raffls ninth goal last 26 games topped total last season left wing score first 21 games capitals sit third east tied ovechkins powerplay goal 158 seconds left captain claude giroux box slashing john carlsons pass set ovechkins blistering onetimer left circle despite loss washington sounded upbeat recent performances capitals stymied flyers three powerplay chances allow many shots goal holtby made 21 stops im disappointed im disappointed final outcome im disappointed game trotz said theres lot like game notes philadelphia first meeting 82 oct 14 ovechkin remains one assist shy 500 career elliott returned lineup g michal neuvirth started previous two games capitals f alex chiasson played 44 games season healthy scratch philadelphia 0 12 power play last four games next flyers visits detroit tuesday capitals visits florida thursday night ___ ap hockey httpsapnewscomtagnhlhockey washington ap philadelphia flyers already playoff mode enough beat spotty washington capitals travis konecny scored 27 seconds overtime surging flyers beat capitals 21 sunday michael raffl also scored philadelphia brian elliott 27 saves flyers lost 10 consecutive games earlier season three row seven eight move playoff position eastern conference coming getting win definitely says something character konecny said theres vibe locker room right really want playoff opportunity pushing konecny found space middle offensive zone shot deflected washingtons tj oshie past braden holtby eighth season konecny also scored saturdays 31 win new jersey washington began day 18 home wins tied vegas golden knights nhl finding ways win hockey games konecny said hard road game coming know rested yesterday dont know keeping things simple trusting abilities washington dropped three row youre playing philly team thats playing extremely well right theyre playoff mode capitals coach barry trotz said theres lot separating first place eighth every game going huge going get ramped alex ovechkin scored nhlbest 29th goal capitals came empty several viable scoring chances elliott chances created lots chances lots opportunities ovechkin said give goalie many easy saves manage puck better opportunities elliott philadelphias defense certainly played part keeping washingtons offense check guys boxing front forcing shots outside kind gets groove thought well night elliott said teams scored second period working behind washingtons net valtteri filppula sent deft pass raffl whose shot left slot bounced holtby net 1348 raffls ninth goal last 26 games topped total last season left wing score first 21 games capitals sit third east tied ovechkins powerplay goal 158 seconds left captain claude giroux box slashing john carlsons pass set ovechkins blistering onetimer left circle despite loss washington sounded upbeat recent performances capitals stymied flyers three powerplay chances allow many shots goal holtby made 21 stops im disappointed im disappointed final outcome im disappointed game trotz said theres lot like game notes philadelphia first meeting 82 oct 14 ovechkin remains one assist shy 500 career elliott returned lineup g michal neuvirth started previous two games capitals f alex chiasson played 44 games season healthy scratch philadelphia 0 12 power play last four games next flyers visits detroit tuesday capitals visits florida thursday night ___ ap hockey httpsapnewscomtagnhlhockey
| 736 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>If approved, the proposed settlement could help dampen concern about a conflict facing incoming President-elect Donald Trump, whose company has borrowed more than $300 million from the troubled Germany.</p>
<p>The settlement, the bank announced late Thursday, follows a months-long DOJ investigation into Deutsche mortgage-securities abuses at the dawn of the financial crisis. The bank will pay roughly half what the DOJ had suggested for a penalty earlier this year.</p>
<p>The settlement was reached “in principle” and could still stand to change in its final documentation, the bank said. The DOJ declined to comment.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Deutsche has in recent months come under scrutiny for the potential influence it could exert on Trump, who in financial filings has counted the European mega-bank as his companies’ biggest lender, with roughly $364 million in outstanding debts.</p>
<p>But the settlement will likely not close the book on worries over the president-elect’s close ties to the bank, which has faced a series of investigations over suspicious trading activity and market manipulation, including in Russia and across the world.</p>
<p>Deutsche will pay a $3.1 billion penalty and agree to another $4.1 billion in loan modifications and other homeowner relief over a five-year period. DOJ investigators initially requested a settlement of up to $14 billion in September, triggering unease within the bank and highlighting the soon-to-be businessman-in-chief’s precarious debts.</p>
<p>Some members of Congress and ethics advisers have already targeted Trump’s debts to the bank as one of his most critical conflicts. Trump’s private real-estate fortune has for nearly two decades depended on a steady flow of Deutsche loans.</p>
<p>Advisers have questioned whether conflicts of interest concerning what Trump owns could color his presidential policies and deal-making. But what he owes could prove just as influential, because those weighty debts aren’t easily shaken off, and because the Trump family’s real-estate business could rely on Deutsche funds for future work.</p>
<p>Congressional Democrats say they intend to target Trump’s heavy obligations to the bank as a chief vulnerability during his presidency. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, vowed before the settlement announcement to make Deutsche a major issue during confirmation hearings for Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., Trump’s attorney general-designate.</p>
<p>“It is becoming increasingly clear that the incoming president will be inextricably implicated in a variety of situations where his personal interests may be at odds with the nation’s interest,” Blumenthal said in an interview with The Washington Post this week. “Among his many potential conflicts, Deutsche Bank is Exhibit A. It is the most concerning.”</p>
<p>Messages left with Trump representatives were not returned. In September, Alan Garten, an executive vice president of the Trump Organization, told The Post that Trump’s Deutsche loans were not a conflict. “Every president takes office with prior dealings,” Garten said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>DOJ investigators targeted Deutsche for allegedly selling toxic home loans and deceiving investors about their risky debts between 2005 and 2007, in the years before the financial meltdown. Other banks have faced similar penalties, including Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, the latter of which settled earlier this year for about $5 billion.</p>
<p>Deutsche Bank said in September that Justice negotiators were seeking a budget-busting $14 billion penalty, which led the bank’s stock to plunge following analysts’ claims that the bank was “significantly under-capitalized.”</p>
<p>Deutsche executives and German politicians disputed speculation that the prominent bank had sought a bailout from the German government. The bank’s share price has climbed 30 percent since Trump’s Nov. 8 electoral victory.</p>
<p>Founded in 1870, Deutsche is now one of the world’s most formidable financial institutions, with more than 20 million clients and roughly 100,000 employees across 70 countries.</p>
<p>Its total assets are larger than those of American mega-banks Wells Fargo and Citigroup and, in a note to employees in September, chief executive John Cryan said the bank had an “extremely comfortable buffer” of more than $220 billion in reserve funds.</p>
<p>The Frankfurt-based bank’s deep roots in Germany, where half of its employees and shareholders live and work, could also prove disconcerting for Trump in his role as U.S. head of state. In 2008, German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted a taxpayer-funded dinner celebrating the 60th birthday of Josef Ackermann, then the bank’s chief executive.</p>
<p>The mortgage-securities settlement will not resolve a series of other potential hurdles for the European banking giant. Deutsche is also facing inquiries from the DOJ and other countries over allegations it used so-called mirror trading to launder money on behalf of wealthy clients in Russia and other countries.</p>
<p>In a separate market-manipulation case, Russia’s central bank said Tuesday that a Deutsche trader had made millions of dollars by buying and selling stocks under his relatives’ name.</p>
<p>Plagued by a series of costly scandals over the last decade, Deutsche has agreed to pay billions of dollars in fines for violating international trading sanctions and conspiring to manipulate foreign exchange rates and the prices of gold and silver.</p>
<p>The bank last year agreed to pay a $2.5 billion fine to the DOJ and international regulators over its role in a scheme to rig the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, which is used to calculate interest payments across the globe. In June, an International Monetary Fund report said the bank was one of the biggest “contributors to systemic risks in the global banking system.”</p>
<p>The potential for conflicts between Deutsche and Trump’s presidency could influence the future of broad regulations crafted in the aftermath of the financial meltdown.</p>
<p>Deutsche was the first bank penalized last year, with a $2.5 million fine, under a provision of the Dodd-Frank financial-reform act aimed at tracking the trades of financial instruments known as swaps.</p>
<p>The bank’s overhaul of its swaps-reporting system is now being overseen by Paul Atkins, a former Securities and Exchange Commission official and an influential member of the Trump transition team. Atkins has criticized Dodd-Frank and questioned the effectiveness of corporate penalties as a means to deter bad behavior.</p>
<p>Atkin’s views on Dodd-Frank appear to align with those of Deutsche, which has paid more than $1 million since the start of 2015 to Peck Madigan Jones lobbyists targeting members of Congress, records show. Their lobbying priorities have included Dodd-Frank rules, tax reforms and issues related to the regulation of foreign banks.</p>
<p>Trump’s relationship with Deutsche stretches back nearly two decades, beginning with a $125 million loan in 1998 for Trump’s Manhattan skyscraper at 40 Wall Street, loan documents show.</p>
<p>But the relationship has seen its tension points. Trump sparred with Deutsche’s investment-lending division in 2008 during a messy legal battle over a $640 million loan to fund construction of Trump’s Chicago tower.</p>
<p>When lenders demanded Trump pay $40 million in unpaid debts he had personally guaranteed, Trump sued Deutsche for $3 billion, claiming the tower’s struggles had been triggered by a recession partially sparked by the bank itself. The case has since been settled.</p>
<p>In recent years, Trump’s loans have come not from Deutsche’s investment bank but its private-wealth division, where Trump works with a veteran banker, Rosemary Vrablic, whose clientele largely includes deep-pocketed real-estate developers. In a New York Times interview in May, Trump called Vrablic “the head of Deutsche Bank” and “the boss.”</p>
<p>“She’s a real banker’s banker,” said one of Vrablic’s clients, Herbert Simon, a former chairman of the Simon shopping-mall giant and the current owner of the Indiana Pacers basketball team. “When I needed some quick action, a quick turnaround, she produced.”</p>
<p>Vrablic did not respond to requests for comment.</p>
<p>Deutsche is one of the only Wall Street banks to be listed as one of Trump’s active lenders. A former bank director said lenders in recent years were leery of partnering with Trump following years of high-profile trouble in his businesses, including six corporate bankruptcies.</p>
<p>Deutsche is now the biggest publicly known lender to Trump businesses, with four outstanding loans tied to Trump’s most high-profile properties, according to financial-disclosure filings released in May.</p>
<p>Deutsche loaned $170 million last year for the new Trump International Hotel in Washington, or about 80 percent of what the Trump Organization said it spent toward redevelopment.</p>
<p>Trump also borrowed $125 million for his Trump National Doral golf course in south Florida and $69 million for the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago. All of those loans come due by 2024, during what could be Trump’s second term in office.</p>
<p>A Deutsche subsidiary, the Bank of China and other lenders also partnered to loan nearly $1 billion in 2012 to a New York office building where Trump owns a minority stake.</p>
<p>Deutsche has also helped fund side interests close to Trump, including making a $3.6 million loan in 2011 to Titan Atlas, a failed South Carolina factory venture involving Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr. Deutsche lenders have also worked with the company of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.</p>
<p>Blumenthal last month made the case that a special counsel, independent of the president and the attorney general, should be appointed to ensure the impartiality and forcefulness of the DOJ’s mortgage probe.</p>
<p>The DOJ earlier this month rejected Blumenthal’s request. Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik wrote, “The Department has full confidence in its law enforcement professional and career attorneys to follow the established Department policies and procedures, which are designed to ensure the integrity of all ongoing investigations.”</p>
<p>Trevor Potter, a former chair of the Federal Elections Commission who has advised several Republican presidential candidates, said that the Deutsche situation presents “enormously complex and worrisome issues” for the president and his administration and for bank officials.</p>
<p>“The idea that the bank might offer the president better terms in return for the government going easier on the terms of enforcement and fines is truly horrific,” Potter said. “It is a possibility that illustrates the perils of this situation,” he added, and it doesn’t just affect the president.</p>
<p>“Anyone the president appoints in DOJ or Treasury is going to be aware – could not fail to be aware – that the president has a real stake with that enormous loan outstanding,” Potter said. “As a result, everyone will be in fear of making a decision that might anger the president, their boss, or might cause him trouble.”</p>
| false | 2 |
approved proposed settlement could help dampen concern conflict facing incoming presidentelect donald trump whose company borrowed 300 million troubled germany settlement bank announced late thursday follows monthslong doj investigation deutsche mortgagesecurities abuses dawn financial crisis bank pay roughly half doj suggested penalty earlier year settlement reached principle could still stand change final documentation bank said doj declined comment advertisement deutsche recent months come scrutiny potential influence could exert trump financial filings counted european megabank companies biggest lender roughly 364 million outstanding debts settlement likely close book worries presidentelects close ties bank faced series investigations suspicious trading activity market manipulation including russia across world deutsche pay 31 billion penalty agree another 41 billion loan modifications homeowner relief fiveyear period doj investigators initially requested settlement 14 billion september triggering unease within bank highlighting soontobe businessmaninchiefs precarious debts members congress ethics advisers already targeted trumps debts bank one critical conflicts trumps private realestate fortune nearly two decades depended steady flow deutsche loans advisers questioned whether conflicts interest concerning trump owns could color presidential policies dealmaking owes could prove influential weighty debts arent easily shaken trump familys realestate business could rely deutsche funds future work congressional democrats say intend target trumps heavy obligations bank chief vulnerability presidency sen richard blumenthal dconn member senate judiciary committee vowed settlement announcement make deutsche major issue confirmation hearings sen jeff sessions rala trumps attorney generaldesignate becoming increasingly clear incoming president inextricably implicated variety situations personal interests may odds nations interest blumenthal said interview washington post week among many potential conflicts deutsche bank exhibit concerning messages left trump representatives returned september alan garten executive vice president trump organization told post trumps deutsche loans conflict every president takes office prior dealings garten said advertisement doj investigators targeted deutsche allegedly selling toxic home loans deceiving investors risky debts 2005 2007 years financial meltdown banks faced similar penalties including bank america goldman sachs latter settled earlier year 5 billion deutsche bank said september justice negotiators seeking budgetbusting 14 billion penalty led banks stock plunge following analysts claims bank significantly undercapitalized deutsche executives german politicians disputed speculation prominent bank sought bailout german government banks share price climbed 30 percent since trumps nov 8 electoral victory founded 1870 deutsche one worlds formidable financial institutions 20 million clients roughly 100000 employees across 70 countries total assets larger american megabanks wells fargo citigroup note employees september chief executive john cryan said bank extremely comfortable buffer 220 billion reserve funds frankfurtbased banks deep roots germany half employees shareholders live work could also prove disconcerting trump role us head state 2008 german chancellor angela merkel hosted taxpayerfunded dinner celebrating 60th birthday josef ackermann banks chief executive mortgagesecurities settlement resolve series potential hurdles european banking giant deutsche also facing inquiries doj countries allegations used socalled mirror trading launder money behalf wealthy clients russia countries separate marketmanipulation case russias central bank said tuesday deutsche trader made millions dollars buying selling stocks relatives name plagued series costly scandals last decade deutsche agreed pay billions dollars fines violating international trading sanctions conspiring manipulate foreign exchange rates prices gold silver bank last year agreed pay 25 billion fine doj international regulators role scheme rig london interbank offered rate libor used calculate interest payments across globe june international monetary fund report said bank one biggest contributors systemic risks global banking system potential conflicts deutsche trumps presidency could influence future broad regulations crafted aftermath financial meltdown deutsche first bank penalized last year 25 million fine provision doddfrank financialreform act aimed tracking trades financial instruments known swaps banks overhaul swapsreporting system overseen paul atkins former securities exchange commission official influential member trump transition team atkins criticized doddfrank questioned effectiveness corporate penalties means deter bad behavior atkins views doddfrank appear align deutsche paid 1 million since start 2015 peck madigan jones lobbyists targeting members congress records show lobbying priorities included doddfrank rules tax reforms issues related regulation foreign banks trumps relationship deutsche stretches back nearly two decades beginning 125 million loan 1998 trumps manhattan skyscraper 40 wall street loan documents show relationship seen tension points trump sparred deutsches investmentlending division 2008 messy legal battle 640 million loan fund construction trumps chicago tower lenders demanded trump pay 40 million unpaid debts personally guaranteed trump sued deutsche 3 billion claiming towers struggles triggered recession partially sparked bank case since settled recent years trumps loans come deutsches investment bank privatewealth division trump works veteran banker rosemary vrablic whose clientele largely includes deeppocketed realestate developers new york times interview may trump called vrablic head deutsche bank boss shes real bankers banker said one vrablics clients herbert simon former chairman simon shoppingmall giant current owner indiana pacers basketball team needed quick action quick turnaround produced vrablic respond requests comment deutsche one wall street banks listed one trumps active lenders former bank director said lenders recent years leery partnering trump following years highprofile trouble businesses including six corporate bankruptcies deutsche biggest publicly known lender trump businesses four outstanding loans tied trumps highprofile properties according financialdisclosure filings released may deutsche loaned 170 million last year new trump international hotel washington 80 percent trump organization said spent toward redevelopment trump also borrowed 125 million trump national doral golf course south florida 69 million trump international hotel tower chicago loans come due 2024 could trumps second term office deutsche subsidiary bank china lenders also partnered loan nearly 1 billion 2012 new york office building trump owns minority stake deutsche also helped fund side interests close trump including making 36 million loan 2011 titan atlas failed south carolina factory venture involving trumps son donald trump jr deutsche lenders also worked company trumps soninlaw jared kushner blumenthal last month made case special counsel independent president attorney general appointed ensure impartiality forcefulness dojs mortgage probe doj earlier month rejected blumenthals request assistant attorney general peter kadzik wrote department full confidence law enforcement professional career attorneys follow established department policies procedures designed ensure integrity ongoing investigations trevor potter former chair federal elections commission advised several republican presidential candidates said deutsche situation presents enormously complex worrisome issues president administration bank officials idea bank might offer president better terms return government going easier terms enforcement fines truly horrific potter said possibility illustrates perils situation added doesnt affect president anyone president appoints doj treasury going aware could fail aware president real stake enormous loan outstanding potter said result everyone fear making decision might anger president boss might cause trouble
| 1,056 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>That is until early last year, when she underwent a new procedure called bronchial thermoplasty. “It’s not a cure for asthma, but it’s as close as they’ve ever come,” says Trimmer, 44, a neonatal intensive care nurse at Lovelace Women’s Hospital. “I’m more than a year out, and it’s changed my life and for the better.”</p>
<p>Asthma is a chronic or long-term disease in which the smooth muscle in the walls of the airways become thick. When an allergen or an irritant triggers an asthmatic attack, that thick, smooth muscle contracts and the airway narrows, making breathing difficult.</p>
<p>This artist rendering shows the Alair electrode array expanded and delivering heat to shrink the thickened smooth muscle in the wall of the airway during bronchial thermoplasty. (COURTESY of BOSTON SCIENTIFIC)</p>
<p>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 26 million Americans have asthma, 7 million of them children; and more than 3,400 people die each year in the U.S. from asthma.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Jeffrey Dorf, a pulmonologist with Chest Medicine of New Mexico, is the only doctor in New Mexico trained to perform the procedure using the Alair system made by Boston Scientific, according to a company marketing representative. The equipment was purchased by Lovelace Women’s Hospital, where Dorf performs the procedure.</p>
<p>Because people can outgrow asthma, bronchial thermoplasty is not recommended for anyone younger than age 18, Dorf says. “You try medications first to avoid exposing someone to a medical procedure.”</p>
<p>Bronchial thermoplasty may be indicated for people with “severe and persistent asthma who have failed to respond to routine medications and have a poor quality of life,” Dorf says.</p>
<p>Before bronchial thermoplasty, which was approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration in April 2010, asthma could only be treated with medications and inhalers.</p>
<p>Trimmer tried a host of medications over the course of her life, but her asthma flare-ups were only getting worse.</p>
<p>“It felt like somebody was sitting on my chest. I couldn’t breathe, and as the oxygen levels in my blood got low, the skin around my lips turned blue. I’d wind up going to the emergency room two to six times each year and had one to three hospitalizations each year.”</p>
<p>At the peak of her asthmatic debilitation, she was on heavy steroids, like Prednisone, for extended periods of time. She’d also have to use oxygen at night and sometimes be tethered to an oxygen tank for 24 hours at a time.</p>
<p>When that happened I couldn’t work,” Trimmer says. “You can’t work in an intensive care unit when you’re on oxygen, so my asthma pretty much affected my whole life.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Her asthma triggers were both genetic and environmental, she says. Her mother has asthma and Trimmer’s two children had asthma when they were young but outgrew it by age 10. Trimmer’s asthma would flare up after exposure to chemicals in floor wax and cleaning agents, while seasonal triggers included spring dust storms and winter cold.</p>
<p>The leading edge of the Alair catheter with its expandable electrode array tip uses radio frequency waves to heat up and shrink thickened muscle tissue in the airway walls. (COURTESY of BOSTON SCIENTIFIC)</p>
<p>“Trimmer learned of bronchial thermoplasty from Dorf, who happened to be her pulmonologist. “I went online and saw all the data and got excited,” she says.</p>
<p>The procedure is broken down into three sessions – right lower lung, left lower lung, and both upper lobes. W</p>
<p>ith each session, the patient is put under conscious sedation or general anesthesia, depending on the individual, Dorf says. The sessions are spaced from three weeks to a month apart and follow the same protocol.</p>
<p>A standard bronchoscope is inserted into the mouth or nose, through which the Alair device, essentially a small, flexible tube, is advanced into the airway, explains Dorf. A wire that protrudes from the tube contains an expandable electrode array at the tip. When opened, the four arms of the array come in contact against the airway wall. Radio frequency pulses then heat the tip of the array to about 150 degrees, which shrinks the amount of smooth muscle in the airway wall, minimizing the amount of muscle constriction and airway narrowing that occurs during an asthma attack.</p>
<p>The electrode array continues delivering pulsating heat along the airway as the Alair device is slowly backed out.</p>
<p>three to six months.</p>
<p>”</p>
<p>five or six years in which she was not admitted to the hospital for asthma-related problems. While she still uses a maintenance steroid inhaler twice a day, it’s now at half the previous dosage, and she’s not had to use an albuterol rescue inhaler at all.</p>
<p>Nearly 1,500 patients in the United States have had the procedure, says Dorf. About 800 of them were studied post procedure “and the overwhelming number of them have benefitted greatly in terms of improved breathing and fewer and less severe asthma attacks.”</p>
<p>Among his own patients, some feel a big difference in breathing capacity within a couple of weeks, and nearly all feel the benefits in A downside to the procedure is “in about 8 percent of cases the procedure itself precipitates an asthma attack,” Dorf says.</p>
<p>Choosing to have bronchial thermoplasty was an easy decision for Trimmer. “I was maxed out on all my medications and there just wasn’t anything else that could be done for me. It was an avenue of last resort.”</p>
<p>Within two weeks of the first session, Trimmer says she noticed her right lung was breathing easier, a personal indication that continuing with the remainder of the sessions was the right thing to do.</p>
<p>Today, Trimmer says, she is breathing more effortlessly, which gives her more energy to do other things. “Now when the wind is blowing I can go to the grocery store or dinner and don’t have to stay home. I don’t feel near as tired when I get off work and can do more things with my kids like ride bikes or go to the park.In the past year, Trimmer says she has not had a single visit to the ER for her asthma, and this past winter was the first one in “I just started going back to the gym. I haven’t done that in years. I can get on a treadmill for 30 minutes and it’s moderately easy. I recently finished a 5K Run for the Zoo. It was the first one I’d ever done, and afterwards I felt great and didn’t have any problems.”</p>
<p>Trimmer says she’s happy to share information about bronchial thermoplasty with fellow asthma sufferers as way to give them some good news and hope.</p>
<p>“There was no pain, no discomfort, it’s available now for people like me and it can completely change your life.”</p>
<p />
<p />
| false | 2 |
early last year underwent new procedure called bronchial thermoplasty cure asthma close theyve ever come says trimmer 44 neonatal intensive care nurse lovelace womens hospital im year changed life better asthma chronic longterm disease smooth muscle walls airways become thick allergen irritant triggers asthmatic attack thick smooth muscle contracts airway narrows making breathing difficult artist rendering shows alair electrode array expanded delivering heat shrink thickened smooth muscle wall airway bronchial thermoplasty courtesy boston scientific according centers disease control prevention 26 million americans asthma 7 million children 3400 people die year us asthma advertisement jeffrey dorf pulmonologist chest medicine new mexico doctor new mexico trained perform procedure using alair system made boston scientific according company marketing representative equipment purchased lovelace womens hospital dorf performs procedure people outgrow asthma bronchial thermoplasty recommended anyone younger age 18 dorf says try medications first avoid exposing someone medical procedure bronchial thermoplasty may indicated people severe persistent asthma failed respond routine medications poor quality life dorf says bronchial thermoplasty approved federal food drug administration april 2010 asthma could treated medications inhalers trimmer tried host medications course life asthma flareups getting worse felt like somebody sitting chest couldnt breathe oxygen levels blood got low skin around lips turned blue id wind going emergency room two six times year one three hospitalizations year peak asthmatic debilitation heavy steroids like prednisone extended periods time shed also use oxygen night sometimes tethered oxygen tank 24 hours time happened couldnt work trimmer says cant work intensive care unit youre oxygen asthma pretty much affected whole life advertisement asthma triggers genetic environmental says mother asthma trimmers two children asthma young outgrew age 10 trimmers asthma would flare exposure chemicals floor wax cleaning agents seasonal triggers included spring dust storms winter cold leading edge alair catheter expandable electrode array tip uses radio frequency waves heat shrink thickened muscle tissue airway walls courtesy boston scientific trimmer learned bronchial thermoplasty dorf happened pulmonologist went online saw data got excited says procedure broken three sessions right lower lung left lower lung upper lobes w ith session patient put conscious sedation general anesthesia depending individual dorf says sessions spaced three weeks month apart follow protocol standard bronchoscope inserted mouth nose alair device essentially small flexible tube advanced airway explains dorf wire protrudes tube contains expandable electrode array tip opened four arms array come contact airway wall radio frequency pulses heat tip array 150 degrees shrinks amount smooth muscle airway wall minimizing amount muscle constriction airway narrowing occurs asthma attack electrode array continues delivering pulsating heat along airway alair device slowly backed three six months five six years admitted hospital asthmarelated problems still uses maintenance steroid inhaler twice day half previous dosage shes use albuterol rescue inhaler nearly 1500 patients united states procedure says dorf 800 studied post procedure overwhelming number benefitted greatly terms improved breathing fewer less severe asthma attacks among patients feel big difference breathing capacity within couple weeks nearly feel benefits downside procedure 8 percent cases procedure precipitates asthma attack dorf says choosing bronchial thermoplasty easy decision trimmer maxed medications wasnt anything else could done avenue last resort within two weeks first session trimmer says noticed right lung breathing easier personal indication continuing remainder sessions right thing today trimmer says breathing effortlessly gives energy things wind blowing go grocery store dinner dont stay home dont feel near tired get work things kids like ride bikes go parkin past year trimmer says single visit er asthma past winter first one started going back gym havent done years get treadmill 30 minutes moderately easy recently finished 5k run zoo first one id ever done afterwards felt great didnt problems trimmer says shes happy share information bronchial thermoplasty fellow asthma sufferers way give good news hope pain discomfort available people like completely change life
| 626 |
<p>Jan 19(Reuters) - Everbright Securities Co Ltd</p>
<p>* Says it issued 2018 first tranche non-public corporate bonds worth 4 billion yuan in total</p>
<p>* Says the bonds are divided into two types and issued at the interest rate of 5.45 percent and 5.55 percent respectively, with a term of one year and two years respectively</p>
<p>Source text in Chinese: <a href="https://goo.gl/75Fd6k" type="external">goo.gl/75Fd6k</a></p>
<p>Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News)</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - President Donald Trump and his national security aides on Thursday discussed U.S. options on Syria, where he has threatened missile strikes in response to a suspected poison gas attack, as a Russian envoy voiced fears of wider conflict between Washington and Moscow.</p>
<p>Worries about a confrontation between Russia, Syria’s big ally, and the West have been running high since Trump said on Wednesday missiles “will be coming” in response to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on April 7, and lambasted Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.</p>
<p>Trump tempered those remarks on Thursday.</p>
<p>“Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!” Trump wrote on Twitter.</p>
<p>Trump met with his national security team on the situation in Syria later in the day and “no final decision has been made,” the White House said in a statement.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-allies-factbox/factbox-assads-foreign-backers-in-syrias-war-idUSKBN1HJ2DE" type="external">Factbox: Assad's foreign backers in Syria's war</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-usa/mattis-says-i-believe-there-was-a-chemical-attack-in-syria-idUSKBN1HJ2ES" type="external">Mattis says: 'I believe there was a chemical attack in Syria'</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-un-meeting/russia-calls-u-n-council-meeting-on-syria-on-friday-diplomats-idUSKBN1HJ34S" type="external">Russia calls U.N. council meeting on Syria on Friday: diplomats</a>
<p>“We are continuing to assess intelligence and are engaged in conversations with our partners and allies,” the statement said, adding Trump would speak later on Thursday with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May.</p>
<p>Macron said France had proof the Syrian government carried out the attack near Damascus, which aid groups have said killed dozens of people, and will decide whether to strike back when all the necessary information has been gathered.</p>
<p>“We have proof that last week ... chemical weapons were used, at least with chlorine, and that they were used by the regime of Bashar al-Assad,” Macron said, without offering details of any evidence.</p>
<p>Two U.S. officials familiar with an ongoing investigation of samples from Douma and the symptoms of victims said initial indications that a mix of weaponized chlorine gas and sarin were used in the attack appear to be correct. But U.S. intelligence agencies have not completed their assessment or reached a final conclusion, the officials said.</p>
<p>Russia said it deployed military police in Douma on Thursday after the town was taken over by government forces.</p>
<p>“They are the guarantors of law and order in the town,” RIA news agency quoted Russia’s defense ministry as saying.</p>
<p>There were signs of a global effort to head off a direct confrontation between Russia and the West. The Kremlin said a crisis communications link with the United States, created to avoid an accidental clash over Syria, was in use.</p> FEARS OF WAR
<p>Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow’s ambassador to the United Nations, said he “cannot exclude” war between the United States and Russia and urged Washington and its allies to refrain from military action against Syria.</p>
<p>“The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war,” he told reporters. “We hope there will be no point of no return,” the envoy said.</p>
<p>A team of experts from the global chemical weapons watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, was traveling to Syria and will start their investigations on Saturday, the Netherlands-based agency said.</p>
<p>It was not clear whether Trump and U.S. allies would wait for the results of the investigation before deciding on a possible strike.</p>
<p>In Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Congress he believed there was a chemical attack in Syria, but added a short while later that the United States had not made any decision to launch military action.</p> FILE PHOTO - A man walks with his bicycle at a damaged site in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, in Damascus, Syria March 30, 2018. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh
<p>“I don’t want to talk about a specific attack that is not yet in the offing. ... This would be pre-decisional,” Mattis told the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee.</p>
<p>Moscow is estimated to have dozens of aircraft at its Hmeymim air base in Syria including fighters and bombers, as well as 10 to 15 warships and support vessels in the Mediterranean.</p>
<p>The Syrian government and Russian forces in Syria possess truck-mounted surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapons systems.</p>
<p>Russia, Syria and its other main backer Iran have said reports of the Douma attack were fabricated by rebels and rescue workers and have accused the United States of seeking to use it as a pretext to attack the Syrian government.</p>
<p>Nervous world stock markets showed signs of recovery after Trump’s signal that military strikes might not be imminent.</p> FILE PHOTO - The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook sails in the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey August 28, 2015. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik
<p>Britain’s May won backing from her senior ministers to take unspecified action with the United States and France to deter further use of chemical weapons by Syria.</p>
<p>May had recalled the ministers from their Easter holiday for the meeting to discuss Britain’s response to what she has cast as a barbaric attack that cannot go unchallenged.</p>
<p>Russian ships had left the Tartus naval base in Syria, Interfax news agency quoted a Russian lawmaker as saying. Vladimir Shamanov, who chairs the defense committee of the lower house, said the vessels had departed the base for their own safety, which was “normal practice” when there were threats of attack.</p>
<p>Any U.S. strike would probably involve the navy, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defenses. A U.S. guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.</p>
<p>The Syrian conflict has widened the rifts between Moscow, Washington and European powers and inflamed the bitter rivalries that run across the Middle East.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Angus McDowall in Beirut, William James, Guy Faulconbridge and David Milliken in London, Andrew Osborn, Maria Kiselyova and Jack Stubbs in Moscow, John Irish in Paris and Graham Fahy in Dublin, Jeff Mason, John Walcott, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali in Washington and Michelle Nichols in the United Nations; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Will Dunham</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo promised on Thursday he would be willing to break from President Donald Trump if necessary, saying he would take a tough line with Russia and that he wanted to “fix” the Iran nuclear deal.</p>
<p>Pompeo, who is currently director of the Central Intelligence Agency, blamed tensions between Moscow and Washington on Russia’s “bad behavior” and said he would support more U.S. sanctions against Russia.</p>
<p>“(Russian President) Vladimir Putin has not yet received the message sufficiently,” Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a relatively smooth five-hour-long confirmation hearing.</p>
<p>He said Russia’s push into Ukraine and other countries needed to be curbed. “We need to push back in each place and in every vector,” Pompeo said. “We need to make sure that Vladimir Putin doesn’t succeed in what he believes his ultimate goal is.”</p>
<p>Critics, including some in Trump’s own Republican Party, have accused the president of taking too soft a line on the Russian president. Trump has denied that - and has been strongly critical in recent days of Moscow’s backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - but he has also talked of wanting better relations with Putin.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-usa-trump-pompeo-mueller/u-s-secretary-of-state-nominee-pompeo-confirms-special-counsel-interview-idUSKBN1HJ2FE" type="external">U.S. Secretary of State nominee Pompeo confirms special counsel interview</a>
<a href="/article/us-usa-trump-pompeo-iran/pompeo-says-he-wants-to-fix-iran-deal-work-with-allies-if-cant-be-fixed-idUSKBN1HJ2OA" type="external">Pompeo says he 'wants to fix' Iran deal, work with allies if can't be fixed</a>
<p>Trump nominated Pompeo to become the country’s top diplomat on March 13 after firing Rex Tillerson. Tillerson, a former chief executive of Exxon Mobil( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=XOM.N" type="external">XOM.N</a>), had a rocky relationship with Trump in just over a year in the job.</p>
<p>The start of Pompeo’s hearing was disrupted by protesters chanting: “No Pompeo, no more war.” Another shouted that the CIA director was no diplomat.</p> DEMOCRATIC PRAISE
<p>While Pompeo faced pointed questions from Democrats - including about his continued opposition to gay marriage and his associations with anti-Muslim organizations - he was also complimented. Democratic Senator Ben Cardin praised Pompeo’s concise answers. Senator Chris Coons said he was “confident” Pompeo would be a strong advocate for diplomats.</p>
<p>Pompeo will likely need Democratic support to be approved by the committee because one Republican member, Senator Rand Paul, has announced his opposition. Senate rules allow a vote in the full Senate even if the panel does not approve the nomination, but that has never happened with a secretary of state.</p>
<p>Senator Bob Corker, the panel’s Republican chairman, said he hoped it would vote on Pompeo on April 23, with a confirmation vote in the full Senate shortly afterward. At the end of the hearing, Corker said Pompeo had his “avid” support.</p>
<p>Senator Robert Menendez, the panel’s top Democrat, said he would make his final decision after reviewing Pompeo’s testimony and answers to written questions. He said he had not seen enough evidence of Pompeo’s independence.</p>
<p>“I think he is someone who will execute what the president wants even if he is in disagreement,” Menendez said.</p>
<p>As a Republican congressman, Pompeo was a strong opponent of the 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six world powers reached under Democratic President Barack Obama, which lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on Tehran’s nuclear program.</p>
<p>Trump has delivered an ultimatum that Britain, France and Germany must agree to “fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal” or he will refuse to extend the sanctions relief by a May 12 deadline.</p>
<p>Pompeo said he favored a “fix” and believed Iran was not “racing” to develop a nuclear weapon before the deal was finalized, and that he did not expect it would do so if the deal were to fall apart.</p>
<p>Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a separate congressional hearing on Thursday that he also believed the agreement should be fixed and the administration was working with allies to address its flaws.</p> Slideshow (7 Images) TIES TO TRUMP
<p>Pompeo was pressed repeatedly on whether Trump spoke to him about the investigation looking into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.</p>
<p>Pompeo acknowledged he had been interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose federal probe includes looking into whether there was collusion between Moscow and Trump’s campaign. He declined to discuss details.</p>
<p>U.S. intelligence agencies concluded Russia interfered in the campaign to boost Trump. Moscow denies doing so and Trump has denied collusion by his campaign.</p>
<p>Trump developed a warm relationship with Pompeo during White House meetings over the first year of his presidency and believes Pompeo shares more of his world view than Tillerson.</p>
<p>Pompeo was questioned repeatedly over whether he would act independently and stand up to Trump. There has been rapid turnover among senior administration officials, with the president souring rapidly on those who disagreed with him.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=XOM.N" type="external">Exxon Mobil Corp</a> 77.22 XOM.N New York Stock Exchange -0.21 (-0.27%) XOM.N
<p>Pompeo promised he would be his own man as secretary of state, saying his relationship with Trump meant, “I was able to persuade him” when he headed the CIA.</p>
<p>Menendez said Trump’s “erratic approach” to foreign policy had confused allies and emboldened adversaries. “Will you stand up to President Trump and advise him differently when he is wrong? Or will you be a yes man?” Menendez asked.</p>
<p>Pompeo promised to rebuild the State Department, which has been gutted by the departure of senior diplomats and often found itself sidelined by the White House.</p>
<p>A reorganization and hiring freeze initiated by Tillerson left the rank and file demoralized.</p>
<p>Pompeo said he would work quickly in his new role to fill vacant positions and promised to spend money allocated by Congress for State Department programs.</p>
<p>Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Frances Kerry and Peter Cooney</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May won backing from her senior ministers to take unspecified action with the United States and France to deter further use of chemical weapons by Syria after a suspected poison gas attack on civilians.</p> Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May walks out of 10 Downing Street to greet Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa in London, April 10, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
<p>After warning Russia on Wednesday of imminent military action, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was holding meetings on Syria and expected to make decisions “fairly soon.”</p>
<p>Russia has warned the West against attacking its Syrian ally President Bashar al-Assad, who is also supported by Iran, and says there is no evidence of a chemical attack in the Syrian town of Douma near Damascus.</p>
<p>May recalled the ministers from their Easter holiday for the meeting in Downing Street to discuss Britain’s response to what she has cast as a barbaric attack that cannot go unchallenged.</p>
<p>May told her senior ministers on Thursday that the attack in Douma showed a “deeply concerning” erosion of international legal norms barring the use of chemical weapons.</p>
<p>“Cabinet agreed on the need to take action to alleviate humanitarian distress and to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime,” a spokeswoman for the prime minister said in a statement after the meeting.</p> Britain's Minister for the Cabinet Office David Lidington arrives in Downing Street in London, Britain, April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson
<p>Ministers also agreed the May should continue to work with the United States and France to come up with the right response.</p>
<p>The statement made no specific reference to military action.</p>
<p>The rising tension over the Douma attack demonstrates the volatile nature of the Syrian civil war, which started in March 2011 as an anti-Assad uprising but is now a proxy conflict involving a number of world and regional powers and a myriad of insurgent groups.</p>
<p>The attack was first reported by Syrian rebel group Jaish al-Islam on Saturday. Inspectors with the global chemical weapons watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, are due to investigate the incident.</p> USA VS RUSSIA?
<p>The BBC said May was ready to give the go-ahead for Britain to take part in action led by the United States without seeking prior approval from parliament. Downing Street spokesmen repeatedly declined to comment on that report.</p>
<p>“The chemical weapons attack that took place on Saturday in Douma in Syria was a shocking and barbaric act,” May told reporters on Wednesday. “All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible.”</p>
<p>May is not obliged to win parliament’s approval, but a non-binding constitutional convention to do so has been established since a 2003 vote on joining the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.</p> Slideshow (5 Images)
<p>It has been observed in subsequent military deployments in Libya and Iraq and many British lawmakers and voters are deeply skeptical of deepening involvement in the Syrian civil war.</p>
<p>Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said parliament should be consulted before May approved military action.</p>
<p>“Just imagine the scenario if an American missile shoots down a Russian plane, or vice-a-versa - where do we go from there?” Corbyn said.</p>
<p>A YouGov poll published on Thursday showed just one in five British voters supported a missile strike on Syria. The poll showed 43 percent of voters opposed such a strike and 34 percent did not know what should be done.</p>
<p>Britain has been launching air strikes in Syria from its military base in Cyprus, but only against targets linked to the Islamic State militant group.</p>
<p>Parliament voted down British military action against Assad’s government in 2013, in an embarrassment for May’s predecessor, David Cameron. That then deterred the U.S. administration of Barack Obama from similar action.</p>
<p>The war plans of British leaders have been complicated in recent years by the memory of Britain’s 2003 decision to invade Iraq after asserting - wrongly, as it later turned out - that President Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.</p>
<p>But with less than a year to go until Britain leaves the European Union, May wants to deepen its “special relationship” with the United States with a wide-ranging free trade deal that would help cushion the impact of Brexit.</p>
<p>Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Andrew Roche and Toby Chopra</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea should not expect rewards from talks with the United States until it takes irreversible steps to give up its nuclear weapons, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, said on Thursday.</p> North Korean leader Kim Jong Un heads a party meeting in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang April 9, 2018. KCNA/via Reuters
<p>Pompeo said the historical analysis was “not optimistic,” when asked at his Senate confirmation hearing if he believed North Korea would agree to dismantle its nuclear program. But he said that in past negotiations the United States and the world had relaxed sanctions too quickly.</p>
<p>“It is the intention of the president and the administration not do that this time to make sure that … before we provide rewards, we get the outcome permanently, irreversibly, that it is that we hope to achieve.</p>
<p>“It is a tall order, but I am hopeful that President Trump can achieve that through sound diplomacy.”</p>
<p>Trump has said he plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in May or early June and hopes the discussions will ultimately lead to an end of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, which Washington sees as its most pressing security threat.</p>
<p>On Thursday, Trump said meetings were being set up between him and Kim, and the United States would go into those with “a lot of respect.”</p>
<p>He thanked China for its help in trying to resolve the crisis over North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons capable of hitting the United States, saying, “they’ve been really terrific at helping us get to some kind of settlement.”</p>
<p>“Meetings are being set up right now between myself and Kim Jong Un. I think it will be terrific. I think we’ll go in with a lot of respect and we’ll see what happens,” he said.</p>
<p>Trump also said trade “negotiations” between Washington and Beijing were going well, conflicting with China’s statements since the president’s announcements of plans to impose billions of dollars of tariffs on Chinese goods, which have fed fears of an all-out trade war.</p>
<p>“We are getting along very well, think we’re going to do some great things,” Trump said, adding that getting rid of nuclear weapons was “very good for them, good for everybody.”</p> NO ILLUSIONS
<p>Pompeo said he was optimistic a course could be set at the Trump-Kim summit for a diplomatic outcome with North Korea but added that no one was under any illusion that a comprehensive deal could be reached at that meeting.</p>
<p>He brushed aside concerns that the administration’s moves to modify a nuclear deal with Iran could make an agreement with North Korea more difficult. He argued that Kim would be looking to his own interests, including his country’s economy and the “sustainment of his regime,” not other historical agreements.</p> U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with governors and members of Congress at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
<p>Pompeo stressed that the aim of a Trump-Kim summit was to get North Korea to “step away.” Under questioning, he would not take any option off the table, including military ones.</p>
<p>At the same time, he said he was not advocating regime change for North Korea and had never done so.</p>
<p>Last year, North Korea accused Pompeo of favoring such a policy after he told a forum in July it was important to separate the country’s nuclear weapons from the “character who holds the control over them.”</p>
<p>In May, North Korea accused the CIA and South Korea’s intelligence service of a failed plot to assassinate Kim at a military parade in Pyongyang.</p>
<p>On Thursday, Trump’s new national security adviser, John Bolton, met separately with South Korea’s National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong, who led a South Korean delegation that met Kim Jong Un last month, and his Japanese counterpart Shotaro Yachi.</p>
<p>“The national security advisers committed to continue coordinating closely,” a White House official said.</p>
<p>Bolton, who took up his post on Monday, has called for North Korea regime change in the past and has previously been rejected as a negotiating partner by Pyongyang.</p>
<p>At a separate congressional hearing, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the aim was for a negotiated solution to the North Korean crisis.</p>
<p>“We’re all cautiously optimistic that we may be on the right path for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,” he told the House Armed Services Committee.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, Lesley Wroughton and Idrees Ali; Writing by David Brunnstrom and Doina Chiacu; Editing by David Gregorio and Cynthia Osterman</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
jan 19reuters everbright securities co ltd says issued 2018 first tranche nonpublic corporate bonds worth 4 billion yuan total says bonds divided two types issued interest rate 545 percent 555 percent respectively term one year two years respectively source text chinese googl75fd6k company coverage beijing headline news standards thomson reuters trust principles washingtonunited nations reuters president donald trump national security aides thursday discussed us options syria threatened missile strikes response suspected poison gas attack russian envoy voiced fears wider conflict washington moscow worries confrontation russia syrias big ally west running high since trump said wednesday missiles coming response attack syrian town douma april 7 lambasted moscow standing syrian president bashar alassad trump tempered remarks thursday never said attack syria would take place could soon soon trump wrote twitter trump met national security team situation syria later day final decision made white house said statement related coverage factbox assads foreign backers syrias war mattis says believe chemical attack syria russia calls un council meeting syria friday diplomats continuing assess intelligence engaged conversations partners allies statement said adding trump would speak later thursday french president emmanuel macron british prime minister theresa may macron said france proof syrian government carried attack near damascus aid groups said killed dozens people decide whether strike back necessary information gathered proof last week chemical weapons used least chlorine used regime bashar alassad macron said without offering details evidence two us officials familiar ongoing investigation samples douma symptoms victims said initial indications mix weaponized chlorine gas sarin used attack appear correct us intelligence agencies completed assessment reached final conclusion officials said russia said deployed military police douma thursday town taken government forces guarantors law order town ria news agency quoted russias defense ministry saying signs global effort head direct confrontation russia west kremlin said crisis communications link united states created avoid accidental clash syria use fears war vassily nebenzia moscows ambassador united nations said exclude war united states russia urged washington allies refrain military action syria immediate priority avert danger war told reporters hope point return envoy said team experts global chemical weapons watchdog organisation prohibition chemical weapons traveling syria start investigations saturday netherlandsbased agency said clear whether trump us allies would wait results investigation deciding possible strike washington us defense secretary jim mattis told congress believed chemical attack syria added short later united states made decision launch military action file photo man walks bicycle damaged site besieged town douma eastern ghouta damascus syria march 30 2018 reutersbassam khabieh dont want talk specific attack yet offing would predecisional mattis told house representatives armed services committee moscow estimated dozens aircraft hmeymim air base syria including fighters bombers well 10 15 warships support vessels mediterranean syrian government russian forces syria possess truckmounted surfacetoair missile antiaircraft artillery weapons systems russia syria main backer iran said reports douma attack fabricated rebels rescue workers accused united states seeking use pretext attack syrian government nervous world stock markets showed signs recovery trumps signal military strikes might imminent file photo us navy arleigh burkeclass guidedmissile destroyer uss donald cook sails bosphorus strait istanbul turkey august 28 2015 reutersyoruk isik britains may backing senior ministers take unspecified action united states france deter use chemical weapons syria may recalled ministers easter holiday meeting discuss britains response cast barbaric attack go unchallenged russian ships left tartus naval base syria interfax news agency quoted russian lawmaker saying vladimir shamanov chairs defense committee lower house said vessels departed base safety normal practice threats attack us strike would probably involve navy given risk aircraft russian syrian air defenses us guidedmissile destroyer uss donald cook mediterranean syrian conflict widened rifts moscow washington european powers inflamed bitter rivalries run across middle east additional reporting angus mcdowall beirut william james guy faulconbridge david milliken london andrew osborn maria kiselyova jack stubbs moscow john irish paris graham fahy dublin jeff mason john walcott phil stewart idrees ali washington michelle nichols united nations writing alistair bell editing matthew mpoke bigg dunham standards thomson reuters trust principles washington reuters us secretary state nominee mike pompeo promised thursday would willing break president donald trump necessary saying would take tough line russia wanted fix iran nuclear deal pompeo currently director central intelligence agency blamed tensions moscow washington russias bad behavior said would support us sanctions russia russian president vladimir putin yet received message sufficiently pompeo told senate foreign relations committee relatively smooth fivehourlong confirmation hearing said russias push ukraine countries needed curbed need push back place every vector pompeo said need make sure vladimir putin doesnt succeed believes ultimate goal critics including trumps republican party accused president taking soft line russian president trump denied strongly critical recent days moscows backing syrian president bashar alassad also talked wanting better relations putin related coverage us secretary state nominee pompeo confirms special counsel interview pompeo says wants fix iran deal work allies cant fixed trump nominated pompeo become countrys top diplomat march 13 firing rex tillerson tillerson former chief executive exxon mobil xomn rocky relationship trump year job start pompeos hearing disrupted protesters chanting pompeo war another shouted cia director diplomat democratic praise pompeo faced pointed questions democrats including continued opposition gay marriage associations antimuslim organizations also complimented democratic senator ben cardin praised pompeos concise answers senator chris coons said confident pompeo would strong advocate diplomats pompeo likely need democratic support approved committee one republican member senator rand paul announced opposition senate rules allow vote full senate even panel approve nomination never happened secretary state senator bob corker panels republican chairman said hoped would vote pompeo april 23 confirmation vote full senate shortly afterward end hearing corker said pompeo avid support senator robert menendez panels top democrat said would make final decision reviewing pompeos testimony answers written questions said seen enough evidence pompeos independence think someone execute president wants even disagreement menendez said republican congressman pompeo strong opponent 2015 nuclear pact iran six world powers reached democratic president barack obama lifted sanctions iran exchange curbs tehrans nuclear program trump delivered ultimatum britain france germany must agree fix terrible flaws iran nuclear deal refuse extend sanctions relief may 12 deadline pompeo said favored fix believed iran racing develop nuclear weapon deal finalized expect would deal fall apart defense secretary jim mattis said separate congressional hearing thursday also believed agreement fixed administration working allies address flaws slideshow 7 images ties trump pompeo pressed repeatedly whether trump spoke investigation looking alleged russian meddling 2016 us presidential election pompeo acknowledged interviewed special counsel robert mueller whose federal probe includes looking whether collusion moscow trumps campaign declined discuss details us intelligence agencies concluded russia interfered campaign boost trump moscow denies trump denied collusion campaign trump developed warm relationship pompeo white house meetings first year presidency believes pompeo shares world view tillerson pompeo questioned repeatedly whether would act independently stand trump rapid turnover among senior administration officials president souring rapidly disagreed exxon mobil corp 7722 xomn new york stock exchange 021 027 xomn pompeo promised would man secretary state saying relationship trump meant able persuade headed cia menendez said trumps erratic approach foreign policy confused allies emboldened adversaries stand president trump advise differently wrong yes man menendez asked pompeo promised rebuild state department gutted departure senior diplomats often found sidelined white house reorganization hiring freeze initiated tillerson left rank file demoralized pompeo said would work quickly new role fill vacant positions promised spend money allocated congress state department programs reporting patricia zengerle lesley wroughton editing frances kerry peter cooney standards thomson reuters trust principles london reuters british prime minister theresa may backing senior ministers take unspecified action united states france deter use chemical weapons syria suspected poison gas attack civilians britains prime minister theresa may walks 10 downing street greet portugals prime minister antonio costa london april 10 2018 reutershannah mckay warning russia wednesday imminent military action us president donald trump said thursday holding meetings syria expected make decisions fairly soon russia warned west attacking syrian ally president bashar alassad also supported iran says evidence chemical attack syrian town douma near damascus may recalled ministers easter holiday meeting downing street discuss britains response cast barbaric attack go unchallenged may told senior ministers thursday attack douma showed deeply concerning erosion international legal norms barring use chemical weapons cabinet agreed need take action alleviate humanitarian distress deter use chemical weapons assad regime spokeswoman prime minister said statement meeting britains minister cabinet office david lidington arrives downing street london britain april 12 2018 reuterssimon dawson ministers also agreed may continue work united states france come right response statement made specific reference military action rising tension douma attack demonstrates volatile nature syrian civil war started march 2011 antiassad uprising proxy conflict involving number world regional powers myriad insurgent groups attack first reported syrian rebel group jaish alislam saturday inspectors global chemical weapons watchdog organisation prohibition chemical weapons due investigate incident usa vs russia bbc said may ready give goahead britain take part action led united states without seeking prior approval parliament downing street spokesmen repeatedly declined comment report chemical weapons attack took place saturday douma syria shocking barbaric act may told reporters wednesday indications syrian regime responsible may obliged win parliaments approval nonbinding constitutional convention established since 2003 vote joining usled invasion iraq slideshow 5 images observed subsequent military deployments libya iraq many british lawmakers voters deeply skeptical deepening involvement syrian civil war opposition labour party leader jeremy corbyn said parliament consulted may approved military action imagine scenario american missile shoots russian plane viceaversa go corbyn said yougov poll published thursday showed one five british voters supported missile strike syria poll showed 43 percent voters opposed strike 34 percent know done britain launching air strikes syria military base cyprus targets linked islamic state militant group parliament voted british military action assads government 2013 embarrassment mays predecessor david cameron deterred us administration barack obama similar action war plans british leaders complicated recent years memory britains 2003 decision invade iraq asserting wrongly later turned president saddam hussein possessed weapons mass destruction less year go britain leaves european union may wants deepen special relationship united states wideranging free trade deal would help cushion impact brexit writing guy faulconbridge editing andrew roche toby chopra standards thomson reuters trust principles washington reuters north korea expect rewards talks united states takes irreversible steps give nuclear weapons us president donald trumps nominee secretary state cia director mike pompeo said thursday north korean leader kim jong un heads party meeting photo released north koreas korean central news agency kcna pyongyang april 9 2018 kcnavia reuters pompeo said historical analysis optimistic asked senate confirmation hearing believed north korea would agree dismantle nuclear program said past negotiations united states world relaxed sanctions quickly intention president administration time make sure provide rewards get outcome permanently irreversibly hope achieve tall order hopeful president trump achieve sound diplomacy trump said plans meet north korean leader kim jong un may early june hopes discussions ultimately lead end north koreas nuclear weapons program washington sees pressing security threat thursday trump said meetings set kim united states would go lot respect thanked china help trying resolve crisis north koreas development nuclear weapons capable hitting united states saying theyve really terrific helping us get kind settlement meetings set right kim jong un think terrific think well go lot respect well see happens said trump also said trade negotiations washington beijing going well conflicting chinas statements since presidents announcements plans impose billions dollars tariffs chinese goods fed fears allout trade war getting along well think going great things trump said adding getting rid nuclear weapons good good everybody illusions pompeo said optimistic course could set trumpkim summit diplomatic outcome north korea added one illusion comprehensive deal could reached meeting brushed aside concerns administrations moves modify nuclear deal iran could make agreement north korea difficult argued kim would looking interests including countrys economy sustainment regime historical agreements us president donald trump speaks meeting governors members congress white house washington us april 12 2018 reuterskevin lamarque pompeo stressed aim trumpkim summit get north korea step away questioning would take option table including military ones time said advocating regime change north korea never done last year north korea accused pompeo favoring policy told forum july important separate countrys nuclear weapons character holds control may north korea accused cia south koreas intelligence service failed plot assassinate kim military parade pyongyang thursday trumps new national security adviser john bolton met separately south koreas national security office director chung euiyong led south korean delegation met kim jong un last month japanese counterpart shotaro yachi national security advisers committed continue coordinating closely white house official said bolton took post monday called north korea regime change past previously rejected negotiating partner pyongyang separate congressional hearing defense secretary jim mattis said aim negotiated solution north korean crisis cautiously optimistic may right path denuclearization korean peninsula told house armed services committee additional reporting jeff mason steve holland doina chiacu lesley wroughton idrees ali writing david brunnstrom doina chiacu editing david gregorio cynthia osterman standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 2,148 |
<p>HONOLULU (AP) — Tom Gray's family has waited for more than 70 years to bring home the remains of his cousin who was killed in the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, they got a step closer when the military announced it would exhume and attempt to identify the remains of almost 400 sailors and Marines from the USS Oklahoma who were buried as unknowns after the war.</p>
<p>Gray's cousin, Edwin Hopkins, of Swanzey, New Hampshire, was a 19-year-old fireman third class on board the USS Oklahoma when the battleship was hit by nine torpedoes and capsized on Dec. 7, 1941. His remains weren't identified and his family was told he was missing.</p>
<p>Gray said Hopkins' mother never accepted that. She believed he had amnesia and he would show up one day, Gray said.</p>
<p>Hopkins' parents, Frank and Alice Hopkins, put his name on their headstone in Keene, New Hampshire, thinking he would join them one day, Gray said.</p>
<p>They did so, "just waiting for him to come home," Gray said.</p>
<p>Altogether, 429 sailors and Marines on board the Oklahoma were killed. Only 35 were identified in the years immediately after.</p>
<p>Hundreds were buried as unknowns at cemeteries in Hawaii. In 1950, they were reburied as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific inside a volcanic crater in Honolulu.</p>
<p>The military is acting now because advances in forensic science and technology as well as genealogical help from family members have made it possible to identify more remains, said Lt. Col. Melinda Morgan, a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency spokeswoman.</p>
<p>Officials plan to begin the work in three to six weeks, Morgan said. They aim to identify the remains of up to 388 servicemen within five years.</p>
<p>In 2003, the military disinterred one casket from the Honolulu cemetery, commonly called Punchbowl, based on information provided by Ray Emory, a Pearl Harbor survivor who has spent years doggedly scouring documents.</p>
<p>Many remains were comingled when buried, and the military was able to identify five servicemen from that casket. But the coffin also contained the remains of up to 100 others who haven't been identified.</p>
<p>Gray said his family in 2008 learned from a group of USS Oklahoma survivors that Emory had identified discrepancies in the records of the 22 buried as unknowns, including his cousin.</p>
<p>The 22 are buried in about five graves at Punchbowl, Gray said.</p>
<p>"Since then, the families have been fighting to have these sailors disinterred and brought home," said Gray, who lives in Guilford, Connecticut.</p>
<p>Gray said he understands it's an honor to be buried at a national cemetery. At the same time, he said Hopkins is part of his family.</p>
<p>"I also think that a boy gives up his life at 19 years old and ends up in a comingled grave marked as 'unknown' isn't proper. I never did," Gray said.</p>
<p>The unidentified remains of sailors and Marines from other Pearl Harbor battleships, like the USS West Virginia, are also buried at Punchbowl.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced new criteria for exhuming these and other remains from military cemeteries for identification.</p>
<p>In the case of comingled remains, the military must estimate it will be able to identify at least 60 percent of the people exhumed. For individual unknowns, there must be at least a 50 percent chance it will be able to identify the person disinterred.</p>
<p>HONOLULU (AP) — Tom Gray's family has waited for more than 70 years to bring home the remains of his cousin who was killed in the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, they got a step closer when the military announced it would exhume and attempt to identify the remains of almost 400 sailors and Marines from the USS Oklahoma who were buried as unknowns after the war.</p>
<p>Gray's cousin, Edwin Hopkins, of Swanzey, New Hampshire, was a 19-year-old fireman third class on board the USS Oklahoma when the battleship was hit by nine torpedoes and capsized on Dec. 7, 1941. His remains weren't identified and his family was told he was missing.</p>
<p>Gray said Hopkins' mother never accepted that. She believed he had amnesia and he would show up one day, Gray said.</p>
<p>Hopkins' parents, Frank and Alice Hopkins, put his name on their headstone in Keene, New Hampshire, thinking he would join them one day, Gray said.</p>
<p>They did so, "just waiting for him to come home," Gray said.</p>
<p>Altogether, 429 sailors and Marines on board the Oklahoma were killed. Only 35 were identified in the years immediately after.</p>
<p>Hundreds were buried as unknowns at cemeteries in Hawaii. In 1950, they were reburied as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific inside a volcanic crater in Honolulu.</p>
<p>The military is acting now because advances in forensic science and technology as well as genealogical help from family members have made it possible to identify more remains, said Lt. Col. Melinda Morgan, a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency spokeswoman.</p>
<p>Officials plan to begin the work in three to six weeks, Morgan said. They aim to identify the remains of up to 388 servicemen within five years.</p>
<p>In 2003, the military disinterred one casket from the Honolulu cemetery, commonly called Punchbowl, based on information provided by Ray Emory, a Pearl Harbor survivor who has spent years doggedly scouring documents.</p>
<p>Many remains were comingled when buried, and the military was able to identify five servicemen from that casket. But the coffin also contained the remains of up to 100 others who haven't been identified.</p>
<p>Gray said his family in 2008 learned from a group of USS Oklahoma survivors that Emory had identified discrepancies in the records of the 22 buried as unknowns, including his cousin.</p>
<p>The 22 are buried in about five graves at Punchbowl, Gray said.</p>
<p>"Since then, the families have been fighting to have these sailors disinterred and brought home," said Gray, who lives in Guilford, Connecticut.</p>
<p>Gray said he understands it's an honor to be buried at a national cemetery. At the same time, he said Hopkins is part of his family.</p>
<p>"I also think that a boy gives up his life at 19 years old and ends up in a comingled grave marked as 'unknown' isn't proper. I never did," Gray said.</p>
<p>The unidentified remains of sailors and Marines from other Pearl Harbor battleships, like the USS West Virginia, are also buried at Punchbowl.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced new criteria for exhuming these and other remains from military cemeteries for identification.</p>
<p>In the case of comingled remains, the military must estimate it will be able to identify at least 60 percent of the people exhumed. For individual unknowns, there must be at least a 50 percent chance it will be able to identify the person disinterred.</p>
| false | 2 |
honolulu ap tom grays family waited 70 years bring home remains cousin killed japanese bombing pearl harbor 1941 tuesday got step closer military announced would exhume attempt identify remains almost 400 sailors marines uss oklahoma buried unknowns war grays cousin edwin hopkins swanzey new hampshire 19yearold fireman third class board uss oklahoma battleship hit nine torpedoes capsized dec 7 1941 remains werent identified family told missing gray said hopkins mother never accepted believed amnesia would show one day gray said hopkins parents frank alice hopkins put name headstone keene new hampshire thinking would join one day gray said waiting come home gray said altogether 429 sailors marines board oklahoma killed 35 identified years immediately hundreds buried unknowns cemeteries hawaii 1950 reburied unknowns national memorial cemetery pacific inside volcanic crater honolulu military acting advances forensic science technology well genealogical help family members made possible identify remains said lt col melinda morgan defense powmia accounting agency spokeswoman officials plan begin work three six weeks morgan said aim identify remains 388 servicemen within five years 2003 military disinterred one casket honolulu cemetery commonly called punchbowl based information provided ray emory pearl harbor survivor spent years doggedly scouring documents many remains comingled buried military able identify five servicemen casket coffin also contained remains 100 others havent identified gray said family 2008 learned group uss oklahoma survivors emory identified discrepancies records 22 buried unknowns including cousin 22 buried five graves punchbowl gray said since families fighting sailors disinterred brought home said gray lives guilford connecticut gray said understands honor buried national cemetery time said hopkins part family also think boy gives life 19 years old ends comingled grave marked unknown isnt proper never gray said unidentified remains sailors marines pearl harbor battleships like uss west virginia also buried punchbowl tuesday pentagon announced new criteria exhuming remains military cemeteries identification case comingled remains military must estimate able identify least 60 percent people exhumed individual unknowns must least 50 percent chance able identify person disinterred honolulu ap tom grays family waited 70 years bring home remains cousin killed japanese bombing pearl harbor 1941 tuesday got step closer military announced would exhume attempt identify remains almost 400 sailors marines uss oklahoma buried unknowns war grays cousin edwin hopkins swanzey new hampshire 19yearold fireman third class board uss oklahoma battleship hit nine torpedoes capsized dec 7 1941 remains werent identified family told missing gray said hopkins mother never accepted believed amnesia would show one day gray said hopkins parents frank alice hopkins put name headstone keene new hampshire thinking would join one day gray said waiting come home gray said altogether 429 sailors marines board oklahoma killed 35 identified years immediately hundreds buried unknowns cemeteries hawaii 1950 reburied unknowns national memorial cemetery pacific inside volcanic crater honolulu military acting advances forensic science technology well genealogical help family members made possible identify remains said lt col melinda morgan defense powmia accounting agency spokeswoman officials plan begin work three six weeks morgan said aim identify remains 388 servicemen within five years 2003 military disinterred one casket honolulu cemetery commonly called punchbowl based information provided ray emory pearl harbor survivor spent years doggedly scouring documents many remains comingled buried military able identify five servicemen casket coffin also contained remains 100 others havent identified gray said family 2008 learned group uss oklahoma survivors emory identified discrepancies records 22 buried unknowns including cousin 22 buried five graves punchbowl gray said since families fighting sailors disinterred brought home said gray lives guilford connecticut gray said understands honor buried national cemetery time said hopkins part family also think boy gives life 19 years old ends comingled grave marked unknown isnt proper never gray said unidentified remains sailors marines pearl harbor battleships like uss west virginia also buried punchbowl tuesday pentagon announced new criteria exhuming remains military cemeteries identification case comingled remains military must estimate able identify least 60 percent people exhumed individual unknowns must least 50 percent chance able identify person disinterred
| 656 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The changes are designed to deal with decreased interest in a job that offers low pay, rigorous physical demands and the possibility of getting killed on duty all while under intense public scrutiny. There’s also the question of how to encourage more minorities to become police officers.</p>
<p>“We have a national crisis,” said Eugene O’Donnell, a former New York City police officer and now a lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. “For the first time in my life, I would say I could never recommend the job. Who’s going to put on a camera, go into urban America where people are going to critique every move you make? You’re going to be demonized.”</p>
<p>There is no national standard for becoming an officer; it’s left up to each state to set requirements. In general, prior drug use or past brushes with the law, however minor, have been enough to bar someone from becoming an officer. On top of that are physical fitness standards that have long been academy graduation requirements. And even after graduation, recruits often face a background check that might include a credit-history review.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The physical requirements have impeded the hiring of women, while credit histories and education standards have stood in the way of some minorities. Amid the push to diversify, many police departments question whether those long-held, military-style standards are the best ways to attract officers able to relate to communities and defuse tensions.</p>
<p>Departments that are changing testing and other requirements that have been shown to disproportionately disqualify minority candidates were praised in a report released last month by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.</p>
<p>People from minority communities are more likely to be disqualified by criminal background and credit checks, because members of those communities are more likely to have contact with the criminal justice system and have lower credit scores, the report says. Minorities also may have more trouble on written tests that don’t accurately screen people for the skills needed for police jobs, it says.</p>
<p>A 2013 survey by the U.S. Department of Justice showed that about 12 percent of the nation’s officers were black and 12 percent were Hispanic. The percentages were higher than three decades earlier, but minorities continue to be underrepresented in many communities, according to the department. About 13 percent of the U.S. population is black and about 18 percent is Hispanic, according to the census.</p>
<p>The new police diversity report called diversity the linchpin to building trust between law enforcement and communities.</p>
<p>“Hiring is particularly problematic in this environment we live in,” said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum. “I’ve been in a room with a large group of police … I’ve asked how many of you would like your son or daughter to be a police officer, and no one raises their hand.”</p>
<p>Police officials say they have increased efforts to hire officers of color, including holding recruiting events in cities, targeting minority groups on social media, and visiting military bases and colleges.</p>
<p>The Connecticut State Police is among the agencies wrestling with diversity.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Blacks and Hispanics comprise about a third of trooper applicants and about a quarter of the state’s population, but only 10 percent of the force — the base set three decades ago after the agency was sued. Since 2004, nearly 4,500 blacks and 4,200 Hispanics have applied to be Connecticut troopers, but only 28 African-Americans and 38 Hispanics have graduated from the academy, according to records obtained by The Associated Press. During that same period, 15,000 whites applied and 527 graduated from the academy.</p>
<p>State police officials say they have increased efforts to recruit minorities, but many don’t make it through the hiring and testing process — including a background check, lie detector and physical agility tests, and a written exam designed to assess logical reasoning, reading ability, communication skills and other personal traits. Officials also cited stiff competition; many candidates end up taking jobs at other departments.</p>
<p>“They always state that they’re going to make an honest effort in order to improve the numbers, but I don’t see it happening,” said Fred Abrams, a black retired Connecticut trooper who led the 1982 federal lawsuit that resulted in the department agreeing to hire more minorities. “No one holds them accountable.”</p>
<p>While many departments won’t hire someone who admits to having used marijuana within the previous three years, in Baltimore, where riots took place after a black man died after being transported in a police van, the commissioner is seeking to change the rules — calling it “the No. 1 disqualifier for police applicants.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want to hire altar boys to be police officers, necessarily,” Police Commissioner Kevin Davis told The Baltimore Sun. “I want people of good character, of good moral character, but I want people who have lived a life just like everybody else — a life not unlike the lives of the people who they are going to be interacting with every day.”</p>
<p>In Wichita, Kansas, Police Chief Gordon Ramsay is working to relax some standards, saying it will help officers relate better to people they encounter.</p>
<p>“People who have struggled in life … can relate better to the people we deal with,” Ramsay said. “My experience is they display more empathy.”</p>
<p>In Arizona, the state’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Board adopted new guidelines to allow for prior use of Adderall, often used to treat attention deficit disorder or as a study aid, if the use was not extensive.</p>
<p>Education requirements were changed in Louisville, Kentucky, where police recently set aside a requirement for at least 60 college credit hours after seeing a steady decline in applications. In the past fiscal year, applications for the force dropped to 1,081 from 1,867 the year before, said Sgt. Daniel Elliott, the agency’s commander of recruitment and selection.</p>
<p>In just a month since it was scrapped, the agency received so many applications — 667 — that it had to stop accepting them to ensure it had time to properly review them, Elliot said.</p>
<p>Still, although the changes may encourage more people to sign up, some law enforcement experts worry it will lead to untrustworthy hires and cause more problems down the road.</p>
<p>“Lowering your standards is an absolute mistake. It’s an absolute connection to misconduct, corruption and a degrading of the agency,” said Jeff Hynes, a former Phoenix officer who is chairman for public safety sciences at Glendale Community College. “It is just a recipe for disaster.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Pane reported from Atlanta. She can be followed on Twitter at: <a href="http://twitter.com/lisamariepane" type="external">http://twitter.com/lisamariepane</a> . Dave Collins can be followed on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/DaveCollinsAP .</p>
| false | 2 |
changes designed deal decreased interest job offers low pay rigorous physical demands possibility getting killed duty intense public scrutiny theres also question encourage minorities become police officers national crisis said eugene odonnell former new york city police officer lecturer john jay college criminal justice new york first time life would say could never recommend job whos going put camera go urban america people going critique every move make youre going demonized national standard becoming officer left state set requirements general prior drug use past brushes law however minor enough bar someone becoming officer top physical fitness standards long academy graduation requirements even graduation recruits often face background check might include credithistory review advertisement physical requirements impeded hiring women credit histories education standards stood way minorities amid push diversify many police departments question whether longheld militarystyle standards best ways attract officers able relate communities defuse tensions departments changing testing requirements shown disproportionately disqualify minority candidates praised report released last month us department justice equal employment opportunity commission people minority communities likely disqualified criminal background credit checks members communities likely contact criminal justice system lower credit scores report says minorities also may trouble written tests dont accurately screen people skills needed police jobs says 2013 survey us department justice showed 12 percent nations officers black 12 percent hispanic percentages higher three decades earlier minorities continue underrepresented many communities according department 13 percent us population black 18 percent hispanic according census new police diversity report called diversity linchpin building trust law enforcement communities hiring particularly problematic environment live said chuck wexler executive director police executive research forum ive room large group police ive asked many would like son daughter police officer one raises hand police officials say increased efforts hire officers color including holding recruiting events cities targeting minority groups social media visiting military bases colleges connecticut state police among agencies wrestling diversity advertisement blacks hispanics comprise third trooper applicants quarter states population 10 percent force base set three decades ago agency sued since 2004 nearly 4500 blacks 4200 hispanics applied connecticut troopers 28 africanamericans 38 hispanics graduated academy according records obtained associated press period 15000 whites applied 527 graduated academy state police officials say increased efforts recruit minorities many dont make hiring testing process including background check lie detector physical agility tests written exam designed assess logical reasoning reading ability communication skills personal traits officials also cited stiff competition many candidates end taking jobs departments always state theyre going make honest effort order improve numbers dont see happening said fred abrams black retired connecticut trooper led 1982 federal lawsuit resulted department agreeing hire minorities one holds accountable many departments wont hire someone admits used marijuana within previous three years baltimore riots took place black man died transported police van commissioner seeking change rules calling 1 disqualifier police applicants dont want hire altar boys police officers necessarily police commissioner kevin davis told baltimore sun want people good character good moral character want people lived life like everybody else life unlike lives people going interacting every day wichita kansas police chief gordon ramsay working relax standards saying help officers relate better people encounter people struggled life relate better people deal ramsay said experience display empathy arizona states peace officer standards training board adopted new guidelines allow prior use adderall often used treat attention deficit disorder study aid use extensive education requirements changed louisville kentucky police recently set aside requirement least 60 college credit hours seeing steady decline applications past fiscal year applications force dropped 1081 1867 year said sgt daniel elliott agencys commander recruitment selection month since scrapped agency received many applications 667 stop accepting ensure time properly review elliot said still although changes may encourage people sign law enforcement experts worry lead untrustworthy hires cause problems road lowering standards absolute mistake absolute connection misconduct corruption degrading agency said jeff hynes former phoenix officer chairman public safety sciences glendale community college recipe disaster ___ pane reported atlanta followed twitter httptwittercomlisamariepane dave collins followed twitter httpstwittercomdavecollinsap
| 661 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The program - dubbed Talent ABQ - has proven so promising that it's garnered national attention.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />The White House featured it on its "Ready to Work" website last summer. And, in March, Albuquerque was chosen as one of 21 communities nationwide to partner with the federal government on President Barack Obama's newly launched TechHire Initiative, which aims to rapidly "skill-up" workers nationwide for technology jobs, said Jamai Blivin, CEO of Innovate-Educate - the organization that's coordinating Talent ABQ in partnership with the city and the state Department of Workforce Solutions.</p>
<p>"This all started in New Mexico, and now they're talking about it nationally," Blivin said. "We laid the groundwork here, and now we're working with the White House to scale it up and implement it in other cities across the country."</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The strategy's novel focus on "skills-based hiring" rather than formal education represents a radical break from traditional hiring practices, Blivin said. But it could help to at least partially crack the local and national bottleneck in graduating a STEM-trained workforce, which has created major challenges for employers in New Mexico and other states to fill degree-qualified jobs.</p>
<p>"Albuquerque, New Mexico and the U.S. in general have a human capital problem, but that may in part reflect the inability of an archaic employment system to allow citizens opportunities to be everything they can be," Blivin said. "While STEM education is critical, more critical is defining what someone needs to qualify for a job and then identifying a concrete pathway they can follow to get hired. In that sense, our system today is broken."</p>
<p>In New Mexico, many large employers do report difficulty filling positions that currently require STEM degrees, especially those that require advanced studies at the master's and doctoral levels. That's particularly true of high-tech employers, like Intel Corp. or the national laboratories.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, employers might find a lot more qualified applicants, especially those requiring four-year degrees or less, by focusing on the skills of job candidates rather than formal education, Blivin said.</p>
<p>"STEM needs are often critical for some job categories, such as at the labs or companies like Intel," Blivin said. "But generally speaking, there really aren't that many jobs at that level."</p>
<p>Looking at skills</p>
<p>Innovate-Educate has focused on evaluating the skills required for different jobs, assessing the abilities of applicants, then matching them together. That blossomed into Talent ABQ in 2013, backed to date by about $800,000 in funding from the city and the Kellogg Foundation.</p>
<p>Workforce Solutions, which manages worker assessments for Talent ABQ, has done skills testing statewide since 2010. Using that data, Innovate-Educate found that, of nearly 8,000 Albuquerque job seekers who lacked higher education degrees, about 50 percent demonstrated they still had the math skills to manage information technology jobs that normally require an associate's degree or higher. And 80 percent of those with a two-year or higher degree demonstrated the needed math skills.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"It shows that many companies are asking for two- or four-year degrees and they shouldn't be, because the job applicants don't need it," Blivin said.</p>
<p>That could translate into many more local employment opportunities, since some 60,000 jobs were posted for the Albuquerque area just in the past year. Positions ranged from health care, manufacturing and sales to software developers, human resource managers and customer service representatives.</p>
<p>"If you look at the number of youth who don't finish four-year degrees, it doesn't mean they're not qualified for these jobs," Blivin said. "Competency testing is five times more predictive than education of job readiness."</p>
<p>Under Talent ABQ, Workforce Solutions offers free skill assessments at 33 sites around Albuquerque, plus free online courses to "skill-up" in areas where people need more development.</p>
<p>Assessments focus on three to five "core skills," including literacy, math, ability to read charts and diagrams, listening and observation. They also assess professional skills, such as teamwork, communications and critical thinking, followed by specific skills required for specific jobs.</p>
<p>About 120 employers are participating in the program to emphasize the skills required in job postings rather than education. Some report major success, such as the city, which so far has hired 540 people based on skill assessments.</p>
<p>"We want students educated and getting college degrees if they can, but not everyone has that opportunity in life and we're leaving talented people behind by not assessing their skills," said Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry. "The data shows that many people can't check the box for a college diploma, but they score incredibly high for skill sets needed by employers who traditionally think the employee needs a college degree."</p>
<p>Eugene Moya said the skills assessment process allowed him to win a traffic signal technician job with the city, even though he only has a high school diploma.</p>
<p>"I might not have qualified otherwise, because I have no electrical training and it usually requires a license just to qualify for the interview," Moya said. "But this opened the doors for me to be trained up into the position."</p>
<p>Change in hiring</p>
<p>Workforce training specialists and human resource managers say the Talent ABQ model could significantly alter hiring practices.</p>
<p>"This has more promise for connecting workers with jobs than anything I've seen in my years in workforce development," said Associated General Contractors CEO Vicki Mora.</p>
<p>Through Albuquerque participation in the White House's new TechHire Initiative, Innovate-Educate is sharing its strategies with other cities. In addition, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is considering a study of the Talent ABQ program.</p>
<p>Still, despite the promise, it may be difficult to convince companies to change long-standing corporate policies, said Linda Strauss, director of workforce readiness for the New Mexico chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management.</p>
<p>"While local human resource managers may be very interested, they often report to a parent company where hiring practices are decided centrally, and they may not have the authority to adopt something new," Strauss said.</p>
<p>That makes partnerships with private employers critical, the mayor said.</p>
<p>"We need more companies to move out of their comfort zone a bit to change the way we hire," Berry said. "If they do, I believe we could develop a first-of-its-kind, world-class program here in Albuquerque."</p>
<p />
<p />
| false | 2 |
program dubbed talent abq proven promising garnered national attention white house featured ready work website last summer march albuquerque chosen one 21 communities nationwide partner federal government president barack obamas newly launched techhire initiative aims rapidly skillup workers nationwide technology jobs said jamai blivin ceo innovateeducate organization thats coordinating talent abq partnership city state department workforce solutions started new mexico theyre talking nationally blivin said laid groundwork working white house scale implement cities across country advertisement strategys novel focus skillsbased hiring rather formal education represents radical break traditional hiring practices blivin said could help least partially crack local national bottleneck graduating stemtrained workforce created major challenges employers new mexico states fill degreequalified jobs albuquerque new mexico us general human capital problem may part reflect inability archaic employment system allow citizens opportunities everything blivin said stem education critical critical defining someone needs qualify job identifying concrete pathway follow get hired sense system today broken new mexico many large employers report difficulty filling positions currently require stem degrees especially require advanced studies masters doctoral levels thats particularly true hightech employers like intel corp national laboratories nevertheless employers might find lot qualified applicants especially requiring fouryear degrees less focusing skills job candidates rather formal education blivin said stem needs often critical job categories labs companies like intel blivin said generally speaking really arent many jobs level looking skills innovateeducate focused evaluating skills required different jobs assessing abilities applicants matching together blossomed talent abq 2013 backed date 800000 funding city kellogg foundation workforce solutions manages worker assessments talent abq done skills testing statewide since 2010 using data innovateeducate found nearly 8000 albuquerque job seekers lacked higher education degrees 50 percent demonstrated still math skills manage information technology jobs normally require associates degree higher 80 percent twoyear higher degree demonstrated needed math skills advertisement shows many companies asking two fouryear degrees shouldnt job applicants dont need blivin said could translate many local employment opportunities since 60000 jobs posted albuquerque area past year positions ranged health care manufacturing sales software developers human resource managers customer service representatives look number youth dont finish fouryear degrees doesnt mean theyre qualified jobs blivin said competency testing five times predictive education job readiness talent abq workforce solutions offers free skill assessments 33 sites around albuquerque plus free online courses skillup areas people need development assessments focus three five core skills including literacy math ability read charts diagrams listening observation also assess professional skills teamwork communications critical thinking followed specific skills required specific jobs 120 employers participating program emphasize skills required job postings rather education report major success city far hired 540 people based skill assessments want students educated getting college degrees everyone opportunity life leaving talented people behind assessing skills said albuquerque mayor richard berry data shows many people cant check box college diploma score incredibly high skill sets needed employers traditionally think employee needs college degree eugene moya said skills assessment process allowed win traffic signal technician job city even though high school diploma might qualified otherwise electrical training usually requires license qualify interview moya said opened doors trained position change hiring workforce training specialists human resource managers say talent abq model could significantly alter hiring practices promise connecting workers jobs anything ive seen years workforce development said associated general contractors ceo vicki mora albuquerque participation white houses new techhire initiative innovateeducate sharing strategies cities addition massachusetts institute technology considering study talent abq program still despite promise may difficult convince companies change longstanding corporate policies said linda strauss director workforce readiness new mexico chapter society human resource management local human resource managers may interested often report parent company hiring practices decided centrally may authority adopt something new strauss said makes partnerships private employers critical mayor said need companies move comfort zone bit change way hire berry said believe could develop firstofitskind worldclass program albuquerque
| 635 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>On Tuesday night, he swept Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin – states that voted twice for Barack Obama and that rank near the top in manufacturing jobs. Although his promise to restore the glory days of building cars and pouring steel sometimes made him sound like a guy who learned about past-their-prime factory towns by watching “Roger &amp; Me” and listening to “Born in the U.S.A.,” he tapped into a still-strong nostalgia for a time when a young man could go straight from high school to an industrial job that paid enough to support a family.</p>
<p>When Trump Force One flew into Flint, Michigan, in August 2015 for the Genesee County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner, the man who’s now president-elect told an anecdote about seeing “boatloads” of Japanese cars in the Port of Los Angeles, then promised to stop Ford from investing $2.5 billion in Mexican engine plants. He knew his audience.</p>
<p>“Mexico is killing us on trade,” Trump said to cheers from 3,000 listeners, the biggest Lincoln Day crowd in the county’s history. “Mexico is the new China . . . They’re taking our factories, and they’re rebuilding these massive plants in Mexico.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“My brothers went to GM out of high school,” said Genesee County Republican Party Chairman Michael Moon, who invited Trump to Michigan. “By 1980, that was over. We’ve lost a ton of manufacturing jobs out of this state. They went to Mexico. We’re gonna get killed by these countries. Getting involved in the global economy, you’ve got to have some kind of national pride. We’ll take care of our own country, then if there’s something left for you, we’ll take care of you.”</p>
<p>Clinton, on the other hand, seemed to take the Upper Midwest for granted, never campaigning in Wisconsin and finally making a panicky visit to Detroit on the Friday before the election. In the 1980s, Michigan was the forging ground of the Reagan Democrats: hawkish, socially conservative, suburban, blue-collar workers who ignored the United Auto Workers’ entreaties to vote for Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale. (Their heartland, Macomb County, just north of Detroit, voted for Obama in 2012 but gave Trump 54 percent of its vote on Tuesday.)</p>
<p>If there’s such a thing as a Trump Democrat, he’s exemplified by Bill Peek, a UAW member who worked 41 years for General Motors at the Saginaw Central Foundry. Peek’s favorite president was John F. Kennedy “because he went toe to toe with the Russians,” and he voted once for Bill Clinton. But he voted for Trump. He liked Trump’s stands on immigration (“The immigrants coming over here, the illegal ones, when is our people gonna get fed?”), on China (“They keep loaning us money; they’re going to own the United States”), and on slapping a 35 percent tariff on auto imports. (“All of our businesses should be penalized if they move their plants overseas. He’s gonna put his foot down.”)</p>
<p>“He’s ahead of Clinton in my book,” Peek said. “He’s a businessman. If anybody’s gonna get us out of here and get us back on our feet like it should be, he’s the one.”</p>
<p>Trump promised to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was signed by Bill Clinton in 1993 over the objection of organized labor and has since been blamed for the loss of manufacturing jobs to Third World countries with lower wage and labor standards. Nowhere is that a sorer point than in Flint. In 1980, GM employed 80,000 in the Flint area; today, it employs 7,200. Flint’s decline began a decade before NAFTA, but the trade deal was seen as just another kick at the auto industry. In 1999, GM closed Buick City, a Flint assembly plant that once provided a living to 28,000 workers. Since its demolition, the site has gone the way of all Flint, with poplars and yarrow pushing through cracks in the asphalt.</p>
<p>“NAFTA was one of the biggest things that hurt the United States,” said Trump supporter Phil Hall, a salesman for a laser engraving company that does half its business with the auto industry. “NAFTA’s not something I agree with. GM’s big in this area. Since 1993, when that happened, there have been so many shutdowns of plants. I can’t tell you how many people have lost their jobs.”</p>
<p>The loss of manufacturing, and the economic power that goes with it, also resulted in demographic changes that made the Rust Belt states more inviting territory for Trump. Michiganders call the 2000s the “Lost Decade.” During those years, Michigan lost half its automaking jobs and fell to 35th in per capita income among states. It hemorrhaged residents, with many using their college degrees as tickets out: Michigan is 34th in proportion of college graduates. No one is moving in to replace them: Only Louisiana has a higher percentage of native-born residents. As Michigan has become older, less educated, less unionized, less urbanized and more insular, it has become more reactionary.</p>
<p>The brain drain from the old factory towns to the big cities contributed to Trump’s victory in the electoral college. He narrowly won the Rust Belt states, while Clinton posted a commanding victory in Illinois. The only industrial Midwestern state she won, it’s home to tens of thousands of young Michiganders, Wisconsinites, Ohioans and Pennsylvanians who fled their home towns for Chicago, the region’s cultural and financial capital, a city that’s winning in the 21st-century global economy at the expense of surrounding states. Had those college graduates found opportunities at home, they might have flipped their states to Clinton.</p>
<p>Even Michigan’s economic recovery since the Great Recession is not as good as it looks on paper: The unemployment rate of 4.5 percent is below the national average, but that’s not because there are more jobs — it’s because there are fewer workers. Health care has replaced manufacturing as the state’s No. 1 employment sector, and even the new automaking jobs start at $14 an hour, half of what they used to pay.</p>
<p>Will Trump be able to deliver on his promise to bring manufacturing back to the Rust Belt? Probably not. Most of the jobs that disappeared were lost to automation, not globalization. GM can now makes as many cars with 5,000 workers as it did with 25,000 in the 1960s. Others were lost to right-to-work states in the South. Attacking Mexican and Japanese workers for stealing American jobs, though, was also a way for Trump to combine economic nationalism with the ethno-nationalism that was such a big part of his appeal to white voters. (Although Ford may have helped his case when it announced in September that it’s moving all small-car production to Mexico.) But unlike Clinton, at least he had a message for people who feel left behind by globalization, and he was able to portray his opponent as a member of the political elite that has sold and hollowed them out.</p>
<p>– McClelland is the author of “Nothin’ but Blue Skies: The Heyday, Hard Times and Hopes of America’s Industrial Heartland.” Follow @tedmcclelland</p>
<p>trump-rustbelt-comment</p>
| false | 2 |
tuesday night swept pennsylvania ohio michigan wisconsin states voted twice barack obama rank near top manufacturing jobs although promise restore glory days building cars pouring steel sometimes made sound like guy learned pasttheirprime factory towns watching roger amp listening born usa tapped stillstrong nostalgia time young man could go straight high school industrial job paid enough support family trump force one flew flint michigan august 2015 genesee county republican partys lincoln day dinner man whos presidentelect told anecdote seeing boatloads japanese cars port los angeles promised stop ford investing 25 billion mexican engine plants knew audience mexico killing us trade trump said cheers 3000 listeners biggest lincoln day crowd countys history mexico new china theyre taking factories theyre rebuilding massive plants mexico advertisement brothers went gm high school said genesee county republican party chairman michael moon invited trump michigan 1980 weve lost ton manufacturing jobs state went mexico gon na get killed countries getting involved global economy youve got kind national pride well take care country theres something left well take care clinton hand seemed take upper midwest granted never campaigning wisconsin finally making panicky visit detroit friday election 1980s michigan forging ground reagan democrats hawkish socially conservative suburban bluecollar workers ignored united auto workers entreaties vote jimmy carter walter mondale heartland macomb county north detroit voted obama 2012 gave trump 54 percent vote tuesday theres thing trump democrat hes exemplified bill peek uaw member worked 41 years general motors saginaw central foundry peeks favorite president john f kennedy went toe toe russians voted bill clinton voted trump liked trumps stands immigration immigrants coming illegal ones people gon na get fed china keep loaning us money theyre going united states slapping 35 percent tariff auto imports businesses penalized move plants overseas hes gon na put foot hes ahead clinton book peek said hes businessman anybodys gon na get us get us back feet like hes one trump promised renegotiate north american free trade agreement signed bill clinton 1993 objection organized labor since blamed loss manufacturing jobs third world countries lower wage labor standards nowhere sorer point flint 1980 gm employed 80000 flint area today employs 7200 flints decline began decade nafta trade deal seen another kick auto industry 1999 gm closed buick city flint assembly plant provided living 28000 workers since demolition site gone way flint poplars yarrow pushing cracks asphalt nafta one biggest things hurt united states said trump supporter phil hall salesman laser engraving company half business auto industry naftas something agree gms big area since 1993 happened many shutdowns plants cant tell many people lost jobs loss manufacturing economic power goes also resulted demographic changes made rust belt states inviting territory trump michiganders call 2000s lost decade years michigan lost half automaking jobs fell 35th per capita income among states hemorrhaged residents many using college degrees tickets michigan 34th proportion college graduates one moving replace louisiana higher percentage nativeborn residents michigan become older less educated less unionized less urbanized insular become reactionary brain drain old factory towns big cities contributed trumps victory electoral college narrowly rust belt states clinton posted commanding victory illinois industrial midwestern state home tens thousands young michiganders wisconsinites ohioans pennsylvanians fled home towns chicago regions cultural financial capital city thats winning 21stcentury global economy expense surrounding states college graduates found opportunities home might flipped states clinton even michigans economic recovery since great recession good looks paper unemployment rate 45 percent national average thats jobs fewer workers health care replaced manufacturing states 1 employment sector even new automaking jobs start 14 hour half used pay trump able deliver promise bring manufacturing back rust belt probably jobs disappeared lost automation globalization gm makes many cars 5000 workers 25000 1960s others lost righttowork states south attacking mexican japanese workers stealing american jobs though also way trump combine economic nationalism ethnonationalism big part appeal white voters although ford may helped case announced september moving smallcar production mexico unlike clinton least message people feel left behind globalization able portray opponent member political elite sold hollowed mcclelland author nothin blue skies heyday hard times hopes americas industrial heartland follow tedmcclelland trumprustbeltcomment
| 682 |
<p>VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - Carey Price and the Canadiens cooled down what little momentum Vancouver built up recently with back-to-back wins.</p>
<p>Price made 27 saves and Paul Byron scored in overtime as Montreal defeated the Canucks 2-1 on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>The loss snapped a modest two-game win streak for the Canucks after picking up road victories in southern California. Vancouver (28-31-7) desperately needed the points to keep its fading playoff hopes alive. The Canucks are now seven points back of St. Louis for the second wild card spot after the Blues beat the Wild 2-1 on Tuesday.</p>
<p>"It's disappointing and frustrating. It would have been huge for us in the standings," said Michael Chaput, who scored Vancouver's lone goal in the game. "Now we have to think about Thursday's game and get back to it."</p>
<p>For Price and the red-hot Canadiens it's a polar opposite scenario. The Atlantic Division-leading Habs (38-21-8) have won six straight and are thriving under new head coach Claude Julien with a 7-2 record.</p>
<p>As for Price, he's been stellar recently, with a shutout and only five goals allowed in his last five games - all wins.</p>
<p>"It's not just me, it's our defensive play in general," said Price, deflecting the credit. "Ever since the bye we have been playing very well."</p>
<p>Torrey Mitchell scored his first goal for the Canadiens in 39 games. It came in the first period on a redirect off Andrei Markov's wrist shot from the blue-line. The noticeably vocal contingent of Habs fans present roared in approval.</p>
<p>"Mitchy is a character guy," said Price. "He brings speed and tenacity to our game. He's a good presence in our locker-room, and he's a great teammate. I'm happy for him."</p>
<p>Vancouver goalie Ryan Miller had a busy night with 36 saves and couldn't do much against Byron's OT winner. After Alex Galchenyuk shot the puck, it took a strange bounce that even caught Byron off guard.</p>
<p>"It hit me on the inside of the pants, kind of right off the cup there, so it caught me by surprise," said Byron.</p>
<p>"It's almost kind of comical," added Miller. "It was a really tough bounce. It's just one of those ones ... it feels like you can't do anything about it. It's right there, but you can't get it. It's a tough feeling."</p>
<p>Nikolay Goldobin, making his Vancouver home debut after being traded a week ago from San Jose, had two quality chances against a sprawling Price, but couldn't tie it in the first period.</p>
<p>The Canucks sustained pressure on Price in the second, but the Montreal netminder again made the necessary saves, including a partial breakaway shot from Brendan Gaunce mid-period.</p>
<p>"I could have helped the team win today," said Gaunce. "I could have scored on that 2-on-1 and that would have changed the game. For me, I'm probably my hardest critic. It's just something I want to be able to do."</p>
<p>Price made a spectacular glove save on a streaking Markus Granlund eight minutes into the third, prompting chants of "Carey, Carey" to erupt in the upper deck.</p>
<p>"It's always cool to come home to B.C.," said Price, who was born in Vancouver before moving to Anahim Lake, B.C. "I love it here."</p>
<p>The Canucks only goal came at 7:11 of the third when Edler's wrist shot from near the blue line was redirected by Chaput over Price's blocker.</p>
<p>NOTES: D Brandon Davidson made his Canadiens debut since being acquired in a trade with Edmonton. ... Canadiens center Brian Flynn left the game in the second period and did not return. ... Montreal was without Alex Radulov (lower body) and Tomas Plekanec (upper body). ... The Canucks were without Loui Eriksson (knee).</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Canadiens: Road trip continues on Thursday against the Flames, who have won seven in a row.</p>
<p>Canucks: Five-game homestand continues as they host the Islanders on Thursday night.</p>
<p>VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - Carey Price and the Canadiens cooled down what little momentum Vancouver built up recently with back-to-back wins.</p>
<p>Price made 27 saves and Paul Byron scored in overtime as Montreal defeated the Canucks 2-1 on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>The loss snapped a modest two-game win streak for the Canucks after picking up road victories in southern California. Vancouver (28-31-7) desperately needed the points to keep its fading playoff hopes alive. The Canucks are now seven points back of St. Louis for the second wild card spot after the Blues beat the Wild 2-1 on Tuesday.</p>
<p>"It's disappointing and frustrating. It would have been huge for us in the standings," said Michael Chaput, who scored Vancouver's lone goal in the game. "Now we have to think about Thursday's game and get back to it."</p>
<p>For Price and the red-hot Canadiens it's a polar opposite scenario. The Atlantic Division-leading Habs (38-21-8) have won six straight and are thriving under new head coach Claude Julien with a 7-2 record.</p>
<p>As for Price, he's been stellar recently, with a shutout and only five goals allowed in his last five games - all wins.</p>
<p>"It's not just me, it's our defensive play in general," said Price, deflecting the credit. "Ever since the bye we have been playing very well."</p>
<p>Torrey Mitchell scored his first goal for the Canadiens in 39 games. It came in the first period on a redirect off Andrei Markov's wrist shot from the blue-line. The noticeably vocal contingent of Habs fans present roared in approval.</p>
<p>"Mitchy is a character guy," said Price. "He brings speed and tenacity to our game. He's a good presence in our locker-room, and he's a great teammate. I'm happy for him."</p>
<p>Vancouver goalie Ryan Miller had a busy night with 36 saves and couldn't do much against Byron's OT winner. After Alex Galchenyuk shot the puck, it took a strange bounce that even caught Byron off guard.</p>
<p>"It hit me on the inside of the pants, kind of right off the cup there, so it caught me by surprise," said Byron.</p>
<p>"It's almost kind of comical," added Miller. "It was a really tough bounce. It's just one of those ones ... it feels like you can't do anything about it. It's right there, but you can't get it. It's a tough feeling."</p>
<p>Nikolay Goldobin, making his Vancouver home debut after being traded a week ago from San Jose, had two quality chances against a sprawling Price, but couldn't tie it in the first period.</p>
<p>The Canucks sustained pressure on Price in the second, but the Montreal netminder again made the necessary saves, including a partial breakaway shot from Brendan Gaunce mid-period.</p>
<p>"I could have helped the team win today," said Gaunce. "I could have scored on that 2-on-1 and that would have changed the game. For me, I'm probably my hardest critic. It's just something I want to be able to do."</p>
<p>Price made a spectacular glove save on a streaking Markus Granlund eight minutes into the third, prompting chants of "Carey, Carey" to erupt in the upper deck.</p>
<p>"It's always cool to come home to B.C.," said Price, who was born in Vancouver before moving to Anahim Lake, B.C. "I love it here."</p>
<p>The Canucks only goal came at 7:11 of the third when Edler's wrist shot from near the blue line was redirected by Chaput over Price's blocker.</p>
<p>NOTES: D Brandon Davidson made his Canadiens debut since being acquired in a trade with Edmonton. ... Canadiens center Brian Flynn left the game in the second period and did not return. ... Montreal was without Alex Radulov (lower body) and Tomas Plekanec (upper body). ... The Canucks were without Loui Eriksson (knee).</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Canadiens: Road trip continues on Thursday against the Flames, who have won seven in a row.</p>
<p>Canucks: Five-game homestand continues as they host the Islanders on Thursday night.</p>
| false | 2 |
vancouver british columbia ap carey price canadiens cooled little momentum vancouver built recently backtoback wins price made 27 saves paul byron scored overtime montreal defeated canucks 21 tuesday night loss snapped modest twogame win streak canucks picking road victories southern california vancouver 28317 desperately needed points keep fading playoff hopes alive canucks seven points back st louis second wild card spot blues beat wild 21 tuesday disappointing frustrating would huge us standings said michael chaput scored vancouvers lone goal game think thursdays game get back price redhot canadiens polar opposite scenario atlantic divisionleading habs 38218 six straight thriving new head coach claude julien 72 record price hes stellar recently shutout five goals allowed last five games wins defensive play general said price deflecting credit ever since bye playing well torrey mitchell scored first goal canadiens 39 games came first period redirect andrei markovs wrist shot blueline noticeably vocal contingent habs fans present roared approval mitchy character guy said price brings speed tenacity game hes good presence lockerroom hes great teammate im happy vancouver goalie ryan miller busy night 36 saves couldnt much byrons ot winner alex galchenyuk shot puck took strange bounce even caught byron guard hit inside pants kind right cup caught surprise said byron almost kind comical added miller really tough bounce one ones feels like cant anything right cant get tough feeling nikolay goldobin making vancouver home debut traded week ago san jose two quality chances sprawling price couldnt tie first period canucks sustained pressure price second montreal netminder made necessary saves including partial breakaway shot brendan gaunce midperiod could helped team win today said gaunce could scored 2on1 would changed game im probably hardest critic something want able price made spectacular glove save streaking markus granlund eight minutes third prompting chants carey carey erupt upper deck always cool come home bc said price born vancouver moving anahim lake bc love canucks goal came 711 third edlers wrist shot near blue line redirected chaput prices blocker notes brandon davidson made canadiens debut since acquired trade edmonton canadiens center brian flynn left game second period return montreal without alex radulov lower body tomas plekanec upper body canucks without loui eriksson knee next canadiens road trip continues thursday flames seven row canucks fivegame homestand continues host islanders thursday night vancouver british columbia ap carey price canadiens cooled little momentum vancouver built recently backtoback wins price made 27 saves paul byron scored overtime montreal defeated canucks 21 tuesday night loss snapped modest twogame win streak canucks picking road victories southern california vancouver 28317 desperately needed points keep fading playoff hopes alive canucks seven points back st louis second wild card spot blues beat wild 21 tuesday disappointing frustrating would huge us standings said michael chaput scored vancouvers lone goal game think thursdays game get back price redhot canadiens polar opposite scenario atlantic divisionleading habs 38218 six straight thriving new head coach claude julien 72 record price hes stellar recently shutout five goals allowed last five games wins defensive play general said price deflecting credit ever since bye playing well torrey mitchell scored first goal canadiens 39 games came first period redirect andrei markovs wrist shot blueline noticeably vocal contingent habs fans present roared approval mitchy character guy said price brings speed tenacity game hes good presence lockerroom hes great teammate im happy vancouver goalie ryan miller busy night 36 saves couldnt much byrons ot winner alex galchenyuk shot puck took strange bounce even caught byron guard hit inside pants kind right cup caught surprise said byron almost kind comical added miller really tough bounce one ones feels like cant anything right cant get tough feeling nikolay goldobin making vancouver home debut traded week ago san jose two quality chances sprawling price couldnt tie first period canucks sustained pressure price second montreal netminder made necessary saves including partial breakaway shot brendan gaunce midperiod could helped team win today said gaunce could scored 2on1 would changed game im probably hardest critic something want able price made spectacular glove save streaking markus granlund eight minutes third prompting chants carey carey erupt upper deck always cool come home bc said price born vancouver moving anahim lake bc love canucks goal came 711 third edlers wrist shot near blue line redirected chaput prices blocker notes brandon davidson made canadiens debut since acquired trade edmonton canadiens center brian flynn left game second period return montreal without alex radulov lower body tomas plekanec upper body canucks without loui eriksson knee next canadiens road trip continues thursday flames seven row canucks fivegame homestand continues host islanders thursday night
| 760 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Acting U.S. Attorney Steven Yarbrough talks to reporters outside federal court Wednesday after a jury deadlocked on the death penalty for John Charles McCluskey. McCluskey will serve life in prison.(Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Journal)</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Nine jurors voted for death, and three voted for life.</p>
<p>That means convicted murderer John Charles McCluskey will receive a life sentence without possibility of release, rather than death.</p>
<p>After a process strung out more than five months, the federal jury was in court just five minutes Wednesday as the judge read their verdict form giving a life sentence to McCluskey.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>A death sentence requires unanimity among the jurors, and they could not reach that level of agreement during four days of deliberation.</p>
<p>The 30-page special verdict form asked jurors to look at 160 mitigating factors weighing against death and seven aggravating factors weighing in favor of death in the Aug. 2, 2010, kidnapping and murder of Gary and Linda Haas.</p>
<p>The retired couple had left Tecumseh, Okla., headed for a Colorado fishing vacation when they were kidnapped for their travel trailer and pickup at a rest stop on Interstate 40 in eastern New Mexico. They were shot about an hour later at a remote site north of the interstate by McCluskey, according to trial testimony and the jury’s verdicts in other phases of the complicated federal death case.</p>
<p>McCLUSKEY: Jury deadlocked after four days</p>
<p>McCluskey, 48, had escaped just days earlier from a state prison in Arizona with Tracy Province, also an inmate, and with the help of McCluskey’s cousin and girlfriend Casslyn Welch, who provided money, supplies and reconnaissance of the prison. Both were codefendants in the federal case charging conspiracy to commit carjacking and murder and testified for the government in exchange for life sentences.</p>
<p>U.S. District Judge Judith Herrera, who presided over the trial, invited jurors to meet with her in chambers following the verdict and told them attorneys for the prosecution and the defense would be anxious to hear about their deliberative process.</p>
<p>“I think that some jurors saw that John’s life has value,” said Theresa “Teri” Duncan, who was appointed to represent McCluskey within days of the murders.</p>
<p>For example, she said witnesses told about what a great friend he was when he was young and about his life in prison in Pennsylvania. McCluskey entered that system in his mid-20s and remained until he was older than 40, during which he was a prized, hard worker and an inmate who counseled others to avoid the kind of trouble that can erupt in that environment.</p>
<p>She said other witnesses who knew McCluskey in Arizona “talked about how respectful he was to older people.” Among them was Sissy Honea, who told the jury about McCluskey sending her a card during the trial to offer his condolences when her life partner died.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“That meant something to her,” Duncan said. “She brought John’s capacity for kindness up to the present. That was one of the more compelling things that the evidence showed for the right juror.”</p>
<p>Gary Haas’ younger sister Linda Rook, reached by phone in Oklahoma following the verdict, said she was in a state of shock after her uncle – one of several family members who attended trial religiously – called to tell her about it.</p>
<p>“I’m just going to have to learn to accept it some way,” Rook said. “He (McCluskey) already had a life sentence, so he’s essentially getting nothing for what he did to my brother and sister-in-law.”</p>
<p>Rook brought her mother, Vivian Haas, to Albuquerque in August to hear testimony in the guilt-innocence part of the trial.</p>
<p>That testimony began with the detailed escape planning from the northern Arizona privately operated facility; the escape itself and subsequent hijacking of two truckers in northern Arizona; the fugitive trio’s acquisition of another vehicle before carjacking the Haases, mostly to get their roomy and air conditioned travel trailer. Codefendants Province and Welch, who have been promised a prison version of the witness protection program, testified about what they called McCluskey’s unexpected, unnecessary and infuriating shooting of the Haases and about their post-escape wanderings to Wyoming and other parts.</p>
<p>In a second phase, prosecutors proved the statutory factors required for a death verdict.</p>
<p>And in a final, “selection” phase, prosecutors argued that McCluskey was such a danger that he couldn’t be safely housed even in a federal prison and that he deserved to die for killing a special couple. The defense brought in mitigation witnesses about McCluskey’s life and social history.</p>
<p>Despite the outcome, Rook said she was appreciative of the jury’s work and that of prosecutors who’ve spent over two years on the case.</p>
<p>The official word, however, from acting U.S. Attorney Steve Yarbrough was not disappointment.</p>
<p>“The jury decided not to seek death but they found him guilty of every count charged,” Yarbrough said. “The process played out the way it was supposed to.”</p>
<p>Asked if the millions of dollars spent on a death penalty prosecution was worth it, Yarbrough said that wasn’t his call.</p>
<p>“It isn’t my decision. Congress passed the law and the president signed it,” he said. “It’s ultimately the call of the (U.S.) Attorney General, who looks at it in terms of other cases across the U.S.” in pursuit of uniformity.</p>
<p>The extensive jury verdict form asks each juror to certify that race, color, religious beliefs, national origin or gender of the defendant or victim was not a factor involved in reaching their decision.</p>
<p>Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg Fouratt and Linda Mott and Department of Justice Attorney Michael Warbel began selecting a jury in July with Duncan, lead attorney Michael Burt of San Francisco and Ruidoso attorney Gary Mitchell. All of them were paid for by the government.</p>
<p>The jury, plus four alternates, was drawn from throughout the state and included some from southern New Mexico, three from northern New Mexico and others from the Albuquerque and Rio Rancho area. There were three men and nine women.</p>
<p>McCluskey, who is being held at the Torrance County Detention Facility, is expected to remain there until he is formally sentenced. No date has been set.</p>
<p>Mitchell said the defense team understands how tragic the event was for the victim’s family, and offered condolences to them.</p>
<p>Duncan said she believes the McCluskey verdict “is consistent with New Mexico attitudes toward the death penalty.</p>
<p>“We’re just a state that values life, and the verdict shows that we continue to show our commitment to life,” she said.</p>
<p />
<p />
| false | 2 |
acting us attorney steven yarbrough talks reporters outside federal court wednesday jury deadlocked death penalty john charles mccluskey mccluskey serve life prisonadolphe pierrelouisjournal albuquerque nm nine jurors voted death three voted life means convicted murderer john charles mccluskey receive life sentence without possibility release rather death process strung five months federal jury court five minutes wednesday judge read verdict form giving life sentence mccluskey advertisement death sentence requires unanimity among jurors could reach level agreement four days deliberation 30page special verdict form asked jurors look 160 mitigating factors weighing death seven aggravating factors weighing favor death aug 2 2010 kidnapping murder gary linda haas retired couple left tecumseh okla headed colorado fishing vacation kidnapped travel trailer pickup rest stop interstate 40 eastern new mexico shot hour later remote site north interstate mccluskey according trial testimony jurys verdicts phases complicated federal death case mccluskey jury deadlocked four days mccluskey 48 escaped days earlier state prison arizona tracy province also inmate help mccluskeys cousin girlfriend casslyn welch provided money supplies reconnaissance prison codefendants federal case charging conspiracy commit carjacking murder testified government exchange life sentences us district judge judith herrera presided trial invited jurors meet chambers following verdict told attorneys prosecution defense would anxious hear deliberative process think jurors saw johns life value said theresa teri duncan appointed represent mccluskey within days murders example said witnesses told great friend young life prison pennsylvania mccluskey entered system mid20s remained older 40 prized hard worker inmate counseled others avoid kind trouble erupt environment said witnesses knew mccluskey arizona talked respectful older people among sissy honea told jury mccluskey sending card trial offer condolences life partner died advertisement meant something duncan said brought johns capacity kindness present one compelling things evidence showed right juror gary haas younger sister linda rook reached phone oklahoma following verdict said state shock uncle one several family members attended trial religiously called tell im going learn accept way rook said mccluskey already life sentence hes essentially getting nothing brother sisterinlaw rook brought mother vivian haas albuquerque august hear testimony guiltinnocence part trial testimony began detailed escape planning northern arizona privately operated facility escape subsequent hijacking two truckers northern arizona fugitive trios acquisition another vehicle carjacking haases mostly get roomy air conditioned travel trailer codefendants province welch promised prison version witness protection program testified called mccluskeys unexpected unnecessary infuriating shooting haases postescape wanderings wyoming parts second phase prosecutors proved statutory factors required death verdict final selection phase prosecutors argued mccluskey danger couldnt safely housed even federal prison deserved die killing special couple defense brought mitigation witnesses mccluskeys life social history despite outcome rook said appreciative jurys work prosecutors whove spent two years case official word however acting us attorney steve yarbrough disappointment jury decided seek death found guilty every count charged yarbrough said process played way supposed asked millions dollars spent death penalty prosecution worth yarbrough said wasnt call isnt decision congress passed law president signed said ultimately call us attorney general looks terms cases across us pursuit uniformity extensive jury verdict form asks juror certify race color religious beliefs national origin gender defendant victim factor involved reaching decision assistant us attorneys greg fouratt linda mott department justice attorney michael warbel began selecting jury july duncan lead attorney michael burt san francisco ruidoso attorney gary mitchell paid government jury plus four alternates drawn throughout state included southern new mexico three northern new mexico others albuquerque rio rancho area three men nine women mccluskey held torrance county detention facility expected remain formally sentenced date set mitchell said defense team understands tragic event victims family offered condolences duncan said believes mccluskey verdict consistent new mexico attitudes toward death penalty state values life verdict shows continue show commitment life said
| 616 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ORLANDO, Fla. — The Latest on the fatal shooting of an Orlando police officer (all times local):</p>
<p>2:40 p.m.</p>
<p>Authorities have increased the reward to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in the slaying of an Orlando police sergeant.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Orlando Police Chief John Mina announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the reward is being raised from $60,000 to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of 41-year-old Markeith Loyd.</p>
<p>Authorities also said that arrests warrants are being prepared for people who may have helped Loyd elude deputies who have sought to question him in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend.</p>
<p>Master Sgt. Debra Clayton was killed Monday after she approached Loyd in a store parking lot.</p>
<p>The manhunt for Loyd entered a second day on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Authorities say they have received 300 tips from the public.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2:30 p.m.</p>
<p>The suspect who is the focus of a manhunt for the slaying of an Orlando police sergeant has a criminal record going back two decades.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Court records show 41-year-old Markeith Loyd was arrested in 1996 on a murder charge that was later dropped.</p>
<p>Loyd was arrested for battery on an officer in 1998 and sentenced to more than four years in prison.</p>
<p>While in prison he was detained on federal drug charges, pleaded guilty to cocaine possession and was transferred to federal prison. Records show Loyd was released in July 2014.</p>
<p>Now Loyd is wanted for the fatal shooting of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton Monday morning, who approached him in a Wal-Mart parking lot for questioning in the murder of a pregnant ex-girlfriend.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:25 p.m.</p>
<p>The Orlando police sergeant who was gunned down in a Wal-Mart parking lot was one of the first responders to a mass shooting at a gay nightclub.</p>
<p>The Orlando Police Department on Tuesday confirmed that Master Sgt. Debra Clayton was one of the officers who responded to the shooting at Pulse in which 49 patrons were killed.</p>
<p>Last June’s massacre in Orlando was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.</p>
<p>Authorities say Clayton was gunned down Monday morning in a Wal-Mart parking lot after she approached a suspect who was wanted for questioning in the slaying last December of his pregnant girlfriend.</p>
<p>A manhunt for suspect Markeith Loyd was in its second day on Tuesday.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Orlando Police Chief John Mina says his agency is doing everything it can to catch a suspect wanted in the fatal shooting of a police sergeant.</p>
<p>Mina said Tuesday that teams of detectives are following all leads and hundreds of officers and deputies are searching for suspect Markeith Loyd.</p>
<p>Mina spoke in a video posted on the agency’s Twitter page.</p>
<p>Authorities say Master Sgt. Debra Clayton was gunned down Monday morning in a Wal-Mart parking lot after she approached Loyd, who was wanted for questioning in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend.</p>
<p>Officers focused the manhunt on an apartment complex Monday afternoon, but no searches appeared to be going on there Tuesday morning.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>11 a.m.</p>
<p>Shoppers are laying flowers, teddy bears and candles in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store where an Orlando police sergeant was gunned down as she approached a suspect wanted for questioning in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend.</p>
<p>More than two dozen bouquets were displayed Tuesday morning in the parking lot outside a Wal-Mart in northwest Orlando where Master Sgt. Debra Clayton was killed the day before.</p>
<p>Shoppers stopped by to take photos or say a prayer.</p>
<p>Shopper Hal Shore says in his opinion, Clayton’s death is a reminder that there is a “war” against police officers in the United States.</p>
<p>Law enforcement officers spent a second day searching for the suspect wanted in Clayton’s murder.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>9:20 a.m.</p>
<p>The patrol car of an Orlando police sergeant fatally shot outside a Wal-Mart store is being displayed in front of Orlando Police headquarters as scores of law enforcement officers spend a second day conducting a manhunt for the suspect in her shooting.</p>
<p>Master Sgt. Debra Clayton’s patrol SUV was parked Tuesday outside the agency’s headquarters in downtown Orlando.</p>
<p>The police department also started an online fund to raise money for her family.</p>
<p>The manhunt for suspect Markeith Loyd entered its second day Tuesday.</p>
<p>Clayton had approached Loyd outside the store after someone tipped her off that he was in the area. He was wanted for questioning in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:25 a.m.</p>
<p>Orlando’s law enforcement community is mourning the death of two officers amid the search for a suspect.</p>
<p>Authorities say Orlando Police Master Sgt. Debra Clayton was fatally shot Monday morning when she approached a fugitive wanted for questioning in the killing of his pregnant ex-girlfriend.</p>
<p>More than two hours later, Orange County Sheriff’s Office Deputy First Class Norman Lewis was killed when his motorcycle collided with a van as he was responding to a manhunt in search of the 41-year-old Markeith Loyd, the suspect in Clayton’s shooting.</p>
<p>Authorities say someone in a Wal-Mart store had tipped off the sergeant that Loyd was in the area. She was shot after she approached him outside the store.</p>
<p>Loyd fled the area and a manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers was conducted around an apartment complex in northwest Orlando.</p>
| false | 2 |
orlando fla latest fatal shooting orlando police officer times local 240 pm authorities increased reward 100000 information leading arrest suspect slaying orlando police sergeant advertisement orlando police chief john mina announced news conference tuesday reward raised 60000 100000 information leading arrest 41yearold markeith loyd authorities also said arrests warrants prepared people may helped loyd elude deputies sought question murder pregnant exgirlfriend master sgt debra clayton killed monday approached loyd store parking lot manhunt loyd entered second day tuesday authorities say received 300 tips public ___ 230 pm suspect focus manhunt slaying orlando police sergeant criminal record going back two decades advertisement court records show 41yearold markeith loyd arrested 1996 murder charge later dropped loyd arrested battery officer 1998 sentenced four years prison prison detained federal drug charges pleaded guilty cocaine possession transferred federal prison records show loyd released july 2014 loyd wanted fatal shooting master sgt debra clayton monday morning approached walmart parking lot questioning murder pregnant exgirlfriend ___ 125 pm orlando police sergeant gunned walmart parking lot one first responders mass shooting gay nightclub orlando police department tuesday confirmed master sgt debra clayton one officers responded shooting pulse 49 patrons killed last junes massacre orlando worst mass shooting modern us history authorities say clayton gunned monday morning walmart parking lot approached suspect wanted questioning slaying last december pregnant girlfriend manhunt suspect markeith loyd second day tuesday ___ 1230 pm orlando police chief john mina says agency everything catch suspect wanted fatal shooting police sergeant mina said tuesday teams detectives following leads hundreds officers deputies searching suspect markeith loyd mina spoke video posted agencys twitter page authorities say master sgt debra clayton gunned monday morning walmart parking lot approached loyd wanted questioning murder pregnant girlfriend officers focused manhunt apartment complex monday afternoon searches appeared going tuesday morning ___ 11 shoppers laying flowers teddy bears candles parking lot walmart store orlando police sergeant gunned approached suspect wanted questioning murder pregnant exgirlfriend two dozen bouquets displayed tuesday morning parking lot outside walmart northwest orlando master sgt debra clayton killed day shoppers stopped take photos say prayer shopper hal shore says opinion claytons death reminder war police officers united states law enforcement officers spent second day searching suspect wanted claytons murder ___ 920 patrol car orlando police sergeant fatally shot outside walmart store displayed front orlando police headquarters scores law enforcement officers spend second day conducting manhunt suspect shooting master sgt debra claytons patrol suv parked tuesday outside agencys headquarters downtown orlando police department also started online fund raise money family manhunt suspect markeith loyd entered second day tuesday clayton approached loyd outside store someone tipped area wanted questioning murder pregnant exgirlfriend ___ 425 orlandos law enforcement community mourning death two officers amid search suspect authorities say orlando police master sgt debra clayton fatally shot monday morning approached fugitive wanted questioning killing pregnant exgirlfriend two hours later orange county sheriffs office deputy first class norman lewis killed motorcycle collided van responding manhunt search 41yearold markeith loyd suspect claytons shooting authorities say someone walmart store tipped sergeant loyd area shot approached outside store loyd fled area manhunt involving hundreds law enforcement officers conducted around apartment complex northwest orlando
| 524 |
<p>JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Jan Shook has always appreciated the mystique of seashells.</p>
<p>She wonders about their stories, their travels, how they wound up on a certain beach at a certain location, what they’ve seen down there in the Gulf waters.</p>
<p>“And they have beautiful symmetry,” she says. “The edges look like ribbons, and each one has its own little personality. No two are just alike.”</p>
<p>Shook, 65, has combined her love of shells with her passion for painting to produce unique Christmas ornaments with different scenes or objects — among them, a nativity; human eyes; a fleur-de-lis; St. Peter’s By the Sea Episcopal Church in Gulfport, where she attends; and the Episcopal shield. They sell for $10 each.</p>
<p>Over the past two years, proceeds from sales of her artwork have gone toward one of St. Peter’s outreach ministries — Feed My Sheep, a Gulfport pantry that feeds the homeless Monday through Friday. Sales also have helped St. Peter’s add weekend meals for those in need.</p>
<p>“It’s mind-boggling to think that my art, which I never thought anybody would want to buy, is actually helping do the work of Jesus Christ,” Shook says. “It’s humbling . yes, that’s the right word. Humbling.”</p>
<p>Says the Rev. Patrick Sanders of St. Peter’s by the Sea: “Jan Shook is one of the most compassionate, generous, charitable people I’ve ever encountered. She lives to serve people. She’s inspired me.”</p>
<p>Shook, who grew up in Winona, received a vocal music degree from Mississippi State in 1974.</p>
<p>“I studied opera for more than 30 years,” she says. “That’s why when somebody says, ‘I didn’t know you were a painter,’ I’ll say, ‘I’m not. I’m a singer.’ ”</p>
<p>Shook returned to school and earned her degree in speech-language pathology from Ole Miss in 1986. She has worked with deaf children for three decades.</p>
<p>“It’s strange, but my job as a speech therapist is where I realized my art skills,” she says. “If I wanted a child to say a word — truck or shoe or whatever — and I didn’t have the object, I would draw one. And I discovered I wasn’t bad at it, though I had never been trained.”</p>
<p>About 10 years ago, Shook began collecting shells wherever she traveled and visited a beach. She would then paint the scene of the place she collected each shell.</p>
<p>“All that painting is what led me to be able to contribute shells to the church’s ministry,” she says. “I never saw this coming.”</p>
<p>In 2015, Sanders — new to St. Peter’s — was working on developing the church’s outreach ministries. Church members were concerned about where the homeless found meals on weekend.</p>
<p>“We are right downtown, where the homeless people are, so we began serving breakfast every Saturday,” Sanders says. It was funded that year by a donation from one church member.</p>
<p>In 2016 the church turned to fundraisers at Murky Waters, a barbecue restaurant in downtown Gulfport, to help fund the breakfast ministry. Sanders played guitar and sang, along with others. A silent auction was held. Shook was encouraged to include some of her Christmas ornaments to bid on. All of them sold.</p>
<p>The church raised about $10,000 in 2016. It allowed the people of St. Peter’s to also supply a lunch every second Sunday of the month at 12:15 p.m. of sandwiches and chips, also served at the Feed My Sheep parking lot. They’ve done the same this year.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Shook began receiving individual requests to purchase ornaments.</p>
<p>“So just last month, I was able to give my share to Feed My Sheep but also make some money for myself,” she says. “The ministry is the most important thing. I’ll always give to that, simply because I see the good it does and I like the way it makes me feel.”</p>
<p>Every Saturday morning, rotating team members arrive at the Feed My Sheep parking lot on 19th Street in time to wrap 60 sausage biscuits to serve at 8 a.m. It is open to anyone needing a meal.</p>
<p>“We have individuals come. We have mothers bring their children,” says Shook, who helps coordinate the event. “We are helping people, yes, but you have to experience it to realize what it does for those who work the breakfast.</p>
<p>“I’ve had other church members text me after their first breakfast and say, ‘Thank you for letting me serve.’ Letting me serve! But that’s what giving and doing the Lord’s work does to a person.”</p>
<p>A single mother of three grown children, Shook is busier with her art than ever.</p>
<p>It is no small chore to paint with an oyster shell as your surface. Each piece requires about three days to complete. The shells have to be cleaned, then spray painted gold on the back and with a white lacquer that provides the palette area. The painted scene has to dry, and then Shook seals the ornament with polyurethane.</p>
<p>“I once considered my art comic relief,” Shook says with a laugh. She jokes that she is “shell-shocked” by the whole idea that “Shook sells shells.”</p>
<p>“I am still mesmerized by shells,” she says. “I don’t think that will ever go away. But being able to combine my art with shells, which then goes on to benefit others and promote the word of Jesus ... all that is almost too much to comprehend.”</p>
<p>JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Jan Shook has always appreciated the mystique of seashells.</p>
<p>She wonders about their stories, their travels, how they wound up on a certain beach at a certain location, what they’ve seen down there in the Gulf waters.</p>
<p>“And they have beautiful symmetry,” she says. “The edges look like ribbons, and each one has its own little personality. No two are just alike.”</p>
<p>Shook, 65, has combined her love of shells with her passion for painting to produce unique Christmas ornaments with different scenes or objects — among them, a nativity; human eyes; a fleur-de-lis; St. Peter’s By the Sea Episcopal Church in Gulfport, where she attends; and the Episcopal shield. They sell for $10 each.</p>
<p>Over the past two years, proceeds from sales of her artwork have gone toward one of St. Peter’s outreach ministries — Feed My Sheep, a Gulfport pantry that feeds the homeless Monday through Friday. Sales also have helped St. Peter’s add weekend meals for those in need.</p>
<p>“It’s mind-boggling to think that my art, which I never thought anybody would want to buy, is actually helping do the work of Jesus Christ,” Shook says. “It’s humbling . yes, that’s the right word. Humbling.”</p>
<p>Says the Rev. Patrick Sanders of St. Peter’s by the Sea: “Jan Shook is one of the most compassionate, generous, charitable people I’ve ever encountered. She lives to serve people. She’s inspired me.”</p>
<p>Shook, who grew up in Winona, received a vocal music degree from Mississippi State in 1974.</p>
<p>“I studied opera for more than 30 years,” she says. “That’s why when somebody says, ‘I didn’t know you were a painter,’ I’ll say, ‘I’m not. I’m a singer.’ ”</p>
<p>Shook returned to school and earned her degree in speech-language pathology from Ole Miss in 1986. She has worked with deaf children for three decades.</p>
<p>“It’s strange, but my job as a speech therapist is where I realized my art skills,” she says. “If I wanted a child to say a word — truck or shoe or whatever — and I didn’t have the object, I would draw one. And I discovered I wasn’t bad at it, though I had never been trained.”</p>
<p>About 10 years ago, Shook began collecting shells wherever she traveled and visited a beach. She would then paint the scene of the place she collected each shell.</p>
<p>“All that painting is what led me to be able to contribute shells to the church’s ministry,” she says. “I never saw this coming.”</p>
<p>In 2015, Sanders — new to St. Peter’s — was working on developing the church’s outreach ministries. Church members were concerned about where the homeless found meals on weekend.</p>
<p>“We are right downtown, where the homeless people are, so we began serving breakfast every Saturday,” Sanders says. It was funded that year by a donation from one church member.</p>
<p>In 2016 the church turned to fundraisers at Murky Waters, a barbecue restaurant in downtown Gulfport, to help fund the breakfast ministry. Sanders played guitar and sang, along with others. A silent auction was held. Shook was encouraged to include some of her Christmas ornaments to bid on. All of them sold.</p>
<p>The church raised about $10,000 in 2016. It allowed the people of St. Peter’s to also supply a lunch every second Sunday of the month at 12:15 p.m. of sandwiches and chips, also served at the Feed My Sheep parking lot. They’ve done the same this year.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Shook began receiving individual requests to purchase ornaments.</p>
<p>“So just last month, I was able to give my share to Feed My Sheep but also make some money for myself,” she says. “The ministry is the most important thing. I’ll always give to that, simply because I see the good it does and I like the way it makes me feel.”</p>
<p>Every Saturday morning, rotating team members arrive at the Feed My Sheep parking lot on 19th Street in time to wrap 60 sausage biscuits to serve at 8 a.m. It is open to anyone needing a meal.</p>
<p>“We have individuals come. We have mothers bring their children,” says Shook, who helps coordinate the event. “We are helping people, yes, but you have to experience it to realize what it does for those who work the breakfast.</p>
<p>“I’ve had other church members text me after their first breakfast and say, ‘Thank you for letting me serve.’ Letting me serve! But that’s what giving and doing the Lord’s work does to a person.”</p>
<p>A single mother of three grown children, Shook is busier with her art than ever.</p>
<p>It is no small chore to paint with an oyster shell as your surface. Each piece requires about three days to complete. The shells have to be cleaned, then spray painted gold on the back and with a white lacquer that provides the palette area. The painted scene has to dry, and then Shook seals the ornament with polyurethane.</p>
<p>“I once considered my art comic relief,” Shook says with a laugh. She jokes that she is “shell-shocked” by the whole idea that “Shook sells shells.”</p>
<p>“I am still mesmerized by shells,” she says. “I don’t think that will ever go away. But being able to combine my art with shells, which then goes on to benefit others and promote the word of Jesus ... all that is almost too much to comprehend.”</p>
| false | 2 |
jackson miss ap jan shook always appreciated mystique seashells wonders stories travels wound certain beach certain location theyve seen gulf waters beautiful symmetry says edges look like ribbons one little personality two alike shook 65 combined love shells passion painting produce unique christmas ornaments different scenes objects among nativity human eyes fleurdelis st peters sea episcopal church gulfport attends episcopal shield sell 10 past two years proceeds sales artwork gone toward one st peters outreach ministries feed sheep gulfport pantry feeds homeless monday friday sales also helped st peters add weekend meals need mindboggling think art never thought anybody would want buy actually helping work jesus christ shook says humbling yes thats right word humbling says rev patrick sanders st peters sea jan shook one compassionate generous charitable people ive ever encountered lives serve people shes inspired shook grew winona received vocal music degree mississippi state 1974 studied opera 30 years says thats somebody says didnt know painter ill say im im singer shook returned school earned degree speechlanguage pathology ole miss 1986 worked deaf children three decades strange job speech therapist realized art skills says wanted child say word truck shoe whatever didnt object would draw one discovered wasnt bad though never trained 10 years ago shook began collecting shells wherever traveled visited beach would paint scene place collected shell painting led able contribute shells churchs ministry says never saw coming 2015 sanders new st peters working developing churchs outreach ministries church members concerned homeless found meals weekend right downtown homeless people began serving breakfast every saturday sanders says funded year donation one church member 2016 church turned fundraisers murky waters barbecue restaurant downtown gulfport help fund breakfast ministry sanders played guitar sang along others silent auction held shook encouraged include christmas ornaments bid sold church raised 10000 2016 allowed people st peters also supply lunch every second sunday month 1215 pm sandwiches chips also served feed sheep parking lot theyve done year meanwhile shook began receiving individual requests purchase ornaments last month able give share feed sheep also make money says ministry important thing ill always give simply see good like way makes feel every saturday morning rotating team members arrive feed sheep parking lot 19th street time wrap 60 sausage biscuits serve 8 open anyone needing meal individuals come mothers bring children says shook helps coordinate event helping people yes experience realize work breakfast ive church members text first breakfast say thank letting serve letting serve thats giving lords work person single mother three grown children shook busier art ever small chore paint oyster shell surface piece requires three days complete shells cleaned spray painted gold back white lacquer provides palette area painted scene dry shook seals ornament polyurethane considered art comic relief shook says laugh jokes shellshocked whole idea shook sells shells still mesmerized shells says dont think ever go away able combine art shells goes benefit others promote word jesus almost much comprehend jackson miss ap jan shook always appreciated mystique seashells wonders stories travels wound certain beach certain location theyve seen gulf waters beautiful symmetry says edges look like ribbons one little personality two alike shook 65 combined love shells passion painting produce unique christmas ornaments different scenes objects among nativity human eyes fleurdelis st peters sea episcopal church gulfport attends episcopal shield sell 10 past two years proceeds sales artwork gone toward one st peters outreach ministries feed sheep gulfport pantry feeds homeless monday friday sales also helped st peters add weekend meals need mindboggling think art never thought anybody would want buy actually helping work jesus christ shook says humbling yes thats right word humbling says rev patrick sanders st peters sea jan shook one compassionate generous charitable people ive ever encountered lives serve people shes inspired shook grew winona received vocal music degree mississippi state 1974 studied opera 30 years says thats somebody says didnt know painter ill say im im singer shook returned school earned degree speechlanguage pathology ole miss 1986 worked deaf children three decades strange job speech therapist realized art skills says wanted child say word truck shoe whatever didnt object would draw one discovered wasnt bad though never trained 10 years ago shook began collecting shells wherever traveled visited beach would paint scene place collected shell painting led able contribute shells churchs ministry says never saw coming 2015 sanders new st peters working developing churchs outreach ministries church members concerned homeless found meals weekend right downtown homeless people began serving breakfast every saturday sanders says funded year donation one church member 2016 church turned fundraisers murky waters barbecue restaurant downtown gulfport help fund breakfast ministry sanders played guitar sang along others silent auction held shook encouraged include christmas ornaments bid sold church raised 10000 2016 allowed people st peters also supply lunch every second sunday month 1215 pm sandwiches chips also served feed sheep parking lot theyve done year meanwhile shook began receiving individual requests purchase ornaments last month able give share feed sheep also make money says ministry important thing ill always give simply see good like way makes feel every saturday morning rotating team members arrive feed sheep parking lot 19th street time wrap 60 sausage biscuits serve 8 open anyone needing meal individuals come mothers bring children says shook helps coordinate event helping people yes experience realize work breakfast ive church members text first breakfast say thank letting serve letting serve thats giving lords work person single mother three grown children shook busier art ever small chore paint oyster shell surface piece requires three days complete shells cleaned spray painted gold back white lacquer provides palette area painted scene dry shook seals ornament polyurethane considered art comic relief shook says laugh jokes shellshocked whole idea shook sells shells still mesmerized shells says dont think ever go away able combine art shells goes benefit others promote word jesus almost much comprehend
| 976 |
<p>FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Even Julio Jones was caught off guard when someone mentioned all the various body parts he's had to nurse back to health this season.</p>
<p>Ribs. Thumb. Knee. Hip. Back. Ankle.</p>
<p>The ankle twice, in fact.</p>
<p>"Whew! All that?" he asked, sounding a bit incredulous.</p>
<p>Then, with a slight smile and shaking his head, Jones added, "Long season, man. Long season."</p>
<p>He's got a routine to cope with all the aches and pains.</p>
<p>During the week, Jones is often limited in practice or doesn't even take the field. But by the time the game rolls around, he's always ready to go.</p>
<p>"He has a real process to do that," coach Dan Quinn said. "We're fortunate that he's played with injuries and kind of knows the routine of how to do it."</p>
<p>That will be the case again for <a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/eagles-aware-historic-underdog-status-against-falcons" type="external">Saturday's NFC divisional playoff game against the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles</a> .</p>
<p>After sitting out two days of practice with a sore ankle and going through a limited routine Thursday at the final full workout before the game, the star receiver will be in the starting lineup for the 18th consecutive time this season.</p>
<p>"The thing with being injured, it's really just blocking it out," Jones said. "Don't use it as an excuse."</p>
<p>Quinn noted that the Falcons usually have an extensive walk-through before each practice, and that's a session that Jones rarely misses no matter how much he's hurting. He uses the time to get familiar with the game plan, run some routes and hone his timing with quarterback Matt Ryan.</p>
<p>If Jones is limited during the actual practice, he focuses on plays in which he'll likely be the primary receiver.</p>
<p>"We try to feature him on plays that are unique for him and Matt to be at full speed," Quinn said. "When he goes, it's these full-speed, aggressive routes. So that helps him as far as the timing goes."</p>
<p>Jones has been on the injury report eight of the last 10 weeks, along with two other weeks early in the season.</p>
<p>None of the injuries were serious enough to keep him from playing, but they did require plenty of tender loving care to make sure there were no setbacks. That's why, over the course of the last four months, the injury report has listed him as limited or out of practice more times than he's fully participated.</p>
<p>Game day is a different story.</p>
<p>"If you say you're gonna go, go. Don't bring it up in the middle of the game," he said. "We know it hurts. Don't let your mind be negative. Just stay positive. If something's hurting or anything like that, I never relay it back to (the sideline). I know it hurts. You don't want to talk about it and bring that stuff up during the game. If I suit up, I'm going. I'm not saying anything about it."</p>
<p>A turning point in Jones' pain threshold came during his sophomore season at Alabama. He broke his left hand in a game, had surgery the next day and was cleared to play the following week.</p>
<p>He wasn't at his best.</p>
<p>"I was a little timid to catch just because of the pain," Jones recalled. "It was messing with me mentally."</p>
<p>Since then, he's learned to block out his various injuries.</p>
<p>"It's gonna hurt," Jones said. "But I'm out here. I made the decision to be out here. I don't care about it hurting."</p>
<p>Jones' production dipped this season, part of a wider drop-off under first-year offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, and there have been a few more drops than previous seasons — <a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/ryan-jones-still-struggling-find-touchdown-connection" type="external">most notably, what should have been an easy 39-yard touchdown catch in a November loss at Carolina</a> .</p>
<p>But, overall, it's been another huge season for Jones. He had 88 catches for 1,444 yards — an average of 90.3 per game — and earned second-team honors on The Associated Press All-Pro team.</p>
<p>He's usually even better in the playoffs.</p>
<p>Last week, he had nine catches for 94 yards and a touchdown with just under 6 minutes remaining that finished off a 26-13 upset of the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round.</p>
<p>"It's win or go home," Jones said. "I'm not a numbers guy. Whatever it takes to get the win."</p>
<p>Jones also got to do a bit of gloating this week after his alma mater won another national championship with a 26-23 overtime victory over Georgia.</p>
<p>Not that he had any doubt about the outcome. Jones didn't attend the game, even though it was held at the Falcons' home stadium, and insisted that he went to bed before halftime.</p>
<p>"I was out," he said. "I didn't learn (the score) until the next morning. I was like, 'Oh, that was a good game.'"</p>
<p>Someone noticed he wasn't wearing any Alabama gear.</p>
<p>No need to rub it in, he quipped.</p>
<p>"When you're accustomed to things," Jones said, trying to hold back a smile, "you don't brag."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963" type="external">www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963</a> . His work can be found at <a href="" type="internal">https://apnews.com/search/paul%20newberry</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>For more AP NFL coverage: <a href="http://www.pro32.ap.org" type="external">www.pro32.ap.org</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL" type="external">www.twitter.com/AP_NFL</a></p>
<p>FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Even Julio Jones was caught off guard when someone mentioned all the various body parts he's had to nurse back to health this season.</p>
<p>Ribs. Thumb. Knee. Hip. Back. Ankle.</p>
<p>The ankle twice, in fact.</p>
<p>"Whew! All that?" he asked, sounding a bit incredulous.</p>
<p>Then, with a slight smile and shaking his head, Jones added, "Long season, man. Long season."</p>
<p>He's got a routine to cope with all the aches and pains.</p>
<p>During the week, Jones is often limited in practice or doesn't even take the field. But by the time the game rolls around, he's always ready to go.</p>
<p>"He has a real process to do that," coach Dan Quinn said. "We're fortunate that he's played with injuries and kind of knows the routine of how to do it."</p>
<p>That will be the case again for <a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/eagles-aware-historic-underdog-status-against-falcons" type="external">Saturday's NFC divisional playoff game against the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles</a> .</p>
<p>After sitting out two days of practice with a sore ankle and going through a limited routine Thursday at the final full workout before the game, the star receiver will be in the starting lineup for the 18th consecutive time this season.</p>
<p>"The thing with being injured, it's really just blocking it out," Jones said. "Don't use it as an excuse."</p>
<p>Quinn noted that the Falcons usually have an extensive walk-through before each practice, and that's a session that Jones rarely misses no matter how much he's hurting. He uses the time to get familiar with the game plan, run some routes and hone his timing with quarterback Matt Ryan.</p>
<p>If Jones is limited during the actual practice, he focuses on plays in which he'll likely be the primary receiver.</p>
<p>"We try to feature him on plays that are unique for him and Matt to be at full speed," Quinn said. "When he goes, it's these full-speed, aggressive routes. So that helps him as far as the timing goes."</p>
<p>Jones has been on the injury report eight of the last 10 weeks, along with two other weeks early in the season.</p>
<p>None of the injuries were serious enough to keep him from playing, but they did require plenty of tender loving care to make sure there were no setbacks. That's why, over the course of the last four months, the injury report has listed him as limited or out of practice more times than he's fully participated.</p>
<p>Game day is a different story.</p>
<p>"If you say you're gonna go, go. Don't bring it up in the middle of the game," he said. "We know it hurts. Don't let your mind be negative. Just stay positive. If something's hurting or anything like that, I never relay it back to (the sideline). I know it hurts. You don't want to talk about it and bring that stuff up during the game. If I suit up, I'm going. I'm not saying anything about it."</p>
<p>A turning point in Jones' pain threshold came during his sophomore season at Alabama. He broke his left hand in a game, had surgery the next day and was cleared to play the following week.</p>
<p>He wasn't at his best.</p>
<p>"I was a little timid to catch just because of the pain," Jones recalled. "It was messing with me mentally."</p>
<p>Since then, he's learned to block out his various injuries.</p>
<p>"It's gonna hurt," Jones said. "But I'm out here. I made the decision to be out here. I don't care about it hurting."</p>
<p>Jones' production dipped this season, part of a wider drop-off under first-year offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, and there have been a few more drops than previous seasons — <a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/ryan-jones-still-struggling-find-touchdown-connection" type="external">most notably, what should have been an easy 39-yard touchdown catch in a November loss at Carolina</a> .</p>
<p>But, overall, it's been another huge season for Jones. He had 88 catches for 1,444 yards — an average of 90.3 per game — and earned second-team honors on The Associated Press All-Pro team.</p>
<p>He's usually even better in the playoffs.</p>
<p>Last week, he had nine catches for 94 yards and a touchdown with just under 6 minutes remaining that finished off a 26-13 upset of the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round.</p>
<p>"It's win or go home," Jones said. "I'm not a numbers guy. Whatever it takes to get the win."</p>
<p>Jones also got to do a bit of gloating this week after his alma mater won another national championship with a 26-23 overtime victory over Georgia.</p>
<p>Not that he had any doubt about the outcome. Jones didn't attend the game, even though it was held at the Falcons' home stadium, and insisted that he went to bed before halftime.</p>
<p>"I was out," he said. "I didn't learn (the score) until the next morning. I was like, 'Oh, that was a good game.'"</p>
<p>Someone noticed he wasn't wearing any Alabama gear.</p>
<p>No need to rub it in, he quipped.</p>
<p>"When you're accustomed to things," Jones said, trying to hold back a smile, "you don't brag."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963" type="external">www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963</a> . His work can be found at <a href="" type="internal">https://apnews.com/search/paul%20newberry</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>For more AP NFL coverage: <a href="http://www.pro32.ap.org" type="external">www.pro32.ap.org</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL" type="external">www.twitter.com/AP_NFL</a></p>
| false | 2 |
flowery branch ga ap even julio jones caught guard someone mentioned various body parts hes nurse back health season ribs thumb knee hip back ankle ankle twice fact whew asked sounding bit incredulous slight smile shaking head jones added long season man long season hes got routine cope aches pains week jones often limited practice doesnt even take field time game rolls around hes always ready go real process coach dan quinn said fortunate hes played injuries kind knows routine case saturdays nfc divisional playoff game topseeded philadelphia eagles sitting two days practice sore ankle going limited routine thursday final full workout game star receiver starting lineup 18th consecutive time season thing injured really blocking jones said dont use excuse quinn noted falcons usually extensive walkthrough practice thats session jones rarely misses matter much hes hurting uses time get familiar game plan run routes hone timing quarterback matt ryan jones limited actual practice focuses plays hell likely primary receiver try feature plays unique matt full speed quinn said goes fullspeed aggressive routes helps far timing goes jones injury report eight last 10 weeks along two weeks early season none injuries serious enough keep playing require plenty tender loving care make sure setbacks thats course last four months injury report listed limited practice times hes fully participated game day different story say youre gon na go go dont bring middle game said know hurts dont let mind negative stay positive somethings hurting anything like never relay back sideline know hurts dont want talk bring stuff game suit im going im saying anything turning point jones pain threshold came sophomore season alabama broke left hand game surgery next day cleared play following week wasnt best little timid catch pain jones recalled messing mentally since hes learned block various injuries gon na hurt jones said im made decision dont care hurting jones production dipped season part wider dropoff firstyear offensive coordinator steve sarkisian drops previous seasons notably easy 39yard touchdown catch november loss carolina overall another huge season jones 88 catches 1444 yards average 903 per game earned secondteam honors associated press allpro team hes usually even better playoffs last week nine catches 94 yards touchdown 6 minutes remaining finished 2613 upset los angeles rams wildcard round win go home jones said im numbers guy whatever takes get win jones also got bit gloating week alma mater another national championship 2623 overtime victory georgia doubt outcome jones didnt attend game even though held falcons home stadium insisted went bed halftime said didnt learn score next morning like oh good game someone noticed wasnt wearing alabama gear need rub quipped youre accustomed things jones said trying hold back smile dont brag ___ follow paul newberry twitter wwwtwittercompnewberry1963 work found httpsapnewscomsearchpaul20newberry ___ ap nfl coverage wwwpro32aporg wwwtwittercomap_nfl flowery branch ga ap even julio jones caught guard someone mentioned various body parts hes nurse back health season ribs thumb knee hip back ankle ankle twice fact whew asked sounding bit incredulous slight smile shaking head jones added long season man long season hes got routine cope aches pains week jones often limited practice doesnt even take field time game rolls around hes always ready go real process coach dan quinn said fortunate hes played injuries kind knows routine case saturdays nfc divisional playoff game topseeded philadelphia eagles sitting two days practice sore ankle going limited routine thursday final full workout game star receiver starting lineup 18th consecutive time season thing injured really blocking jones said dont use excuse quinn noted falcons usually extensive walkthrough practice thats session jones rarely misses matter much hes hurting uses time get familiar game plan run routes hone timing quarterback matt ryan jones limited actual practice focuses plays hell likely primary receiver try feature plays unique matt full speed quinn said goes fullspeed aggressive routes helps far timing goes jones injury report eight last 10 weeks along two weeks early season none injuries serious enough keep playing require plenty tender loving care make sure setbacks thats course last four months injury report listed limited practice times hes fully participated game day different story say youre gon na go go dont bring middle game said know hurts dont let mind negative stay positive somethings hurting anything like never relay back sideline know hurts dont want talk bring stuff game suit im going im saying anything turning point jones pain threshold came sophomore season alabama broke left hand game surgery next day cleared play following week wasnt best little timid catch pain jones recalled messing mentally since hes learned block various injuries gon na hurt jones said im made decision dont care hurting jones production dipped season part wider dropoff firstyear offensive coordinator steve sarkisian drops previous seasons notably easy 39yard touchdown catch november loss carolina overall another huge season jones 88 catches 1444 yards average 903 per game earned secondteam honors associated press allpro team hes usually even better playoffs last week nine catches 94 yards touchdown 6 minutes remaining finished 2613 upset los angeles rams wildcard round win go home jones said im numbers guy whatever takes get win jones also got bit gloating week alma mater another national championship 2623 overtime victory georgia doubt outcome jones didnt attend game even though held falcons home stadium insisted went bed halftime said didnt learn score next morning like oh good game someone noticed wasnt wearing alabama gear need rub quipped youre accustomed things jones said trying hold back smile dont brag ___ follow paul newberry twitter wwwtwittercompnewberry1963 work found httpsapnewscomsearchpaul20newberry ___ ap nfl coverage wwwpro32aporg wwwtwittercomap_nfl
| 924 |
<p>BRUSSELS, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Greece has made progress in implementing the commitments on reforms it had made to other euro zone members, which are crucial for new loan disbursements, Germany’s finance minister said on Monday.</p>
<p>“Following the reports we will receive, we presume Greece has made progress and we will assess the situation carefully,” German Finance Minister Peter Altmaier told reporters on arriving at a meeting of euro zone finance ministers in Brussels.</p>
<p>“It is also in the interest of our Greek friends to implement all the parts that have been agreed on,” he added. (Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek)</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>(Reuters) - Starbucks Corp ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=SBUX.O" type="external">SBUX.O</a>) and other coffee sellers must put a cancer warning on coffee sold in California, a Los Angeles judge has ruled, possibly exposing the companies to millions of dollars in fines.</p>
<p>A little-known not-for-profit group sued some 90 coffee retailers, including Starbucks, on grounds they were violating a California law requiring companies to warn consumers of chemicals in their products that could cause cancer.</p>
<p>One of those chemicals is acrylamide, a byproduct of roasting coffee beans that is present in high levels in brewed coffee.</p>
<p>Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle said in a decision dated Wednesday that Starbucks and other companies had failed to show there was no significant risk from a carcinogen produced in the coffee roasting process, court documents showed.</p>
<p>Starbucks and other defendants have until April 10 to file objections to the decision.</p>
<p>Starbucks declined to comment, referring reporters to a statement by the National Coffee Association (NCA) that said the industry was considering an appeal and further legal actions.</p>
<p>“Cancer warning labels on coffee would be misleading. The U.S. government’s own Dietary Guidelines state that coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle,” the NCA statement said.</p> FILE PHOTO - A woman holds a Frappuccino at a Starbucks store inside the Tom Bradley terminal at LAX airport in Los Angeles, California, United States, October 27, 2015. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
<p>In his decision, Berle said: “Defendants failed to satisfy their burden of proving by a preponderance of evidence that consumption of coffee confers a benefit to human health.”</p>
<p>Officials from Dunkin’ Donuts ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=DNKN.O" type="external">DNKN.O</a>), McDonald’s Corp ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=MCD.N" type="external">MCD.N</a>), Peet’s and other big coffee sellers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p>
<p>The lawsuit was filed in 2010 by the Council for Education and Research on Toxics (CERT). It calls for fines as large as $2,500 per person for every exposure to the chemical since 2002 at the defendants’ shops in California. Any civil penalties, which will be decided in a third phase of the trial, could be huge in California, which has a population of nearly 40 million.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=SBUX.O" type="external">Starbucks Corp</a> 57.89 SBUX.O Nasdaq -0.01 (-0.02%) SBUX.O DNKN.O MCD.N
<p>CERT’s lawyer Raphael Metzger did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p>
<p>Starbucks lost the first phase of the trial in which it failed to show the level of acrylamide in coffee was below that which would pose a significant risk of cancer. In the second phase of the trial, defendants failed to prove there was an acceptable “alternative” risk level for the carcinogen, court documents showed.</p>
<p>Several defendants in the case settled before Wednesday’s decision, agreeing to post signage about the cancer-linked chemical and pay millions in fines, according to published reports.</p>
<p>Reporting by Nate Raymond; Additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Writing by Andrew Hay; Editing by Richard Chang and Leslie Adler</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>BEIJING (Reuters) - Global accounting firm KPMG has suffered a major setback in its battle against liquidators of former U.S.-listed healthcare firm China Medical Technologies Inc, whose executives have been charged in the U.S. with defrauding investors out of over $400 million.</p> FILE PHOTO: The KPMG logo is seen at their offices at Canary Wharf financial district in London, Britain, March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause
<p>The China Medical case is the most high-profile and closely watched contest in years over the production of Chinese audit work papers, an issue that has put Hong Kong and U.S. regulators at loggerheads with China - and at one point threatened to leave U.S.-listed Chinese firms unaudited and in danger of delisting.</p>
<p>In a previously unreported ruling made last week, Hong Kong’s High Court rejected a KPMG procedural request that would limit the time in which China Medical liquidators can pursue claims against KPMG for losses and damages for its audits of the now-defunct company.</p>
<p>The ruling also paves the way for proceedings on a contempt summons brought against 91 KPMG partners and former partners issued in November for refusal to comply with a High Court order to produce China Medical’s audit work papers.</p>
<p>A substantive hearing on that action is widely expected later this year.</p>
<p>KPMG and mainland associate KPMG Huazhen have refused to comply with a 2016 Hong Kong High Court order to provide copies of audit work papers to Borrelli Walsh Ltd, China Medical’s liquidator, arguing it would violate China’s national security laws.</p>
<p>Deputy High Court Judge Anthony To, in last week’s decision, wrote that KPMG’s refusal to hand over the papers made it “extremely difficult” for liquidators “to determine whether or not to commence proceedings against KPMG”.</p>
<p>KPMG in Hong Kong, that signed off the audits, has claimed it does not have the papers. KPMG Huazhen has allowed liquidators to examine some of China Medical’s papers on site under the supervision of the auditor’s personnel and attorneys, a situation Judge To characterized as “unworkable”.</p>
<p>KPMG did not respond to telephone calls and emails seeking comment. Borrelli Walsh declined to comment.</p>
<p>China Medical was placed into liquidation in 2012 by courts in the Cayman Islands, New York and Hong Kong, following accusations the NASDAQ-listed firm was a fraud.</p>
<p>Company liquidators have presented evidence showing the company’s former management had stolen at least $355 million through fake technology acquisitions. Reuters has been unable to contact the accused or their representatives for comment.</p>
<p>KPMG was China Medical’s auditor between 2005 to 2009, and provided unqualified audit opinions for financial statements of the firm and its subsidiaries during that period.</p>
<p>KPMG faces a myriad of legal and regulatory problems, said Paul Gillis, professor of practice at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management.</p>
<p>“KPMG used its letterhead on the audit report and they didn’t do the work,” Gillis said, referring to KPMG signing off audit work by KPMG Huazhen. “By claiming they did the (sign-off) work, they made it impossible to argue they don’t have access to work papers.”</p>
<p>Judge To, in his judgment provided a stinging rebuke of KPMG’s refusal to cooperate with the liquidators.</p>
<p>“It is disingenuous for KPMG to argue that it cannot comply with the court orders because its associate KPMG Huazhen will not comply with KPMG’s request,” Judge To wrote.</p>
<p>Reporting by Matthew Miller; Editing by Jennifer Hughes and Christopher Cushing</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>HOUSTON (Reuters) - A recent drought in oil company mergers and acquisitions could be coming to an end over a new Texas range war: U.S. shale producers are building miles-long horizontal wells that are running into their rivals’ land holdings.</p> FILE PHOTO -- A pump jack stands idle in Dewitt County, Texas January 13, 2016. Picture taken on January 13, 2016. REUTERS/Anna Driver/File Photo
<p>This week, U.S. shale producer Concho Resources Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=CXO.N" type="external">CXO.N</a>) said longer horizontal wells are among the factors spurring its $8 billion deal for rival RSP Permian Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=RSPP.N" type="external">RSPP.N</a>), with well spacing and sharing infrastructure needs also playing roles. RSP Permian controlled the land adjacent to its own in many cases.</p>
<p>The average length of U.S. shale wells has grown by roughly 1,500 feet, or 25 percent, in the past three years to 7,213 feet, according to RS Energy Group, an energy investment data provider. Producers are drilling longer shale wells - some exceed three miles - to extract more crude from each well.</p>
<p>Oil company M&amp;A fell in the wake of the 2014 oil price crash and more producers refocused on their best holdings. The value of U.S. oil producer deals last year was less than half the $137.7 billion in 2013, according to data provider PLS Inc. That could be changing in West Texas’s Permian, the largest U.S. oilfield, where checkerboard-like leases dating to land grants made to railroads in the 19th century are hemming in producers.</p>
<p>“Consolidating acreage is going to be extremely meaningful,” said Brook Papau, managing director of RS Energy. “We’ll see more deals.”</p>
<p>Smaller companies with prime acreage, especially on the Permian’s western edge, could be buyout candidates, including Abraxas Petroleum ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AXAS.O" type="external">AXAS.O</a>), Lilis Energy LLEX.A and Jagged Peak Energy ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=JAG.N" type="external">JAG.N</a>), industry analysts have told Reuters.</p>
<p>Shared transport systems, such as oil and gas gathering and water disposal, also are driving the need for scale and property acquisitions in addition to horizontal wells, called laterals, Concho Chief Executive Tim Leach said this week.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=CXO.N" type="external">Concho Resources Inc</a> 150.33 CXO.N New York Stock Exchange +7.08 (+4.94%) CXO.N RSPP.N AXAS.O JAG.N CVX.N
<p>“Long laterals and (avoiding) the parent-child relationship” where close well spacing reduces output, drove the deal, said Leach. “Large, contiguous blocks of acreage are strategic,” he told investors.</p>
<p>After dropping 8.7 percent on the steep purchase price, Concho shares on Thursday retraced much of the fall, rising 5 percent to $150.33.</p>
<p>“The investment community has consistently espoused the merits of consolidation within a highly fragmented business,” said Simmons &amp; Co analyst David Kistler in a note to clients praising the Concho-RSP deal.</p>
<p>Still, M&amp;A is not the only way to get more adjacent land. Chevron Corp ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=CVX.N" type="external">CVX.N</a>) last year swapped or sold more than 60,000 acres in the Permian Basin.</p>
<p>The deals, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said in a February earnings call, “create value by consolidating land positions, allowing longer laterals and other infrastructure efficiencies.”</p>
<p>Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Andrea Ricci</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Global mergers and acquisitions (M&amp;A) had their strongest start ever in the first quarter of 2018, totaling $1.2 trillion in value, as U.S. tax reform and faster economic growth in Europe unleashed many companies’ dealmaking instincts.</p> FILE PHOTO: The logos of RWE and E.ON are seen before a joint news conference of the two German utilities after unveiling plans for an asset swap deal which will break up RWE's Innogy unit in Essen, Germany March 13, 2018. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
<p>Strong equity and debt markets and swelling corporate cash coffers also helped boost the confidence of chief executives, convincing them that now is as good a time as ever to pursue transformative mergers, dealmakers said.</p>
<p>“The clarity on tax has unclogged some of the M&amp;A activity that was strategically imperative, but companies were waiting for the right financial timing,” said Anu Aiyengar, head of North America M&amp;A at JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=JPM.N" type="external">JPM.N</a>).</p>
<p>While the value of M&amp;A deals globally increased 67 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2018, the number of deals dropped by 10 percent to 10,338, preliminary Thomson Reuters data show, reflecting how deals on average are getting bigger.</p>
<p>Among the largest deals clinched this quarter were U.S. health insurer Cigna Corp’s $67 billion deal to acquire U.S. pharmacy chain Express Scripts Holding Co ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=ESRX.O" type="external">ESRX.O</a>) and German utility E.ON SE’s ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=EONGn.DE" type="external">EONGn.DE</a>) $38.5 billion deal to acquire RWE AG’s ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=RWEG.DE" type="external">RWEG.DE</a>) renewable energy business Innogy SE ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=IGY.DE" type="external">IGY.DE</a>).</p>
<p>M&amp;A volumes doubled in Europe in the first quarter, while the United States was up 67 percent and Asia was up 11 percent.</p>
<p>“The better macro-economic environment in Europe has created greater confidence to get things done. Deals that have been in the works for a long time are now coming to fruition and some industries like utilities are being completely reshaped by the latest wave of consolidation,” said Borja Azpilicueta, head of EMEA Advisory at HSBC Holdings Plc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=HSBA.L" type="external">HSBA.L</a>).</p> FILE PHOTO: Press materials of E.ON and RWE are pictured on a desk before a joint news conference of the two German utilities after unveiling plans for an asset swap deal which will break up RWE's Innogy unit in Essen, Germany March 13, 2018. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
<p>In the United States, the stock market rally was thwarted in the first quarter by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcements on trade tariffs on Chinese imports. Corporate valuations are still elevated, but market volatility has increased.</p>
<p>“Companies have become more aggressive in pursuing deals that make strong strategic sense. But valuations remain high and boards have recently become more cautious on large acquisitions, as it is more difficult to convince their investors of the potential for value creation at such price levels,” said Gilberto Pozzi, co-head of global M&amp;A at Goldman Sachs Group Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GS.N" type="external">GS.N</a>).</p>
<p>Regulatory risk has also increased. Trump’s dramatic intervention that blocked Singapore-based Broadcom Ltd’s ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AVGO.O" type="external">AVGO.O</a>) $117 billion hostile bid for U.S. chip maker Qualcomm Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=QCOM.O" type="external">QCOM.O</a>) on grounds of national security earlier this month underscored heightened U.S. concerns about losing out to China in the race for new technologies.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=JPM.N" type="external">JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co</a> 109.97 JPM.N New York Stock Exchange +1.97 (+1.82%) JPM.N ESRX.O EONGn.DE RWEG.DE IGY.DE
<p>“While every auction used to see at least one Chinese participant, now people are questioning their ability to deliver and are conscious of the political pushback that Chinese bidders could face,” said Johannes Groeller, a partner at PJT Partners Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=PJT.N" type="external">PJT.N</a>).</p>
<p>On the antitrust front there is also some uncertainty. The U.S. Department of Justice has sued to block U.S. telecommunications company AT&amp;T Inc’s ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=T.N" type="external">T.N</a>) $85 billion deal to buy media company Time Warner Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=TWX.N" type="external">TWX.N</a>) over concerns about how the two companies would consolidate their sectors.</p>
<p>“The antitrust environment for M&amp;A transactions seems favorable today though certain deals, which catch the attention of regulators or politicians for one reason or another, can be problematic,” said Jack Levy, a partner at Centerview Partners Holdings LP.</p>
<p>“One should resist the temptation to conclude from those specific deals that the antitrust regime has become more difficult,” Levy added.</p>
<p>Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York and Pamela Barbaglia in London; Editing by Jacqueline Wong</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
brussels jan 22 reuters greece made progress implementing commitments reforms made euro zone members crucial new loan disbursements germanys finance minister said monday following reports receive presume greece made progress assess situation carefully german finance minister peter altmaier told reporters arriving meeting euro zone finance ministers brussels also interest greek friends implement parts agreed added reporting robertjan bartunek standards thomson reuters trust principles reuters starbucks corp sbuxo coffee sellers must put cancer warning coffee sold california los angeles judge ruled possibly exposing companies millions dollars fines littleknown notforprofit group sued 90 coffee retailers including starbucks grounds violating california law requiring companies warn consumers chemicals products could cause cancer one chemicals acrylamide byproduct roasting coffee beans present high levels brewed coffee los angeles superior court judge elihu berle said decision dated wednesday starbucks companies failed show significant risk carcinogen produced coffee roasting process court documents showed starbucks defendants april 10 file objections decision starbucks declined comment referring reporters statement national coffee association nca said industry considering appeal legal actions cancer warning labels coffee would misleading us governments dietary guidelines state coffee part healthy lifestyle nca statement said file photo woman holds frappuccino starbucks store inside tom bradley terminal lax airport los angeles california united states october 27 2015 reuterslucy nicholson decision berle said defendants failed satisfy burden proving preponderance evidence consumption coffee confers benefit human health officials dunkin donuts dnkno mcdonalds corp mcdn peets big coffee sellers immediately respond requests comment lawsuit filed 2010 council education research toxics cert calls fines large 2500 per person every exposure chemical since 2002 defendants shops california civil penalties decided third phase trial could huge california population nearly 40 million starbucks corp 5789 sbuxo nasdaq 001 002 sbuxo dnkno mcdn certs lawyer raphael metzger immediately respond request comment starbucks lost first phase trial failed show level acrylamide coffee would pose significant risk cancer second phase trial defendants failed prove acceptable alternative risk level carcinogen court documents showed several defendants case settled wednesdays decision agreeing post signage cancerlinked chemical pay millions fines according published reports reporting nate raymond additional reporting lisa baertlein writing andrew hay editing richard chang leslie adler standards thomson reuters trust principles beijing reuters global accounting firm kpmg suffered major setback battle liquidators former uslisted healthcare firm china medical technologies inc whose executives charged us defrauding investors 400 million file photo kpmg logo seen offices canary wharf financial district london britain march 3 2016 reutersreinhard krause china medical case highprofile closely watched contest years production chinese audit work papers issue put hong kong us regulators loggerheads china one point threatened leave uslisted chinese firms unaudited danger delisting previously unreported ruling made last week hong kongs high court rejected kpmg procedural request would limit time china medical liquidators pursue claims kpmg losses damages audits nowdefunct company ruling also paves way proceedings contempt summons brought 91 kpmg partners former partners issued november refusal comply high court order produce china medicals audit work papers substantive hearing action widely expected later year kpmg mainland associate kpmg huazhen refused comply 2016 hong kong high court order provide copies audit work papers borrelli walsh ltd china medicals liquidator arguing would violate chinas national security laws deputy high court judge anthony last weeks decision wrote kpmgs refusal hand papers made extremely difficult liquidators determine whether commence proceedings kpmg kpmg hong kong signed audits claimed papers kpmg huazhen allowed liquidators examine china medicals papers site supervision auditors personnel attorneys situation judge characterized unworkable kpmg respond telephone calls emails seeking comment borrelli walsh declined comment china medical placed liquidation 2012 courts cayman islands new york hong kong following accusations nasdaqlisted firm fraud company liquidators presented evidence showing companys former management stolen least 355 million fake technology acquisitions reuters unable contact accused representatives comment kpmg china medicals auditor 2005 2009 provided unqualified audit opinions financial statements firm subsidiaries period kpmg faces myriad legal regulatory problems said paul gillis professor practice peking universitys guanghua school management kpmg used letterhead audit report didnt work gillis said referring kpmg signing audit work kpmg huazhen claiming signoff work made impossible argue dont access work papers judge judgment provided stinging rebuke kpmgs refusal cooperate liquidators disingenuous kpmg argue comply court orders associate kpmg huazhen comply kpmgs request judge wrote reporting matthew miller editing jennifer hughes christopher cushing standards thomson reuters trust principles houston reuters recent drought oil company mergers acquisitions could coming end new texas range war us shale producers building mileslong horizontal wells running rivals land holdings file photo pump jack stands idle dewitt county texas january 13 2016 picture taken january 13 2016 reutersanna driverfile photo week us shale producer concho resources inc cxon said longer horizontal wells among factors spurring 8 billion deal rival rsp permian inc rsppn well spacing sharing infrastructure needs also playing roles rsp permian controlled land adjacent many cases average length us shale wells grown roughly 1500 feet 25 percent past three years 7213 feet according rs energy group energy investment data provider producers drilling longer shale wells exceed three miles extract crude well oil company mampa fell wake 2014 oil price crash producers refocused best holdings value us oil producer deals last year less half 1377 billion 2013 according data provider pls inc could changing west texass permian largest us oilfield checkerboardlike leases dating land grants made railroads 19th century hemming producers consolidating acreage going extremely meaningful said brook papau managing director rs energy well see deals smaller companies prime acreage especially permians western edge could buyout candidates including abraxas petroleum axaso lilis energy llexa jagged peak energy jagn industry analysts told reuters shared transport systems oil gas gathering water disposal also driving need scale property acquisitions addition horizontal wells called laterals concho chief executive tim leach said week concho resources inc 15033 cxon new york stock exchange 708 494 cxon rsppn axaso jagn cvxn long laterals avoiding parentchild relationship close well spacing reduces output drove deal said leach large contiguous blocks acreage strategic told investors dropping 87 percent steep purchase price concho shares thursday retraced much fall rising 5 percent 15033 investment community consistently espoused merits consolidation within highly fragmented business said simmons amp co analyst david kistler note clients praising conchorsp deal still mampa way get adjacent land chevron corp cvxn last year swapped sold 60000 acres permian basin deals chevron ceo mike wirth said february earnings call create value consolidating land positions allowing longer laterals infrastructure efficiencies reporting ernest scheyder editing andrea ricci standards thomson reuters trust principles new yorklondon reuters global mergers acquisitions mampa strongest start ever first quarter 2018 totaling 12 trillion value us tax reform faster economic growth europe unleashed many companies dealmaking instincts file photo logos rwe eon seen joint news conference two german utilities unveiling plans asset swap deal break rwes innogy unit essen germany march 13 2018 reuterswolfgang rattay strong equity debt markets swelling corporate cash coffers also helped boost confidence chief executives convincing good time ever pursue transformative mergers dealmakers said clarity tax unclogged mampa activity strategically imperative companies waiting right financial timing said anu aiyengar head north america mampa jpmorgan chase amp co jpmn value mampa deals globally increased 67 percent yearonyear first quarter 2018 number deals dropped 10 percent 10338 preliminary thomson reuters data show reflecting deals average getting bigger among largest deals clinched quarter us health insurer cigna corps 67 billion deal acquire us pharmacy chain express scripts holding co esrxo german utility eon ses eongnde 385 billion deal acquire rwe ags rwegde renewable energy business innogy se igyde mampa volumes doubled europe first quarter united states 67 percent asia 11 percent better macroeconomic environment europe created greater confidence get things done deals works long time coming fruition industries like utilities completely reshaped latest wave consolidation said borja azpilicueta head emea advisory hsbc holdings plc hsbal file photo press materials eon rwe pictured desk joint news conference two german utilities unveiling plans asset swap deal break rwes innogy unit essen germany march 13 2018 reuterswolfgang rattay united states stock market rally thwarted first quarter us president donald trumps announcements trade tariffs chinese imports corporate valuations still elevated market volatility increased companies become aggressive pursuing deals make strong strategic sense valuations remain high boards recently become cautious large acquisitions difficult convince investors potential value creation price levels said gilberto pozzi cohead global mampa goldman sachs group inc gsn regulatory risk also increased trumps dramatic intervention blocked singaporebased broadcom ltds avgoo 117 billion hostile bid us chip maker qualcomm inc qcomo grounds national security earlier month underscored heightened us concerns losing china race new technologies jpmorgan chase amp co 10997 jpmn new york stock exchange 197 182 jpmn esrxo eongnde rwegde igyde every auction used see least one chinese participant people questioning ability deliver conscious political pushback chinese bidders could face said johannes groeller partner pjt partners inc pjtn antitrust front also uncertainty us department justice sued block us telecommunications company atampt incs tn 85 billion deal buy media company time warner inc twxn concerns two companies would consolidate sectors antitrust environment mampa transactions seems favorable today though certain deals catch attention regulators politicians one reason another problematic said jack levy partner centerview partners holdings lp one resist temptation conclude specific deals antitrust regime become difficult levy added reporting greg roumeliotis new york pamela barbaglia london editing jacqueline wong standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,545 |
<p>South Dakota lawmakers were among the state’s busiest newsmakers in 2017 — as usual — with a range of moves that included rejecting and recasting some of the measures approved by voters just a few months earlier. The doings in Pierre were far from the only big story statewide, though: ABC settled a lawsuit brought by a South Dakota meat producer over so-called “pink slime,” a jury acquitted a consultant who helped an Indian tribe try to develop a marijuana resort, and a fugitive polygamous leader was captured near Yankton.</p>
<p>Here’s a look at some of the top stories of the year:</p>
<p>AT THE CAPITOL</p>
<p>The GOP-controlled Legislature wasn’t entirely happy with a ballot measure approved by voters that created a public campaign finance system, established an ethics panel and tightened lobbying and campaign finance laws. Some argued that voters had been fooled by a deceptive campaign and that the measure had constitutional issues. They passed bills that covered some of the same ground, but supporters of the ethics overhaul said it wasn’t enough — and vowed to be right back at the ballot box in 2018.</p>
<p>The Legislature passed a $1.59 billion budget that was a few million dollars below what Gov. Dennis Daugaard had envisioned with his first draft, after revenues fell a bit short. Lawmakers managed to approve a minor increase for education and added $1 million to the state employee health plan.</p>
<p>Early in the session, GOP Rep. Matthew Wollmann resigned after admitting sexual contact with two interns. Wollman’s departure shined a light on the sometimes chummy ways that legislators and interns interact during the short but intense legislative sessions in Pierre.</p>
<p>Legislators came back briefly in June to create rules governing the use of lakes on private land for recreation, immediately re-opening many waters to outdoor enthusiasts.</p>
<p>DAKOTA ACCESS LINE OPENS UP, AND KEYSTONE LEAKS</p>
<p>The developers of the Dakota Access pipeline finally turned the spigot in March, completing a $3.8 billion project despite months of protests that at one point drew thousands of activists to the Standing Rock reservation on the North Dakota-South Dakota border. Though the pipe now carries oil, opponents continue to try to stop it via the courts.</p>
<p>In November, far away in South Dakota’s Marshall County, an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil leaked from the Keystone oil pipeline. Federal regulators said a weight installed on the pipeline a decade earlier to stabilize it might have damaged the pipe and its coating. The leak, which didn’t reach water, came shortly before a big vote in Nebraska on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Regulators in that state gave the OK to XL anyway.</p>
<p>SOUTH DAKOTA VS ONLINE RETAIL</p>
<p>South Dakota put itself on the leading edge of a move to collect sales taxes from out-of-state internet retailers. The state is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review whether retailers can be required to collect the taxes in states where they don’t have a physical presence. It’s a legal fight that has big implications for e-commerce, local retailers, and states that miss out on sales taxes. Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia lined up to support South Dakota, which estimates it loses $50 million annually to e-commerce.</p>
<p>PINK SLIME SETTLEMENT</p>
<p>Disney-owned ABC and South Dakota-based Beef Products Inc. locked horns in a South Dakota courtroom over the network’s reports on a beef product that critics dubbed “pink slime.” BPI argued that ABC’s reports amounted to defamation that hurt its operations and cost employee jobs, and sought $1.9 billion. The two sides settled in June for a settlement of $177 million from Disney — and an unknown amount more from insurers.</p>
<p>POLYGAMY LEADER TRIPPED UP AT PAWN SHOP</p>
<p>Polygamous leader Lyle Jeffs, wanted in Utah for an alleged $11 million food stamp fraud, was captured after a year on the run thanks to sharp-eyed pawn shop workers in Yankton. Jeffs had been living out of his truck when he went to River City Treasures and Pawn to sell two pairs of Leatherman pliers — and gave his ID to do it. Though Jeffs had rearranged his name, one of the employees looked him up and realized he was a wanted man. In December, Jeffs was sentenced to nearly five years in prison.</p>
<p>DROUGHT HITS DAKOTAS</p>
<p>South Dakota wasn’t quite as dry as North Dakota, but farmers and cattle producers in both states had to deal with parched conditions that forced some producers to sell off cattle. Some farmers lost winter wheat.</p>
<p>MARIJUANA CONSULTANT CLEARED BY JURY</p>
<p>When the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe wanted to develop a recreational marijuana resort, one of the consultants they brought in was Eric Hagen. While the tribe destroyed their crop and dropped the idea in 2015, Hagen was charged with several marijuana possession charges and faced years in prison. But a jury needed only a couple of hours to clear Hagen of the charges. A colleague who had pleaded guilty earlier wound up having his drug case dismissed after agreeing to pay a fine and court costs.</p>
<p>EAGLE CHOP SHOP</p>
<p>In April, federal officials in Rapid City announced they had busted 15 people for illegally trafficking eagles and other migratory birds after a two-year undercover operation. The indictments portrayed an illicit trade carried out through face-to-face meetings, emails, texts and personal introductions, with eagle heads or wings fetching hundreds of dollars and sellers also sometimes trading goods such as bear claws, buffalo horn caps or animal hides.</p>
<p>South Dakota lawmakers were among the state’s busiest newsmakers in 2017 — as usual — with a range of moves that included rejecting and recasting some of the measures approved by voters just a few months earlier. The doings in Pierre were far from the only big story statewide, though: ABC settled a lawsuit brought by a South Dakota meat producer over so-called “pink slime,” a jury acquitted a consultant who helped an Indian tribe try to develop a marijuana resort, and a fugitive polygamous leader was captured near Yankton.</p>
<p>Here’s a look at some of the top stories of the year:</p>
<p>AT THE CAPITOL</p>
<p>The GOP-controlled Legislature wasn’t entirely happy with a ballot measure approved by voters that created a public campaign finance system, established an ethics panel and tightened lobbying and campaign finance laws. Some argued that voters had been fooled by a deceptive campaign and that the measure had constitutional issues. They passed bills that covered some of the same ground, but supporters of the ethics overhaul said it wasn’t enough — and vowed to be right back at the ballot box in 2018.</p>
<p>The Legislature passed a $1.59 billion budget that was a few million dollars below what Gov. Dennis Daugaard had envisioned with his first draft, after revenues fell a bit short. Lawmakers managed to approve a minor increase for education and added $1 million to the state employee health plan.</p>
<p>Early in the session, GOP Rep. Matthew Wollmann resigned after admitting sexual contact with two interns. Wollman’s departure shined a light on the sometimes chummy ways that legislators and interns interact during the short but intense legislative sessions in Pierre.</p>
<p>Legislators came back briefly in June to create rules governing the use of lakes on private land for recreation, immediately re-opening many waters to outdoor enthusiasts.</p>
<p>DAKOTA ACCESS LINE OPENS UP, AND KEYSTONE LEAKS</p>
<p>The developers of the Dakota Access pipeline finally turned the spigot in March, completing a $3.8 billion project despite months of protests that at one point drew thousands of activists to the Standing Rock reservation on the North Dakota-South Dakota border. Though the pipe now carries oil, opponents continue to try to stop it via the courts.</p>
<p>In November, far away in South Dakota’s Marshall County, an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil leaked from the Keystone oil pipeline. Federal regulators said a weight installed on the pipeline a decade earlier to stabilize it might have damaged the pipe and its coating. The leak, which didn’t reach water, came shortly before a big vote in Nebraska on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Regulators in that state gave the OK to XL anyway.</p>
<p>SOUTH DAKOTA VS ONLINE RETAIL</p>
<p>South Dakota put itself on the leading edge of a move to collect sales taxes from out-of-state internet retailers. The state is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review whether retailers can be required to collect the taxes in states where they don’t have a physical presence. It’s a legal fight that has big implications for e-commerce, local retailers, and states that miss out on sales taxes. Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia lined up to support South Dakota, which estimates it loses $50 million annually to e-commerce.</p>
<p>PINK SLIME SETTLEMENT</p>
<p>Disney-owned ABC and South Dakota-based Beef Products Inc. locked horns in a South Dakota courtroom over the network’s reports on a beef product that critics dubbed “pink slime.” BPI argued that ABC’s reports amounted to defamation that hurt its operations and cost employee jobs, and sought $1.9 billion. The two sides settled in June for a settlement of $177 million from Disney — and an unknown amount more from insurers.</p>
<p>POLYGAMY LEADER TRIPPED UP AT PAWN SHOP</p>
<p>Polygamous leader Lyle Jeffs, wanted in Utah for an alleged $11 million food stamp fraud, was captured after a year on the run thanks to sharp-eyed pawn shop workers in Yankton. Jeffs had been living out of his truck when he went to River City Treasures and Pawn to sell two pairs of Leatherman pliers — and gave his ID to do it. Though Jeffs had rearranged his name, one of the employees looked him up and realized he was a wanted man. In December, Jeffs was sentenced to nearly five years in prison.</p>
<p>DROUGHT HITS DAKOTAS</p>
<p>South Dakota wasn’t quite as dry as North Dakota, but farmers and cattle producers in both states had to deal with parched conditions that forced some producers to sell off cattle. Some farmers lost winter wheat.</p>
<p>MARIJUANA CONSULTANT CLEARED BY JURY</p>
<p>When the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe wanted to develop a recreational marijuana resort, one of the consultants they brought in was Eric Hagen. While the tribe destroyed their crop and dropped the idea in 2015, Hagen was charged with several marijuana possession charges and faced years in prison. But a jury needed only a couple of hours to clear Hagen of the charges. A colleague who had pleaded guilty earlier wound up having his drug case dismissed after agreeing to pay a fine and court costs.</p>
<p>EAGLE CHOP SHOP</p>
<p>In April, federal officials in Rapid City announced they had busted 15 people for illegally trafficking eagles and other migratory birds after a two-year undercover operation. The indictments portrayed an illicit trade carried out through face-to-face meetings, emails, texts and personal introductions, with eagle heads or wings fetching hundreds of dollars and sellers also sometimes trading goods such as bear claws, buffalo horn caps or animal hides.</p>
| false | 2 |
south dakota lawmakers among states busiest newsmakers 2017 usual range moves included rejecting recasting measures approved voters months earlier doings pierre far big story statewide though abc settled lawsuit brought south dakota meat producer socalled pink slime jury acquitted consultant helped indian tribe try develop marijuana resort fugitive polygamous leader captured near yankton heres look top stories year capitol gopcontrolled legislature wasnt entirely happy ballot measure approved voters created public campaign finance system established ethics panel tightened lobbying campaign finance laws argued voters fooled deceptive campaign measure constitutional issues passed bills covered ground supporters ethics overhaul said wasnt enough vowed right back ballot box 2018 legislature passed 159 billion budget million dollars gov dennis daugaard envisioned first draft revenues fell bit short lawmakers managed approve minor increase education added 1 million state employee health plan early session gop rep matthew wollmann resigned admitting sexual contact two interns wollmans departure shined light sometimes chummy ways legislators interns interact short intense legislative sessions pierre legislators came back briefly june create rules governing use lakes private land recreation immediately reopening many waters outdoor enthusiasts dakota access line opens keystone leaks developers dakota access pipeline finally turned spigot march completing 38 billion project despite months protests one point drew thousands activists standing rock reservation north dakotasouth dakota border though pipe carries oil opponents continue try stop via courts november far away south dakotas marshall county estimated 210000 gallons oil leaked keystone oil pipeline federal regulators said weight installed pipeline decade earlier stabilize might damaged pipe coating leak didnt reach water came shortly big vote nebraska proposed keystone xl pipeline regulators state gave ok xl anyway south dakota vs online retail south dakota put leading edge move collect sales taxes outofstate internet retailers state asking us supreme court review whether retailers required collect taxes states dont physical presence legal fight big implications ecommerce local retailers states miss sales taxes thirtyfive states district columbia lined support south dakota estimates loses 50 million annually ecommerce pink slime settlement disneyowned abc south dakotabased beef products inc locked horns south dakota courtroom networks reports beef product critics dubbed pink slime bpi argued abcs reports amounted defamation hurt operations cost employee jobs sought 19 billion two sides settled june settlement 177 million disney unknown amount insurers polygamy leader tripped pawn shop polygamous leader lyle jeffs wanted utah alleged 11 million food stamp fraud captured year run thanks sharpeyed pawn shop workers yankton jeffs living truck went river city treasures pawn sell two pairs leatherman pliers gave id though jeffs rearranged name one employees looked realized wanted man december jeffs sentenced nearly five years prison drought hits dakotas south dakota wasnt quite dry north dakota farmers cattle producers states deal parched conditions forced producers sell cattle farmers lost winter wheat marijuana consultant cleared jury flandreau santee sioux tribe wanted develop recreational marijuana resort one consultants brought eric hagen tribe destroyed crop dropped idea 2015 hagen charged several marijuana possession charges faced years prison jury needed couple hours clear hagen charges colleague pleaded guilty earlier wound drug case dismissed agreeing pay fine court costs eagle chop shop april federal officials rapid city announced busted 15 people illegally trafficking eagles migratory birds twoyear undercover operation indictments portrayed illicit trade carried facetoface meetings emails texts personal introductions eagle heads wings fetching hundreds dollars sellers also sometimes trading goods bear claws buffalo horn caps animal hides south dakota lawmakers among states busiest newsmakers 2017 usual range moves included rejecting recasting measures approved voters months earlier doings pierre far big story statewide though abc settled lawsuit brought south dakota meat producer socalled pink slime jury acquitted consultant helped indian tribe try develop marijuana resort fugitive polygamous leader captured near yankton heres look top stories year capitol gopcontrolled legislature wasnt entirely happy ballot measure approved voters created public campaign finance system established ethics panel tightened lobbying campaign finance laws argued voters fooled deceptive campaign measure constitutional issues passed bills covered ground supporters ethics overhaul said wasnt enough vowed right back ballot box 2018 legislature passed 159 billion budget million dollars gov dennis daugaard envisioned first draft revenues fell bit short lawmakers managed approve minor increase education added 1 million state employee health plan early session gop rep matthew wollmann resigned admitting sexual contact two interns wollmans departure shined light sometimes chummy ways legislators interns interact short intense legislative sessions pierre legislators came back briefly june create rules governing use lakes private land recreation immediately reopening many waters outdoor enthusiasts dakota access line opens keystone leaks developers dakota access pipeline finally turned spigot march completing 38 billion project despite months protests one point drew thousands activists standing rock reservation north dakotasouth dakota border though pipe carries oil opponents continue try stop via courts november far away south dakotas marshall county estimated 210000 gallons oil leaked keystone oil pipeline federal regulators said weight installed pipeline decade earlier stabilize might damaged pipe coating leak didnt reach water came shortly big vote nebraska proposed keystone xl pipeline regulators state gave ok xl anyway south dakota vs online retail south dakota put leading edge move collect sales taxes outofstate internet retailers state asking us supreme court review whether retailers required collect taxes states dont physical presence legal fight big implications ecommerce local retailers states miss sales taxes thirtyfive states district columbia lined support south dakota estimates loses 50 million annually ecommerce pink slime settlement disneyowned abc south dakotabased beef products inc locked horns south dakota courtroom networks reports beef product critics dubbed pink slime bpi argued abcs reports amounted defamation hurt operations cost employee jobs sought 19 billion two sides settled june settlement 177 million disney unknown amount insurers polygamy leader tripped pawn shop polygamous leader lyle jeffs wanted utah alleged 11 million food stamp fraud captured year run thanks sharpeyed pawn shop workers yankton jeffs living truck went river city treasures pawn sell two pairs leatherman pliers gave id though jeffs rearranged name one employees looked realized wanted man december jeffs sentenced nearly five years prison drought hits dakotas south dakota wasnt quite dry north dakota farmers cattle producers states deal parched conditions forced producers sell cattle farmers lost winter wheat marijuana consultant cleared jury flandreau santee sioux tribe wanted develop recreational marijuana resort one consultants brought eric hagen tribe destroyed crop dropped idea 2015 hagen charged several marijuana possession charges faced years prison jury needed couple hours clear hagen charges colleague pleaded guilty earlier wound drug case dismissed agreeing pay fine court costs eagle chop shop april federal officials rapid city announced busted 15 people illegally trafficking eagles migratory birds twoyear undercover operation indictments portrayed illicit trade carried facetoface meetings emails texts personal introductions eagle heads wings fetching hundreds dollars sellers also sometimes trading goods bear claws buffalo horn caps animal hides
| 1,122 |
<p>ATLANTA (AP) — Virginia got off to a sluggish start offensively.</p>
<p>Fortunately for the Cavaliers, their defense never takes a night off.</p>
<p>De’Andre Hunter came off the bench to score 17 points and No. 2 Virginia turned in another defensive masterpiece Thursday, stretching its winning streak to nine in a row with a 64-48 victory over Georgia Tech.</p>
<p>The Cavaliers (17-1, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) limited Georgia Tech to 40.5 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers, leading to 16 points.</p>
<p>“The defense held us in there until we got a little rhythm and hit some shots,” coach Tony Bennett said. “We were stingy to score against. That always carries you on the road.”</p>
<p>Virginia snapped a four-game winning streak for the Yellow Jackets (10-8, 3-2).</p>
<p>After making the first basket of the game, Georgia Tech quickly got an idea of what kind of night it would be. The Jackets missed their next eight shots and turned it over four times before Josh Okogie finally broke a nearly eight-minute scoreless drought with a dunk off a backdoor pass.</p>
<p>Virginia shot just 40 percent in the first half but still led 28-19 at the break.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech never got any closer the rest of the way.</p>
<p>“They’re just a very disciplined team offensively and defensively,” Yellow Jackets center Ben Lammers said. “That makes it very difficult. You can’t make a mistake or you’ll pay for it.”</p>
<p>The last gasp for the home team essentially came in the closing seconds of the first half. It looked as though the Jackets would go to the locker room on a bit of a high after Curtis Haywood hit his second 3-pointer from far beyond the stripe, closing the gap to 24-19.</p>
<p>But Hunter got free in the corner and knocked down a trey with 0.1 seconds left in the half, <a href="https://twitter.com/theACCDN/status/954184805729558528" type="external">turning it into a four-point play when Abdoulaye Gueye foolishly went for the block and sent the Virginia player sprawling to the court</a> .</p>
<p>The free throw gave the Cavaliers their biggest lead of the opening period.</p>
<p>“That’s definitely not the way you want to end a half,” Lammers said. “We were on a little bit of a roll. It’s definitely a bit of a downer for our team. I think it helped their momentum.”</p>
<p>Virginia steadily pulled away over the final 20 minutes, dominating the inside for a 44-20 edge on points in the paint. Ty Jerome added 12 points, while Devon Hall and Kyle Guy had 11 apiece.</p>
<p>Tadric Jackson led Georgia Tech with 14 points. No one else was in double figures.</p>
<p>BIG PICTURE</p>
<p>Virginia: The Cavaliers held an opponent under 50 points for the eighth time this season. They came into the night allowing the fewest points of any Division I team, and actually improved on their 52.9 average. That helped to cover for a tough night from 3-point range on which the Cavs connected on just 3 of 13 attempts.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech: Okogie, averaging 18.8 points per game, struggled to get open and finished with just nine points on 3-of-8 shooting. But coach Josh Pastner is especially concerned about Lammers, who attempted only five shots, made one and finished with four points. “We’ve got to get more out of him offensively,” Pastner said. “When you’re not scoring, it sucks the life out of you.”</p>
<p>WILKINS STEPS UP</p>
<p>The Cavaliers switched things up a bit against Lammers, turning to Isaiah Wilkins to handle the bulk of the defensive duties.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">When the teams met last season</a> , 6-foot-10 Jack Salt limited Lammers to seven points on 3-of-12 shooting.</p>
<p>This time, it was the 6-foot-7 Wilkins — the stepson of former Atlanta Hawks great Dominique Wilkins — making life miserable for Georgia Tech’s big man.</p>
<p>“He played to his personality,” Bennett said. “He’s such a giver. He thinks help. He thinks cover for teammates. He knows how to anticipate. If you can find that, it’s worth its weight in gold for a defensive player.”</p>
<p>PACKED PAVILION</p>
<p>It was an especially disappointing performance for the Yellow Jackets, considering it came before their first sellout of the season at 8,600-seat McCamish Pavilion.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Virginia: Plays its second straight ACC road game at Wake Forest on Sunday.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech: Faces a short turnaround before traveling to Chapel Hill on Saturday for another game against a ranked opponent, No. 15 North Carolina.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963" type="external">www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963</a> . His work can be found at <a href="" type="internal" /> <a href="" type="internal">https://apnews.com/search/paul%20newberry</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP college basketball: <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org" type="external" /> <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org" type="external">https://collegebasketball.ap.org</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Top25" type="external" /> <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Top25" type="external">https://twitter.com/AP_Top25</a></p>
<p>ATLANTA (AP) — Virginia got off to a sluggish start offensively.</p>
<p>Fortunately for the Cavaliers, their defense never takes a night off.</p>
<p>De’Andre Hunter came off the bench to score 17 points and No. 2 Virginia turned in another defensive masterpiece Thursday, stretching its winning streak to nine in a row with a 64-48 victory over Georgia Tech.</p>
<p>The Cavaliers (17-1, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) limited Georgia Tech to 40.5 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers, leading to 16 points.</p>
<p>“The defense held us in there until we got a little rhythm and hit some shots,” coach Tony Bennett said. “We were stingy to score against. That always carries you on the road.”</p>
<p>Virginia snapped a four-game winning streak for the Yellow Jackets (10-8, 3-2).</p>
<p>After making the first basket of the game, Georgia Tech quickly got an idea of what kind of night it would be. The Jackets missed their next eight shots and turned it over four times before Josh Okogie finally broke a nearly eight-minute scoreless drought with a dunk off a backdoor pass.</p>
<p>Virginia shot just 40 percent in the first half but still led 28-19 at the break.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech never got any closer the rest of the way.</p>
<p>“They’re just a very disciplined team offensively and defensively,” Yellow Jackets center Ben Lammers said. “That makes it very difficult. You can’t make a mistake or you’ll pay for it.”</p>
<p>The last gasp for the home team essentially came in the closing seconds of the first half. It looked as though the Jackets would go to the locker room on a bit of a high after Curtis Haywood hit his second 3-pointer from far beyond the stripe, closing the gap to 24-19.</p>
<p>But Hunter got free in the corner and knocked down a trey with 0.1 seconds left in the half, <a href="https://twitter.com/theACCDN/status/954184805729558528" type="external">turning it into a four-point play when Abdoulaye Gueye foolishly went for the block and sent the Virginia player sprawling to the court</a> .</p>
<p>The free throw gave the Cavaliers their biggest lead of the opening period.</p>
<p>“That’s definitely not the way you want to end a half,” Lammers said. “We were on a little bit of a roll. It’s definitely a bit of a downer for our team. I think it helped their momentum.”</p>
<p>Virginia steadily pulled away over the final 20 minutes, dominating the inside for a 44-20 edge on points in the paint. Ty Jerome added 12 points, while Devon Hall and Kyle Guy had 11 apiece.</p>
<p>Tadric Jackson led Georgia Tech with 14 points. No one else was in double figures.</p>
<p>BIG PICTURE</p>
<p>Virginia: The Cavaliers held an opponent under 50 points for the eighth time this season. They came into the night allowing the fewest points of any Division I team, and actually improved on their 52.9 average. That helped to cover for a tough night from 3-point range on which the Cavs connected on just 3 of 13 attempts.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech: Okogie, averaging 18.8 points per game, struggled to get open and finished with just nine points on 3-of-8 shooting. But coach Josh Pastner is especially concerned about Lammers, who attempted only five shots, made one and finished with four points. “We’ve got to get more out of him offensively,” Pastner said. “When you’re not scoring, it sucks the life out of you.”</p>
<p>WILKINS STEPS UP</p>
<p>The Cavaliers switched things up a bit against Lammers, turning to Isaiah Wilkins to handle the bulk of the defensive duties.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">When the teams met last season</a> , 6-foot-10 Jack Salt limited Lammers to seven points on 3-of-12 shooting.</p>
<p>This time, it was the 6-foot-7 Wilkins — the stepson of former Atlanta Hawks great Dominique Wilkins — making life miserable for Georgia Tech’s big man.</p>
<p>“He played to his personality,” Bennett said. “He’s such a giver. He thinks help. He thinks cover for teammates. He knows how to anticipate. If you can find that, it’s worth its weight in gold for a defensive player.”</p>
<p>PACKED PAVILION</p>
<p>It was an especially disappointing performance for the Yellow Jackets, considering it came before their first sellout of the season at 8,600-seat McCamish Pavilion.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Virginia: Plays its second straight ACC road game at Wake Forest on Sunday.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech: Faces a short turnaround before traveling to Chapel Hill on Saturday for another game against a ranked opponent, No. 15 North Carolina.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963" type="external">www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963</a> . His work can be found at <a href="" type="internal" /> <a href="" type="internal">https://apnews.com/search/paul%20newberry</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP college basketball: <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org" type="external" /> <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org" type="external">https://collegebasketball.ap.org</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Top25" type="external" /> <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Top25" type="external">https://twitter.com/AP_Top25</a></p>
| false | 2 |
atlanta ap virginia got sluggish start offensively fortunately cavaliers defense never takes night deandre hunter came bench score 17 points 2 virginia turned another defensive masterpiece thursday stretching winning streak nine row 6448 victory georgia tech cavaliers 171 60 atlantic coast conference limited georgia tech 405 percent shooting forced 18 turnovers leading 16 points defense held us got little rhythm hit shots coach tony bennett said stingy score always carries road virginia snapped fourgame winning streak yellow jackets 108 32 making first basket game georgia tech quickly got idea kind night would jackets missed next eight shots turned four times josh okogie finally broke nearly eightminute scoreless drought dunk backdoor pass virginia shot 40 percent first half still led 2819 break georgia tech never got closer rest way theyre disciplined team offensively defensively yellow jackets center ben lammers said makes difficult cant make mistake youll pay last gasp home team essentially came closing seconds first half looked though jackets would go locker room bit high curtis haywood hit second 3pointer far beyond stripe closing gap 2419 hunter got free corner knocked trey 01 seconds left half turning fourpoint play abdoulaye gueye foolishly went block sent virginia player sprawling court free throw gave cavaliers biggest lead opening period thats definitely way want end half lammers said little bit roll definitely bit downer team think helped momentum virginia steadily pulled away final 20 minutes dominating inside 4420 edge points paint ty jerome added 12 points devon hall kyle guy 11 apiece tadric jackson led georgia tech 14 points one else double figures big picture virginia cavaliers held opponent 50 points eighth time season came night allowing fewest points division team actually improved 529 average helped cover tough night 3point range cavs connected 3 13 attempts georgia tech okogie averaging 188 points per game struggled get open finished nine points 3of8 shooting coach josh pastner especially concerned lammers attempted five shots made one finished four points weve got get offensively pastner said youre scoring sucks life wilkins steps cavaliers switched things bit lammers turning isaiah wilkins handle bulk defensive duties teams met last season 6foot10 jack salt limited lammers seven points 3of12 shooting time 6foot7 wilkins stepson former atlanta hawks great dominique wilkins making life miserable georgia techs big man played personality bennett said hes giver thinks help thinks cover teammates knows anticipate find worth weight gold defensive player packed pavilion especially disappointing performance yellow jackets considering came first sellout season 8600seat mccamish pavilion next virginia plays second straight acc road game wake forest sunday georgia tech faces short turnaround traveling chapel hill saturday another game ranked opponent 15 north carolina ___ follow paul newberry twitter wwwtwittercompnewberry1963 work found httpsapnewscomsearchpaul20newberry ___ ap college basketball httpscollegebasketballaporg httpstwittercomap_top25 atlanta ap virginia got sluggish start offensively fortunately cavaliers defense never takes night deandre hunter came bench score 17 points 2 virginia turned another defensive masterpiece thursday stretching winning streak nine row 6448 victory georgia tech cavaliers 171 60 atlantic coast conference limited georgia tech 405 percent shooting forced 18 turnovers leading 16 points defense held us got little rhythm hit shots coach tony bennett said stingy score always carries road virginia snapped fourgame winning streak yellow jackets 108 32 making first basket game georgia tech quickly got idea kind night would jackets missed next eight shots turned four times josh okogie finally broke nearly eightminute scoreless drought dunk backdoor pass virginia shot 40 percent first half still led 2819 break georgia tech never got closer rest way theyre disciplined team offensively defensively yellow jackets center ben lammers said makes difficult cant make mistake youll pay last gasp home team essentially came closing seconds first half looked though jackets would go locker room bit high curtis haywood hit second 3pointer far beyond stripe closing gap 2419 hunter got free corner knocked trey 01 seconds left half turning fourpoint play abdoulaye gueye foolishly went block sent virginia player sprawling court free throw gave cavaliers biggest lead opening period thats definitely way want end half lammers said little bit roll definitely bit downer team think helped momentum virginia steadily pulled away final 20 minutes dominating inside 4420 edge points paint ty jerome added 12 points devon hall kyle guy 11 apiece tadric jackson led georgia tech 14 points one else double figures big picture virginia cavaliers held opponent 50 points eighth time season came night allowing fewest points division team actually improved 529 average helped cover tough night 3point range cavs connected 3 13 attempts georgia tech okogie averaging 188 points per game struggled get open finished nine points 3of8 shooting coach josh pastner especially concerned lammers attempted five shots made one finished four points weve got get offensively pastner said youre scoring sucks life wilkins steps cavaliers switched things bit lammers turning isaiah wilkins handle bulk defensive duties teams met last season 6foot10 jack salt limited lammers seven points 3of12 shooting time 6foot7 wilkins stepson former atlanta hawks great dominique wilkins making life miserable georgia techs big man played personality bennett said hes giver thinks help thinks cover teammates knows anticipate find worth weight gold defensive player packed pavilion especially disappointing performance yellow jackets considering came first sellout season 8600seat mccamish pavilion next virginia plays second straight acc road game wake forest sunday georgia tech faces short turnaround traveling chapel hill saturday another game ranked opponent 15 north carolina ___ follow paul newberry twitter wwwtwittercompnewberry1963 work found httpsapnewscomsearchpaul20newberry ___ ap college basketball httpscollegebasketballaporg httpstwittercomap_top25
| 906 |
<p>Romney launched another negative ad in Iowa this week, where the Republican presidential candidate has been battling the new front-runner, Huckabee. This time, Romney attacks Huckabee’s record on methamphetamine laws and the clemencies he granted as governor of Arkansas. We found that:</p>
<p>Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney <a href="http://www.mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Ad_Choice_Judgment" type="external">announced</a> that the ad would begin airing in Iowa Dec. 17. It’s a sequel to an earlier Romney attack on former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee that we reviewed <a href="" type="internal">here</a>, and it begins with the same misleading description of similarities between the two before going on the attack with new material.</p>
<p>&amp;amp;lt;param value="http://video.factcheck.org/play/hIUWgerIcAI" name="src" /&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;param value="true" name="allowfullscreen" /&amp;amp;gt;</p>
<p>Romney Ad: “Choice: Judgement”</p>
<p>Romney: I’m Mitt Romney and I approved this message.</p>
<p>Announcer: Two pro-life governors. Both support a constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage. The difference? Romney got tough on drugs like meth. He never pardoned a single criminal. And Mike Huckabee? He granted 1,033 pardons and commutations, including 12 convicted murderers. Huckabee granted more clemencies than the previous three governors combined. Even reduced penalties for manufacturing methamphetamine. On crime. The difference is judgment.</p>
<p>The ad says Romney “got tough on drugs like meth” while Huckabee “even reduced penalties for manufacturing methamphetamine.” But wait: While Romney did submit <a href="http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate//st02/st02183.htm" type="external">legislation</a> in 2005 that would have broadened state laws against meth production, such as setting sentencing guidelines for possessing various methamphetamine precursor ingredients, this effort to get “tough” failed. That bill died in committee in Jan. 2007.</p>
<p>The legislation Huckabee <a href="ftp://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/bills/2005/public/SB387/SB387-021120050758.pdf" type="external">supported</a>, meanwhile, did shorten the amount of time a convict would have to serve before being eligible for parole from 70 percent of the sentence to 50 percent. But Arkansas has strict meth laws that remain on the books, and they are far tougher than those in Massachusetts. A convicted meth dealer can be sentenced to 40 years in Arkansas, but in Massachusetts the maximum term is 10 years. The mandatory minimum in Arkansas is 10 years in prison, but it’s only a two-and-a-half-year state prison term in Massachusetts. And, in fact, the bill this ad criticizes was <a href="http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/03/09/News/318417.html" type="external">drafted</a> with the help of Arkansas state prosecutors to help alleviate overcrowding problems in the state penal system.</p>
<p>Here are the details of the state laws: In Arkansas, offenders found guilty of intent to distribute or manufacture while in possession of less than an ounce of meth <a href="http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/NXT/gateway.dll?f=templates&amp;fn=default.htm&amp;vid=blr:code" type="external">face</a> a minimum sentence of “not less than ten (10) years nor more than forty (40) years, or life” and a fine “not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).” In Massachusetts, the <a href="http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/94c-32a.htm" type="external">penalty</a> for a person convicted of manufacturing, distributing or possessing with intent to manufacture or distribute a substance that contains any quantity of methamphetamine is “a term of imprisonment in the state prison for not less than two and one-half nor more than ten years.” A fine of no more than $10,000 may be imposed as well. The legislation Romney backed would not have increased the mandatory minimum, even if it had passed.</p>
<p>One possible reason that Arkansas has far tougher meth laws than Massachusetts is that it has a far larger meth problem: The federal Drug Enforcement Agency counts 407 methamphetamine “lab incidents” in <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/states/arkansas.html" type="external">Arkansas</a> in 2006, compared with only one in <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/states/massachusetts.html" type="external">Massachusetts</a>. The DEA says methamphetamine is Arkansas’ “primary drug of concern,” while in Massachusetts the drug is “available in limited quantities” and “rarely abused.” However, meth is a huge problem in <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/states/iowa.html" type="external">Iowa</a>, where this ad is airing. In 2006, there were 318 meth lab incidents, according to the DEA, down from a high of 1,370 in 2004. Iowa <a href="http://www.in.gov/cji/methfreeindiana/pdfs/Iowa_Meth_Fact_Sheet.pdf" type="external">enacted</a> a tough law in 2005 that made it illegal to sell non-prescription pseudoephedrine to a minor or to keep it anywhere but behind a pharmacy counter. Pseudophedrine is found in common&#160; over-the-counter medications such as Sudafed and has been widely used to make meth.</p>
<p>Berkshire Eagle: Legislation filed by Gov. Mitt Romney would heighten the penalties for the possession of methamphetamine as well as toughen penalties for the possession of the chemicals used to produce it.</p>
<p>The newspaper is clearly reporting on the legislation filed. Romney’s ad changes the words to make it appear the newspaper is endorsing his effort. Filching the credibility of news organizations is an old trick we’ve found in past elections <a href="" type="internal">here</a>, <a href="" type="internal">here</a> and <a href="" type="internal">here</a>.</p>
<p>AP: During the four years Romney was in office, 100 requests for commutations and 172 requests for pardons were filed in the state. All were denied.</p>
<p>The language from the ad appears nowhere in the news <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3271764" type="external">article</a>, which is certainly no endorsement of Romney’s policies. It actually portrays the governor as unreasonably stubborn. The article focuses primarily on Romney’s refusal to pardon National Guard Lt. Anthony Circosta, who had been convicted of assault at age 13 for “shooting another boy in the arm with a BB gun, a shot that didn’t break the skin,” according to the AP. After returning from duty in Iraq, Circosta wanted to become a police officer but needed to have his childhood charge pardoned first. Romney refused twice, despite the recommendations of the state Board of Pardons.</p>
<p>We’re not passing judgment on either governors’ record on clemencies, but we take issue with Romney’s misleading attempt to claim this news article endorsed his actions. It didn’t.</p>
<p />
<p>The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. <a href="http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate//st02/st02183.htm" type="external">Senate bill No. 2183</a>, “An Act to Control the Use of Methamphetamine.” 18 Aug. 2005.</p>
<p>The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. <a href="http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/94c-32a.htm" type="external">Chapter 94C: Section 32A</a>. Class B controlled substances. Accessed 18 Dec. 2007.</p>
<p>U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/states/arkansas.html" type="external">Arkansas state fact sheet 2007</a>. Updated June 2007.</p>
<p>U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/states/massachusetts.html" type="external">Massachusetts state fact sheet 2007</a>. Updated June 2007.</p>
<p>U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/states/iowa.html" type="external">Iowa state fact sheet 2007</a>. Updated June 2007.</p>
<p>“ <a href="http://www.in.gov/cji/methfreeindiana/pdfs/Iowa_Meth_Fact_Sheet.pdf" type="external">Meth in Iowa</a>” fact sheet. Prepared by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute on behalf of the Midwestern Governors Association Regional Meth Summit, Dec. 2005.</p>
<p>Kendell, Gary W. “ <a href="http://www.state.ia.us/odcp/docs/2007_Meth_Report_2-1-07.pdf" type="external">Methamphetamine Abuse in Iowa</a>.” Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy, 19 Jan. 2007.</p>
<p>Arkansas Code (Non annotated) &gt; Title 5 Criminal Offenses &gt; Subtitle 6. Offenses Against Public Health, Safety, Or Welfare &gt; Chapter 64 Controlled Substances &gt; Subchapter 4 — Uniform Controlled Substances Act — Prohibitions and Penalties &gt; 5-64-401. Criminal penalties.</p>
<p>Arvidson, Erik, “Romney acts to boost meth penalties,” The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, MA). 15 Aug 2005.</p>
<p>LeBlanc, Steve, “ <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3271764" type="external">As governor, Romney opposed pardons, a blanket policy challenged by case of Iraq war veteran</a>,” AP. 12 June 2007.</p>
<p>Robinson, David and Thompson, Doug, “ <a href="http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/03/09/News/318417.html" type="external">House approves repeal of 70-percent law for meth producers</a>,” Arkansas News Bureau. 9 Mar 2005.</p>
| false | 2 |
romney launched another negative ad iowa week republican presidential candidate battling new frontrunner huckabee time romney attacks huckabees record methamphetamine laws clemencies granted governor arkansas found former massachusetts gov mitt romney announced ad would begin airing iowa dec 17 sequel earlier romney attack former arkansas gov mike huckabee reviewed begins misleading description similarities two going attack new material ampampltparam valuehttpvideofactcheckorgplayhiuwgericai namesrc ampampgt ampampltparam valuetrue nameallowfullscreen ampampgt romney ad choice judgement romney im mitt romney approved message announcer two prolife governors support constitutional amendment protect traditional marriage difference romney got tough drugs like meth never pardoned single criminal mike huckabee granted 1033 pardons commutations including 12 convicted murderers huckabee granted clemencies previous three governors combined even reduced penalties manufacturing methamphetamine crime difference judgment ad says romney got tough drugs like meth huckabee even reduced penalties manufacturing methamphetamine wait romney submit legislation 2005 would broadened state laws meth production setting sentencing guidelines possessing various methamphetamine precursor ingredients effort get tough failed bill died committee jan 2007 legislation huckabee supported meanwhile shorten amount time convict would serve eligible parole 70 percent sentence 50 percent arkansas strict meth laws remain books far tougher massachusetts convicted meth dealer sentenced 40 years arkansas massachusetts maximum term 10 years mandatory minimum arkansas 10 years prison twoandahalfyear state prison term massachusetts fact bill ad criticizes drafted help arkansas state prosecutors help alleviate overcrowding problems state penal system details state laws arkansas offenders found guilty intent distribute manufacture possession less ounce meth face minimum sentence less ten 10 years forty 40 years life fine exceeding twentyfive thousand dollars 25000 massachusetts penalty person convicted manufacturing distributing possessing intent manufacture distribute substance contains quantity methamphetamine term imprisonment state prison less two onehalf ten years fine 10000 may imposed well legislation romney backed would increased mandatory minimum even passed one possible reason arkansas far tougher meth laws massachusetts far larger meth problem federal drug enforcement agency counts 407 methamphetamine lab incidents arkansas 2006 compared one massachusetts dea says methamphetamine arkansas primary drug concern massachusetts drug available limited quantities rarely abused however meth huge problem iowa ad airing 2006 318 meth lab incidents according dea high 1370 2004 iowa enacted tough law 2005 made illegal sell nonprescription pseudoephedrine minor keep anywhere behind pharmacy counter pseudophedrine found common160 overthecounter medications sudafed widely used make meth berkshire eagle legislation filed gov mitt romney would heighten penalties possession methamphetamine well toughen penalties possession chemicals used produce newspaper clearly reporting legislation filed romneys ad changes words make appear newspaper endorsing effort filching credibility news organizations old trick weve found past elections ap four years romney office 100 requests commutations 172 requests pardons filed state denied language ad appears nowhere news article certainly endorsement romneys policies actually portrays governor unreasonably stubborn article focuses primarily romneys refusal pardon national guard lt anthony circosta convicted assault age 13 shooting another boy arm bb gun shot didnt break skin according ap returning duty iraq circosta wanted become police officer needed childhood charge pardoned first romney refused twice despite recommendations state board pardons passing judgment either governors record clemencies take issue romneys misleading attempt claim news article endorsed actions didnt commonwealth massachusetts senate bill 2183 act control use methamphetamine 18 aug 2005 commonwealth massachusetts chapter 94c section 32a class b controlled substances accessed 18 dec 2007 us drug enforcement agency arkansas state fact sheet 2007 updated june 2007 us drug enforcement agency massachusetts state fact sheet 2007 updated june 2007 us drug enforcement agency iowa state fact sheet 2007 updated june 2007 meth iowa fact sheet prepared indiana criminal justice institute behalf midwestern governors association regional meth summit dec 2005 kendell gary w methamphetamine abuse iowa governors office drug control policy 19 jan 2007 arkansas code non annotated gt title 5 criminal offenses gt subtitle 6 offenses public health safety welfare gt chapter 64 controlled substances gt subchapter 4 uniform controlled substances act prohibitions penalties gt 564401 criminal penalties arvidson erik romney acts boost meth penalties berkshire eagle pittsfield 15 aug 2005 leblanc steve governor romney opposed pardons blanket policy challenged case iraq war veteran ap 12 june 2007 robinson david thompson doug house approves repeal 70percent law meth producers arkansas news bureau 9 mar 2005
| 694 |
<p>NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Forty years after Mickey, Minnie Mouse is finally joining her beau on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, where the cartoon darling is poised to receive a star on Monday.</p>
<p>“America’s sweetheart”, as Minnie became known, will be immortalized with the 2,627th bronze star-plaque to adorn the legendary Hollywood strip.</p>
<p>The honoring of Minnie, who made her debut alongside her flame Mickey in the 1928 movie Steamboat Willie, was welcomed by U.S. pop star Katy Perry.</p>
<p>“After 90 years of serving looks &amp; smiles as the polka dot queen, it’s time she got that recognition,” the top-selling singer wrote on Twitter.</p>
<p>Perry will co-host Minnie’s star dedication ceremony with The Walt Disney Company’s CEO, Robert Iger.</p>
<p>Walk of Fame ceremony organizers hailed the animated mouse’s “fun-loving, independent personality.”</p>
<p>“Minnie Mouse is a woman of the ages and her iconic status makes her a great addition to our Walk of Fame!” Ana Martinez, producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies, said in a statement.</p>
<p>It took Minnie four decades longer than her boyfriend to receive the same accolade because Disney only nominated her last year, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.</p>
<p>“Maybe he was more popular back in the day,” she said.</p>
<p>Other Disney children’s idols who have had been honored on the Walk of Fame include Donald Duck, Winnie the Pooh and Snow White.</p>
<p>Reporting by Sebastien Malo @sebastienmalo, Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit <a href="http://news.trust.org" type="external">news.trust.org</a></p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Roseanne Barr on Thursday said it was “pretty exciting” to receive a congratulatory phone call from President Donald Trump after the return of her hit 1990s TV comedy “Roseanne,” about a working-class American family, drew huge ratings.</p> FILE PHOTO: Actress Roseanne Barr reacts as she arrives at the 75th Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 7, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
<p>Barr said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” show that she hopes the ABC series will help people “agree to disagree” and foster more amicable relations between politically entrenched Trump supporters and opponents.</p>
<p>“I really hope that it opens up civil conversation instead of just mudslinging, I really do,” said Barr, who supports the Republican president and said she spoke with him on Wednesday.</p>
<p>“Roseanne,” which wades into the divisiveness of U.S. politics, drew more than 18 million viewers on Tuesday, according to ratings data. That was a significant number for broadcast television, which has come under ratings pressure from online streaming and delayed viewing.</p>
<p>“He’s just happy for me,” Barr, who herself voted for Trump, said of the former reality TV show star. “I’ve known him for many years, and he’s done a lot of nice things for me over the years, and it was just a friendly conversation about working and television and ratings.”</p>
<p>Trump frequently talks or tweets about shows’ TV ratings, sometimes comparing them with those from the days of his own show, “The Apprentice.”</p>
<p>The original “Roseanne” aired from 1988 to 1997. It featured a blue-collar family, the Conners, with overweight parents struggling to get by in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois, and was praised for its realistic portrayal of working-class life.</p>
<p>In the revival, Roseanne is a Trump voter who faces off against her sister Jackie, played by Laurie Metcalf, who portrays an ardent opponent of the president.</p>
<p>The comedy will also deal with issues such as opioid addiction and access to healthcare, and features Roseanne’s grown-up daughter, Darlene, played again by Sara Gilbert, whose young son is gender fluid, wearing traditionally girls’ clothes to school.</p>
<p>Gilbert told trade publication Variety the series reflects American families’ dinner-table political battles.</p>
<p>“We really wanted to show a family dealing with the divide over politics that can still love each other and come together in the end,” Gilbert said.</p>
<p>ABC, owned by Walt Disney Co, said the two back-to-back half-hour opening episodes drew some 1.5 million viewers more than the finale of “Roseanne” in May 1997 - an era before Americans had wider viewing choices offered by streaming platforms.</p>
<p>“Roseanne” is the latest hit show from the 1980s and 199Os to be revived. It follows NBC comedy “Will &amp; Grace” and Showtime’s supernatural crime drama “Twin Peaks,” both of which returned to television in 2017.</p>
<p>Reporting by Eric Kelsey; editing by Jonathan Oatis</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Almost a decade after U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy died, director John Curran has made a film that tries to get into his mind during the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident that dogged his career, instead of merely placing blame for the death of campaign strategist Mary Jo Kopechne.</p> Cast member Jason Clarke poses at the premiere for "Chappaquiddick" in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
<p>“Chappaquiddick,” opening in U.S. movie theaters on April 6, looks at the accident that led to the 1969 drowning death of Kopechne, the passenger who drowned in Kennedy’s car after he drove it off a bridge and into a pond.</p> Cast member Jason Clarke poses at the premiere for "Chappaquiddick" in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
<p>Kennedy, who did not immediately report what happened, later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and was given a two-month suspended jail sentence. Questions about the incident hindered his presidential ambitions for years and have spurred numerous books, documentaries and films.</p>
<p>The film follows Kennedy’s emotional reaction to the accident and his advisors’ attempts to try and contain the ensuing scandal.</p>
<p>“If you want to understand Ted, who he was before, during and after, this is the moment to examine him, this week or 10-day period,” said actor Jason Clarke, who plays Kennedy. “This is it, this is the making of a man.”</p>
<p>Curran shied away from trying to make the film a definitive version of what may have happened between Kennedy and Kopechne on July 18, 1969.</p> Slideshow (3 Images)
<p>“What I like about John Curran’s version is you can draw your own conclusions. How much empathy you retain for Ted Kennedy is up to you,” said Jim Gaffigan, who plays Kennedy’s friend Paul Markham.</p>
<p>Kennedy, a lifelong Democrat, died in 2009 at age 77 after serving almost 47 years as a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. He was the younger brother of slain U.S. President John F. Kennedy and of former U.S. Attorney General and Senator Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 after winning the Democratic presidential primary in California.</p>
<p>“Ted is a dichotomy, you know. He is truly, truly a conundrum of liberalism and the Democratic party that still exists, the good and the bad,” Clarke said</p>
<p>Clarke referenced Kennedy’s efforts on behalf of civil rights and better access to medical care, but he added. “Then there’s the immense hypocrisy and white privilege that allows him to get away with something.”</p>
<p>Reporting by Rollo Ross; Editing by David Gregorio</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York State’s highest court on Thursday rejected Lindsay Lohan’s appeal accusing the maker of “Grand Theft Auto V” of invading her privacy, concluding that video game characters that the actress said were based on her did not resemble her.</p> FILE PHOTO: Actress Lindsay Lohan arrives for the presentation of the Gareth Pugh Spring/Summer 2016 collection during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, September 19, 2015. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/File Photo
<p>By a 6-0 vote, the state Court of Appeals called Take-Two Interactive Software Inc’s depictions “nothing more than cultural comment,” and said it owed Lohan no damages.</p>
<p>A spokesman for Lohan declined to comment. Her lawyer Frank Delle Donne was not immediately available for comment. Take-Two, based in New York, did not respond to requests for comment.</p>
<p>Lohan, 31, had objected to an alleged look- and sound-alike character, Lacey Jonas, who called herself “really famous” and an “actress slash singer” as she tried to hide from paparazzi.</p>
<p>She also objected to depiction of a blonde woman, shown in one image being frisked by a police officer, and in another wearing a red bikini and jewelry, taking a selfie with her cellphone and flashing a peace sign.</p>
<p>In Thursday’s decision, Judge Eugene Fahey said a computer image, or avatar, may constitute a “portrait” to support an invasion of privacy claim under New York civil rights law.</p>
<p>But he said Lohan could not prevail because “Grand Theft Auto V” merely depicted a generic “twenty something” woman, without any suggestion it was her.</p>
<p>“The amended complaint was properly dismissed because the artistic renderings are indistinct, satirical representations of the style, look, and persona of a modern, beach-going young woman that are not reasonably identifiable as plaintiff,” Fahey wrote.</p>
<p>In a separate order, the court dismissed similar claims against Take-Two by Karen Gravano, a star of the reality TV series “Mob Wives,” over another character.</p>
<p>Lohan’s movies include 1998’s “The Parent Trap” and 2004’s “Mean Girls,” but acting roles became harder to find following legal and other problems.</p>
<p>The “Grand Theft Auto” series has sold more than 275 million units.</p>
<p>The case is Lohan v Take-Two Interactive Software Inc, New York State Court of Appeals, No. 24.</p>
<p>Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>BERLIN (Reuters) - By Charley-Kai John</p>
<p>A museum dedicated to the dachshund, Germany’s short-legged, long-bodied “sausage dog”, opens next week in the southern city of Passau, and will show more than 2,000 exhibits from dog-shaped bread to a giant golden statuette.</p>
<p>Two proud sausage dog owners and former florists gave up their jobs to open the museum in Bavaria, which they say is the world’s first devoted to the “dackel” and built it up from nothing in just three months.</p>
<p>“The world needs a sausage dog museum... No other dog in the world enjoys the same kind of recognition or popularity as the symbol of Bavaria, the sausage dog,” said founder Seppi Kueblbeck.</p>
<p>The exhibits in the more than 80 square-meter museum cater for all tastes. Visitors will see canine stamps, artistic prints with sausage dog motifs, handmade puppets and porcelain figurines.</p>
<p>“We wanted to give this dog a home where people can come and share their joy. Its popularity is increasing because the sausage dog, with its so-called sausage dog look, has conquered the hearts of many people,” said Kueblbeck.</p>
<p>Prominent dackel fans include artist Pablo Picasso, actor Marlon Brando, former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, scientist Albert Einstein and even Napoleon.</p>
<p>One of Germany’s oldest breeds, the dachshund can be long-, short- or wire-haired and is one of the country’s most popular dogs.</p>
<p>Bred for hunting since the Middle Ages, dachshund translates literally as ‘badger dog’ and their long snouts allow them to burrow into holes to catch small animals.</p>
<p>Kueblbeck and his museum partner Oliver Storz said they have a further 2,000 sausage dog exhibits at home.</p>
<p>The owners have diligently collected pieces over the years and can call a substantial amount of the dackel paraphernalia their own. However, their breakthrough came with the lucrative purchase of a Belgian punk rocker’s extensive collection.</p>
<p>The museum opens its doors on Monday.</p>
<p>Reporting by Charley-Kai John and Reuters TV; Editing by Hugh Lawson</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
new york thomson reuters foundation forty years mickey minnie mouse finally joining beau hollywoods walk fame cartoon darling poised receive star monday americas sweetheart minnie became known immortalized 2627th bronze starplaque adorn legendary hollywood strip honoring minnie made debut alongside flame mickey 1928 movie steamboat willie welcomed us pop star katy perry 90 years serving looks amp smiles polka dot queen time got recognition topselling singer wrote twitter perry cohost minnies star dedication ceremony walt disney companys ceo robert iger walk fame ceremony organizers hailed animated mouses funloving independent personality minnie mouse woman ages iconic status makes great addition walk fame ana martinez producer walk fame ceremonies said statement took minnie four decades longer boyfriend receive accolade disney nominated last year told thomson reuters foundation phone maybe popular back day said disney childrens idols honored walk fame include donald duck winnie pooh snow white reporting sebastien malo sebastienmalo editing ros russell please credit thomson reuters foundation charitable arm thomson reuters covers humanitarian news womens rights trafficking property rights climate change resilience visit newstrustorg standards thomson reuters trust principles los angeles reuters comedian roseanne barr thursday said pretty exciting receive congratulatory phone call president donald trump return hit 1990s tv comedy roseanne workingclass american family drew huge ratings file photo actress roseanne barr reacts arrives 75th golden globe awards beverly hills california us january 7 2018 reutersmario anzuonifile photo barr said abcs good morning america show hopes abc series help people agree disagree foster amicable relations politically entrenched trump supporters opponents really hope opens civil conversation instead mudslinging really said barr supports republican president said spoke wednesday roseanne wades divisiveness us politics drew 18 million viewers tuesday according ratings data significant number broadcast television come ratings pressure online streaming delayed viewing hes happy barr voted trump said former reality tv show star ive known many years hes done lot nice things years friendly conversation working television ratings trump frequently talks tweets shows tv ratings sometimes comparing days show apprentice original roseanne aired 1988 1997 featured bluecollar family conners overweight parents struggling get fictional town lanford illinois praised realistic portrayal workingclass life revival roseanne trump voter faces sister jackie played laurie metcalf portrays ardent opponent president comedy also deal issues opioid addiction access healthcare features roseannes grownup daughter darlene played sara gilbert whose young son gender fluid wearing traditionally girls clothes school gilbert told trade publication variety series reflects american families dinnertable political battles really wanted show family dealing divide politics still love come together end gilbert said abc owned walt disney co said two backtoback halfhour opening episodes drew 15 million viewers finale roseanne may 1997 era americans wider viewing choices offered streaming platforms roseanne latest hit show 1980s 199os revived follows nbc comedy amp grace showtimes supernatural crime drama twin peaks returned television 2017 reporting eric kelsey editing jonathan oatis standards thomson reuters trust principles los angeles reuters almost decade us senator edward kennedy died director john curran made film tries get mind 1969 chappaquiddick incident dogged career instead merely placing blame death campaign strategist mary jo kopechne cast member jason clarke poses premiere chappaquiddick beverly hills california us march 28 2018 reutersmario anzuoni chappaquiddick opening us movie theaters april 6 looks accident led 1969 drowning death kopechne passenger drowned kennedys car drove bridge pond cast member jason clarke poses premiere chappaquiddick beverly hills california us march 28 2018 reutersmario anzuoni kennedy immediately report happened later pleaded guilty leaving scene accident given twomonth suspended jail sentence questions incident hindered presidential ambitions years spurred numerous books documentaries films film follows kennedys emotional reaction accident advisors attempts try contain ensuing scandal want understand ted moment examine week 10day period said actor jason clarke plays kennedy making man curran shied away trying make film definitive version may happened kennedy kopechne july 18 1969 slideshow 3 images like john currans version draw conclusions much empathy retain ted kennedy said jim gaffigan plays kennedys friend paul markham kennedy lifelong democrat died 2009 age 77 serving almost 47 years us senator massachusetts younger brother slain us president john f kennedy former us attorney general senator robert kennedy assassinated 1968 winning democratic presidential primary california ted dichotomy know truly truly conundrum liberalism democratic party still exists good bad clarke said clarke referenced kennedys efforts behalf civil rights better access medical care added theres immense hypocrisy white privilege allows get away something reporting rollo ross editing david gregorio standards thomson reuters trust principles new york reuters new york states highest court thursday rejected lindsay lohans appeal accusing maker grand theft auto v invading privacy concluding video game characters actress said based resemble file photo actress lindsay lohan arrives presentation gareth pugh springsummer 2016 collection london fashion week london britain september 19 2015 reuterssuzanne plunkettfile photo 60 vote state court appeals called taketwo interactive software incs depictions nothing cultural comment said owed lohan damages spokesman lohan declined comment lawyer frank delle donne immediately available comment taketwo based new york respond requests comment lohan 31 objected alleged look soundalike character lacey jonas called really famous actress slash singer tried hide paparazzi also objected depiction blonde woman shown one image frisked police officer another wearing red bikini jewelry taking selfie cellphone flashing peace sign thursdays decision judge eugene fahey said computer image avatar may constitute portrait support invasion privacy claim new york civil rights law said lohan could prevail grand theft auto v merely depicted generic twenty something woman without suggestion amended complaint properly dismissed artistic renderings indistinct satirical representations style look persona modern beachgoing young woman reasonably identifiable plaintiff fahey wrote separate order court dismissed similar claims taketwo karen gravano star reality tv series mob wives another character lohans movies include 1998s parent trap 2004s mean girls acting roles became harder find following legal problems grand theft auto series sold 275 million units case lohan v taketwo interactive software inc new york state court appeals 24 reporting jonathan stempel new york editing dan grebler standards thomson reuters trust principles berlin reuters charleykai john museum dedicated dachshund germanys shortlegged longbodied sausage dog opens next week southern city passau show 2000 exhibits dogshaped bread giant golden statuette two proud sausage dog owners former florists gave jobs open museum bavaria say worlds first devoted dackel built nothing three months world needs sausage dog museum dog world enjoys kind recognition popularity symbol bavaria sausage dog said founder seppi kueblbeck exhibits 80 squaremeter museum cater tastes visitors see canine stamps artistic prints sausage dog motifs handmade puppets porcelain figurines wanted give dog home people come share joy popularity increasing sausage dog socalled sausage dog look conquered hearts many people said kueblbeck prominent dackel fans include artist pablo picasso actor marlon brando former us president john f kennedy scientist albert einstein even napoleon one germanys oldest breeds dachshund long short wirehaired one countrys popular dogs bred hunting since middle ages dachshund translates literally badger dog long snouts allow burrow holes catch small animals kueblbeck museum partner oliver storz said 2000 sausage dog exhibits home owners diligently collected pieces years call substantial amount dackel paraphernalia however breakthrough came lucrative purchase belgian punk rockers extensive collection museum opens doors monday reporting charleykai john reuters tv editing hugh lawson standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,195 |
<p>SAO PAULO (AP) — President Dilma Rousseff and her rival in the Oct. 26 runoff election faced off Tuesday night in their first debate since the opening round ballot, a crucial confrontation with recent opinion polls showing the pair locked in a dead heat.</p>
<p>Challenger Aecio Neves, a center-right, business-friendly candidate, attacked Rousseff's economic record and focused on a growing kickback scandal at Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras.</p>
<p>Brazil's growth has slowed since 2010 and the economy went into a recession earlier this year, while there are near-daily revelations about the alleged multimillion-dollar corruption scandal involving top figures at Petrobras, one of whom has said Rousseff's Workers' Party benefited from the scheme.</p>
<p>"I've spent my entire life combatting corruption," Rousseff shot back after Neves read off a litany of accusations.</p>
<p>The leader noted that she has gone after those accused of corruption in her own government, forcing out several Cabinet ministers at the beginning of her term after they faced accusations of wrongdoing.</p>
<p>Rousseff then aired her own list of accusations against her challenger and his Social Democracy Party, citing cases in which Neves favored family members in airport projects while he was governor in Minas Gerais and citing a 16-year-old allegation of a money-laundering scheme that benefited the then head of Neves' party.</p>
<p>Neves responded by telling Rousseff that "I'm going to respond looking into your eyes — you're being irresponsible, candidate, irresponsible!" He accused of running a "campaign full of lies," which sparked cheers from his supporters in the audience.</p>
<p>Rousseff and Neves represent the two titan parties of Brazilian democracy. The ruling Workers' Party has held the presidency since Jan. 1, 2003, while Neves' party had the office for eight years before that.</p>
<p>In the nearly 12 years the Workers' Party has been in power, Brazil has seen transformative growth and created immense and widely applauded social programs that have lifted millions from poverty and pushed even more into a numerous, if modest, middle class.</p>
<p>Neves argues it was his party that laid the basis for Brazil's advances, creating the Real Plan that created a new currency, ended years of hyperinflation and sold off money-losing state enterprises, helping modernize Brazil's economy.</p>
<p>Neves made a surprising comeback in the Oct. 5 first-round election, surpassing former environment minister Marina Silva to win the second-highest number of votes. That put him into the runoff with Rousseff, who didn't get the outright majority needed to avoid a second ballot.</p>
<p>In the first round, Rousseff won 42 percent of the vote against Neves' 34 percent.</p>
<p>Neves wants to shrink the government's role in Brazil's economy and open the country to more trade, particularly with the U.S. and Europe. Rousseff has expanded the state's reach and role in the economy with large infrastructure programs and she maintains trade barriers to protect fledgling Brazilian industry.</p>
<p>Rousseff's ad campaign is warning lower middle class and poor Brazilians that the tenuous economic gains they've made in recent years would disappear under a Neves government.</p>
<p>Neves, a former two-term governor in Brazil's second-biggest state who left office in 2010 with a 92 percent approval rating, has strongly denied he would cut the popular social welfare programs.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Adriana Gomez Licon reported this story in Sao Paulo and Brad Brooks reported from Rio de Janeiro.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Brad Brooks on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/bradleybrooks" type="external">www.twitter.com/bradleybrooks</a></p>
<p>Adriana Gomez Licon: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/agomezlicon" type="external">www.twitter.com/agomezlicon</a></p>
<p>SAO PAULO (AP) — President Dilma Rousseff and her rival in the Oct. 26 runoff election faced off Tuesday night in their first debate since the opening round ballot, a crucial confrontation with recent opinion polls showing the pair locked in a dead heat.</p>
<p>Challenger Aecio Neves, a center-right, business-friendly candidate, attacked Rousseff's economic record and focused on a growing kickback scandal at Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras.</p>
<p>Brazil's growth has slowed since 2010 and the economy went into a recession earlier this year, while there are near-daily revelations about the alleged multimillion-dollar corruption scandal involving top figures at Petrobras, one of whom has said Rousseff's Workers' Party benefited from the scheme.</p>
<p>"I've spent my entire life combatting corruption," Rousseff shot back after Neves read off a litany of accusations.</p>
<p>The leader noted that she has gone after those accused of corruption in her own government, forcing out several Cabinet ministers at the beginning of her term after they faced accusations of wrongdoing.</p>
<p>Rousseff then aired her own list of accusations against her challenger and his Social Democracy Party, citing cases in which Neves favored family members in airport projects while he was governor in Minas Gerais and citing a 16-year-old allegation of a money-laundering scheme that benefited the then head of Neves' party.</p>
<p>Neves responded by telling Rousseff that "I'm going to respond looking into your eyes — you're being irresponsible, candidate, irresponsible!" He accused of running a "campaign full of lies," which sparked cheers from his supporters in the audience.</p>
<p>Rousseff and Neves represent the two titan parties of Brazilian democracy. The ruling Workers' Party has held the presidency since Jan. 1, 2003, while Neves' party had the office for eight years before that.</p>
<p>In the nearly 12 years the Workers' Party has been in power, Brazil has seen transformative growth and created immense and widely applauded social programs that have lifted millions from poverty and pushed even more into a numerous, if modest, middle class.</p>
<p>Neves argues it was his party that laid the basis for Brazil's advances, creating the Real Plan that created a new currency, ended years of hyperinflation and sold off money-losing state enterprises, helping modernize Brazil's economy.</p>
<p>Neves made a surprising comeback in the Oct. 5 first-round election, surpassing former environment minister Marina Silva to win the second-highest number of votes. That put him into the runoff with Rousseff, who didn't get the outright majority needed to avoid a second ballot.</p>
<p>In the first round, Rousseff won 42 percent of the vote against Neves' 34 percent.</p>
<p>Neves wants to shrink the government's role in Brazil's economy and open the country to more trade, particularly with the U.S. and Europe. Rousseff has expanded the state's reach and role in the economy with large infrastructure programs and she maintains trade barriers to protect fledgling Brazilian industry.</p>
<p>Rousseff's ad campaign is warning lower middle class and poor Brazilians that the tenuous economic gains they've made in recent years would disappear under a Neves government.</p>
<p>Neves, a former two-term governor in Brazil's second-biggest state who left office in 2010 with a 92 percent approval rating, has strongly denied he would cut the popular social welfare programs.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Adriana Gomez Licon reported this story in Sao Paulo and Brad Brooks reported from Rio de Janeiro.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Brad Brooks on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/bradleybrooks" type="external">www.twitter.com/bradleybrooks</a></p>
<p>Adriana Gomez Licon: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/agomezlicon" type="external">www.twitter.com/agomezlicon</a></p>
| false | 2 |
sao paulo ap president dilma rousseff rival oct 26 runoff election faced tuesday night first debate since opening round ballot crucial confrontation recent opinion polls showing pair locked dead heat challenger aecio neves centerright businessfriendly candidate attacked rousseffs economic record focused growing kickback scandal brazils staterun oil company petrobras brazils growth slowed since 2010 economy went recession earlier year neardaily revelations alleged multimilliondollar corruption scandal involving top figures petrobras one said rousseffs workers party benefited scheme ive spent entire life combatting corruption rousseff shot back neves read litany accusations leader noted gone accused corruption government forcing several cabinet ministers beginning term faced accusations wrongdoing rousseff aired list accusations challenger social democracy party citing cases neves favored family members airport projects governor minas gerais citing 16yearold allegation moneylaundering scheme benefited head neves party neves responded telling rousseff im going respond looking eyes youre irresponsible candidate irresponsible accused running campaign full lies sparked cheers supporters audience rousseff neves represent two titan parties brazilian democracy ruling workers party held presidency since jan 1 2003 neves party office eight years nearly 12 years workers party power brazil seen transformative growth created immense widely applauded social programs lifted millions poverty pushed even numerous modest middle class neves argues party laid basis brazils advances creating real plan created new currency ended years hyperinflation sold moneylosing state enterprises helping modernize brazils economy neves made surprising comeback oct 5 firstround election surpassing former environment minister marina silva win secondhighest number votes put runoff rousseff didnt get outright majority needed avoid second ballot first round rousseff 42 percent vote neves 34 percent neves wants shrink governments role brazils economy open country trade particularly us europe rousseff expanded states reach role economy large infrastructure programs maintains trade barriers protect fledgling brazilian industry rousseffs ad campaign warning lower middle class poor brazilians tenuous economic gains theyve made recent years would disappear neves government neves former twoterm governor brazils secondbiggest state left office 2010 92 percent approval rating strongly denied would cut popular social welfare programs ___ associated press writer adriana gomez licon reported story sao paulo brad brooks reported rio de janeiro ___ brad brooks twitter wwwtwittercombradleybrooks adriana gomez licon wwwtwittercomagomezlicon sao paulo ap president dilma rousseff rival oct 26 runoff election faced tuesday night first debate since opening round ballot crucial confrontation recent opinion polls showing pair locked dead heat challenger aecio neves centerright businessfriendly candidate attacked rousseffs economic record focused growing kickback scandal brazils staterun oil company petrobras brazils growth slowed since 2010 economy went recession earlier year neardaily revelations alleged multimilliondollar corruption scandal involving top figures petrobras one said rousseffs workers party benefited scheme ive spent entire life combatting corruption rousseff shot back neves read litany accusations leader noted gone accused corruption government forcing several cabinet ministers beginning term faced accusations wrongdoing rousseff aired list accusations challenger social democracy party citing cases neves favored family members airport projects governor minas gerais citing 16yearold allegation moneylaundering scheme benefited head neves party neves responded telling rousseff im going respond looking eyes youre irresponsible candidate irresponsible accused running campaign full lies sparked cheers supporters audience rousseff neves represent two titan parties brazilian democracy ruling workers party held presidency since jan 1 2003 neves party office eight years nearly 12 years workers party power brazil seen transformative growth created immense widely applauded social programs lifted millions poverty pushed even numerous modest middle class neves argues party laid basis brazils advances creating real plan created new currency ended years hyperinflation sold moneylosing state enterprises helping modernize brazils economy neves made surprising comeback oct 5 firstround election surpassing former environment minister marina silva win secondhighest number votes put runoff rousseff didnt get outright majority needed avoid second ballot first round rousseff 42 percent vote neves 34 percent neves wants shrink governments role brazils economy open country trade particularly us europe rousseff expanded states reach role economy large infrastructure programs maintains trade barriers protect fledgling brazilian industry rousseffs ad campaign warning lower middle class poor brazilians tenuous economic gains theyve made recent years would disappear neves government neves former twoterm governor brazils secondbiggest state left office 2010 92 percent approval rating strongly denied would cut popular social welfare programs ___ associated press writer adriana gomez licon reported story sao paulo brad brooks reported rio de janeiro ___ brad brooks twitter wwwtwittercombradleybrooks adriana gomez licon wwwtwittercomagomezlicon
| 720 |
<p />
<p>A note about these transcripts: In the spirit of extending the reach of the conference as much as possible, we’re making available these lightly edited transcripts to journalists interested in pursuing issues covered in the discussions and presentations at Poynter. The transcriber did her best to capture as much of the proceedings as possible, as accurately as possible, but you should be aware of the limitations: participants speaking out of range of microphones, people talking at the same time, etc.&#160; In brief, we’d ask you to use these transcripts to help guide your planning, but please do not quote directly from them for publication without confirming the contents with the speaker.Roy: I couldn’t do the math. The program says you were thirty-two years of age?</p>
<p>Bartosz: Yes.</p>
<p>Roy: And it says you were a reporter at Gazeta for the last twenty-one years.</p>
<p>Bartosz: That’s a mistake.</p>
<p>Roy: Okay.</p>
<p>Bartosz: That was reported for the last fourteen years; that’s when the newspaper was created. Gazeta is the first independent newspaper in eastern Europe, created right at the moment when (unintelligible) in Poland, and that’s when I joined the newspaper.</p>
<p>Roy: So you didn’t begin your professional reporting career at age eleven?</p>
<p>Bartosz: I started reporting the first of August 1990, which is also a very important date because that’s when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Our foreign editor was desperately looking for someone who speaks any language to read the wires. I was a copy boy at that time and I said, "I speak English," so that’s how I started.</p>
<p>Roy: And you were also a correspondent for the paper in Moscow?</p>
<p>Bartosz: I was a correspondent in Moscow, covering the former Soviet Union. I specialized in security and military issues. I was a correspondent to Brussels covering the European union and NATO.</p>
<p>Roy: Okay, and you’ve had experience covering wars…</p>
<p>Bartosz: Yes, I was covering the military and security issues. I traveled in the former Soviet Union during the civil wars, both (unintelligible) in Moscow in 1991 and 1993. I traveled to Yugoslavia and covered the war there and I covered Haiti—Operation Haiti.</p>
<p>Roy: We don’t want to know your whole life story, Bart.</p>
<p>Bartosz: Well, I could talk about my life for hours.</p>
<p>Roy: I discovered that yesterday. Thank you. Stephen Buckley, you did begin your reporting career at about eleven years old. I know because I asked you. Initially, you were about thirteen. And you’ve risen from that to become—this is great title—the AME for the world, or the World Editor as we like to say, at The St. Petersburg Times after twelve years at The Washington Post, where you did Metro reporting and you were a foreign correspondent with The Post three years stationed in…</p>
<p>Stephen: About three-and-a-half. Right.</p>
<p>Roy: …in Nairobi, Kenya?</p>
<p>Stephen: Right.</p>
<p>Roy: And then you opened The Washington Post bureau…Rio de Janeiro bureau in Brazil. You were there for how long?</p>
<p>Stephen: Two years.</p>
<p>Roy: And, generally, what kind of work were you doing for both? What were your assignments? Mostly stationed there? Did you travel extensively from those locations?</p>
<p>Stephen: In Nairobi, I traveled a lot throughout the continent. I was essentially responsible for everything between Cairo and Johannesburg. But in Brazil, I stayed pretty much in Brazil.</p>
<p>Roy: Very good. Now we’ll get to the meat. Bart, you told me some things yesterday that were very interesting to me and I hope you will repeat them to the group because we could talk about it. And this is your sense that there are two schools of reporting, one of which you profess and embody and one of which you sort of avoid. Can you describe those schools and tell what they are?</p>
<p>Bartosz: Sure. We were talking about the foreigner covering the foreign events. One school I call ‘widely open eyes journalism’ and the other one is called ‘partial journalism.’ That’s the one I understand in the U.S. is called ‘partial journalism’ and another school of journalism. The ‘partial journalism’ means that you go to cover the news and you have no idea where you are going, you know nothing about the region, you just keep your eyes open and whatever is fascinating to you, you just think that it’s going to be fascinating to your readers. That’s a school that’s extremely popular in the U.S., believe me. I met hundreds of U.S. journalists abroad and it’s extremely…it happens very often that the U.S. journalists, especially from TV stations, go to other regions of the world having no idea where they had gone. The other school of journalism is the one that I believe in and this is a school that says you have to get prepared as much as possible. First of all, you should know the local language. I don’t believe in sending journalists to parts of the world with no knowledge of the language because I don’t believe in translators. I think, while using a translator going somewhere, you lose 50% of what people tell you. You basically have no idea what they are talking about. If you are in a country that gives you a so-called ‘handler,’ like in Iraq, you basically cannot trust them. You have no idea what people on the street tell you. Basically what it means is that it’s second-hand reporting. The U.S. journalists who went to Iraq and covered the street events, basically it’s like watching a movie with subtitles. It’s someone there for you who has his own agenda. So that’s the first thing. It’s not always possible, obviously, to know the local language, but I do believe if you’re going to South America you should speak Spanish or Portuguese. I’ve never been to South America in my life.</p>
<p>Roy: And you wouldn’t go.</p>
<p>Bartosz: And I wouldn’t go, because I don’t speak Spanish or Portuguese. And my editors would never send me. That’s the reason I refuse to open a China bureau for my newspaper because I said I would need a year to study Chinese and my editor told me that’s not possible.</p>
<p>Roy: Let me interrupt you. Yesterday, you called that kind of journalism ‘half journalism?’</p>
<p>Bartosz: Yes. The ‘partial journalism’ is ‘half journalism.’</p>
<p>Roy: Let’s de-construct it. What part of it is half empty? So you are not getting what when you…</p>
<p>Bartosz: Well, all of you who went to different parts of the world, you know, there are issues for people out there that are common knowledge. There are some nuances that you will never get if you don’t know the background of the place, if you don’t speak the language. There are words in the language that are not possible to translate or the translator, who is a local guy, will not translate for you because he will think you understand it. They are common mistakes. There are cultural things that you have to know, like the lady who traveled to Costa Rica told about that she had someone who translated it to her. It’s not always possible to find someone like this so I strongly believe that before going anyplace you have to read as much as possible. And, of course, with the beautiful public libraries in the U.S. and with the on-line resources, it’s possible. You should know everything about politics. You should know everything about culture. You should know everything about the history and environment of the place. You should talk to both diplomats to give you an official viewpoint. You should talk to dissidents if there are any dissidents from this region. You should talk to journalists from the region. You should read local newspapers. You should watch movies from this country. I strongly believe that before going anywhere it takes about two to three months to get prepared.</p>
<p>Roy: Thank you very much. Your standards are very high. Stephen, when some of us here at the Poynter Institute were preparing to make trips to South Africa as part of a kind of educational exchange program with a sister institution there, we got some advice from one of our advisors who is a well known journalist, Bill Raspberry from The Washington Post. He said, "Just remember this, if you’re going to do this. You need to be ready to go to South Africa three times." He said, "The first time you go, you’ll see all these wonderful, interesting new things and it will fill you up with new experiences, new understandings. Then you need to go back a second time to realize how wrong you were as a result of the first trip. And in the third trip, with all that clutter sort of being cleared away, you then achieve a deeper level of understanding." How does that correspond to your experience in your two outposts?</p>
<p>Stephen: I think that’s very true. Certainly, with my experience, with each trip you’re peeling away layers and the experience—in my case, Brazil—I wasn’t going back and forth but in the first three months we were just simply trying to get through a day. We learned Portuguese in Washington and then were practicing Portuguese in Brazil, which were two very, very different experiences. So the first three months, we were just desperately…we were hanging on by our fingernails. Then, after another six months or so, our Portuguese improved; we got to know more Brazilians as we spent more time in other parts of Brazil outside of Rio de Janeiro; as we ate more Brazilian food, as we read more Brazilian books…</p>
<p>Roy: Listen to any music there?</p>
<p>Stephen: We listed to a lot of music there. Essentially, we immersed ourselves in the culture. We became…I went from trying to cover Brazil to understanding Brazil, which is a very, very different experience and really does take a lot of time.</p>
<p>Roy: Do you remember a story that you might have been able to do in the second stage that there was no way you could have seen it or understood it in the early stages?</p>
<p>Stephen: Oh, sure. I did a story shortly before I left about a little town in northern Brazil that historically had practiced slavery. I went up there by myself—which I never would have done when I first began—and did a story about how the practice continued, but the folks who were experiencing this said, "You know what? We don’t have any options, so we feel trapped. Yes, this is a horrible condition. Yes, we don’t get paid. We work sixteen hours a day. We endure these horrible punishments. But, you know what? What else are we going to do?" Well that kind of story took about a week to do and, as I said, I did it by myself, didn’t go with anybody, and it was rural Brazil, which is very different from a place like Rio de Janeiro where people are much more open, much more accessible. But because I understood more of the cultural cues and minefields, I was able to do that story.</p>
<p>Roy: This is a question that I think relates to the greater utility of some of these ideas. We’re talking about the craft of international reporting. Could I get the two of you to talk a bit about the similarities and differences for me as a journalist if I’m going to another country and if I’m traveling to do a story out of Oklahoma City, or if I’m traveling to certain neighborhoods within a fifteen-minute drive. I guess what I’m saying, is the mental and physical and intellectual and journalistic preparation the same for those activities or are we talking about completely different paradigms. Bart, what do you sense about that?</p>
<p>Bartosz: Absolutely, it’s exactly the same thing. When you go to a Polish neighborhood in Chicago to cover some local issue there, if you don’t speak Polish you’re cooked. That’s basically the reason why the Chicago press doesn’t cover the Polish community. They have over a million Poles living in Chicago and they don’t cover them at all. The Chicago newspapers do not penetrate the Polish market in Chicago because people in Polish neighborhoods don’t speak English and the journalists at the Chicago press don’t speak Polish. They have no idea of Poles, what kind of books they read; they have no idea of the music they listen to. Just imagine how many possibilities you’ve got once you…before going to any local neighborhood of immigrants…If you go to a Hindu neighborhood, if you know everything about the Hindu music…Before going to Moscow, I studied the Russian rock music. It opened all doors in Moscow to me because I could talk to young people. And obviously they knew everything about Western music, but when they found out that I know names of the Russian bands, I was their man. They accepted me immediately. It works exactly the same way.</p>
<p>Roy: I see you as a great sort of rock and roll sort of figure in the Soviet Union.</p>
<p>Bartosz: Music is a very important thing for people of the Slavic origin. Wherever you go in eastern and central Europe, it’s like it’s a big thing. It works exactly…if you go to Little Odessa in New York, it’s not covered by the New York press either. I think it’s possible to find a Russian-American journalist who will cover it but they don’t do it. Basically, the whole neighborhoods are just cut out.</p>
<p>Roy: Short of publishing a Polish edition of the Chicago newspaper…I assume that there are Polish language newspapers…are there Polish language newspapers there?</p>
<p>Bartosz: Yes there are.</p>
<p>Roy: You have an editor (unintelligible)?</p>
<p>Bartosz: Yes, we have an editor of the biggest Polish-American newspaper in America.</p>
<p>Roy: My question is: Is there any commercial value—let’s leave ethics and tradition aside—to send somebody into that community to write English language stories about that community?</p>
<p>Bartosz: Absolutely.</p>
<p>Roy: Will that attract more Polish-speaking to the paper?</p>
<p>Bartosz: In Chicago, you’re talking about a city of a million people. Is there any purpose to have a newspaper in a city of a million people? Of course there is. And even in English newspaper, we talk about different generations. The young Polish-Americans obviously speak better English than Polish and they’re still cut off because there’s no newspaper for them. The Chicago Tribune, if you go to the Polish neighborhoods, nobody reads Chicago Tribune because Chicago Tribune doesn’t cover the issues very important to them, neither in Polish nor in English.</p>
<p>Roy: Steve, what’s your take on his notion that the skills are congruent or (unintelligible)? Tell me what you think about that as an idea.</p>
<p>Stephen: When I first went overseas, I think that was the biggest surprise. Reporting is reporting is reporting. It takes hard work. It takes patience and perseverance. It takes tremendous desire. It takes source building. It takes fresh ideas. Those things are all the same. I actually went from being a metro reporter to going overseas and it was all the same other than the fact that it took more patience, more perseverance, more desire, and it was tougher to build sources. It was all essentially the same work.</p>
<p>Roy: If you’re a metro reporter working in Washington, DC, are there some communities that seem like foreign countries? I don’t mean to be crude about it but…I’m not just talking about ethnic communities. Are there some communities where you are trying to figure out what the heck is going on here?</p>
<p>Stephen: Absolutely. I was a night police reporter for the first year I was at the paper. Southeast Washington, which was the most violent part of the city, the poorest part of the city, the most marginalized part of the city, was treated by the newspaper as if it were a foreign country. When I covered that beat, I made a decision to not just cover crime but to cover the neighborhoods because I felt like it was important for us to let readers know, without being patronizing, without writing puff pieces, that there was a larger community beyond the folks that were being killed at the time in disputes over crack. There were people who were desperately trying to live real good, solid, productive lives.</p>
<p>Roy: Bart, you started the process so I want to build some brainstorming on what you said. The question is: What are the most important tools and resources that you bring as a reporter preparing to enter into a different country, a different culture, a different community? The three that I’ve got you down with is to read everything, to talk to everybody, to learn the language. Even if you know the language, it’s interesting because it’s not just about learning Polish, right? I mean it’s to learn the lingo too, to learn the words that reveal the culture.</p>
<p>Bartosz: Absolutely.</p>
<p>Roy: Add to this list.</p>
<p>Stephen: These are some personal skills. These are kind of psychological skills to build. I think it’s important to be prepared to be surprised. Train yourself to be surprised. To train yourself to be prepared for the counterintuitive, because I think particularly when we go from a place like the United States, our tendency is to have a pretty concrete sense of what we’re going to expect. I think that sometimes the sameness of coverage from a place like Africa emanates from the fact that oftentimes we go with a sense of what to expect and then we write about the things that meet those expectations as opposed to writing about the things that catch us off guard.</p>
<p>Roy: You’re reminding me of my first teaching experience. I applied for a hundred teaching positions and got one job offer in Montgomery, Alabama. So I had to travel from New York to Alabama in 1974. All my friends in New York were saying, "You can’t go down there with those New York plates. You’ve got to take that…" You know, I saw Easy Rider three times and… Our perception of Alabama was as a kind of banana republic. The thing that surprised me was how much more social interaction there was between whites and blacks in Alabama than there was on Long Island where I had grown up. That was a shocking surprise and a very pleasant one to me. It led me to all other kinds of openness.</p>
<p>Bartosz: If I may add one thing about the list, it is that following these points help you cut the budget because, believe me, my budget is very strict. We’re talking about a Polish newspaper. The kind of money that American newspapers have, $5,000 is a lot of money for me. So if you can speak the local language, that basically helps you, for example, to find accommodation at someone’s house. When I go to strange places like (unintelligible) in the former Soviet Union, they don’t have any hotels anyway. They usually have one government-owned hotel and you go and you have to spend $200, $300 per night. If you know the language, if you know the culture, you get to know people. When you get to know people, you save money. They feed you; they let you sleep at their houses. My editors are very unhappy when the foreign correspondents sleep at the hotels because they want us to save money. So, you spend a lot of time before going somewhere but it really helps to cut the budget.</p>
<p>Roy: Okay, thank you very much. I’m sure that some people will be very delighted to hear that. What else needs to be on this list? What would you guys add to the list?</p>
<p>Bartosz: If I can add one more thing. Being a U.S. journalist, you’ll be seen all over the world as a very rich people who need to be, you know, suck all the money off. That’s the understanding all over the world. You come from America; you have bucks to spend.</p>
<p>Roy: So it makes you very vulnerable.</p>
<p>Bartosz: Oh, absolutely, especially if you don’t know the language, you’re cooked. If you don’t know the culture, if you don’t know cheap hotels, you’re looking for Hilton or Holiday Inn or something like this. In Warsaw, for many years, Holiday Inn was the best hotel in town and it was extremely expensive.</p>
<p>Roy: But won’t a good handler take care of that?</p>
<p>Stephen: Can I break in for a second? I think what you’re saying is dead on, but I remember lots of occasions where a crisis erupts in a country that I wasn’t familiar with or I hadn’t been to before and I had to go. You find the best interpreter or fixer you can and then you apply the best kinds of journalism skills to that situation. So, while I agree the ideal is to know the language, I think plenty of folks do very good journalism without knowing the language, particularly in circumstances that are…in crisis circumstances.</p>
<p>Bartosz: Let me add to this that crisis is obviously a different story. When you have to go, you have to go. That’s what happened to me in Haiti. I knew nothing about Haiti when I went there. But, especially with small newspapers, I don’t expect your editors to see the war somewhere going on and they say, "We have to cover the war. You have to go there tomorrow." We’re talking about feature stories or this kind of stuff you can get prepared to.</p>
<p>Stephen: Even with feature stories, for example, in places like the former Zaire or Rwanda, many, many African countries where you can find people in the cities who speak…who, like in West Africa, speak French or in East Africa speak English or Swahili. But once you get into rural areas, which is where the really good stories are, people tend to speak their own tribal language. There are very few people who speak those languages.</p>
<p>Bartosz: Absolutely.</p>
<p>Roy: Think back on your experience and your knowledge of other journalists. What are the most common mistakes? What are the things that you could arm us against? Just don’t do that or else the rake will come up and hit you in the head. Bart is pointing to you so I assume he makes fun of these.</p>
<p>Stephen: Well, from personal experience, the two mistakes are that we tend to be very impatient. We come from a culture—I speak as an American—where if you cover something, an organized event, whether it’s a baseball game or a news conference, people literally come and hand you the information that you need. Or we do interviews that rarely last beyond ten or fifteen minutes. The toughest thing was to accept the fact that everything takes longer and it’s not ultimately about…Once you get to the story, the story is going to be great, but it takes a lot of patience often to get to the story, to figure out how to get to some rural time in northeast Kenya. In one case, I know a reporter who had to take a camel from a mid-sized town to a tiny town in northeast Kenya. But he wrote a great story. Figuring out the logistics takes a lot of time, a lot of patience.</p>
<p>Roy: What’s a mistake?</p>
<p>Bartosz: It basically all comes down to knowing the local culture, the local traditions. I think, especially, U.S. journalists very often make a mistake of putting the American standards to the place where they are going. Very often, they say, "I’m a journalist. I’m a fifth power. I’m the most important guy in this room." And they’re finished. They (unintelligible). In many cultures, basically, you’re talking about the Third World and the press doesn’t exist. The people don’t understand what the journalists are for. They very often see them as spies or government agents coming around. In Azerbezhan, where I went with a tour of U. S. journalists—I had to cover the civil war there—they basically were cut off from any important person because they didn’t like tea. They went to a local guy, who was like a local chief, and he proposed a tea. I hate tea myself. I can’t drink tea, but I knew that tea was very important so I was more than happy that they had tea. This guy said, "Do you have coffee?" That was it and they were cut off.</p>
<p>Roy: There have a Starbucks there… Let me take stab at this one because there are some interesting historical precedents and also some recent news. This has to do with issues of access and ethics. I’m thinking of CNN and its experience in Iraq and its suppression of certain kinds of news and—in order to protect lives, certainly—but also in order not to burn their bridges. Is this maybe a particular problem in an international or foreign setting? How does that work? How does that dance work with sources and things like that? Is it any different than covering city government in your own countries or are there any special problems or issues that come up?</p>
<p>Bartosz: Well, the problems that CNN had in Iraq, we all have to ask ourselves what CNN does not report from places like Cuba and North Korea today that we’ll find out in ten years that they didn’t report. That’s ridiculous. I think that it’s not for me to teach the U.S. press about ethics because I strongly believe that the U.S. journalists’ code of ethics is very good and that’s what we try to learn from you. But if foreign journalists basically just report the truth. My editor-in-chief wanted for us to open a Beijing bureau in China and we had a lot of problems with this. He went to Beijing for a meeting with the foreign ministry in Beijing. He pushed them very hard to open a bureau in Beijing. And they said, "Well, yes, but there are certain rules that you have to follow." And he said, "The only rules that my journalists follow is to tell the truth and if he’s kicked out of Beijing after a month, that’s fine with me. I don’t have any problem with this." I think that all the journalists from the U.S. and other places who report today from China have a big problem of ethics because I’m pretty sure that every one of them does not report on everything they know and everything they know that is true.</p>
<p>Roy: Because if they did, they would be expelled or…</p>
<p>Bartosz: It’s the same…</p>
<p>Roy: Isn’t it better for them to stay there and report half the story than…</p>
<p>Bartosz: I believe it’s better to be kicked out. I strongly believe it. Otherwise, you start to cross the line when (unintelligible). You come to a moment (unintelligible) and you say, "Well, I don’t want to report on this because I want to stay here for the next three years."</p>
<p>Roy: Steve, do you have anything on that?</p>
<p>Stephen: Three months after I arrive in Kenya, I wrote a story about how the Kenyan government was cracking down on the opposition and then promptly went off to write a story or stories in Nigeria. I got a call from my editor saying that the Kenyan government was threatening not to let me return to the country. They were saying, "We didn’t like the story. It’s not true." First they wanted a retraction and if not that they wanted to bar my access to Kenya. My bosses essentially said, "Well, unless the story is factually wrong, we’re not going to run any sort of correction or retraction and we met all the criteria of a foreign correspondent in Kenya, so Stephen will plan to go back to Nairobi." When I got back, the government officials…I was actually gone a couple of weeks, but during that time, my wife said that government officials were calling the house, wanting to talk to me. People were either driving by the house or calling up to the house. Eventually, all that stopped and the Kenyan government ultimately forgot about this incident. I say all that to say that I agree that ultimately you have to tell the truth and risk the consequences. That said, I saw a quote from John Burns, the great New York Times correspondent who has been in Baghdad. He was talking about his struggle to be accurate enough to have a clear conscience in describing atrocities under the Hussein regime without getting himself kicked out. So, on one hand, I would say be clear-headed and I think there’s some moral clarity here. On the other hand, I think there’s room for pragmatism.</p>
<p>Roy: What questions do you have?</p>
<p>Question: Stephen, on the other side of what you just said I have heard from some foreign correspondents—and I’ve had one small experience with this myself—that there are some of our colleagues behave in a way that seems to them to be totally pragmatic and it seems that others should be cowardly, and that has to do with separating yourself from the government and the policies of the United States. If you go particularly to a country where relations are not particularly good, the government there is that these guys do a sort of shift and dance and say, "I don’t have anything to do with the government. I don’t even agree with what my government does. I’m just here to be a reporter. I don’t represent George Bush or John Ashcroft or Rumsfeld," which meant I think it’s all right to say, "I’m not the government" or "I’m not the CIA." These are almost doing a dance of ingratiation (inaudible).</p>
<p>Stephen: Generally, no. But, yes, on many, many occasions, I did have to say…especially since my card said The Washington Post, most people thought, "Oh, you work for the U.S. Government." And so I did have to say, "No, I don’t work for the government." Most of the folks I worked with did not the sort of Peter Arnett dance that you are describing.</p>
<p>Roy: You know, Bob, I remember when I first went to work for you trying to learn my skills as a reporter, I would call people who had previous dealings with The St. Petersburg Times and they assumed that I was going to treat them badly or in a biased way or reflect the political bias of the times. I would have to describe to them, "I don’t know what you experience here before. I’m a reporter and I want to learn what you know. I’m going to write it down. I’m going to try to report it as…</p>
<p>Question: I’m just wondering, you’ve been traveling around the U.S., visiting small towns as well as big cities. What have you seen in American journalism, both broadcast and print, that you like, that you’d like to see Polish journalists do more of?</p>
<p>Bartosz: I think the biggest difference between U.S. journalism and European journalism is resources. The small newspapers in America have much more money than the small newspapers in Europe and obviously the big newspapers in America have much more money than the big newspapers in Europe and I think it’s all a matter or resources. I think it’s much easier to do journalism if you have money, obviously, and I could see it all over the work. You look at the TV journalists when they buy everything. They basically buy everything out wherever they go. When I went to Haiti…</p>
<p>Question: I want to press you on that, what you’ve seen that you like in America.</p>
<p>Bartosz: I think the favorite thing that I like about the U.S. journalism is the very strict code of ethics. Of course, not everybody follows it, but at least talk about this and the whole Peter Arnett story in Iraq, I think, was a great example of it. You have a guy who, in my opinion, definitely crossed the line and at least he was (unintelligible) and he was fired after all. I don’t think any of the journalistic organizations in Europe have that kind of code of ethics. We just somehow feel it and basically the editor tells us is the right thing to do. I’m a lucky guy because I work for a newspaper that is very strict on ethics and my editors fell in love a long time ago with The New York Times and they try to follow everything that they think is right about The Times and one of the things is the code of ethics. So that’s my absolutely favorite thing about U.S. journalism.</p>
<p>Roy: Bart, there are two things that you don’t understand about American culture?</p>
<p>Bartosz: Okay.</p>
<p>Roy: Go ahead.</p>
<p>Bartosz: I don’t know. Tell me.</p>
<p>Roy: You told me yesterday.</p>
<p>Bartosz: Oh, okay. (Unintelligible) the former President of the Czech Republic, when he came to Washington, said that America was a land of a thousand faces. He said most of the faces are very bright and we love them. There are a few not so bright faces and there are a few dark faces that we don’t like. The two dark faces we talked about yesterday, one is the gun issue, gun control issue, and the other is the death penalty issue. But we talk of this as a cultural thing. There is a huge gap between the U.S. and Europe that although I do love America and I’m probably too much pro-American journalism for a correspondent here. But there are two things that I don’t understand myself and I’m unable to explain to European readers. This is the gun control issue and the death penalty issue.</p>
<p>Roy: And what about mistresses?</p>
<p>Bartosz: Oh, this one we understand very well. And this is why I called my editor on the 17th of January of 1998 when the Monica Lewinsky story was non-stop because I have this European perspective on the issue. In Europe, if you’re a politician and you don’t have a mistress that means that you are not a real man. There’s something wrong with you. Look at France. You know when the previous President of France died, his mistress was at the funeral and she was on the front page of the newspapers, not his wife but his mistress who was much more beautiful than his wife. The interesting story about this is that…</p>
<p>Roy: It’s interesting already…</p>
<p>Bartosz: It obviously was a huge story. The whole impeachment story was a huge story in Europe. We laughed all the time about it. I thought it was a very funny story. But the same year I drove the car to California just to find out about the real American countryside. I stopped in Arizona on the day when Clinton did the interview with in which he admitted that he had relations with that woman. I watched the TV with a bunch of truckers in a small Arizona hotel and in the middle of Clinton’s speech, they said, "Hey, you guys, there’s a game going on. Let’s switch to the game." And the next day I called my editor and he asked me, "So we are going to have the President impeached. This is going to be a huge story. And I said, "No, no, no, he’s not going to be impeached because nobody outside the beltway cares about this." I thought this was so good because people prefer the game to talking about Monica Lewinsky.</p>
<p>Roy: I would pay some money to have a videotape of you with that group of truckers watching…</p>
<p>Bartosz: That was…I drank a lot of beer that night.</p>
<p>Roy: Let me ask one more question. I’ll call it sort of a National Geographic question because for years and years National Geographic has been a popular magazine. Children read it and use it for projects in schools and it’s in homes. So my question is: Are we ethnocentric? As Americans, are we ethnocentric beyond hope in terms of being able to interest us in international news or are we just not working with the right set of tools in order to make Americans more interested in international news?</p>
<p>Stephen: I mean, St. Petersburg is a pretty average city. The St. Pete Times’ senior foreign correspondent, Susan Taylor Martin, puts her e-mail address at the bottom of her stories and she tells me that she gets a ton of mail. Lots of people read her stories. I get a lot of e-mail. People read international news. People are interested in it. I think that’s partly…</p>
<p>Roy: Yeah. We’re under attack.</p>
<p>Stephen: Even before the war. Susan got e-mails even before the war. My sense is that there are two things that are really important. People want to read personal stories. They don’t want to read about the last news conference and they don’t want to read stories that are just full of talking heads. They are interested in stories like the one Susan wrote last week about a wife in Baghdad spending three weeks looking for her husband. People can connect to something like that. We can connect to other human beings. The other thing is that we try hard to give folks different ways to enter into a story, so it’s not just about a story but about graphics, photos, charts, Q&amp;As—we use a lot of Q&amp;As—anything to help readers engage with a story that they normally wouldn’t.</p>
<p>Roy: Yes.</p>
<p>Question: I wonder if you could talk a little bit about the startling difference between the American news and the news that you get out of the European outlets (inaudible).</p>
<p>Stephen: Do you want me specifically to…and the question is why is it that the BBC and The Guardian report some things that we don’t report?</p>
<p>Question: (Inaudible)</p>
<p>Stephen: I don’t truly know the answer. I think that’s an oversimplification. In the case of The Guardian, it has its own agenda that is quite ideological. It’s tougher to say with the BBC. I think one of the things that I remember about the BBC correspondents that I spent time with was that they were much more—for obvious reasons—removed from the pressures of what are Americans going to think. And also their news tended to be drier—and I mean this in the best kind of way. They’re not focused on emotions; they are focused on: What are the facts today and how can we present them clearly to viewers and readers?</p>
<p>Bartosz: People in Europe are much more interested in the news itself than Americans. They want the local input, the connection to my city. In Europe, people pretty much want to know what’s going on in the world, even if it doesn’t have any impact on them. They just want to know. And that’s why (unintelligible)…</p>
<p>(End of Side A)</p>
<p>Stephen: …that they do a much weaker job of covering their own communities. It’s harder to get a sense of where you happen to be if you’re reading that paper. That’s the point of view of Americans. They are used to reading so many local stories.</p>
<p>Bartosz: I think it’s changing. I think—it’s true—my newspaper was the first one in Poland that started a metro section. There was never a metro section in any of the Polish newspapers. Actually, most of the European newspapers didn’t have metro sections, if you can believe it. The local stories were somewhere along with the national news. So you had the news from the Parliament in the capital city and then you had the news on the street next to you. It’s changing and I think we’re going more towards the U.S. journalism way of writing about local issues.</p>
<p>Question: Maybe we need to go more towards…</p>
<p>Bartosz: Absolutely. I think that’s the lesson of September 11. If you lose the contact with the world, you’re going to have the next September 11.</p>
<p>Thanks so much Roy, Bart and Stephen.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
| false | 2 |
note transcripts spirit extending reach conference much possible making available lightly edited transcripts journalists interested pursuing issues covered discussions presentations poynter transcriber best capture much proceedings possible accurately possible aware limitations participants speaking range microphones people talking time etc160 brief wed ask use transcripts help guide planning please quote directly publication without confirming contents speakerroy couldnt math program says thirtytwo years age bartosz yes roy says reporter gazeta last twentyone years bartosz thats mistake roy okay bartosz reported last fourteen years thats newspaper created gazeta first independent newspaper eastern europe created right moment unintelligible poland thats joined newspaper roy didnt begin professional reporting career age eleven bartosz started reporting first august 1990 also important date thats iraq invaded kuwait foreign editor desperately looking someone speaks language read wires copy boy time said speak english thats started roy also correspondent paper moscow bartosz correspondent moscow covering former soviet union specialized security military issues correspondent brussels covering european union nato roy okay youve experience covering wars bartosz yes covering military security issues traveled former soviet union civil wars unintelligible moscow 1991 1993 traveled yugoslavia covered war covered haitioperation haiti roy dont want know whole life story bart bartosz well could talk life hours roy discovered yesterday thank stephen buckley begin reporting career eleven years old know asked initially thirteen youve risen becomethis great titlethe ame world world editor like say st petersburg times twelve years washington post metro reporting foreign correspondent post three years stationed stephen threeandahalf right roy nairobi kenya stephen right roy opened washington post bureaurio de janeiro bureau brazil long stephen two years roy generally kind work assignments mostly stationed travel extensively locations stephen nairobi traveled lot throughout continent essentially responsible everything cairo johannesburg brazil stayed pretty much brazil roy good well get meat bart told things yesterday interesting hope repeat group could talk sense two schools reporting one profess embody one sort avoid describe schools tell bartosz sure talking foreigner covering foreign events one school call widely open eyes journalism one called partial journalism thats one understand us called partial journalism another school journalism partial journalism means go cover news idea going know nothing region keep eyes open whatever fascinating think going fascinating readers thats school thats extremely popular us believe met hundreds us journalists abroad extremelyit happens often us journalists especially tv stations go regions world idea gone school journalism one believe school says get prepared much possible first know local language dont believe sending journalists parts world knowledge language dont believe translators think using translator going somewhere lose 50 people tell basically idea talking country gives socalled handler like iraq basically trust idea people street tell basically means secondhand reporting us journalists went iraq covered street events basically like watching movie subtitles someone agenda thats first thing always possible obviously know local language believe youre going south america speak spanish portuguese ive never south america life roy wouldnt go bartosz wouldnt go dont speak spanish portuguese editors would never send thats reason refuse open china bureau newspaper said would need year study chinese editor told thats possible roy let interrupt yesterday called kind journalism half journalism bartosz yes partial journalism half journalism roy lets deconstruct part half empty getting bartosz well went different parts world know issues people common knowledge nuances never get dont know background place dont speak language words language possible translate translator local guy translate think understand common mistakes cultural things know like lady traveled costa rica told someone translated always possible find someone like strongly believe going anyplace read much possible course beautiful public libraries us online resources possible know everything politics know everything culture know everything history environment place talk diplomats give official viewpoint talk dissidents dissidents region talk journalists region read local newspapers watch movies country strongly believe going anywhere takes two three months get prepared roy thank much standards high stephen us poynter institute preparing make trips south africa part kind educational exchange program sister institution got advice one advisors well known journalist bill raspberry washington post said remember youre going need ready go south africa three times said first time go youll see wonderful interesting new things fill new experiences new understandings need go back second time realize wrong result first trip third trip clutter sort cleared away achieve deeper level understanding correspond experience two outposts stephen think thats true certainly experience trip youre peeling away layers experiencein case brazili wasnt going back forth first three months simply trying get day learned portuguese washington practicing portuguese brazil two different experiences first three months desperatelywe hanging fingernails another six months portuguese improved got know brazilians spent time parts brazil outside rio de janeiro ate brazilian food read brazilian books roy listen music stephen listed lot music essentially immersed culture becamei went trying cover brazil understanding brazil different experience really take lot time roy remember story might able second stage way could seen understood early stages stephen oh sure story shortly left little town northern brazil historically practiced slavery went myselfwhich never would done first beganand story practice continued folks experiencing said know dont options feel trapped yes horrible condition yes dont get paid work sixteen hours day endure horrible punishments know else going well kind story took week said didnt go anybody rural brazil different place like rio de janeiro people much open much accessible understood cultural cues minefields able story roy question think relates greater utility ideas talking craft international reporting could get two talk bit similarities differences journalist im going another country im traveling story oklahoma city im traveling certain neighborhoods within fifteenminute drive guess im saying mental physical intellectual journalistic preparation activities talking completely different paradigms bart sense bartosz absolutely exactly thing go polish neighborhood chicago cover local issue dont speak polish youre cooked thats basically reason chicago press doesnt cover polish community million poles living chicago dont cover chicago newspapers penetrate polish market chicago people polish neighborhoods dont speak english journalists chicago press dont speak polish idea poles kind books read idea music listen imagine many possibilities youve got youbefore going local neighborhood immigrantsif go hindu neighborhood know everything hindu musicbefore going moscow studied russian rock music opened doors moscow could talk young people obviously knew everything western music found know names russian bands man accepted immediately works exactly way roy see great sort rock roll sort figure soviet union bartosz music important thing people slavic origin wherever go eastern central europe like big thing works exactlyif go little odessa new york covered new york press either think possible find russianamerican journalist cover dont basically whole neighborhoods cut roy short publishing polish edition chicago newspaperi assume polish language newspapersare polish language newspapers bartosz yes roy editor unintelligible bartosz yes editor biggest polishamerican newspaper america roy question commercial valuelets leave ethics tradition asideto send somebody community write english language stories community bartosz absolutely roy attract polishspeaking paper bartosz chicago youre talking city million people purpose newspaper city million people course even english newspaper talk different generations young polishamericans obviously speak better english polish theyre still cut theres newspaper chicago tribune go polish neighborhoods nobody reads chicago tribune chicago tribune doesnt cover issues important neither polish english roy steve whats take notion skills congruent unintelligible tell think idea stephen first went overseas think biggest surprise reporting reporting reporting takes hard work takes patience perseverance takes tremendous desire takes source building takes fresh ideas things actually went metro reporter going overseas fact took patience perseverance desire tougher build sources essentially work roy youre metro reporter working washington dc communities seem like foreign countries dont mean crude butim talking ethnic communities communities trying figure heck going stephen absolutely night police reporter first year paper southeast washington violent part city poorest part city marginalized part city treated newspaper foreign country covered beat made decision cover crime cover neighborhoods felt like important us let readers know without patronizing without writing puff pieces larger community beyond folks killed time disputes crack people desperately trying live real good solid productive lives roy bart started process want build brainstorming said question important tools resources bring reporter preparing enter different country different culture different community three ive got read everything talk everybody learn language even know language interesting learning polish right mean learn lingo learn words reveal culture bartosz absolutely roy add list stephen personal skills kind psychological skills build think important prepared surprised train surprised train prepared counterintuitive think particularly go place like united states tendency pretty concrete sense going expect think sometimes sameness coverage place like africa emanates fact oftentimes go sense expect write things meet expectations opposed writing things catch us guard roy youre reminding first teaching experience applied hundred teaching positions got one job offer montgomery alabama travel new york alabama 1974 friends new york saying cant go new york plates youve got take know saw easy rider three times perception alabama kind banana republic thing surprised much social interaction whites blacks alabama long island grown shocking surprise pleasant one led kinds openness bartosz may add one thing list following points help cut budget believe budget strict talking polish newspaper kind money american newspapers 5000 lot money speak local language basically helps example find accommodation someones house go strange places like unintelligible former soviet union dont hotels anyway usually one governmentowned hotel go spend 200 300 per night know language know culture get know people get know people save money feed let sleep houses editors unhappy foreign correspondents sleep hotels want us save money spend lot time going somewhere really helps cut budget roy okay thank much im sure people delighted hear else needs list would guys add list bartosz add one thing us journalist youll seen world rich people need know suck money thats understanding world come america bucks spend roy makes vulnerable bartosz oh absolutely especially dont know language youre cooked dont know culture dont know cheap hotels youre looking hilton holiday inn something like warsaw many years holiday inn best hotel town extremely expensive roy wont good handler take care stephen break second think youre saying dead remember lots occasions crisis erupts country wasnt familiar hadnt go find best interpreter fixer apply best kinds journalism skills situation agree ideal know language think plenty folks good journalism without knowing language particularly circumstances arein crisis circumstances bartosz let add crisis obviously different story go go thats happened haiti knew nothing haiti went especially small newspapers dont expect editors see war somewhere going say cover war go tomorrow talking feature stories kind stuff get prepared stephen even feature stories example places like former zaire rwanda many many african countries find people cities speakwho like west africa speak french east africa speak english swahili get rural areas really good stories people tend speak tribal language people speak languages bartosz absolutely roy think back experience knowledge journalists common mistakes things could arm us dont else rake come hit head bart pointing assume makes fun stephen well personal experience two mistakes tend impatient come culturei speak americanwhere cover something organized event whether baseball game news conference people literally come hand information need interviews rarely last beyond ten fifteen minutes toughest thing accept fact everything takes longer ultimately aboutonce get story story going great takes lot patience often get story figure get rural time northeast kenya one case know reporter take camel midsized town tiny town northeast kenya wrote great story figuring logistics takes lot time lot patience roy whats mistake bartosz basically comes knowing local culture local traditions think especially us journalists often make mistake putting american standards place going often say im journalist im fifth power im important guy room theyre finished unintelligible many cultures basically youre talking third world press doesnt exist people dont understand journalists often see spies government agents coming around azerbezhan went tour u journalistsi cover civil war therethey basically cut important person didnt like tea went local guy like local chief proposed tea hate tea cant drink tea knew tea important happy tea guy said coffee cut roy starbucks let take stab one interesting historical precedents also recent news issues access ethics im thinking cnn experience iraq suppression certain kinds news andin order protect lives certainlybut also order burn bridges maybe particular problem international foreign setting work dance work sources things like different covering city government countries special problems issues come bartosz well problems cnn iraq ask cnn report places like cuba north korea today well find ten years didnt report thats ridiculous think teach us press ethics strongly believe us journalists code ethics good thats try learn foreign journalists basically report truth editorinchief wanted us open beijing bureau china lot problems went beijing meeting foreign ministry beijing pushed hard open bureau beijing said well yes certain rules follow said rules journalists follow tell truth hes kicked beijing month thats fine dont problem think journalists us places report today china big problem ethics im pretty sure every one report everything know everything know true roy would expelled bartosz roy isnt better stay report half story bartosz believe better kicked strongly believe otherwise start cross line unintelligible come moment unintelligible say well dont want report want stay next three years roy steve anything stephen three months arrive kenya wrote story kenyan government cracking opposition promptly went write story stories nigeria got call editor saying kenyan government threatening let return country saying didnt like story true first wanted retraction wanted bar access kenya bosses essentially said well unless story factually wrong going run sort correction retraction met criteria foreign correspondent kenya stephen plan go back nairobi got back government officialsi actually gone couple weeks time wife said government officials calling house wanting talk people either driving house calling house eventually stopped kenyan government ultimately forgot incident say say agree ultimately tell truth risk consequences said saw quote john burns great new york times correspondent baghdad talking struggle accurate enough clear conscience describing atrocities hussein regime without getting kicked one hand would say clearheaded think theres moral clarity hand think theres room pragmatism roy questions question stephen side said heard foreign correspondentsand ive one small experience myselfthat colleagues behave way seems totally pragmatic seems others cowardly separating government policies united states go particularly country relations particularly good government guys sort shift dance say dont anything government dont even agree government im reporter dont represent george bush john ashcroft rumsfeld meant think right say im government im cia almost dance ingratiation inaudible stephen generally yes many many occasions sayespecially since card said washington post people thought oh work us government say dont work government folks worked sort peter arnett dance describing roy know bob remember first went work trying learn skills reporter would call people previous dealings st petersburg times assumed going treat badly biased way reflect political bias times would describe dont know experience im reporter want learn know im going write im going try report question im wondering youve traveling around us visiting small towns well big cities seen american journalism broadcast print like youd like see polish journalists bartosz think biggest difference us journalism european journalism resources small newspapers america much money small newspapers europe obviously big newspapers america much money big newspapers europe think matter resources think much easier journalism money obviously could see work look tv journalists buy everything basically buy everything wherever go went haiti question want press youve seen like america bartosz think favorite thing like us journalism strict code ethics course everybody follows least talk whole peter arnett story iraq think great example guy opinion definitely crossed line least unintelligible fired dont think journalistic organizations europe kind code ethics somehow feel basically editor tells us right thing im lucky guy work newspaper strict ethics editors fell love long time ago new york times try follow everything think right times one things code ethics thats absolutely favorite thing us journalism roy bart two things dont understand american culture bartosz okay roy go ahead bartosz dont know tell roy told yesterday bartosz oh okay unintelligible former president czech republic came washington said america land thousand faces said faces bright love bright faces dark faces dont like two dark faces talked yesterday one gun issue gun control issue death penalty issue talk cultural thing huge gap us europe although love america im probably much proamerican journalism correspondent two things dont understand im unable explain european readers gun control issue death penalty issue roy mistresses bartosz oh one understand well called editor 17th january 1998 monica lewinsky story nonstop european perspective issue europe youre politician dont mistress means real man theres something wrong look france know previous president france died mistress funeral front page newspapers wife mistress much beautiful wife interesting story roy interesting already bartosz obviously huge story whole impeachment story huge story europe laughed time thought funny story year drove car california find real american countryside stopped arizona day clinton interview admitted relations woman watched tv bunch truckers small arizona hotel middle clintons speech said hey guys theres game going lets switch game next day called editor asked going president impeached going huge story said hes going impeached nobody outside beltway cares thought good people prefer game talking monica lewinsky roy would pay money videotape group truckers watching bartosz wasi drank lot beer night roy let ask one question ill call sort national geographic question years years national geographic popular magazine children read use projects schools homes question ethnocentric americans ethnocentric beyond hope terms able interest us international news working right set tools order make americans interested international news stephen mean st petersburg pretty average city st pete times senior foreign correspondent susan taylor martin puts email address bottom stories tells gets ton mail lots people read stories get lot email people read international news people interested think thats partly roy yeah attack stephen even war susan got emails even war sense two things really important people want read personal stories dont want read last news conference dont want read stories full talking heads interested stories like one susan wrote last week wife baghdad spending three weeks looking husband people connect something like connect human beings thing try hard give folks different ways enter story story graphics photos charts qampaswe use lot qampasanything help readers engage story normally wouldnt roy yes question wonder could talk little bit startling difference american news news get european outlets inaudible stephen want specifically toand question bbc guardian report things dont report question inaudible stephen dont truly know answer think thats oversimplification case guardian agenda quite ideological tougher say bbc think one things remember bbc correspondents spent time much morefor obvious reasonsremoved pressures americans going think also news tended drierand mean best kind way theyre focused emotions focused facts today present clearly viewers readers bartosz people europe much interested news americans want local input connection city europe people pretty much want know whats going world even doesnt impact want know thats unintelligible end side stephen much weaker job covering communities harder get sense happen youre reading paper thats point view americans used reading many local stories bartosz think changing thinkits truemy newspaper first one poland started metro section never metro section polish newspapers actually european newspapers didnt metro sections believe local stories somewhere along national news news parliament capital city news street next changing think going towards us journalism way writing local issues question maybe need go towards bartosz absolutely think thats lesson september 11 lose contact world youre going next september 11 thanks much roy bart stephen 160
| 3,228 |
<p>NEW YORK (AP) — Jay Bruce was surprised by the free-agent market.</p>
<p>"The way the offseason kind of went and the slowness of it kind of maybe changed my outlook on it a little bit," he said Wednesday at a Citi Field news conference.</p>
<p>Bruce returned to the Mets for a $39 million, three-year contract, five months after New York traded the 30-year-old outfielder to Cleveland.</p>
<p>"I think there's been a sea change in the industry," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. "It's at least arithmetic in nature if not mathematical, so everybody's information is roughly the same, which means the assessments of players are probably more uniform today than they ever have been, because they're predicated not on subjective observation."</p>
<p>Bruce agreed to the deal last week, and New York finalized the agreement Tuesday after the three-time All-Star passed a physical.</p>
<p>His deal was the third-highest among free agents this offseason behind first baseman Carlos Santana's $60 million contract with Cleveland and close Wade Davis' $52 million agreement with Colorado, both also for three-year terms. Just 38 of 166 major league free agents have completed agreements, down from 58 of 158 on the same date last year.</p>
<p>"The people who are working within the organizations now are a little more numbers based, a little more statistically driven, and I think they understand that it kind of behooves them to wait," Bruce said. "There's a month 'till spring training starts, and there's really no rush. And I think that a lot of times they feel like they had the leverage and they're going to utilize that as much as they can. "</p>
<p>Bruce hit a career-high 36 home runs last year, including 29 for the Mets, and batted .254 with 101 RBIs. He reunites with former Cleveland pitching coach Mickey Callaway, who replaced Terry Collins as Mets manager after the season. Bruce expects the Mets under Callaway to institute some of the Indians' methods.</p>
<p>"They were very, very adamant about certain things when it came to preparation and recovery and just taking care of yourself in general," he said. "And I expect Mickey to bring a lot of news ideas and things that make sense for the organization."</p>
<p>Coming from Beaumont, Texas — with a population of just over 100,000 — Bruce and wife Hannah enjoyed living in midtown Manhattan with their son Carter, who turns 2 in April. She is pregnant with their second child.</p>
<p>"We just had a great experience the whole time, and it was never something that we shied away from," he said. "It's exciting to be back."</p>
<p>Acquired from Cincinnati in August 2016, Bruce slumped at first with the Mets but doesn't think the unfulfilling start was tied to acclimating.</p>
<p>"It's a big stage and I think that you have to embrace it and you have to be here and understand the passion of the fans and the market," he said.</p>
<p>Bruce figures to start the season in right field while Michael Conforto recovers from surgery Sept. 6 to repair a tear in the posterior capsule in his left shoulder.</p>
<p>"There have been no setbacks, but his schedule is such that I don't expect him back until the first of May," Alderson said.</p>
<p>Bruce also could see time at first base along with prospect Dominic Smith, Wilmer Flores and Adrian Gonzalez, who agreed to a one-year contract that has not yet been finalized.</p>
<p>While maintaining patience, Alderson chose not to wait for a possible further drop in Bruce's price.</p>
<p>"If we were analogizing the stock market, it's always nice to buy when it hit rock bottom, but how often do people do that?" Alderson said.</p>
<p>New York still seeks a second baseman but thinks it has enough bullpen help. From the time he departed last summer, Bruce was open to a return.</p>
<p>"They said, you know, listen, there could be a reunion and we definitely want to kind of explore those options in the offseason," Bruce explained. "They wasted no time in getting down to business and showing that they want me back and they wanted to be here and wanted me to be a part of what I can kind of consider some unfinished business as a Met."</p>
<p>Bruce gets a $3 million signing bonus split into equal payments on Jan. 31 in 2019 and 2020, and salaries of $10 million this year and $13 million in each of the following two seasons. The signing bonus is not taxable in New York, more significant than in the past because of the federal changes eliminating deductions for state and local taxes.</p>
<p>"That was definitely a factor," he said. "It's something we paid attention to."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP baseball: <a href="" type="internal">https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball</a></p>
<p>NEW YORK (AP) — Jay Bruce was surprised by the free-agent market.</p>
<p>"The way the offseason kind of went and the slowness of it kind of maybe changed my outlook on it a little bit," he said Wednesday at a Citi Field news conference.</p>
<p>Bruce returned to the Mets for a $39 million, three-year contract, five months after New York traded the 30-year-old outfielder to Cleveland.</p>
<p>"I think there's been a sea change in the industry," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. "It's at least arithmetic in nature if not mathematical, so everybody's information is roughly the same, which means the assessments of players are probably more uniform today than they ever have been, because they're predicated not on subjective observation."</p>
<p>Bruce agreed to the deal last week, and New York finalized the agreement Tuesday after the three-time All-Star passed a physical.</p>
<p>His deal was the third-highest among free agents this offseason behind first baseman Carlos Santana's $60 million contract with Cleveland and close Wade Davis' $52 million agreement with Colorado, both also for three-year terms. Just 38 of 166 major league free agents have completed agreements, down from 58 of 158 on the same date last year.</p>
<p>"The people who are working within the organizations now are a little more numbers based, a little more statistically driven, and I think they understand that it kind of behooves them to wait," Bruce said. "There's a month 'till spring training starts, and there's really no rush. And I think that a lot of times they feel like they had the leverage and they're going to utilize that as much as they can. "</p>
<p>Bruce hit a career-high 36 home runs last year, including 29 for the Mets, and batted .254 with 101 RBIs. He reunites with former Cleveland pitching coach Mickey Callaway, who replaced Terry Collins as Mets manager after the season. Bruce expects the Mets under Callaway to institute some of the Indians' methods.</p>
<p>"They were very, very adamant about certain things when it came to preparation and recovery and just taking care of yourself in general," he said. "And I expect Mickey to bring a lot of news ideas and things that make sense for the organization."</p>
<p>Coming from Beaumont, Texas — with a population of just over 100,000 — Bruce and wife Hannah enjoyed living in midtown Manhattan with their son Carter, who turns 2 in April. She is pregnant with their second child.</p>
<p>"We just had a great experience the whole time, and it was never something that we shied away from," he said. "It's exciting to be back."</p>
<p>Acquired from Cincinnati in August 2016, Bruce slumped at first with the Mets but doesn't think the unfulfilling start was tied to acclimating.</p>
<p>"It's a big stage and I think that you have to embrace it and you have to be here and understand the passion of the fans and the market," he said.</p>
<p>Bruce figures to start the season in right field while Michael Conforto recovers from surgery Sept. 6 to repair a tear in the posterior capsule in his left shoulder.</p>
<p>"There have been no setbacks, but his schedule is such that I don't expect him back until the first of May," Alderson said.</p>
<p>Bruce also could see time at first base along with prospect Dominic Smith, Wilmer Flores and Adrian Gonzalez, who agreed to a one-year contract that has not yet been finalized.</p>
<p>While maintaining patience, Alderson chose not to wait for a possible further drop in Bruce's price.</p>
<p>"If we were analogizing the stock market, it's always nice to buy when it hit rock bottom, but how often do people do that?" Alderson said.</p>
<p>New York still seeks a second baseman but thinks it has enough bullpen help. From the time he departed last summer, Bruce was open to a return.</p>
<p>"They said, you know, listen, there could be a reunion and we definitely want to kind of explore those options in the offseason," Bruce explained. "They wasted no time in getting down to business and showing that they want me back and they wanted to be here and wanted me to be a part of what I can kind of consider some unfinished business as a Met."</p>
<p>Bruce gets a $3 million signing bonus split into equal payments on Jan. 31 in 2019 and 2020, and salaries of $10 million this year and $13 million in each of the following two seasons. The signing bonus is not taxable in New York, more significant than in the past because of the federal changes eliminating deductions for state and local taxes.</p>
<p>"That was definitely a factor," he said. "It's something we paid attention to."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP baseball: <a href="" type="internal">https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball</a></p>
| false | 2 |
new york ap jay bruce surprised freeagent market way offseason kind went slowness kind maybe changed outlook little bit said wednesday citi field news conference bruce returned mets 39 million threeyear contract five months new york traded 30yearold outfielder cleveland think theres sea change industry mets general manager sandy alderson said least arithmetic nature mathematical everybodys information roughly means assessments players probably uniform today ever theyre predicated subjective observation bruce agreed deal last week new york finalized agreement tuesday threetime allstar passed physical deal thirdhighest among free agents offseason behind first baseman carlos santanas 60 million contract cleveland close wade davis 52 million agreement colorado also threeyear terms 38 166 major league free agents completed agreements 58 158 date last year people working within organizations little numbers based little statistically driven think understand kind behooves wait bruce said theres month till spring training starts theres really rush think lot times feel like leverage theyre going utilize much bruce hit careerhigh 36 home runs last year including 29 mets batted 254 101 rbis reunites former cleveland pitching coach mickey callaway replaced terry collins mets manager season bruce expects mets callaway institute indians methods adamant certain things came preparation recovery taking care general said expect mickey bring lot news ideas things make sense organization coming beaumont texas population 100000 bruce wife hannah enjoyed living midtown manhattan son carter turns 2 april pregnant second child great experience whole time never something shied away said exciting back acquired cincinnati august 2016 bruce slumped first mets doesnt think unfulfilling start tied acclimating big stage think embrace understand passion fans market said bruce figures start season right field michael conforto recovers surgery sept 6 repair tear posterior capsule left shoulder setbacks schedule dont expect back first may alderson said bruce also could see time first base along prospect dominic smith wilmer flores adrian gonzalez agreed oneyear contract yet finalized maintaining patience alderson chose wait possible drop bruces price analogizing stock market always nice buy hit rock bottom often people alderson said new york still seeks second baseman thinks enough bullpen help time departed last summer bruce open return said know listen could reunion definitely want kind explore options offseason bruce explained wasted time getting business showing want back wanted wanted part kind consider unfinished business met bruce gets 3 million signing bonus split equal payments jan 31 2019 2020 salaries 10 million year 13 million following two seasons signing bonus taxable new york significant past federal changes eliminating deductions state local taxes definitely factor said something paid attention ___ ap baseball httpsapnewscomtagmlbbaseball new york ap jay bruce surprised freeagent market way offseason kind went slowness kind maybe changed outlook little bit said wednesday citi field news conference bruce returned mets 39 million threeyear contract five months new york traded 30yearold outfielder cleveland think theres sea change industry mets general manager sandy alderson said least arithmetic nature mathematical everybodys information roughly means assessments players probably uniform today ever theyre predicated subjective observation bruce agreed deal last week new york finalized agreement tuesday threetime allstar passed physical deal thirdhighest among free agents offseason behind first baseman carlos santanas 60 million contract cleveland close wade davis 52 million agreement colorado also threeyear terms 38 166 major league free agents completed agreements 58 158 date last year people working within organizations little numbers based little statistically driven think understand kind behooves wait bruce said theres month till spring training starts theres really rush think lot times feel like leverage theyre going utilize much bruce hit careerhigh 36 home runs last year including 29 mets batted 254 101 rbis reunites former cleveland pitching coach mickey callaway replaced terry collins mets manager season bruce expects mets callaway institute indians methods adamant certain things came preparation recovery taking care general said expect mickey bring lot news ideas things make sense organization coming beaumont texas population 100000 bruce wife hannah enjoyed living midtown manhattan son carter turns 2 april pregnant second child great experience whole time never something shied away said exciting back acquired cincinnati august 2016 bruce slumped first mets doesnt think unfulfilling start tied acclimating big stage think embrace understand passion fans market said bruce figures start season right field michael conforto recovers surgery sept 6 repair tear posterior capsule left shoulder setbacks schedule dont expect back first may alderson said bruce also could see time first base along prospect dominic smith wilmer flores adrian gonzalez agreed oneyear contract yet finalized maintaining patience alderson chose wait possible drop bruces price analogizing stock market always nice buy hit rock bottom often people alderson said new york still seeks second baseman thinks enough bullpen help time departed last summer bruce open return said know listen could reunion definitely want kind explore options offseason bruce explained wasted time getting business showing want back wanted wanted part kind consider unfinished business met bruce gets 3 million signing bonus split equal payments jan 31 2019 2020 salaries 10 million year 13 million following two seasons signing bonus taxable new york significant past federal changes eliminating deductions state local taxes definitely factor said something paid attention ___ ap baseball httpsapnewscomtagmlbbaseball
| 852 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Turkish heavy artillery sits along the base’s outer perimeter. Past rows of blast-walls and barbed wire, dozens of trailers house some 1,000 men armed with assault rifles and outfitted with new body armor and boots.</p>
<p>“Everything you see here is thanks to Turkey, we didn’t receive any single thing from the central government,” said Iraqi Maj. Gen. Saadi Obeidi, the base’s commander, sitting beside a Turkish captain to brief visiting journalists. Obeidi and the captain outlined the group’s military achievements and boasted of occasionally receiving U.S.-led coalition air support.</p>
<p>On a scale diorama dotted with toy soldiers, the men traced the front line with IS just 5 kilometers (3 miles) to the south. Obeidi, who is no longer in Iraq’s conventional military, but served as an officer in former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s army, blamed sectarianism for the Shiite-dominated government’s refusal to arm his mostly Sunni fighters.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The controversy over the Turkish forces began late last year when a few hundred Turkish troops, tanks and heavy artillery moved into Iraq’s north, sparking repeated calls from Baghdad to withdraw. Ankara has insisted that they entered Iraq with permission from Baghdad to help train anti-IS forces, citing comments from Iraq’s prime minister in 2014 thanking Turkey for their support against IS as proof. Iraq’s central government denies those claims.</p>
<p>“Initially, the central government invited us here,” said the Turkish captain at Zelkan Camp, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media. “Some things have changed since then, but we are already here, so we won’t leave until Ankara tells us to.”</p>
<p>Now, as Iraqi forces gear up for the long-awaited Mosul operation, Turkey says the troops, initially described as trainers, cannot be barred from having a role in retaking the city.</p>
<p>This week, the rhetoric between Baghdad and Ankara escalated into a personal war of words between the two countries’ leaders.</p>
<p>“Turkey’s army hasn’t lost enough of its quality to take orders from you,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday in a speech that directly insulted Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.</p>
<p>“You are not at my level, you are not my equivalent, you are not of the same quality as me,” he added. “Your screaming and shouting in Iraq is of no importance to us. You should know that we will go our own way.”</p>
<p>Haider al-Abadi responded on Twitter later that night.</p>
<p>“We will liberate our land through the determination of our men and not by video calls,” he said, mocking Erdogan’s nationally broadcast Facetime video call to a TV journalist amid a failed coup attempt in July.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Without mentioning Turkey by name, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday that “all international forces in Iraq should be there with the approval and in coordination with the government of Iraq.” The following day, Iraq summoned Turkey’s ambassador, according to the foreign ministry in Baghdad.</p>
<p>Erdogan on Friday said Turkey is determined to take part in the battle for Mosul, despite calls from Iraq for Turkish troop withdrawal.</p>
<p>The fighters at Zelkan Camp are mostly police officers from the Mosul area who fled as IS swept across Iraq more than two years ago. Labeled as deserters and distrusted by Baghdad, they were originally funded by Utheel al-Nujaifi, the former governor of Ninevah province, who also fled when IS captured the city in the summer of 2014.</p>
<p>Parliament blamed al-Nujaifi for the humiliating retreat of Iraqi security forces, many of whom dropped their weapons and fled in the face of the IS blitz. He retreated to Iraq’s largely autonomous Kurdish region, where he has spent the last two years raising funds and rallying support for his militia.</p>
<p>Now outfitted and armed with weapons and equipment paid for by Turkey, the fighters have dubbed themselves the National Mobilization Forces.</p>
<p>“The aim of these fighters will be to hold the ground after the liberation of Mosul” by Iraq’s conventional military, Obeidi said.</p>
<p>Iraqi and coalition officials say they will need to rely on local militias and tribal forces to hold hard-fought gains in and around Mosul. But some Iraqi leaders, including commanders of powerful Shiite militias that will also take part in the Mosul operation, are wary of Turkish involvement.</p>
<p>“The Turkish forces are occupation forces,” said Ahmed al-Asadi, a senior official in the umbrella group of mostly Shiite militia forces known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. “We will not be prevented from defending the sovereignty of Iraq,” he said.</p>
<p>Opponents of al-Abadi have pointed to the Turkish troops to argue that he is weak and ineffective. Muqtada al-Sadr, an influential Shiite cleric who brought thousands of anti-government protesters into the streets of Baghdad earlier this year, has demanded the Turkish forces leave.</p>
<p>“You are on our land,” he said recently. “It’s better to leave (Iraq) with your honor than to be disqualified.”</p>
<p>Turkey, meanwhile, fears that the Shiite fighters will push out Sunnis and ethnic Turkmens, altering the region’s demographics and setting the stage for future conflicts.</p>
<p>“If you, after removing Daesh, attempt to change Mosul’s demographic structure, you will light the fire of a very big civil war, of a sectarian war. This is our warning,” Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said recently, using the Arabic acronym for IS.</p>
<p>The dispute could further delay the march on Mosul, as Iraqi and coalition leaders finalize battle plans and prepare for a potential humanitarian crisis.</p>
<p>Just outside Zelkan Camp, the fighters rehearsed drills, walking into a nearby village in two columns and slowly clearing houses. The Turkish captain said that while the fighters were practicing offensive techniques, they have no plans to participate in the assault on Mosul.</p>
<p>“But if we are asked to go, we will go,” he said. “We only take our orders from Ankara.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Abdul-Zahra reported from Baghdad. Associated Press writers Salar Salim and Balint Szlanko in Zelkan Camp, Iraq, and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.</p>
| false | 2 |
turkish heavy artillery sits along bases outer perimeter past rows blastwalls barbed wire dozens trailers house 1000 men armed assault rifles outfitted new body armor boots everything see thanks turkey didnt receive single thing central government said iraqi maj gen saadi obeidi bases commander sitting beside turkish captain brief visiting journalists obeidi captain outlined groups military achievements boasted occasionally receiving usled coalition air support scale diorama dotted toy soldiers men traced front line 5 kilometers 3 miles south obeidi longer iraqs conventional military served officer former iraqi leader saddam husseins army blamed sectarianism shiitedominated governments refusal arm mostly sunni fighters advertisement controversy turkish forces began late last year hundred turkish troops tanks heavy artillery moved iraqs north sparking repeated calls baghdad withdraw ankara insisted entered iraq permission baghdad help train antiis forces citing comments iraqs prime minister 2014 thanking turkey support proof iraqs central government denies claims initially central government invited us said turkish captain zelkan camp spoke condition anonymity authorized talk media things changed since already wont leave ankara tells us iraqi forces gear longawaited mosul operation turkey says troops initially described trainers barred role retaking city week rhetoric baghdad ankara escalated personal war words two countries leaders turkeys army hasnt lost enough quality take orders turkish president recep tayyip erdogan said tuesday speech directly insulted iraqi prime minister haider alabadi level equivalent quality added screaming shouting iraq importance us know go way haider alabadi responded twitter later night liberate land determination men video calls said mocking erdogans nationally broadcast facetime video call tv journalist amid failed coup attempt july advertisement without mentioning turkey name us state department said wednesday international forces iraq approval coordination government iraq following day iraq summoned turkeys ambassador according foreign ministry baghdad erdogan friday said turkey determined take part battle mosul despite calls iraq turkish troop withdrawal fighters zelkan camp mostly police officers mosul area fled swept across iraq two years ago labeled deserters distrusted baghdad originally funded utheel alnujaifi former governor ninevah province also fled captured city summer 2014 parliament blamed alnujaifi humiliating retreat iraqi security forces many dropped weapons fled face blitz retreated iraqs largely autonomous kurdish region spent last two years raising funds rallying support militia outfitted armed weapons equipment paid turkey fighters dubbed national mobilization forces aim fighters hold ground liberation mosul iraqs conventional military obeidi said iraqi coalition officials say need rely local militias tribal forces hold hardfought gains around mosul iraqi leaders including commanders powerful shiite militias also take part mosul operation wary turkish involvement turkish forces occupation forces said ahmed alasadi senior official umbrella group mostly shiite militia forces known popular mobilization forces prevented defending sovereignty iraq said opponents alabadi pointed turkish troops argue weak ineffective muqtada alsadr influential shiite cleric brought thousands antigovernment protesters streets baghdad earlier year demanded turkish forces leave land said recently better leave iraq honor disqualified turkey meanwhile fears shiite fighters push sunnis ethnic turkmens altering regions demographics setting stage future conflicts removing daesh attempt change mosuls demographic structure light fire big civil war sectarian war warning turkish prime minister binali yildirim said recently using arabic acronym dispute could delay march mosul iraqi coalition leaders finalize battle plans prepare potential humanitarian crisis outside zelkan camp fighters rehearsed drills walking nearby village two columns slowly clearing houses turkish captain said fighters practicing offensive techniques plans participate assault mosul asked go go said take orders ankara ___ abdulzahra reported baghdad associated press writers salar salim balint szlanko zelkan camp iraq suzan fraser ankara turkey contributed report
| 582 |
<p>NEW YORK (AP) — Ah, to de-glam. It's one of the surest shortcuts to newfound artistic appreciation: a bedraggled deviation into dowdy drama by a beautiful star. Acclaim by way of sweatpants.</p>
<p>"Cake," in which Jennifer Aniston plays a bitterly grieving, caustically acerbic and chronically pained Los Angeles woman, belongs to a contrived kind of low-budget movie — drab and depressed, but predictably poignant — just as artificial as any blockbuster convention.</p>
<p>As Claire Simmons, Aniston has facial scars, stringy hair and a slightly frumpier frame. But this is also a very recognizable Aniston, whose deserved appeal has always depended on marrying her pert all-American girl-next-door with a glib sarcasm. In "Cake," she has turned up her cynicism nob as far as it will go.</p>
<p>She lives largely holed up in her handsomely designed suburban L.A. home, popping pills, struggling with sleeplessness and haunted by appearances of a friend (Anna Kendrick) from her self-help group who committed suicide by leaping from a highway overpass. "Way to go, Nina!" Claire announces to the group, prompting its leader (Felicity Huffman) to show her the door.</p>
<p>Claire's Mexican housekeeper Silvana (an exceptional Adriana Barraza) cooks food she won't eat and shuttles her around town, usually in the pursuit of more pills. Claire lies reclined in the passenger seat, laid flat by back pain from the vaguely referenced car crash that left her scarred. Whatever the particulars, the accident's trauma is eventually clear enough: Claire lost her son in it.</p>
<p>She crankily putters around, lashing out at most, lonely from the absence of her husband (Chris Messina), who, like everyone else, tired of her hostile moping. All but Silvana have deserted her.</p>
<p>The audience is tested, too. "Cake," directed by Daniel Barnz from a screenplay by Patrick Tobin, is in many ways less about Claire's threshold for pain than our tolerance for hers. In one telling scene with her fed-up physical therapist (Mamie Gummer), Claire confronts her, insisting that her pain isn't an act, it's real. The therapist responds with a question: Do you want to get better, really?</p>
<p>The film very slowly builds to the always-expected catharsis. Barnz hides all images of Claire's son until one late, crushing jolt of pathos, a decision that could be said to be manipulative. But the blankness to Claire's history also reflects the point of the film: We don't see the wounds people are carrying around, even in the broad daylight of the California sun. Would we have stuck it out with Claire?</p>
<p>But by never fleshing out Claire's life, "Cake" never expands beyond a wallowing in pain, which starts to feel more and more like a concept rather than a deep emotion.</p>
<p>"Cake" is fine enough, though neither as funny nor as powerful as it thinks it is. Yet it's a failure of today's movies that the only pathway to "serious" recognition for an actress like Aniston is by suffocating her buoyant charm. She's a sly comedic performer with a keen sense of timing and an inherent likability that a decade of perpetual tabloid obsession has failed to smother.</p>
<p>So where are the smart, witty romantic comedies she deserves? Instead, Aniston has been left to strip in "We're the Millers" and play the sexy dominatrix of two "Horrible Bosses" movies. No wonder she's so bent out of shape in "Cake."</p>
<p>"Cake," a Cinelou release, is rated R for "language, substance abuse and brief sexuality." Running time: 98 minutes. Two stars out of four.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.</p>
<p>NEW YORK (AP) — Ah, to de-glam. It's one of the surest shortcuts to newfound artistic appreciation: a bedraggled deviation into dowdy drama by a beautiful star. Acclaim by way of sweatpants.</p>
<p>"Cake," in which Jennifer Aniston plays a bitterly grieving, caustically acerbic and chronically pained Los Angeles woman, belongs to a contrived kind of low-budget movie — drab and depressed, but predictably poignant — just as artificial as any blockbuster convention.</p>
<p>As Claire Simmons, Aniston has facial scars, stringy hair and a slightly frumpier frame. But this is also a very recognizable Aniston, whose deserved appeal has always depended on marrying her pert all-American girl-next-door with a glib sarcasm. In "Cake," she has turned up her cynicism nob as far as it will go.</p>
<p>She lives largely holed up in her handsomely designed suburban L.A. home, popping pills, struggling with sleeplessness and haunted by appearances of a friend (Anna Kendrick) from her self-help group who committed suicide by leaping from a highway overpass. "Way to go, Nina!" Claire announces to the group, prompting its leader (Felicity Huffman) to show her the door.</p>
<p>Claire's Mexican housekeeper Silvana (an exceptional Adriana Barraza) cooks food she won't eat and shuttles her around town, usually in the pursuit of more pills. Claire lies reclined in the passenger seat, laid flat by back pain from the vaguely referenced car crash that left her scarred. Whatever the particulars, the accident's trauma is eventually clear enough: Claire lost her son in it.</p>
<p>She crankily putters around, lashing out at most, lonely from the absence of her husband (Chris Messina), who, like everyone else, tired of her hostile moping. All but Silvana have deserted her.</p>
<p>The audience is tested, too. "Cake," directed by Daniel Barnz from a screenplay by Patrick Tobin, is in many ways less about Claire's threshold for pain than our tolerance for hers. In one telling scene with her fed-up physical therapist (Mamie Gummer), Claire confronts her, insisting that her pain isn't an act, it's real. The therapist responds with a question: Do you want to get better, really?</p>
<p>The film very slowly builds to the always-expected catharsis. Barnz hides all images of Claire's son until one late, crushing jolt of pathos, a decision that could be said to be manipulative. But the blankness to Claire's history also reflects the point of the film: We don't see the wounds people are carrying around, even in the broad daylight of the California sun. Would we have stuck it out with Claire?</p>
<p>But by never fleshing out Claire's life, "Cake" never expands beyond a wallowing in pain, which starts to feel more and more like a concept rather than a deep emotion.</p>
<p>"Cake" is fine enough, though neither as funny nor as powerful as it thinks it is. Yet it's a failure of today's movies that the only pathway to "serious" recognition for an actress like Aniston is by suffocating her buoyant charm. She's a sly comedic performer with a keen sense of timing and an inherent likability that a decade of perpetual tabloid obsession has failed to smother.</p>
<p>So where are the smart, witty romantic comedies she deserves? Instead, Aniston has been left to strip in "We're the Millers" and play the sexy dominatrix of two "Horrible Bosses" movies. No wonder she's so bent out of shape in "Cake."</p>
<p>"Cake," a Cinelou release, is rated R for "language, substance abuse and brief sexuality." Running time: 98 minutes. Two stars out of four.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.</p>
| false | 2 |
new york ap ah deglam one surest shortcuts newfound artistic appreciation bedraggled deviation dowdy drama beautiful star acclaim way sweatpants cake jennifer aniston plays bitterly grieving caustically acerbic chronically pained los angeles woman belongs contrived kind lowbudget movie drab depressed predictably poignant artificial blockbuster convention claire simmons aniston facial scars stringy hair slightly frumpier frame also recognizable aniston whose deserved appeal always depended marrying pert allamerican girlnextdoor glib sarcasm cake turned cynicism nob far go lives largely holed handsomely designed suburban la home popping pills struggling sleeplessness haunted appearances friend anna kendrick selfhelp group committed suicide leaping highway overpass way go nina claire announces group prompting leader felicity huffman show door claires mexican housekeeper silvana exceptional adriana barraza cooks food wont eat shuttles around town usually pursuit pills claire lies reclined passenger seat laid flat back pain vaguely referenced car crash left scarred whatever particulars accidents trauma eventually clear enough claire lost son crankily putters around lashing lonely absence husband chris messina like everyone else tired hostile moping silvana deserted audience tested cake directed daniel barnz screenplay patrick tobin many ways less claires threshold pain tolerance one telling scene fedup physical therapist mamie gummer claire confronts insisting pain isnt act real therapist responds question want get better really film slowly builds alwaysexpected catharsis barnz hides images claires son one late crushing jolt pathos decision could said manipulative blankness claires history also reflects point film dont see wounds people carrying around even broad daylight california sun would stuck claire never fleshing claires life cake never expands beyond wallowing pain starts feel like concept rather deep emotion cake fine enough though neither funny powerful thinks yet failure todays movies pathway serious recognition actress like aniston suffocating buoyant charm shes sly comedic performer keen sense timing inherent likability decade perpetual tabloid obsession failed smother smart witty romantic comedies deserves instead aniston left strip millers play sexy dominatrix two horrible bosses movies wonder shes bent shape cake cake cinelou release rated r language substance abuse brief sexuality running time 98 minutes two stars four ___ mpaa definition r restricted 17 requires accompanying parent adult guardian new york ap ah deglam one surest shortcuts newfound artistic appreciation bedraggled deviation dowdy drama beautiful star acclaim way sweatpants cake jennifer aniston plays bitterly grieving caustically acerbic chronically pained los angeles woman belongs contrived kind lowbudget movie drab depressed predictably poignant artificial blockbuster convention claire simmons aniston facial scars stringy hair slightly frumpier frame also recognizable aniston whose deserved appeal always depended marrying pert allamerican girlnextdoor glib sarcasm cake turned cynicism nob far go lives largely holed handsomely designed suburban la home popping pills struggling sleeplessness haunted appearances friend anna kendrick selfhelp group committed suicide leaping highway overpass way go nina claire announces group prompting leader felicity huffman show door claires mexican housekeeper silvana exceptional adriana barraza cooks food wont eat shuttles around town usually pursuit pills claire lies reclined passenger seat laid flat back pain vaguely referenced car crash left scarred whatever particulars accidents trauma eventually clear enough claire lost son crankily putters around lashing lonely absence husband chris messina like everyone else tired hostile moping silvana deserted audience tested cake directed daniel barnz screenplay patrick tobin many ways less claires threshold pain tolerance one telling scene fedup physical therapist mamie gummer claire confronts insisting pain isnt act real therapist responds question want get better really film slowly builds alwaysexpected catharsis barnz hides images claires son one late crushing jolt pathos decision could said manipulative blankness claires history also reflects point film dont see wounds people carrying around even broad daylight california sun would stuck claire never fleshing claires life cake never expands beyond wallowing pain starts feel like concept rather deep emotion cake fine enough though neither funny powerful thinks yet failure todays movies pathway serious recognition actress like aniston suffocating buoyant charm shes sly comedic performer keen sense timing inherent likability decade perpetual tabloid obsession failed smother smart witty romantic comedies deserves instead aniston left strip millers play sexy dominatrix two horrible bosses movies wonder shes bent shape cake cake cinelou release rated r language substance abuse brief sexuality running time 98 minutes two stars four ___ mpaa definition r restricted 17 requires accompanying parent adult guardian
| 702 |
<p>GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — A familiar face on offense and a fresh voice on defense headline the changes to Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy’s revamped staff in the wake of the team’s first losing season since 2008.</p>
<p>Joe Philbin, a Packers assistant from 2003 until 2012, was hired Wednesday as offensive coordinator, a job he held for his final five seasons before being named the Miami Dolphins’ head coach in January 2012. On defense, the Packers tabbed Mike Pettine, the ex-Cleveland Browns head coach who built successful defenses with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills but was largely out of football the last two years, serving as a consultant with the Seattle Seahawks in 2017.</p>
<p>McCarthy has also installed run- and pass-game coordinators on each side of the ball. On defense, former cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt was promoted to pass-game coordinator, while new inside linebackers coach Patrick Graham will serve as the run-game coordinator. On offense, longtime offensive line coach James Campen will be the run-game coordinator, while new hire Jim Hostler, who coached wide receivers with Philbin in Indianapolis the past two seasons, will serve as the pass-game coordinator.</p>
<p>It’s all part of a staff overhaul that was the biggest of McCarthy’s tenure as he enters his 13th season as head coach.</p>
<p>“It’s like Year 1,” McCarthy said in introducing the new staff. “Not only is the defense building a new playbook, so are we on the offense. We’re tightening that approach. And it’s been great. You have new input, you have new experiences that are in the room. You have a different way of saying the same thing. It’s been exciting. The energy is over the top.”</p>
<p>The changes come on the heels of a 7-9 season in which two-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers missed 10 games with a broken right collarbone. It marked the end of an eight-year streak of playoff appearances - the longest in franchise history - and led to defensive coordinator Dom Capers, offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett and multiple position coaches being let go.</p>
<p>This is the first time McCarthy has changed both the offense and defensive coordinator in the same year. The seven new staffers are the most since Capers and an almost entirely new defensive staff arrived in 2009.</p>
<p>For Philbin, returning to the Packers was a matter of timing. On Jan. 8, 2012, his 21-year-old son, Michael, drowned in the icy Fox River near the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh campus.</p>
<p>“It’s very, very emotional for all of us,” Philbin said of returning to Green Bay, roughly an hour north of where his son’s body was found. “But we care and love a lot of people here, and a lot of people care about and love us. So it’s not easy, but this is what’s so special about Green Bay. Ultimately you want to contribute, you want to help people you care about and want to be with. At the end of the day, that I feel very good about when I put my head down at night.”</p>
<p>In Pettine, the Packers have a coordinator whose defenses have never finished out of the top 10. And after going 10-22 in two seasons in Cleveland, Pettine made it clear he is not taking the job so he can become a head coach again.</p>
<p>“When I was the head coach, I didn’t enjoy the lack of interaction with the actual football part of it,” Pettine said. “I always made the comparison, it was going from being the teacher to now you’re the principal. . And I didn’t like it. I missed the camaraderie of the room, the interaction with the staff, the interaction with the players. The chess-game part of it - the designing a game plan tailored to your opponent.”</p>
<p>The Packers have not had a top-flight defense since 2010, when they last won the Super Bowl.</p>
<p>“We’re going to be prepared. It’s about paying attention to detail,” Pettine said. “There’s no magical (formula). People talk about scheme, what kind of playbook - that’s a very small part of playing great defense. ... (When) you look at us, you’re going to see we’re going to be multiple and we’re going to be aggressive.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP NFL coverage: <a href="http://www.pro32.ap.org" type="external">http://www.pro32.ap.org</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL</a></p>
<p>GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — A familiar face on offense and a fresh voice on defense headline the changes to Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy’s revamped staff in the wake of the team’s first losing season since 2008.</p>
<p>Joe Philbin, a Packers assistant from 2003 until 2012, was hired Wednesday as offensive coordinator, a job he held for his final five seasons before being named the Miami Dolphins’ head coach in January 2012. On defense, the Packers tabbed Mike Pettine, the ex-Cleveland Browns head coach who built successful defenses with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills but was largely out of football the last two years, serving as a consultant with the Seattle Seahawks in 2017.</p>
<p>McCarthy has also installed run- and pass-game coordinators on each side of the ball. On defense, former cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt was promoted to pass-game coordinator, while new inside linebackers coach Patrick Graham will serve as the run-game coordinator. On offense, longtime offensive line coach James Campen will be the run-game coordinator, while new hire Jim Hostler, who coached wide receivers with Philbin in Indianapolis the past two seasons, will serve as the pass-game coordinator.</p>
<p>It’s all part of a staff overhaul that was the biggest of McCarthy’s tenure as he enters his 13th season as head coach.</p>
<p>“It’s like Year 1,” McCarthy said in introducing the new staff. “Not only is the defense building a new playbook, so are we on the offense. We’re tightening that approach. And it’s been great. You have new input, you have new experiences that are in the room. You have a different way of saying the same thing. It’s been exciting. The energy is over the top.”</p>
<p>The changes come on the heels of a 7-9 season in which two-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers missed 10 games with a broken right collarbone. It marked the end of an eight-year streak of playoff appearances - the longest in franchise history - and led to defensive coordinator Dom Capers, offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett and multiple position coaches being let go.</p>
<p>This is the first time McCarthy has changed both the offense and defensive coordinator in the same year. The seven new staffers are the most since Capers and an almost entirely new defensive staff arrived in 2009.</p>
<p>For Philbin, returning to the Packers was a matter of timing. On Jan. 8, 2012, his 21-year-old son, Michael, drowned in the icy Fox River near the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh campus.</p>
<p>“It’s very, very emotional for all of us,” Philbin said of returning to Green Bay, roughly an hour north of where his son’s body was found. “But we care and love a lot of people here, and a lot of people care about and love us. So it’s not easy, but this is what’s so special about Green Bay. Ultimately you want to contribute, you want to help people you care about and want to be with. At the end of the day, that I feel very good about when I put my head down at night.”</p>
<p>In Pettine, the Packers have a coordinator whose defenses have never finished out of the top 10. And after going 10-22 in two seasons in Cleveland, Pettine made it clear he is not taking the job so he can become a head coach again.</p>
<p>“When I was the head coach, I didn’t enjoy the lack of interaction with the actual football part of it,” Pettine said. “I always made the comparison, it was going from being the teacher to now you’re the principal. . And I didn’t like it. I missed the camaraderie of the room, the interaction with the staff, the interaction with the players. The chess-game part of it - the designing a game plan tailored to your opponent.”</p>
<p>The Packers have not had a top-flight defense since 2010, when they last won the Super Bowl.</p>
<p>“We’re going to be prepared. It’s about paying attention to detail,” Pettine said. “There’s no magical (formula). People talk about scheme, what kind of playbook - that’s a very small part of playing great defense. ... (When) you look at us, you’re going to see we’re going to be multiple and we’re going to be aggressive.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP NFL coverage: <a href="http://www.pro32.ap.org" type="external">http://www.pro32.ap.org</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL</a></p>
| false | 2 |
green bay wis ap familiar face offense fresh voice defense headline changes green bay packers coach mike mccarthys revamped staff wake teams first losing season since 2008 joe philbin packers assistant 2003 2012 hired wednesday offensive coordinator job held final five seasons named miami dolphins head coach january 2012 defense packers tabbed mike pettine excleveland browns head coach built successful defenses new york jets buffalo bills largely football last two years serving consultant seattle seahawks 2017 mccarthy also installed run passgame coordinators side ball defense former cornerbacks coach joe whitt promoted passgame coordinator new inside linebackers coach patrick graham serve rungame coordinator offense longtime offensive line coach james campen rungame coordinator new hire jim hostler coached wide receivers philbin indianapolis past two seasons serve passgame coordinator part staff overhaul biggest mccarthys tenure enters 13th season head coach like year 1 mccarthy said introducing new staff defense building new playbook offense tightening approach great new input new experiences room different way saying thing exciting energy top changes come heels 79 season twotime nfl mvp quarterback aaron rodgers missed 10 games broken right collarbone marked end eightyear streak playoff appearances longest franchise history led defensive coordinator dom capers offensive coordinator edgar bennett multiple position coaches let go first time mccarthy changed offense defensive coordinator year seven new staffers since capers almost entirely new defensive staff arrived 2009 philbin returning packers matter timing jan 8 2012 21yearold son michael drowned icy fox river near university wisconsinoshkosh campus emotional us philbin said returning green bay roughly hour north sons body found care love lot people lot people care love us easy whats special green bay ultimately want contribute want help people care want end day feel good put head night pettine packers coordinator whose defenses never finished top 10 going 1022 two seasons cleveland pettine made clear taking job become head coach head coach didnt enjoy lack interaction actual football part pettine said always made comparison going teacher youre principal didnt like missed camaraderie room interaction staff interaction players chessgame part designing game plan tailored opponent packers topflight defense since 2010 last super bowl going prepared paying attention detail pettine said theres magical formula people talk scheme kind playbook thats small part playing great defense look us youre going see going multiple going aggressive ___ ap nfl coverage httpwwwpro32aporg httpwwwtwittercomap_nfl green bay wis ap familiar face offense fresh voice defense headline changes green bay packers coach mike mccarthys revamped staff wake teams first losing season since 2008 joe philbin packers assistant 2003 2012 hired wednesday offensive coordinator job held final five seasons named miami dolphins head coach january 2012 defense packers tabbed mike pettine excleveland browns head coach built successful defenses new york jets buffalo bills largely football last two years serving consultant seattle seahawks 2017 mccarthy also installed run passgame coordinators side ball defense former cornerbacks coach joe whitt promoted passgame coordinator new inside linebackers coach patrick graham serve rungame coordinator offense longtime offensive line coach james campen rungame coordinator new hire jim hostler coached wide receivers philbin indianapolis past two seasons serve passgame coordinator part staff overhaul biggest mccarthys tenure enters 13th season head coach like year 1 mccarthy said introducing new staff defense building new playbook offense tightening approach great new input new experiences room different way saying thing exciting energy top changes come heels 79 season twotime nfl mvp quarterback aaron rodgers missed 10 games broken right collarbone marked end eightyear streak playoff appearances longest franchise history led defensive coordinator dom capers offensive coordinator edgar bennett multiple position coaches let go first time mccarthy changed offense defensive coordinator year seven new staffers since capers almost entirely new defensive staff arrived 2009 philbin returning packers matter timing jan 8 2012 21yearold son michael drowned icy fox river near university wisconsinoshkosh campus emotional us philbin said returning green bay roughly hour north sons body found care love lot people lot people care love us easy whats special green bay ultimately want contribute want help people care want end day feel good put head night pettine packers coordinator whose defenses never finished top 10 going 1022 two seasons cleveland pettine made clear taking job become head coach head coach didnt enjoy lack interaction actual football part pettine said always made comparison going teacher youre principal didnt like missed camaraderie room interaction staff interaction players chessgame part designing game plan tailored opponent packers topflight defense since 2010 last super bowl going prepared paying attention detail pettine said theres magical formula people talk scheme kind playbook thats small part playing great defense look us youre going see going multiple going aggressive ___ ap nfl coverage httpwwwpro32aporg httpwwwtwittercomap_nfl
| 772 |
<p>NEW YORK (AP) - Jeff Glass is starting to get comfortable in goal for the Chicago Blackhawks.</p>
<p>Glass, the 32-year old rookie who bounced around the hockey world before finally reaching the NHL last month, made 23 saves to lead Chicago to a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.</p>
<p>"This is my chance right now," Glass said after securing his second career NHL victory. "We played a strong game as a unit, I just did my part. It was a lot of fun out there."</p>
<p>Patrick Sharp broke a tie early in the third period as the Blackhawks concluded a six-game trip. Nick Schmaltz, Vinnie Hinostroza, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane also scored</p>
<p>"Contributing offensively is to be expected from every line," Sharp said. "We're more than capable of doing it but more than anything, I thought we played real stingy tonight and didn't give up a whole lot so that was one of the keys tonight."</p>
<p>Nick Holden and Mika Zibanejad scored for New York in the Rangers' second regulation loss at home since Nov. 28.</p>
<p>New York struggled to get through the neutral zone most of the evening and only converted one power play chance on six opportunities in their first game back since the Winter Classic at Citi Field.</p>
<p>"I saw one team playing hockey and the other chasing the whole night," Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh said. "It's really disappointing. We know we are coming off a big emotional win and a big stage but we're almost at the halfway point of the season where we need to start playing with some consistency and we didn't give ourselves a chance there. They were able to do whatever they wanted. We didn't finish checks, slow them down, their speed. They had time and space and we left our goalie out to dry."</p>
<p>Glass, a well-traveled hockey veteran has played on six Kontinental Hockey League teams and three American Hockey League teams before being called up on Dec. 27 when Corey Crawford was placed on injured reserve.</p>
<p>"I think Glasser came in and gave us a little jolt of personality and energy," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. "After coming out of three tough games going into the break, coming out of it not the way you want to be playing on the road. We'll go back home, we showed a lot better of an effort. I liked the response, the way we finished up the trip."</p>
<p>Sharp, a three-time Cup winner with Chicago who returned this season after spending the previous two years in Dallas, scored at 2:24 of the third when his wrist shot sailed past goalie Henrik Lundqvist's glove.</p>
<p>"I saw a lot of good things, a lot of the speed in the game," Joel Quenneville said. "We got to a lot of pucks first. We did a lot of good things, we were more disciplined than we've been in maybe any other game. We found a way to kill some big penalties."</p>
<p>Hinostroza opened the scoring with 3:51 left in the first period. After an offensive zone faceoff win, Toews retrieved a loose puck in the corner and slipped a backhand pass to Hinostroza.</p>
<p>The Rangers tied it two minutes later when Nick Holden fired a slap shot from the right point past Glass.</p>
<p>Chicago took a 2-1 lead midway through the second when Nick Schmaltz converted a breakaway. Rangers defenseman, Marc Staal, inadvertently put the puck in his own net before knocking the net off the moorings.</p>
<p>Zibanejad tied it on a one-timer with 7:28 to go in the period.</p>
<p>"They were better," Lundqvist said after his 30 save performance. "They started the game better, they had more jump. It felt like a lot of their chances came from odd-man rushes, hard to defend. They have a lot of patient players."</p>
<p>NOTES:</p>
<p>New York scratched defenseman Steven Kampfer and forward Vinni Lettieri. ... Chicago scratched defensemen Michal Kempny and Jan Rutta, and forward Richard Panik.</p>
<p>UP NEXT:</p>
<p>Rangers: At Arizona on Saturday night.</p>
<p>Blackhawks: Host Vegas on Friday night.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More NHL hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey</p>
<p>NEW YORK (AP) - Jeff Glass is starting to get comfortable in goal for the Chicago Blackhawks.</p>
<p>Glass, the 32-year old rookie who bounced around the hockey world before finally reaching the NHL last month, made 23 saves to lead Chicago to a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.</p>
<p>"This is my chance right now," Glass said after securing his second career NHL victory. "We played a strong game as a unit, I just did my part. It was a lot of fun out there."</p>
<p>Patrick Sharp broke a tie early in the third period as the Blackhawks concluded a six-game trip. Nick Schmaltz, Vinnie Hinostroza, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane also scored</p>
<p>"Contributing offensively is to be expected from every line," Sharp said. "We're more than capable of doing it but more than anything, I thought we played real stingy tonight and didn't give up a whole lot so that was one of the keys tonight."</p>
<p>Nick Holden and Mika Zibanejad scored for New York in the Rangers' second regulation loss at home since Nov. 28.</p>
<p>New York struggled to get through the neutral zone most of the evening and only converted one power play chance on six opportunities in their first game back since the Winter Classic at Citi Field.</p>
<p>"I saw one team playing hockey and the other chasing the whole night," Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh said. "It's really disappointing. We know we are coming off a big emotional win and a big stage but we're almost at the halfway point of the season where we need to start playing with some consistency and we didn't give ourselves a chance there. They were able to do whatever they wanted. We didn't finish checks, slow them down, their speed. They had time and space and we left our goalie out to dry."</p>
<p>Glass, a well-traveled hockey veteran has played on six Kontinental Hockey League teams and three American Hockey League teams before being called up on Dec. 27 when Corey Crawford was placed on injured reserve.</p>
<p>"I think Glasser came in and gave us a little jolt of personality and energy," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. "After coming out of three tough games going into the break, coming out of it not the way you want to be playing on the road. We'll go back home, we showed a lot better of an effort. I liked the response, the way we finished up the trip."</p>
<p>Sharp, a three-time Cup winner with Chicago who returned this season after spending the previous two years in Dallas, scored at 2:24 of the third when his wrist shot sailed past goalie Henrik Lundqvist's glove.</p>
<p>"I saw a lot of good things, a lot of the speed in the game," Joel Quenneville said. "We got to a lot of pucks first. We did a lot of good things, we were more disciplined than we've been in maybe any other game. We found a way to kill some big penalties."</p>
<p>Hinostroza opened the scoring with 3:51 left in the first period. After an offensive zone faceoff win, Toews retrieved a loose puck in the corner and slipped a backhand pass to Hinostroza.</p>
<p>The Rangers tied it two minutes later when Nick Holden fired a slap shot from the right point past Glass.</p>
<p>Chicago took a 2-1 lead midway through the second when Nick Schmaltz converted a breakaway. Rangers defenseman, Marc Staal, inadvertently put the puck in his own net before knocking the net off the moorings.</p>
<p>Zibanejad tied it on a one-timer with 7:28 to go in the period.</p>
<p>"They were better," Lundqvist said after his 30 save performance. "They started the game better, they had more jump. It felt like a lot of their chances came from odd-man rushes, hard to defend. They have a lot of patient players."</p>
<p>NOTES:</p>
<p>New York scratched defenseman Steven Kampfer and forward Vinni Lettieri. ... Chicago scratched defensemen Michal Kempny and Jan Rutta, and forward Richard Panik.</p>
<p>UP NEXT:</p>
<p>Rangers: At Arizona on Saturday night.</p>
<p>Blackhawks: Host Vegas on Friday night.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More NHL hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey</p>
| false | 2 |
new york ap jeff glass starting get comfortable goal chicago blackhawks glass 32year old rookie bounced around hockey world finally reaching nhl last month made 23 saves lead chicago 52 victory new york rangers wednesday night chance right glass said securing second career nhl victory played strong game unit part lot fun patrick sharp broke tie early third period blackhawks concluded sixgame trip nick schmaltz vinnie hinostroza jonathan toews patrick kane also scored contributing offensively expected every line sharp said capable anything thought played real stingy tonight didnt give whole lot one keys tonight nick holden mika zibanejad scored new york rangers second regulation loss home since nov 28 new york struggled get neutral zone evening converted one power play chance six opportunities first game back since winter classic citi field saw one team playing hockey chasing whole night rangers captain ryan mcdonagh said really disappointing know coming big emotional win big stage almost halfway point season need start playing consistency didnt give chance able whatever wanted didnt finish checks slow speed time space left goalie dry glass welltraveled hockey veteran played six kontinental hockey league teams three american hockey league teams called dec 27 corey crawford placed injured reserve think glasser came gave us little jolt personality energy blackhawks coach joel quenneville coming three tough games going break coming way want playing road well go back home showed lot better effort liked response way finished trip sharp threetime cup winner chicago returned season spending previous two years dallas scored 224 third wrist shot sailed past goalie henrik lundqvists glove saw lot good things lot speed game joel quenneville said got lot pucks first lot good things disciplined weve maybe game found way kill big penalties hinostroza opened scoring 351 left first period offensive zone faceoff win toews retrieved loose puck corner slipped backhand pass hinostroza rangers tied two minutes later nick holden fired slap shot right point past glass chicago took 21 lead midway second nick schmaltz converted breakaway rangers defenseman marc staal inadvertently put puck net knocking net moorings zibanejad tied onetimer 728 go period better lundqvist said 30 save performance started game better jump felt like lot chances came oddman rushes hard defend lot patient players notes new york scratched defenseman steven kampfer forward vinni lettieri chicago scratched defensemen michal kempny jan rutta forward richard panik next rangers arizona saturday night blackhawks host vegas friday night ___ nhl hockey httpsapnewscomtagnhlhockey new york ap jeff glass starting get comfortable goal chicago blackhawks glass 32year old rookie bounced around hockey world finally reaching nhl last month made 23 saves lead chicago 52 victory new york rangers wednesday night chance right glass said securing second career nhl victory played strong game unit part lot fun patrick sharp broke tie early third period blackhawks concluded sixgame trip nick schmaltz vinnie hinostroza jonathan toews patrick kane also scored contributing offensively expected every line sharp said capable anything thought played real stingy tonight didnt give whole lot one keys tonight nick holden mika zibanejad scored new york rangers second regulation loss home since nov 28 new york struggled get neutral zone evening converted one power play chance six opportunities first game back since winter classic citi field saw one team playing hockey chasing whole night rangers captain ryan mcdonagh said really disappointing know coming big emotional win big stage almost halfway point season need start playing consistency didnt give chance able whatever wanted didnt finish checks slow speed time space left goalie dry glass welltraveled hockey veteran played six kontinental hockey league teams three american hockey league teams called dec 27 corey crawford placed injured reserve think glasser came gave us little jolt personality energy blackhawks coach joel quenneville coming three tough games going break coming way want playing road well go back home showed lot better effort liked response way finished trip sharp threetime cup winner chicago returned season spending previous two years dallas scored 224 third wrist shot sailed past goalie henrik lundqvists glove saw lot good things lot speed game joel quenneville said got lot pucks first lot good things disciplined weve maybe game found way kill big penalties hinostroza opened scoring 351 left first period offensive zone faceoff win toews retrieved loose puck corner slipped backhand pass hinostroza rangers tied two minutes later nick holden fired slap shot right point past glass chicago took 21 lead midway second nick schmaltz converted breakaway rangers defenseman marc staal inadvertently put puck net knocking net moorings zibanejad tied onetimer 728 go period better lundqvist said 30 save performance started game better jump felt like lot chances came oddman rushes hard defend lot patient players notes new york scratched defenseman steven kampfer forward vinni lettieri chicago scratched defensemen michal kempny jan rutta forward richard panik next rangers arizona saturday night blackhawks host vegas friday night ___ nhl hockey httpsapnewscomtagnhlhockey
| 806 |
<p>ATLANTA (AP) — Unlike the Bowl Championship Series, the College Football Playoff was built to withstand criticism instead of shifting to respond to yearly griping.</p>
<p>That structure is standing strong despite some blowback.</p>
<p>Two <a href="https://collegefootball.ap.org/article/s-e-c-s-e-c-alabama-vs-georgia-national-championship" type="external">Southeastern Conference teams playing for the championship</a> on Monday night in Atlanta? Not a problem. Two Power Five conferences left out of the final four, including Big Ten champ and bluest of blue bloods Ohio State? That's OK. Undefeated UCF never getting serious consideration for spot in the playoff? Congratulations on a great season, but that's just the way it goes, Knights.</p>
<p>Despite this storm, the playoff is what it is for the foreseeable future. No one in position to fight for changes has given any indication tweaks are coming. Especially not expansion.</p>
<p>"The CFP was built on a more long-term foundation than the BCS was," College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock said Wednesday.</p>
<p>The playoff management committee is made up of the FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director, but the architects were mostly the commissioners of the Power Five conferences. Final approval was given by a panel of university presidents representing each conference. The system was locked into place with a 12-year television contract with ESPN. This is year four of that agreement.</p>
<p>"The BCS contracts were four years," Hancock said. "After two years of every agreement it was time to begin thinking about the next agreement."</p>
<p>The reality is if the commissioners wanted to expand, ESPN would not stop them, but the contract showed a commitment to the CFP that was often lacking in the BCS. Frequently with the BCS, debates about which teams did or did not make the championship game or the other BCS bowls led to changes to the selection process.</p>
<p>Good intentions, but not good optics.</p>
<p>Hancock said when reacting to complaints the goal was to make the BCS better, but "in hindsight that was not the best approach because it contributed to the public not understanding how it worked or the perceived mystery about it. And also led people to believe that the people who owned and operated it weren't really confident about it."</p>
<p>A month ago, on selection Sunday, after Georgia and Alabama (which did not even play in the SEC title game), were chosen by the selection committee to play in the semifinals, Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany expressed full confidence in the playoff and the committee. Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott, whose conference was also left out, said he believed there was no reason to begin talking about expansion.</p>
<p>SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford and Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby have all echoed those sentiments. Same goes for American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco, who watched his league member, <a href="https://collegefootball.ap.org/article/milton-powers-no-10-ucf-34-27-peach-bowl-win-over-auburn" type="external">UCF, finish the season 13-0 with a victory against Auburn</a> in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1.</p>
<p>Auburn beat both Georgia and Alabama in the regular season.</p>
<p>"At this point I still don't favor expansion," Aresco said. "I do think our teams need to get a better shake, but that's a separate issue."</p>
<p>UCF athletic director Danny White doesn't agree; he wants changes.</p>
<p>White said he does not question the selection committee's integrity, but he does believe it has a bias against teams from outside the Power Five. UCF was never ranked higher than No. 12 in the selection committee's rankings. White wants a return to the BCS selection process, which used a combination of media and coaches' polls and computer ratings. The BCS rankings were usually kinder to teams from outside what at the time was six automatic qualifying conferences.</p>
<p>"You look at a Utah and a TCU and Hawaii. Boise. They had years like we had they were somewhere near the top five. And we're 12th," White said. "I just think that's a disservice. Because it doesn't solve the second part that I think needs to change and that's I think the playoff needs to be at least eight teams if we're going to call it a true national champion, because it's not inclusive enough."</p>
<p>And since White does not believe the playoff crowns a true champion, <a href="https://collegefootball.ap.org/article/ucf-getting-recognition-worthy-national-champions" type="external">UCF has declared itself national champs</a> . UCF football's official Twitter account has the title 2017 National Champions. School officials plan to hang a championship banner and have a parade in nearby Disney World for the team. White even said he planned to pay former coach Scott Frost, who is now coach at Nebraska, and his staff their championship bonuses.</p>
<p>"I look at schools all across the country that are hanging national championship banners for years they had that weren't even close to the year we just had," White said.</p>
<p>For now, though, White's calls for change to the CFP are just shouts into an empty room. He speaks for many fans, but no one is listening.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Ralph D. Russo at <a href="http://www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP" type="external">www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP college football: https://collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25</p>
<p>ATLANTA (AP) — Unlike the Bowl Championship Series, the College Football Playoff was built to withstand criticism instead of shifting to respond to yearly griping.</p>
<p>That structure is standing strong despite some blowback.</p>
<p>Two <a href="https://collegefootball.ap.org/article/s-e-c-s-e-c-alabama-vs-georgia-national-championship" type="external">Southeastern Conference teams playing for the championship</a> on Monday night in Atlanta? Not a problem. Two Power Five conferences left out of the final four, including Big Ten champ and bluest of blue bloods Ohio State? That's OK. Undefeated UCF never getting serious consideration for spot in the playoff? Congratulations on a great season, but that's just the way it goes, Knights.</p>
<p>Despite this storm, the playoff is what it is for the foreseeable future. No one in position to fight for changes has given any indication tweaks are coming. Especially not expansion.</p>
<p>"The CFP was built on a more long-term foundation than the BCS was," College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock said Wednesday.</p>
<p>The playoff management committee is made up of the FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director, but the architects were mostly the commissioners of the Power Five conferences. Final approval was given by a panel of university presidents representing each conference. The system was locked into place with a 12-year television contract with ESPN. This is year four of that agreement.</p>
<p>"The BCS contracts were four years," Hancock said. "After two years of every agreement it was time to begin thinking about the next agreement."</p>
<p>The reality is if the commissioners wanted to expand, ESPN would not stop them, but the contract showed a commitment to the CFP that was often lacking in the BCS. Frequently with the BCS, debates about which teams did or did not make the championship game or the other BCS bowls led to changes to the selection process.</p>
<p>Good intentions, but not good optics.</p>
<p>Hancock said when reacting to complaints the goal was to make the BCS better, but "in hindsight that was not the best approach because it contributed to the public not understanding how it worked or the perceived mystery about it. And also led people to believe that the people who owned and operated it weren't really confident about it."</p>
<p>A month ago, on selection Sunday, after Georgia and Alabama (which did not even play in the SEC title game), were chosen by the selection committee to play in the semifinals, Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany expressed full confidence in the playoff and the committee. Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott, whose conference was also left out, said he believed there was no reason to begin talking about expansion.</p>
<p>SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford and Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby have all echoed those sentiments. Same goes for American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco, who watched his league member, <a href="https://collegefootball.ap.org/article/milton-powers-no-10-ucf-34-27-peach-bowl-win-over-auburn" type="external">UCF, finish the season 13-0 with a victory against Auburn</a> in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1.</p>
<p>Auburn beat both Georgia and Alabama in the regular season.</p>
<p>"At this point I still don't favor expansion," Aresco said. "I do think our teams need to get a better shake, but that's a separate issue."</p>
<p>UCF athletic director Danny White doesn't agree; he wants changes.</p>
<p>White said he does not question the selection committee's integrity, but he does believe it has a bias against teams from outside the Power Five. UCF was never ranked higher than No. 12 in the selection committee's rankings. White wants a return to the BCS selection process, which used a combination of media and coaches' polls and computer ratings. The BCS rankings were usually kinder to teams from outside what at the time was six automatic qualifying conferences.</p>
<p>"You look at a Utah and a TCU and Hawaii. Boise. They had years like we had they were somewhere near the top five. And we're 12th," White said. "I just think that's a disservice. Because it doesn't solve the second part that I think needs to change and that's I think the playoff needs to be at least eight teams if we're going to call it a true national champion, because it's not inclusive enough."</p>
<p>And since White does not believe the playoff crowns a true champion, <a href="https://collegefootball.ap.org/article/ucf-getting-recognition-worthy-national-champions" type="external">UCF has declared itself national champs</a> . UCF football's official Twitter account has the title 2017 National Champions. School officials plan to hang a championship banner and have a parade in nearby Disney World for the team. White even said he planned to pay former coach Scott Frost, who is now coach at Nebraska, and his staff their championship bonuses.</p>
<p>"I look at schools all across the country that are hanging national championship banners for years they had that weren't even close to the year we just had," White said.</p>
<p>For now, though, White's calls for change to the CFP are just shouts into an empty room. He speaks for many fans, but no one is listening.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Ralph D. Russo at <a href="http://www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP" type="external">www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP college football: https://collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25</p>
| false | 2 |
atlanta ap unlike bowl championship series college football playoff built withstand criticism instead shifting respond yearly griping structure standing strong despite blowback two southeastern conference teams playing championship monday night atlanta problem two power five conferences left final four including big ten champ bluest blue bloods ohio state thats ok undefeated ucf never getting serious consideration spot playoff congratulations great season thats way goes knights despite storm playoff foreseeable future one position fight changes given indication tweaks coming especially expansion cfp built longterm foundation bcs college football playoff executive director bill hancock said wednesday playoff management committee made fbs conference commissioners notre dames athletic director architects mostly commissioners power five conferences final approval given panel university presidents representing conference system locked place 12year television contract espn year four agreement bcs contracts four years hancock said two years every agreement time begin thinking next agreement reality commissioners wanted expand espn would stop contract showed commitment cfp often lacking bcs frequently bcs debates teams make championship game bcs bowls led changes selection process good intentions good optics hancock said reacting complaints goal make bcs better hindsight best approach contributed public understanding worked perceived mystery also led people believe people owned operated werent really confident month ago selection sunday georgia alabama even play sec title game chosen selection committee play semifinals big ten commissioner jim delany expressed full confidence playoff committee pac12 commissioner larry scott whose conference also left said believed reason begin talking expansion sec commissioner greg sankey atlantic coast conference commissioner john swofford big 12 commissioner bob bowlsby echoed sentiments goes american athletic conference commissioner mike aresco watched league member ucf finish season 130 victory auburn peach bowl jan 1 auburn beat georgia alabama regular season point still dont favor expansion aresco said think teams need get better shake thats separate issue ucf athletic director danny white doesnt agree wants changes white said question selection committees integrity believe bias teams outside power five ucf never ranked higher 12 selection committees rankings white wants return bcs selection process used combination media coaches polls computer ratings bcs rankings usually kinder teams outside time six automatic qualifying conferences look utah tcu hawaii boise years like somewhere near top five 12th white said think thats disservice doesnt solve second part think needs change thats think playoff needs least eight teams going call true national champion inclusive enough since white believe playoff crowns true champion ucf declared national champs ucf footballs official twitter account title 2017 national champions school officials plan hang championship banner parade nearby disney world team white even said planned pay former coach scott frost coach nebraska staff championship bonuses look schools across country hanging national championship banners years werent even close year white said though whites calls change cfp shouts empty room speaks many fans one listening ___ follow ralph russo wwwtwittercomralphdrussoap ___ ap college football httpscollegefootballaporg httpstwittercomap_top25 atlanta ap unlike bowl championship series college football playoff built withstand criticism instead shifting respond yearly griping structure standing strong despite blowback two southeastern conference teams playing championship monday night atlanta problem two power five conferences left final four including big ten champ bluest blue bloods ohio state thats ok undefeated ucf never getting serious consideration spot playoff congratulations great season thats way goes knights despite storm playoff foreseeable future one position fight changes given indication tweaks coming especially expansion cfp built longterm foundation bcs college football playoff executive director bill hancock said wednesday playoff management committee made fbs conference commissioners notre dames athletic director architects mostly commissioners power five conferences final approval given panel university presidents representing conference system locked place 12year television contract espn year four agreement bcs contracts four years hancock said two years every agreement time begin thinking next agreement reality commissioners wanted expand espn would stop contract showed commitment cfp often lacking bcs frequently bcs debates teams make championship game bcs bowls led changes selection process good intentions good optics hancock said reacting complaints goal make bcs better hindsight best approach contributed public understanding worked perceived mystery also led people believe people owned operated werent really confident month ago selection sunday georgia alabama even play sec title game chosen selection committee play semifinals big ten commissioner jim delany expressed full confidence playoff committee pac12 commissioner larry scott whose conference also left said believed reason begin talking expansion sec commissioner greg sankey atlantic coast conference commissioner john swofford big 12 commissioner bob bowlsby echoed sentiments goes american athletic conference commissioner mike aresco watched league member ucf finish season 130 victory auburn peach bowl jan 1 auburn beat georgia alabama regular season point still dont favor expansion aresco said think teams need get better shake thats separate issue ucf athletic director danny white doesnt agree wants changes white said question selection committees integrity believe bias teams outside power five ucf never ranked higher 12 selection committees rankings white wants return bcs selection process used combination media coaches polls computer ratings bcs rankings usually kinder teams outside time six automatic qualifying conferences look utah tcu hawaii boise years like somewhere near top five 12th white said think thats disservice doesnt solve second part think needs change thats think playoff needs least eight teams going call true national champion inclusive enough since white believe playoff crowns true champion ucf declared national champs ucf footballs official twitter account title 2017 national champions school officials plan hang championship banner parade nearby disney world team white even said planned pay former coach scott frost coach nebraska staff championship bonuses look schools across country hanging national championship banners years werent even close year white said though whites calls change cfp shouts empty room speaks many fans one listening ___ follow ralph russo wwwtwittercomralphdrussoap ___ ap college football httpscollegefootballaporg httpstwittercomap_top25
| 952 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The Lobos carried the flag for the Mountain West in terms of non-conference schedule strength and Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) in the past couple of seasons. But their 2014-15 schedule the program released Wednesday includes several teams coming off losing record seasons with RPIs well into the 200s.</p>
<p>The value of the RPI is debated around college basketball, but it remains one of the tools the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee uses to evaluate teams when choosing who plays in the 68-team postseason tournament.</p>
<p />
<p>Non-Conference Nov. 14 vs. Idaho State Nov. 16 vs. Cal State-Fullerton Nov. 20 TBD, Puerto Rico Tip-off (ESPN family) Nov. 21 TBD, Puerto Rico Tip-off (ESPN family) Nov. 23 TBD, Puerto Rico Tip-off (ESPN family) Nov. 30 vs. Southern Cal (CBSSN) Dec. 3 vs. New Mexico State (ESPN3) Dec. 6 at Valparaiso (Ind.) Dec. 13 vs. Louisiana-Monroe Dec. 17 vs. Central Arkansas Dec. 20 at New Mexico State Dec. 23 at Grand Canyon University, Phoenix</p>
<p>Mountain West Conference Dec. 31 vs. Fresno State (ESPN Family) Jan. 3 vs. Colorado State (CBSSN) Jan. 6 at San Diego State (CBSSN) Jan. 10 at Utah State (ESPN3) Jan. 14 vs. Air Force Jan. 18 vs. Boise State (CBSSN) Jan. 21 at UNLV (CBSSN) Jan. 24 at Wyoming (ESPN Family) Jan. 31 vs. San Jose State Feb. 4 at Air Force Feb. 7 vs. Utah State Feb. 10 at Colorado State (ESPN Family) Feb. 14 at Nevada (ESPN Family) Feb. 17 vs. San Diego State (CBSSN) Feb. 21 vs. UNLV (CBSSN) Feb. 24 at Boise State (ESPNU) Feb. 28 at Fresno State (ESPN Family) March 7 vs. Wyoming (CBSSN)</p>
<p>MWC Tourney March 11-14, Thomas &amp; Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.</p>
<p>* “ESPN Family” refers to any of four ESPN networks that could broadcast the game: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3 (online only).</p>
<p>This year’s Lobos squad is also in a state of transition with nine new faces (seven scholarship players and two walk-ons) and loses Cameron Bairstow (draft pick of the Chicago Bulls), Kendall Williams (last week signed a pro contract with a team in Italy) and Alex Kirk (hoping to make the Cleveland Cavaliers roster).</p>
<p>“I am looking forward to our entire schedule,” UNM coach Craig Neal said in a statement from the school. “The ESPN tournament in Puerto Rico has an outstanding field that includes (defending national champion) UConn, Dayton, West Virginia, Texas A&amp;M and many other good programs. It will help prepare us for our conference schedule, which will be challenging as always. Every game is tough in the Mountain West.”</p>
<p>Matchups for the Puerto Rico tournament have yet to be determined.</p>
<p>On March 17, two days after his 27-win team won its third consecutive Mountain West tournament title with a second win of the season over nationally ranked San Diego State, Neal made it clear he wasn’t happy with the Lobos earning a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He hinted that his future scheduling philosophy would de-emphasize playing quality teams out of conference because he felt his team’s body of work warranted a much higher seed.</p>
<p>“The only thing I will say is we did our work,” Neal said then. “We’re the 17th ranked schedule out of conference. We beat San Diego State, who was in the top 10, twice. We beat Cincinnati who’s 13th in the country, or whatever. We did what we’re supposed to do. I’m going to look at it differently now, because why wouldn’t I just schedule whoever and win as many games as I can? It really didn’t make a difference.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The Lobos’ upcoming season includes two games with in-state rival and fellow NCAA Tournament participant New Mexico State (Dec. 3 in the Pit and Dec. 20 in Las Cruces).</p>
<p>Of the team’s other seven non-conference opponents, only Valparaiso (18-16) had a winning record last season, and none of those teams had an RPI of better than 181.</p>
<p>UNM’s 12-game non-conference slate includes six home games. There will also be the three neutral court games at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off (Nov. 20-23) and road games at Valparaiso (Dec. 6), NMSU (Dec. 20) and Grand Canyon University (Dec. 23). The Valparaiso and GCU road games are the back ends of home-and-home contracts. Valparaiso played in the Pit in 2012 and GCU in 2013.</p>
<p>UNM will also play two NCAA Division II opponents in exhibition games in the Pit – Nov. 1 vs. Western New Mexico and Nov. 7 vs. Adams State.</p>
<p>As for the 18-game Mountain West schedule, the Lobos open at home on New Year’s Eve against Fresno State. Games against last year’s Mountain West champion San Diego State will be Jan. 7 (in San Diego) and Feb. 18 in the Pit.</p>
<p>Due to the league’s unbalanced 18 game schedule, UNM will not play at San Jose State nor host Nevada. A year ago, UNM did not play at Air Force or at home vs. Fresno State. Teams won’t miss games against the same opponent in back-to-back seasons.</p>
<p>UNM had 14 of 18 league games picked up on the initial release of broadcasted games with seven games on the CBS Sports Network and seven on the ESPN family of networks. ROOT Sports now gets an opportunity to pick up additional games.</p>
<p>Per the league’s television contracts with CBS Sports and ESPN, CBS gets first rights to an unspecified number of league games. Once that number is met, according to MWC associate commisioner Dan Butterly, CBS and ESPN then alternate picks in a draft style set up for game broadcast rights.</p>
<p>Online poll</p>
<p />
<p />
| false | 2 |
lobos carried flag mountain west terms nonconference schedule strength ratings percentage index rpi past couple seasons 201415 schedule program released wednesday includes several teams coming losing record seasons rpis well 200s value rpi debated around college basketball remains one tools ncaa tournament selection committee uses evaluate teams choosing plays 68team postseason tournament nonconference nov 14 vs idaho state nov 16 vs cal statefullerton nov 20 tbd puerto rico tipoff espn family nov 21 tbd puerto rico tipoff espn family nov 23 tbd puerto rico tipoff espn family nov 30 vs southern cal cbssn dec 3 vs new mexico state espn3 dec 6 valparaiso ind dec 13 vs louisianamonroe dec 17 vs central arkansas dec 20 new mexico state dec 23 grand canyon university phoenix mountain west conference dec 31 vs fresno state espn family jan 3 vs colorado state cbssn jan 6 san diego state cbssn jan 10 utah state espn3 jan 14 vs air force jan 18 vs boise state cbssn jan 21 unlv cbssn jan 24 wyoming espn family jan 31 vs san jose state feb 4 air force feb 7 vs utah state feb 10 colorado state espn family feb 14 nevada espn family feb 17 vs san diego state cbssn feb 21 vs unlv cbssn feb 24 boise state espnu feb 28 fresno state espn family march 7 vs wyoming cbssn mwc tourney march 1114 thomas amp mack center las vegas nev espn family refers four espn networks could broadcast game espn espn2 espnu espn3 online years lobos squad also state transition nine new faces seven scholarship players two walkons loses cameron bairstow draft pick chicago bulls kendall williams last week signed pro contract team italy alex kirk hoping make cleveland cavaliers roster looking forward entire schedule unm coach craig neal said statement school espn tournament puerto rico outstanding field includes defending national champion uconn dayton west virginia texas aampm many good programs help prepare us conference schedule challenging always every game tough mountain west matchups puerto rico tournament yet determined march 17 two days 27win team third consecutive mountain west tournament title second win season nationally ranked san diego state neal made clear wasnt happy lobos earning 7 seed ncaa tournament hinted future scheduling philosophy would deemphasize playing quality teams conference felt teams body work warranted much higher seed thing say work neal said 17th ranked schedule conference beat san diego state top 10 twice beat cincinnati whos 13th country whatever supposed im going look differently wouldnt schedule whoever win many games really didnt make difference advertisement lobos upcoming season includes two games instate rival fellow ncaa tournament participant new mexico state dec 3 pit dec 20 las cruces teams seven nonconference opponents valparaiso 1816 winning record last season none teams rpi better 181 unms 12game nonconference slate includes six home games also three neutral court games puerto rico tipoff nov 2023 road games valparaiso dec 6 nmsu dec 20 grand canyon university dec 23 valparaiso gcu road games back ends homeandhome contracts valparaiso played pit 2012 gcu 2013 unm also play two ncaa division ii opponents exhibition games pit nov 1 vs western new mexico nov 7 vs adams state 18game mountain west schedule lobos open home new years eve fresno state games last years mountain west champion san diego state jan 7 san diego feb 18 pit due leagues unbalanced 18 game schedule unm play san jose state host nevada year ago unm play air force home vs fresno state teams wont miss games opponent backtoback seasons unm 14 18 league games picked initial release broadcasted games seven games cbs sports network seven espn family networks root sports gets opportunity pick additional games per leagues television contracts cbs sports espn cbs gets first rights unspecified number league games number met according mwc associate commisioner dan butterly cbs espn alternate picks draft style set game broadcast rights online poll
| 645 |
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - With the recent dip in oil prices, the Environmental Protection Agency wants the State Department to "revisit" how much of a toll the Keystone XL oil pipeline would have on global warming.</p>
<p>The EPA suggests that lower oil prices could make the pipeline more important in the development of the oil sands, and thus a chief culprit in the "significant greenhouse gas emissions" they would produce. A January 2014 environmental analysis by the State Department found that the oil sands - which it said would significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions over conventional crude oil - would be developed regardless of whether the pipeline was built. But that conclusion was based on higher oil prices. Oil, the EPA points out, was trading at $50 per barrel last week.</p>
<p>"Given the recent variability in oil prices, it is important to revisit these conclusions," wrote Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator of EPA's enforcement office.</p>
<p>The comments sent Monday to the State Department come as the House prepares to vote next week and send to President Barack Obama's desk a bill approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline. The Senate voted 62-36 last week to build the $8 billion project that would connect with existing pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to refineries along the Texas Gulf coast. That vote was short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto the White House has promised.</p>
<p>Obama has said all along that he would wait for the review process to conclude, and that the pipeline could not exacerbate global warming.</p>
<p>The EPA's comments leave open the possibility that the State Department could do additional analysis, delaying the project's review again.</p>
<p>The American Petroleum Institute said the EPA was "inventing new excuses" to delay the project, which was first proposed in 2008, when oil prices were lower than they are now.</p>
<p>"Suggesting that the drop in oil prices requires a re-evaluation of the environmental impact of the project is just another attempt to prolong the KXL review," said Finkel. "Keystone XL was put forward when oil was less than $40 a barrel so price has little impact on the project."</p>
<p>But environmentalists, who have fought vigorously to kill the pipeline, applauded the EPA's assessment Tuesday.</p>
<p>"The EPA's assessment is spot-on. There should be no more doubt that President Obama must reject the proposed pipeline once and for all," said Danielle Droitsch, a director for the Natural Resources Defense Council who specializes in Canada's tar sands.</p>
<p>A State Department spokeswoman said it would take into account the views of all agencies in the review process.</p>
<p>Follow Dina Cappiello on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dinacappiello</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - With the recent dip in oil prices, the Environmental Protection Agency wants the State Department to "revisit" how much of a toll the Keystone XL oil pipeline would have on global warming.</p>
<p>The EPA suggests that lower oil prices could make the pipeline more important in the development of the oil sands, and thus a chief culprit in the "significant greenhouse gas emissions" they would produce. A January 2014 environmental analysis by the State Department found that the oil sands - which it said would significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions over conventional crude oil - would be developed regardless of whether the pipeline was built. But that conclusion was based on higher oil prices. Oil, the EPA points out, was trading at $50 per barrel last week.</p>
<p>"Given the recent variability in oil prices, it is important to revisit these conclusions," wrote Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator of EPA's enforcement office.</p>
<p>The comments sent Monday to the State Department come as the House prepares to vote next week and send to President Barack Obama's desk a bill approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline. The Senate voted 62-36 last week to build the $8 billion project that would connect with existing pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to refineries along the Texas Gulf coast. That vote was short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto the White House has promised.</p>
<p>Obama has said all along that he would wait for the review process to conclude, and that the pipeline could not exacerbate global warming.</p>
<p>The EPA's comments leave open the possibility that the State Department could do additional analysis, delaying the project's review again.</p>
<p>The American Petroleum Institute said the EPA was "inventing new excuses" to delay the project, which was first proposed in 2008, when oil prices were lower than they are now.</p>
<p>"Suggesting that the drop in oil prices requires a re-evaluation of the environmental impact of the project is just another attempt to prolong the KXL review," said Finkel. "Keystone XL was put forward when oil was less than $40 a barrel so price has little impact on the project."</p>
<p>But environmentalists, who have fought vigorously to kill the pipeline, applauded the EPA's assessment Tuesday.</p>
<p>"The EPA's assessment is spot-on. There should be no more doubt that President Obama must reject the proposed pipeline once and for all," said Danielle Droitsch, a director for the Natural Resources Defense Council who specializes in Canada's tar sands.</p>
<p>A State Department spokeswoman said it would take into account the views of all agencies in the review process.</p>
<p>Follow Dina Cappiello on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dinacappiello</p>
| false | 2 |
washington ap recent dip oil prices environmental protection agency wants state department revisit much toll keystone xl oil pipeline would global warming epa suggests lower oil prices could make pipeline important development oil sands thus chief culprit significant greenhouse gas emissions would produce january 2014 environmental analysis state department found oil sands said would significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions conventional crude oil would developed regardless whether pipeline built conclusion based higher oil prices oil epa points trading 50 per barrel last week given recent variability oil prices important revisit conclusions wrote cynthia giles assistant administrator epas enforcement office comments sent monday state department come house prepares vote next week send president barack obamas desk bill approving keystone xl oil pipeline senate voted 6236 last week build 8 billion project would connect existing pipelines carry 800000 barrels crude oil day refineries along texas gulf coast vote short twothirds majority needed override veto white house promised obama said along would wait review process conclude pipeline could exacerbate global warming epas comments leave open possibility state department could additional analysis delaying projects review american petroleum institute said epa inventing new excuses delay project first proposed 2008 oil prices lower suggesting drop oil prices requires reevaluation environmental impact project another attempt prolong kxl review said finkel keystone xl put forward oil less 40 barrel price little impact project environmentalists fought vigorously kill pipeline applauded epas assessment tuesday epas assessment spoton doubt president obama must reject proposed pipeline said danielle droitsch director natural resources defense council specializes canadas tar sands state department spokeswoman said would take account views agencies review process follow dina cappiello twitter httpwwwtwittercomdinacappiello washington ap recent dip oil prices environmental protection agency wants state department revisit much toll keystone xl oil pipeline would global warming epa suggests lower oil prices could make pipeline important development oil sands thus chief culprit significant greenhouse gas emissions would produce january 2014 environmental analysis state department found oil sands said would significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions conventional crude oil would developed regardless whether pipeline built conclusion based higher oil prices oil epa points trading 50 per barrel last week given recent variability oil prices important revisit conclusions wrote cynthia giles assistant administrator epas enforcement office comments sent monday state department come house prepares vote next week send president barack obamas desk bill approving keystone xl oil pipeline senate voted 6236 last week build 8 billion project would connect existing pipelines carry 800000 barrels crude oil day refineries along texas gulf coast vote short twothirds majority needed override veto white house promised obama said along would wait review process conclude pipeline could exacerbate global warming epas comments leave open possibility state department could additional analysis delaying projects review american petroleum institute said epa inventing new excuses delay project first proposed 2008 oil prices lower suggesting drop oil prices requires reevaluation environmental impact project another attempt prolong kxl review said finkel keystone xl put forward oil less 40 barrel price little impact project environmentalists fought vigorously kill pipeline applauded epas assessment tuesday epas assessment spoton doubt president obama must reject proposed pipeline said danielle droitsch director natural resources defense council specializes canadas tar sands state department spokeswoman said would take account views agencies review process follow dina cappiello twitter httpwwwtwittercomdinacappiello
| 542 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday. Clinton won the state of Florida in the primary election. (Lynne Sladky/The Associated Press)</p>
<p>WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Sweeping to victory in four key primary contests, Hillary Clinton has solidified her hold on the Democratic nomination, allowing her to begin the work of unifying her party against GOP front-runner Donald Trump.</p>
<p>The process won't be pretty: Rival Bernie Sanders has tapped into a deep vein of anti-Washington sentiment in the Democratic Party, turning what was once expected to be an easy race for Clinton into a far tougher competition. He's vowed to continue all the way to the national convention in July.</p>
<p>But Tuesday night's victories allow Clinton to claim wins in key general election battlegrounds across the country - North Carolina, Florida and Ohio - and demonstrate her appeal to Rust Belt voters who will play a pivotal role in November.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>A decisive win in Florida, Tuesday's biggest delegate prize, left her on track to expand an already-commanding lead. Clinton now has at least 1,599 delegates - including superdelegates - nearly two-thirds of the total needed to win the Democratic nomination. Sanders trails far behind with at least 844.</p>
<p>In Missouri, where the race remained too close to call, Clinton and Sanders were splitting the delegates fairly evenly because Democrats award delegates based on the share of the vote, making the winner of a state less important if the vote margins are close.</p>
<p>"The bottom-line results from last night: Hillary Clinton's pledged delegate lead grew by more than 40 percent, to a lead of more than 300, leaving Sen. Sanders overwhelmingly behind in the nomination contest - and without a clear path to catching up," campaign manager Robby Mook wrote in a memo released Wednesday morning. "Sec. Clinton's pledged delegate lead of more than 300 is nearly twice as large as any lead then-Senator Obama had in 2008."</p>
<p>But in a conference call with reporters Wednesday afternoon Sanders senior strategist Tad Devine argued that there was still a path to the nomination. Devine said the upcoming states offer a "much more favorable terrain in terms of our message and our candidate," and added that the campaign will have the resources to compete.</p>
<p>Devine also said that this isn't just a math problem, saying the "process is dynamic, it is not a static process, it is not a matter of delegate arithmetic."</p>
<p>Over the past few days, Clinton has begun peppering her standard campaign speech with subtle calls for party unity and more direct attacks on Trump's rhetoric, experience and plans.</p>
<p>"I'm going to keep working as hard as I can, but I think it is important that we really do focus on the really dangerous path that Donald Trump has laid out here," she said in Raleigh, North Carolina.</p>
<p>As results rolled in Tuesday evening, she released her first Spanish-language ad in Arizona - an ad that focused not on Sanders but on Trump. And she held her victory party in southern Florida, just miles from where Trump was holding his own election night party at Mar-a-Lago, his private club.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Clinton aides say they plan to compete hard for the rest of the primary season and note that coming caucuses in Western states favor Sanders.</p>
<p>"It is not up to us when the primary ends," said Clinton communications director Jen Palmieri. "There are still a lot of states to go."</p>
<p>After Tuesday's contests, the race shifts to contests in Arizona, Idaho and Utah on March 22 and Alaska, Hawaii and Washington state on March 26. April includes contests in Wisconsin, Wyoming and New York, where Clinton represented in the Senate but is becoming a major target for Sanders.</p>
<p>Clinton aides argue that a Trump-Sanders-Clinton competition in the next weeks could set up a powerful contrast for Clinton, elevating her as an experienced potential commander in chief.</p>
<p>But this hasn't been an election year that's rewarded experienced party politicians. And some Clinton backers worry that she could face a barrage of similar and simultaneous attacks from both Sanders and Trump over her trade policy, Wall Street ties and funding from outside groups.</p>
<p>It hasn't been enough to top Clinton yet, who eked out a narrow win in the state where she grew up. The win surprised Clinton's top aides in Brooklyn, who broke out into spontaneous cheers and dancing at the campaign headquarters.</p>
<p>Her team attributed Clinton's win in Ohio to a more forceful economic message, with Clinton taking a harder position against trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership.</p>
<p>Still, exit polls showed that Sanders' attacks had some impact. Voters in Illinois and Missouri who said trade takes jobs from Americans tended to back Sanders; those who considered trade beneficial generally supported Clinton.</p>
<p>Those findings indicate that states like Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan could play a key role in a general election, prompting questions about Clinton's Midwestern strength, despite her wins in Ohio and Illinois.</p>
<p>Supporters hope to offset loses among working-class voters with moderate Republicans, turned off by Trump's divisive rhetoric.</p>
<p>"Trump will get a lot of Reagan Democrats," said former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. "But for every Reagan Democrat he gets, we will get a suburban Republican."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Lucey reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press writer Nicholas Riccardi contributed to this report from Phoenix and AP News Survey Specialist Emily Swanson contributed to this report from Washington.</p>
| false | 2 |
democratic presidential candidate hillary clinton speaks rally west palm beach fla tuesday clinton state florida primary election lynne sladkythe associated press west palm beach fla sweeping victory four key primary contests hillary clinton solidified hold democratic nomination allowing begin work unifying party gop frontrunner donald trump process wont pretty rival bernie sanders tapped deep vein antiwashington sentiment democratic party turning expected easy race clinton far tougher competition hes vowed continue way national convention july tuesday nights victories allow clinton claim wins key general election battlegrounds across country north carolina florida ohio demonstrate appeal rust belt voters play pivotal role november advertisement decisive win florida tuesdays biggest delegate prize left track expand alreadycommanding lead clinton least 1599 delegates including superdelegates nearly twothirds total needed win democratic nomination sanders trails far behind least 844 missouri race remained close call clinton sanders splitting delegates fairly evenly democrats award delegates based share vote making winner state less important vote margins close bottomline results last night hillary clintons pledged delegate lead grew 40 percent lead 300 leaving sen sanders overwhelmingly behind nomination contest without clear path catching campaign manager robby mook wrote memo released wednesday morning sec clintons pledged delegate lead 300 nearly twice large lead thensenator obama 2008 conference call reporters wednesday afternoon sanders senior strategist tad devine argued still path nomination devine said upcoming states offer much favorable terrain terms message candidate added campaign resources compete devine also said isnt math problem saying process dynamic static process matter delegate arithmetic past days clinton begun peppering standard campaign speech subtle calls party unity direct attacks trumps rhetoric experience plans im going keep working hard think important really focus really dangerous path donald trump laid said raleigh north carolina results rolled tuesday evening released first spanishlanguage ad arizona ad focused sanders trump held victory party southern florida miles trump holding election night party maralago private club advertisement clinton aides say plan compete hard rest primary season note coming caucuses western states favor sanders us primary ends said clinton communications director jen palmieri still lot states go tuesdays contests race shifts contests arizona idaho utah march 22 alaska hawaii washington state march 26 april includes contests wisconsin wyoming new york clinton represented senate becoming major target sanders clinton aides argue trumpsandersclinton competition next weeks could set powerful contrast clinton elevating experienced potential commander chief hasnt election year thats rewarded experienced party politicians clinton backers worry could face barrage similar simultaneous attacks sanders trump trade policy wall street ties funding outside groups hasnt enough top clinton yet eked narrow win state grew win surprised clintons top aides brooklyn broke spontaneous cheers dancing campaign headquarters team attributed clintons win ohio forceful economic message clinton taking harder position trade deals like transpacific partnership still exit polls showed sanders attacks impact voters illinois missouri said trade takes jobs americans tended back sanders considered trade beneficial generally supported clinton findings indicate states like wisconsin ohio michigan could play key role general election prompting questions clintons midwestern strength despite wins ohio illinois supporters hope offset loses among workingclass voters moderate republicans turned trumps divisive rhetoric trump get lot reagan democrats said former pennsylvania gov ed rendell every reagan democrat gets get suburban republican ___ lucey reported des moines iowa associated press writer nicholas riccardi contributed report phoenix ap news survey specialist emily swanson contributed report washington
| 554 |
<p>A Bush ad that’s been running heavily quotes various newspapers as saying Kerry engaged in “doublespeak” on Iraq, advocates tax increases that would “kill the recovery” and “waffled” on education reforms. The quotes are mostly accurate.&#160;Not mentioned, however, is that those statements are editorials — not news reports. In other words they are opinions, not facts.</p>
<p>One bit of exaggeration in the ad: Kerry’s stand on Bush’s education reforms isn’t the total flip-flop it portrays. The ad says Kerry now “opposes” the reforms he once voted for. In fact,&#160;Kerry says he still supports the goals of Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act but wants some changes to improve it, and more money than Bush has provided.</p>
<p>One article quoted is not an editorial. The&#160;National Journal rated Kerry’s voting record in 2003 the most liberal of any senator. The ad gets that right.</p>
<p>This ad was released April 21 but has been running heavily of late. We’ve had queries about it from our subscribers. It doesn’t contain any blatant deceptions, but it does raise questions that call for elaboration and&#160;additional context.</p>
<p>Bush-Cheney ’04 Ad: “Doublespeak”</p>
<p>Bush: I’m George W. Bush and I approve this message.</p>
<p>Announcer: John Kerry says, “A lot of people don’t really know who I am.”</p>
<p>Well, actually, a lot of people do.</p>
<p>Kerry’s hometown paper says, “In his continuing effort to be all things to all voters . . . John Kerry is engaging in a level of doublespeak that makes most voters wince.”</p>
<p>The Wall Street Journal said Kerry’s tax plan “would mean increasing the tax burden again, which would likely kill the recovery.”</p>
<p>On Iraq, The Washington Post said “Kerry’s attempts to weave a thread connecting and justifying [his] positions are unconvincing.”</p>
<p>The Union Leader says Kerry has “waffled” on historic education reforms he supported in 2001, but now opposes.</p>
<p>And the non-partisan National Journal magazine ranks Kerry the most liberal member of the Senate – more liberal than Hillary Clinton or Ted Kennedy.</p>
<p>John Kerry’s problem is not that people don’t know him. It’s that people do.</p>
<p>Not mentioned in the ad is that the “hometown paper”&#160;it quotes, the Boston Herald, &#160;endorsed Bush in the 2000 election, and that the same newspaper at other times&#160;has had glowing things to say about Kerry’s leadership.</p>
<p>It is also a bit misleading to call the Herald&#160; “Kerry’s hometown paper” in the first place.&#160;Actually,&#160;the Herald is the smaller of Boston’s two daily newspapers. According to the <a href="http://abcas3.accessabc.com/ecirc/newsform.asp" type="external">Audit Bureau of Circulation</a>, the Herald’s average&#160;weekday circulation for the six months ended March 31 was 248,988. The larger Boston Globe’s weekday circulation for the same period was 452,109. And on Sundays, the Globe&#160;outsells the Herald four-and-a-half to one.</p>
<p>The ad does quote the Herald editorial accurately and in context. The Herald was referring to Kerry’s labored explanation of his vote against an $87-billion emergency supplemental appropriation for military operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kerry voted for a Democratic proposal, which was defeated,&#160;to fund the $87 billion by&#160;scaling back&#160;Bush’s tax cuts. Then he voted against the appropriation itself.</p>
<p>Boston Herald editorial: (T)he Massachusetts senator slipped into Kerry-speak: “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it,” he said. If that isn’t enough to convince voters that Kerry is talking out of both sides of his mouth, we can’t imagine what is. John Kerry is engaging in a level of doublespeak that makes most voters wince.</p>
<p>Worth noting,&#160;however,&#160;is that even the Herald has had nice things to say about Kerry at times. It endorsed him last year for the Democratic nomination, saying:</p>
<p>Boston Herald editorial:&#160;Those of us in Massachusetts who know him best, have never doubted that Kerry is as capable a political leader as any who have sat in the U.S.&#160;Senate.&#160; . . . John Kerry as a presidential candidate remains a work in progress. But John Kerry as a solid, thoughtful political leader is a well-known commodity around these parts. It is that man, that leader, the Boston Herald is pleased to endorse for his party’s presidential nomination.</p>
<p>Naturally, the Bush ad doesn’t quote any of that editorial.</p>
<p>The statement that Kerry’s tax plan “would likely kill the&#160;recovery” comes from the editoral page of the Wall Street Journal ,&#160;which&#160;regularly expresses conservative, pro-Bush views and consistently&#160;opposes any tax increases. The&#160;editorial is quoted accurately and in context. Here’s a part of it:</p>
<p>Wall Street Journal editorial:&#160;The Clinton tax increases and the speculative fever drove government receipts to a peak of 20.8% of GDP. The Bush tax cuts and the bursting of the bubble have brought that figure down to about 16%. If rates are left as they are, as the economy accelerates revenues should stabilize near their postwar average of 18% of GDP. Mr. Kerry’s “fiscal responsibility” would mean increasing the tax burden again, which would likely kill the recovery.&#160;And by ruling out the reform of Social Security and Medicare, he makes it inevitable that the long-term fiscal situation will deteriorate rapidly after 2008, when baby boomers start to retire. At that, the call for tax hikes will become a roar.</p>
<p>Of course,&#160;it’s&#160;a matter of opinion&#160;whether&#160;it would “kill the recovery” to repeal Bush’s tax cuts for taxpayers earning over $200,000 a year, as Kerry proposes. The Journal&#160;gives&#160;no authority for&#160;that sweeping prediction.&#160;Another view is that&#160;continuing large deficits that have materialized under Bush now&#160;pose a threat to future economic growth. For example, in remarks May 6 to a banking conference, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan spoke of “our yawning federal deficit” and said it poses “a significant obstacle to long-term stability.” Greenspan noted that the budget deficit is currently projected to equal more than 4% of US economic output, after being in surplus a few years ago. There was no mention of that in the Bush ad either, naturally.</p>
<p>The Washington Post editorial criticizing Kerry’s stands on Iraq&#160;is also quoted accurately in context. And this one comes from a newspaper that leans generally in favor of Democrats. The editorial appeared Feb. 15:</p>
<p>Washington Post editorial: The most important confusion surrounds Mr. Kerry’s position on Iraq. In 1991 he voted against the first Persian Gulf War, saying more support was needed from Americans for a war that he believed would prove costly. In 1998, when President Clinton was considering military steps against Iraq, he strenuously argued for action, with or without allies. Four years later he voted for a resolution authorizing invasion but criticized Mr. Bush for not recruiting allies. Last fall he voted against funding for Iraqi reconstruction, but argued that the United States must support the establishment of a democratic government.</p>
<p>Mr. Kerry’s attempts to weave a thread connecting and justifying all these positions are unconvincing. He would do better to offer a more honest accounting.</p>
<p>The Bush ad relies on the Manchester, New Hampshire Union Leader — one of the nation’s most conservative newspapers — for the charge that Kerry “waffled” and now “opposes” the education reforms he once supported. Actually, Kerry doesn’t oppose Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, and states that he still supports its goals of greater accountability. What&#160;Kerry has often criticized is what he calls Bush’s failure to provide enough money to fund the new requirements&#160;that the law&#160;places on states. Kerry also is calling for “changes” in the law that would rate school performance on “more than just&#160;test scores” and create “rewards” for states that set high standards to shoot for. Kerry says such states are now penalized if they fail to reach the standards, creating an incentive to set standards low.</p>
<p>The Union Leader did indeed accuse Kerry of having “waffled” to appease&#160;a large teachers union,&#160;but&#160;stopped short of&#160;accusing&#160;him of opposing the Bush reforms themselves, as the ad claims:</p>
<p>Manchester Union Leader editorial: Speaking before the New Hampshire chapter of the National Education Association last week, John Kerry waffled on his vote for the No Child Left Behind Act, which the teacher lobby hates. He can’t pander to the group by bashing the bill because he voted for it. So he criticizes Bush for not fully funding it.</p>
<p>It is a fact as the ad states that the National Journal, a politically neutral periodical focusing on policy-makers in Washington, rated Kerry the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate based on his voting record in 2003. In fact, it was the fourth time in his Senate career that Kerry has been rated as having the most liberal voting record. The three other “most liberal” ratings came during his first Senate term, in 1986, 1988, and 1990. The National Journal has been rating members of both House and Senate on a liberal-conservative scale since 1981.</p>
<p>It’s true that Kerry was absent (due to his presidential campaign schedule) for 37 of the 62 votes that the National Journal selected for their analysis. However, the&#160;publication said those missed&#160;votes were all in the areas of social policy and foreign policy, where Kerry “consistently took the liberal view within the Senate.” On economic policy votes, the National Journal said&#160;Kerry earned a “perfect liberal score” last year. Summing up: Overall, this ad rates fairly high for accuracy, in contrast with other Bush ads we’ve criticized as misleading. But it could&#160;lead voters to confuse editorial opinions with statements of fact.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&lt;iframe style="width: 500px; height:300px;" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen src="https://video.factcheck.org/play/legacy-64-1"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;</p>
<p>Audit Bureau of Circulation, figures for Boston newspapers accessed from Web site&#160;on 24 May 2004.</p>
<p>Editorial; “How’s that again, Senator?” Boston Herald 18 March 2004: A36.</p>
<p>Editorial: “Kerry as Fiscal Conservative,” Wall Street Journal 9 April 2004: A8.</p>
<p>Alan Greenspan “ <a href="http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2004/200405062/default.htm" type="external">Globalization and Innovation</a>,” remarks at&#160;the Conference on Bank Structure and Competition, sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 6 May 2004.</p>
<p>Editorial endorsement: “Sen. John Kerry Dems’ best leader,” Boston Herald 22 Jan 2004: A30.</p>
<p>Editorial: “Waffle house: Democrats pander to special interests,” The Union Leader 11 Aug. 2003: A10.</p>
<p>John Kerry, “Detailed Plan to Strengthen Public Schools,” statement of education policy on campaign Web site, accessed 24 May 2004.</p>
<p>Richard Cohen, “How They Measured Up,” 2003 VOTE RATINGS, National Journal 28 Feb 2004.</p>
| false | 2 |
bush ad thats running heavily quotes various newspapers saying kerry engaged doublespeak iraq advocates tax increases would kill recovery waffled education reforms quotes mostly accurate160not mentioned however statements editorials news reports words opinions facts one bit exaggeration ad kerrys stand bushs education reforms isnt total flipflop portrays ad says kerry opposes reforms voted fact160kerry says still supports goals bushs child left behind act wants changes improve money bush provided one article quoted editorial the160national journal rated kerrys voting record 2003 liberal senator ad gets right ad released april 21 running heavily late weve queries subscribers doesnt contain blatant deceptions raise questions call elaboration and160additional context bushcheney 04 ad doublespeak bush im george w bush approve message announcer john kerry says lot people dont really know well actually lot people kerrys hometown paper says continuing effort things voters john kerry engaging level doublespeak makes voters wince wall street journal said kerrys tax plan would mean increasing tax burden would likely kill recovery iraq washington post said kerrys attempts weave thread connecting justifying positions unconvincing union leader says kerry waffled historic education reforms supported 2001 opposes nonpartisan national journal magazine ranks kerry liberal member senate liberal hillary clinton ted kennedy john kerrys problem people dont know people mentioned ad hometown paper160it quotes boston herald 160endorsed bush 2000 election newspaper times160has glowing things say kerrys leadership also bit misleading call herald160 kerrys hometown paper first place160actually160the herald smaller bostons two daily newspapers according audit bureau circulation heralds average160weekday circulation six months ended march 31 248988 larger boston globes weekday circulation period 452109 sundays globe160outsells herald fourandahalf one ad quote herald editorial accurately context herald referring kerrys labored explanation vote 87billion emergency supplemental appropriation military operations reconstruction iraq afghanistan kerry voted democratic proposal defeated160to fund 87 billion by160scaling back160bushs tax cuts voted appropriation boston herald editorial massachusetts senator slipped kerryspeak actually vote 87 billion voted said isnt enough convince voters kerry talking sides mouth cant imagine john kerry engaging level doublespeak makes voters wince worth noting160however160is even herald nice things say kerry times endorsed last year democratic nomination saying boston herald editorial160those us massachusetts know best never doubted kerry capable political leader sat us160senate160 john kerry presidential candidate remains work progress john kerry solid thoughtful political leader wellknown commodity around parts man leader boston herald pleased endorse partys presidential nomination naturally bush ad doesnt quote editorial statement kerrys tax plan would likely kill the160recovery comes editoral page wall street journal 160which160regularly expresses conservative probush views consistently160opposes tax increases the160editorial quoted accurately context heres part wall street journal editorial160the clinton tax increases speculative fever drove government receipts peak 208 gdp bush tax cuts bursting bubble brought figure 16 rates left economy accelerates revenues stabilize near postwar average 18 gdp mr kerrys fiscal responsibility would mean increasing tax burden would likely kill recovery160and ruling reform social security medicare makes inevitable longterm fiscal situation deteriorate rapidly 2008 baby boomers start retire call tax hikes become roar course160its160a matter opinion160whether160it would kill recovery repeal bushs tax cuts taxpayers earning 200000 year kerry proposes journal160gives160no authority for160that sweeping prediction160another view that160continuing large deficits materialized bush now160pose threat future economic growth example remarks may 6 banking conference federal reserve chairman alan greenspan spoke yawning federal deficit said poses significant obstacle longterm stability greenspan noted budget deficit currently projected equal 4 us economic output surplus years ago mention bush ad either naturally washington post editorial criticizing kerrys stands iraq160is also quoted accurately context one comes newspaper leans generally favor democrats editorial appeared feb 15 washington post editorial important confusion surrounds mr kerrys position iraq 1991 voted first persian gulf war saying support needed americans war believed would prove costly 1998 president clinton considering military steps iraq strenuously argued action without allies four years later voted resolution authorizing invasion criticized mr bush recruiting allies last fall voted funding iraqi reconstruction argued united states must support establishment democratic government mr kerrys attempts weave thread connecting justifying positions unconvincing would better offer honest accounting bush ad relies manchester new hampshire union leader one nations conservative newspapers charge kerry waffled opposes education reforms supported actually kerry doesnt oppose bushs child left behind act states still supports goals greater accountability what160kerry often criticized calls bushs failure provide enough money fund new requirements160that law160places states kerry also calling changes law would rate school performance just160test scores create rewards states set high standards shoot kerry says states penalized fail reach standards creating incentive set standards low union leader indeed accuse kerry waffled appease160a large teachers union160but160stopped short of160accusing160him opposing bush reforms ad claims manchester union leader editorial speaking new hampshire chapter national education association last week john kerry waffled vote child left behind act teacher lobby hates cant pander group bashing bill voted criticizes bush fully funding fact ad states national journal politically neutral periodical focusing policymakers washington rated kerry liberal member us senate based voting record 2003 fact fourth time senate career kerry rated liberal voting record three liberal ratings came first senate term 1986 1988 1990 national journal rating members house senate liberalconservative scale since 1981 true kerry absent due presidential campaign schedule 37 62 votes national journal selected analysis however the160publication said missed160votes areas social policy foreign policy kerry consistently took liberal view within senate economic policy votes national journal said160kerry earned perfect liberal score last year summing overall ad rates fairly high accuracy contrast bush ads weve criticized misleading could160lead voters confuse editorial opinions statements fact 160 ltiframe stylewidth 500px height300px frameborder0 allowfullscreen srchttpsvideofactcheckorgplaylegacy641gtltiframegt audit bureau circulation figures boston newspapers accessed web site160on 24 may 2004 editorial hows senator boston herald 18 march 2004 a36 editorial kerry fiscal conservative wall street journal 9 april 2004 a8 alan greenspan globalization innovation remarks at160the conference bank structure competition sponsored federal reserve bank chicago chicago illinois 6 may 2004 editorial endorsement sen john kerry dems best leader boston herald 22 jan 2004 a30 editorial waffle house democrats pander special interests union leader 11 aug 2003 a10 john kerry detailed plan strengthen public schools statement education policy campaign web site accessed 24 may 2004 richard cohen measured 2003 vote ratings national journal 28 feb 2004
| 1,017 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>South Korean presidential security adviser Kim Kwan-jin, right, speaks during a press conference as South Korean Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo listens at the presidential house in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015. South Korea has agreed to halt propaganda broadcasts at noon Tuesday after North Korea expressed regret over a recent land mine blast that maimed two South Korean troops, both Koreas announced after three days of intense talks aimed at defusing soaring tension between the rivals.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)</p>
<p>SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea has agreed to halt propaganda broadcasts at noon Tuesday after North Korea expressed regret over a recent land mine blast that maimed two South Korean troops, the countries announced after three days of intense talks aimed at pulling the rivals back from the brink of war.</p>
<p>During the talks at the border village of Panmunjom, North Korea also agreed to lift a "quasi-state of war" that it had declared last week, chief South Korean negotiator and presidential security adviser Kim Kwan-jin told a televised briefing.</p>
<p>Kim said the two Koreas have also agreed to resume reunions of families separated by war in September. He said the countries will hold talks to improve their ties soon in either Seoul or Pyongyang.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The North's Korean Central News Agency also released the same details.</p>
<p>The announcement came after the second round of negotiations the rivals began Saturday after events at their heavily guarded border pushed them toward a possible military confrontation.</p>
<p>Both sides had wanted a face-saving way to avoid an escalation that could lead to bloodshed, especially the North, which is outmatched militarily by Seoul and its ally, the United States.</p>
<p>The announcement came after South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday said that without a clear North Korean apology for the mine attack that maimed two soldiers, the anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts that infuriate the North would continue.</p>
<p>Kim said the loudspeaker campaign, which began after the blast, would stop at noon Tuesday unless an "abnormal" event happens.</p>
<p>Pyongyang had denied involvement in the land mine explosions and rejected Seoul's report that Pyongyang launched an artillery barrage last week. It was not clear whether North Korea's expression of regret meant it was now admitting its involvement.</p>
<p>Even as the two countries held talks over the weekend, South Korea's military said North Korea continued to prepare for a fight, moving unusual numbers of troops and submarines to the border.</p>
<p>These were the highest-level talks between the two Koreas in a year. Just the fact that senior officials from countries that have spent recent days vowing to destroy each other were sitting together at a table in Panmunjom, the border enclave where the 1953 armistice ending fighting in the Korean War was agreed to, was something of a victory.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The length of the talks was not unusual. While the Koreas often have difficulty agreeing to talks, once they do, overlong sessions are often the rule. After decades of animosity and bloodshed, finding common ground is a challenge.</p>
<p>The decision to hold talks came hours ahead of a Saturday deadline set by North Korea for the South to dismantle the propaganda loudspeakers. North Korea had declared that its front-line troops were in full war readiness and prepared to go to battle if Seoul did not back down.</p>
<p>An official from Seoul's Defense Ministry said about 70 percent of the North's more than 70 submarines and undersea vehicles had left their bases and were undetectable by the South Korean military as of Saturday. The official, who refused to be named because of official rules, also said the North had doubled the strength of its front-line artillery forces since the start of the talks Saturday evening.</p>
<p>It was not known whether North Korea pulled back troops from the border after the agreement was announced.</p>
<p>The standoff started with the explosions of land mines on the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone between the Koreas that Seoul says were planted by North Korea. In response, the South resumed anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts for the first time in 11 years, infuriating the North, which is extremely sensitive to any criticism of its authoritarian system.</p>
<p>Analysts said the North fears that the broadcasts could demoralize its front-line troops and inspire them to defect.</p>
<p>On Thursday, South Korea's military fired dozens of artillery rounds across the border in response to what Seoul said were North Korean artillery strikes meant to back up an earlier threat to attack the loudspeakers.</p>
<p>At the talkls, Kim and Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo sat down with Hwang Pyong So, the top political officer for the Korean People's Army, and Kim Yang Gon, a senior North Korean official responsible for South Korean affairs. Hwang is considered by outside analysts to be North Korea's second most important official after supreme leader Kim Jong Un.</p>
<p>U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon quickly issued a statement welcoming the news of an agreement and stressing the importance of its full implementation.</p>
<p>"I strongly encourage humanitarian measures such as reunions of separated families to be regularized without being subject to political and security considerations," Ban said. "I further hope that this hard-won momentum for inter-Korean dialogue will lead to the resumption of talks for addressing the nuclear issue."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writers Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul and Eric Talmadge in Pyongyang contributed to this report.</p>
| false | 2 |
south korean presidential security adviser kim kwanjin right speaks press conference south korean unification minister hong yongpyo listens presidential house seoul south korea tuesday aug 25 2015 south korea agreed halt propaganda broadcasts noon tuesday north korea expressed regret recent land mine blast maimed two south korean troops koreas announced three days intense talks aimed defusing soaring tension rivalsap photoahn youngjoon seoul south korea south korea agreed halt propaganda broadcasts noon tuesday north korea expressed regret recent land mine blast maimed two south korean troops countries announced three days intense talks aimed pulling rivals back brink war talks border village panmunjom north korea also agreed lift quasistate war declared last week chief south korean negotiator presidential security adviser kim kwanjin told televised briefing kim said two koreas also agreed resume reunions families separated war september said countries hold talks improve ties soon either seoul pyongyang advertisement norths korean central news agency also released details announcement came second round negotiations rivals began saturday events heavily guarded border pushed toward possible military confrontation sides wanted facesaving way avoid escalation could lead bloodshed especially north outmatched militarily seoul ally united states announcement came south korean president park geunhye monday said without clear north korean apology mine attack maimed two soldiers antipyongyang propaganda broadcasts infuriate north would continue kim said loudspeaker campaign began blast would stop noon tuesday unless abnormal event happens pyongyang denied involvement land mine explosions rejected seouls report pyongyang launched artillery barrage last week clear whether north koreas expression regret meant admitting involvement even two countries held talks weekend south koreas military said north korea continued prepare fight moving unusual numbers troops submarines border highestlevel talks two koreas year fact senior officials countries spent recent days vowing destroy sitting together table panmunjom border enclave 1953 armistice ending fighting korean war agreed something victory advertisement length talks unusual koreas often difficulty agreeing talks overlong sessions often rule decades animosity bloodshed finding common ground challenge decision hold talks came hours ahead saturday deadline set north korea south dismantle propaganda loudspeakers north korea declared frontline troops full war readiness prepared go battle seoul back official seouls defense ministry said 70 percent norths 70 submarines undersea vehicles left bases undetectable south korean military saturday official refused named official rules also said north doubled strength frontline artillery forces since start talks saturday evening known whether north korea pulled back troops border agreement announced standoff started explosions land mines southern side demilitarized zone koreas seoul says planted north korea response south resumed antipyongyang propaganda broadcasts first time 11 years infuriating north extremely sensitive criticism authoritarian system analysts said north fears broadcasts could demoralize frontline troops inspire defect thursday south koreas military fired dozens artillery rounds across border response seoul said north korean artillery strikes meant back earlier threat attack loudspeakers talkls kim unification minister hong yongpyo sat hwang pyong top political officer korean peoples army kim yang gon senior north korean official responsible south korean affairs hwang considered outside analysts north koreas second important official supreme leader kim jong un un secretarygeneral ban kimoon quickly issued statement welcoming news agreement stressing importance full implementation strongly encourage humanitarian measures reunions separated families regularized without subject political security considerations ban said hope hardwon momentum interkorean dialogue lead resumption talks addressing nuclear issue ___ associated press writers kim tonghyung seoul eric talmadge pyongyang contributed report
| 555 |
<p>TAIPEI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Shares in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd opened up 2.01 percent on Friday morning.</p>
<p>The tech giant booked better than expected fourth quarter results on Thursday.</p>
<p>Reporting by Taipei bureau; editing by Richard Pullin</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON (Reuters) - Cryptocurrency prices jumped on Thursday, led by a surge in bitcoin to two-week highs, with people active in the market citing a squeeze on traders who have bet against prices, given a lack of obvious news to trigger the gains.</p> FILE PHOTO: A token of the virtual currency Bitcoin is seen placed on a monitor that displays binary digits in this illustration picture, December 8, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
<p>On the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange <a href="/finance/currencies/quote?srcCurr=BTC&amp;destCurr=USD" type="external">BTC=BTSP</a>, bitcoin rose as much as 17 percent at one point in mid-morning European trading. By 1250 GMT, it was up 11 percent at $7,705, its highest level since March 29.</p>
<p>Other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum .MVETH and Ripple .MVXRP also rose sharply, gaining more than 10 percent. EOS, another virtual currency, rose more than 30 percent, according to CoinMarketcap.com, which tracks the industry.</p>
<p>After rocketing to almost $20,000 in December, bitcoin’s price has fallen this year on the back of worries about a regulatory clampdown and concerns it is a speculative bubble that is now deflating.</p>
<p>That has prompted some traders to bet heavily against - to short - bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.</p>
<p>After their prices stabilized in recent days and rose earlier on Thursday, those shorts were squeezed out of their positions, forcing the price upwards.</p>
<p>Two people active in the cryptocurrency market said the biggest moves in trading of bitcoin had occurred on the Bitfinex exchange before spreading to other platforms.</p>
<p>“People overshorting on Bitfinex so bit of a squeeze there,” said Charles Hayter, founder of cryptocurrency analysis website CryptoCompare.</p>
<p>Sentiment towards cryptocurrencies has improved in recent days and prices were consolidating, which can lead the price to suddenly “explode” higher, said Naeem Aslam, an analyst at ThinkMarkets who owns and trades virtual currencies.</p>
<p>Other analysts said there was no obvious news behind the move, although one cited recent reports prominent billionaire trader George Soros had decided to start trading cryptocurrencies.</p>
<p>(This version of the story corrects the name of analyst in the penultimate paragraph)</p>
<p>Reporting by Tommy Wilkes; Additional reporting by Fanny Potkin; Editing by Larry King</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is set to demand tech giants like Facebook and Google do more to stop the spread of fake news on their websites by the end of the year to avoid possible regulatory actions, according to a draft document seen by Reuters.</p> Figurines are seen in front of the Facebook logo in this illustration taken March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
<p>The draft document sets out for the first time the measures the EU would like to see the tech giants take within a certain timeline. The companies have come under fire in Europe for not doing enough to remove misleading or illegal content, including incitement to hatred, extremism and the online sale of counterfeit products.</p>
<p>The European Commission plans to draw up a “Code of Practice” by July that will commit online platforms and advertisers to take a number of measures to prevent fake news being both uploaded and disseminated, “with a view to producing measurable effects by the end of 2018”, the draft policy document says.</p>
<p>“Should the results prove unsatisfactory, the Commission may propose further actions, including actions of a regulatory nature, if necessary.”</p>
<p>The measures include improving the scrutiny of advertisement placements, stepping up efforts to close fake accounts, ensuring that fighting disinformation is factored in by design when developing online tools and preventing the unauthorized use of users’ personal data by third parties - a clear reference to the Cambridge Analytica scandal engulfing Facebook.</p>
<p>The revelations that political consultancy Cambridge Analytica - which worked on U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign - improperly accessed the data of up to 87 million Facebook users have hit the social network’s share price and led to 10 hours of questioning for its CEO by U.S. lawmakers.</p>
<p>“So far, platforms have been unable to address the challenge posed by disinformation and some have turned a blind eye to the manipulative use of their infrastructures,” the document says.</p> FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is pictured atop an office building in Irvine, California, U.S. August 7, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Picture
<p>“The gravity of the threat, however, has become increasingly clear as exemplified by the recent revelations about personal data mined from social media used in a electoral context.”</p>
<p>Facebook has stepped up fact-checking in its fight against fake news and is working on making it uneconomical for people to post such content by lowering its ranking and making it less visible.</p>
<p>The world’s largest social network is also working on giving its users more context and background about the content they read on the platform.</p>
<p>Some European countries have already moved to tackle the problem, like Germany which has passed a law requiring social media companies quickly remove hate speech. France is also looking at rules to block fake news.</p>
<p>Facebook disclosed in September that Russians under fake names used the social network to try to influence U.S. voters in the months before and after the 2016 election, writing about inflammatory subjects, setting up events and buying ads.</p>
<p>“Platforms have by and large failed to ensure sufficient transparency on political advertising and sponsored content,” the Commission document - which is due to be published at the end of April - says.</p>
<p>The Commission also wants companies and advertisers to “establish clear marking systems and rules for bots and ensure their activities cannot be confused with human interactions.”</p>
<p>Editing by Alexandra Hudson</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday the ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc had agreed to expand its proposed settlement with the agency over charges it deceived consumers about its privacy and data security practices.</p> The logo of Uber is pictured during the presentation of their new security measures in Mexico City, Mexico April 10, 2018. REUTERS/Ginnette Riquelme
<p>The FTC said the expansion of the proposed settlement comes after the commission learned Uber had failed to disclose a “significant” breach of consumer data that occurred in 2016 affecting nearly 50 million U.S. riders and compels Uber to disclosure future incidents.</p>
<p>The settlement does not impose any fines but said Uber could face civil penalties if it fails to disclose future incidents.</p>
<p>The FTC said Uber in November 2016 learned that intruders had again accessed consumer data the company stored on its third-party cloud provider’s servers but did not disclose the incident for a year. The company said it had no evidence of fraud tied to the data breach.</p>
<p>The FTC said intruders used the access key to download from Uber’s cloud storage unencrypted files containing more than 25 million names and email addresses, 22 million names and mobile phone numbers, and 600,000 names and driver’s license numbers of U.S. Uber drivers and riders.</p>
<p>“After misleading consumers about its privacy and security practices, Uber compounded its misconduct by failing to inform the Commission that it suffered another data breach in 2016 while the Commission was investigating the company’s strikingly similar 2014 breach,” said Acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen. “The strengthened provisions of the expanded settlement are designed to ensure that Uber does not engage in similar misconduct in the future.”</p>
<p>The FTC noted that Uber failed to disclose the breach immediately, even after it paid the intruders $100,000 through its third-party “bug bounty” program.</p>
<p>The new FTC order requires Uber to retain records related to bug bounty reports regarding some vulnerabilities.</p>
<p>In November 2017, Uber Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi disclosed the data breach that affected 57 million people around the world and said the two individuals who led the response were no longer with Uber.</p>
<p>Uber Chief Legal Officer Tony West said in a statement Thursday that during his first week on the job in 2017 Uber publicly disclosed the incident.</p>
<p>“I am pleased that just a few months after announcing this incident, we have reached a speedy resolution with the FTC that holds Uber accountable for the mistakes of the past by imposing new requirements that reasonably fit the facts,” West said.</p>
<p>Reporting by Tim Ahmann and David Shepardson; Editing by David Alexander and David Gregorio</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON (Reuters) - Avast, the world’s largest consumer antivirus supplier by customers, said on Thursday it will apply to list its shares on the London Stock Exchange in what could be a blockbuster float expected to value the company at around $4 billion.</p> The logo of Avast Software company is seen at its headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic, April 12, 2018. REUTERS/David W Cerny
<p>The listing, which is anticipated in early May, will see a free float of at least 25 percent of Avast’s issued share capital with the aim of raising around $200 million in primary proceeds.</p>
<p>A source familiar with the matter said the firm also hopes to raise a further $800 million via secondary sales, meaning an overall target of around $1 billion and bringing the firm’s valuation to $4 billion if successful.</p>
<p>That would represent the largest ever UK technology IPO and puts it head to head with British competitor Sophos, the only other cyber security firm listed in London.</p> The logo of Avast Software company is seen at its headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic, April 12, 2018. REUTERS/David W Cerny
<p>It will be Avast’s second attempt at an IPO after it scrapped a plan to list on the U.S. Nasdaq in 2012 due to tough market conditions.</p>
<p>Founded three decades ago in the former Czechoslovakia in the waning years of Communism, Avast claims to provide basic antivirus defenses to 40 percent of consumer PCs outside China, where foreign security products are banned.</p>
<p>It has grown amid a dramatic increase in the number and type of threats since it was founded in 1991, and thanks to its ability to “stay ahead of the bad guys”, CEO Vincent Steckler said.</p>
<p>“A listing on the London Stock Exchange is a natural fit, providing us wider access to capital markets and supporting the future growth of our business in the years ahead,” he said in a statement.</p>
<p>Avast will also use the primary proceeds of the offering to pay down its debt, its statement said.</p> The logo of Avast Software company is seen at its headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic, April 12, 2018. REUTERS/David W Cerny FREEMIUM MODEL
<p>The company was a pioneer of the now widely used ‘freemium’ business model, distributing its antivirus products for free over the internet, then charging customers for premium features.</p>
<p>It counted 435 million users at the end of last year, including 290 million consumer PC users and 145 million mobile users, and a turnover of $780 million. It acquired AVG, a Czech rival, two years ago to significantly expand its user base.</p>
<p>As well as antivirus software, it also supplies privacy protection and other internet utility software, targeting both consumers and small- and medium-sized businesses.</p>
<p>In a fragmented market, Avast competes with brands including Czech-based ESET, Malwarebytes and McAfee, both of Silicon Valley, Romania’s Bitdefender, Britain’s Sophos and Kaspersky Lab of Russia.</p>
<p>Avast’s public offer follows the successful listing of two other high profile “freemium” companies in the United States.</p>
<p>Dropbox, which started as a free service to share and store photos, went public last month and music-streaming Spotify had the largest ever direct listing earlier in April.</p>
<p>Morgan Stanley and UBS have been appointed joint global co-ordinators and lead bookrunners for Avast’s IPO.</p>
<p>It is 46 percent owned by its founders, Czech entrepreneurs Pavel Baudiš and Eduard Kučera. CVC Capital Partners has a 29 percent stake, with Summit Partners holding 7 percent.</p>
<p>Reporting by Emma Rumney and Eric Auchard, additional reporting by Paul Sandle, editing by Silvia Aloisi/Sinead Cruise/Susan Fenton</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
taipei jan 19 reuters shares taiwan semiconductor manufacturing co ltd opened 201 percent friday morning tech giant booked better expected fourth quarter results thursday reporting taipei bureau editing richard pullin standards thomson reuters trust principles london reuters cryptocurrency prices jumped thursday led surge bitcoin twoweek highs people active market citing squeeze traders bet prices given lack obvious news trigger gains file photo token virtual currency bitcoin seen placed monitor displays binary digits illustration picture december 8 2017 reutersdado ruvicillustrationfile photo luxembourgbased bitstamp exchange btcbtsp bitcoin rose much 17 percent one point midmorning european trading 1250 gmt 11 percent 7705 highest level since march 29 cryptocurrencies like ethereum mveth ripple mvxrp also rose sharply gaining 10 percent eos another virtual currency rose 30 percent according coinmarketcapcom tracks industry rocketing almost 20000 december bitcoins price fallen year back worries regulatory clampdown concerns speculative bubble deflating prompted traders bet heavily short bitcoin cryptocurrencies prices stabilized recent days rose earlier thursday shorts squeezed positions forcing price upwards two people active cryptocurrency market said biggest moves trading bitcoin occurred bitfinex exchange spreading platforms people overshorting bitfinex bit squeeze said charles hayter founder cryptocurrency analysis website cryptocompare sentiment towards cryptocurrencies improved recent days prices consolidating lead price suddenly explode higher said naeem aslam analyst thinkmarkets owns trades virtual currencies analysts said obvious news behind move although one cited recent reports prominent billionaire trader george soros decided start trading cryptocurrencies version story corrects name analyst penultimate paragraph reporting tommy wilkes additional reporting fanny potkin editing larry king standards thomson reuters trust principles brussels reuters european union set demand tech giants like facebook google stop spread fake news websites end year avoid possible regulatory actions according draft document seen reuters figurines seen front facebook logo illustration taken march 20 2018 reutersdado ruvic draft document sets first time measures eu would like see tech giants take within certain timeline companies come fire europe enough remove misleading illegal content including incitement hatred extremism online sale counterfeit products european commission plans draw code practice july commit online platforms advertisers take number measures prevent fake news uploaded disseminated view producing measurable effects end 2018 draft policy document says results prove unsatisfactory commission may propose actions including actions regulatory nature necessary measures include improving scrutiny advertisement placements stepping efforts close fake accounts ensuring fighting disinformation factored design developing online tools preventing unauthorized use users personal data third parties clear reference cambridge analytica scandal engulfing facebook revelations political consultancy cambridge analytica worked us president donald trumps campaign improperly accessed data 87 million facebook users hit social networks share price led 10 hours questioning ceo us lawmakers far platforms unable address challenge posed disinformation turned blind eye manipulative use infrastructures document says file photo google logo pictured atop office building irvine california us august 7 2017 reutersmike blakefile picture gravity threat however become increasingly clear exemplified recent revelations personal data mined social media used electoral context facebook stepped factchecking fight fake news working making uneconomical people post content lowering ranking making less visible worlds largest social network also working giving users context background content read platform european countries already moved tackle problem like germany passed law requiring social media companies quickly remove hate speech france also looking rules block fake news facebook disclosed september russians fake names used social network try influence us voters months 2016 election writing inflammatory subjects setting events buying ads platforms large failed ensure sufficient transparency political advertising sponsored content commission document due published end april says commission also wants companies advertisers establish clear marking systems rules bots ensure activities confused human interactions editing alexandra hudson standards thomson reuters trust principles washington reuters us federal trade commission said thursday ridehailing company uber technologies inc agreed expand proposed settlement agency charges deceived consumers privacy data security practices logo uber pictured presentation new security measures mexico city mexico april 10 2018 reutersginnette riquelme ftc said expansion proposed settlement comes commission learned uber failed disclose significant breach consumer data occurred 2016 affecting nearly 50 million us riders compels uber disclosure future incidents settlement impose fines said uber could face civil penalties fails disclose future incidents ftc said uber november 2016 learned intruders accessed consumer data company stored thirdparty cloud providers servers disclose incident year company said evidence fraud tied data breach ftc said intruders used access key download ubers cloud storage unencrypted files containing 25 million names email addresses 22 million names mobile phone numbers 600000 names drivers license numbers us uber drivers riders misleading consumers privacy security practices uber compounded misconduct failing inform commission suffered another data breach 2016 commission investigating companys strikingly similar 2014 breach said acting ftc chairman maureen ohlhausen strengthened provisions expanded settlement designed ensure uber engage similar misconduct future ftc noted uber failed disclose breach immediately even paid intruders 100000 thirdparty bug bounty program new ftc order requires uber retain records related bug bounty reports regarding vulnerabilities november 2017 uber chief executive officer dara khosrowshahi disclosed data breach affected 57 million people around world said two individuals led response longer uber uber chief legal officer tony west said statement thursday first week job 2017 uber publicly disclosed incident pleased months announcing incident reached speedy resolution ftc holds uber accountable mistakes past imposing new requirements reasonably fit facts west said reporting tim ahmann david shepardson editing david alexander david gregorio standards thomson reuters trust principles london reuters avast worlds largest consumer antivirus supplier customers said thursday apply list shares london stock exchange could blockbuster float expected value company around 4 billion logo avast software company seen headquarters prague czech republic april 12 2018 reutersdavid w cerny listing anticipated early may see free float least 25 percent avasts issued share capital aim raising around 200 million primary proceeds source familiar matter said firm also hopes raise 800 million via secondary sales meaning overall target around 1 billion bringing firms valuation 4 billion successful would represent largest ever uk technology ipo puts head head british competitor sophos cyber security firm listed london logo avast software company seen headquarters prague czech republic april 12 2018 reutersdavid w cerny avasts second attempt ipo scrapped plan list us nasdaq 2012 due tough market conditions founded three decades ago former czechoslovakia waning years communism avast claims provide basic antivirus defenses 40 percent consumer pcs outside china foreign security products banned grown amid dramatic increase number type threats since founded 1991 thanks ability stay ahead bad guys ceo vincent steckler said listing london stock exchange natural fit providing us wider access capital markets supporting future growth business years ahead said statement avast also use primary proceeds offering pay debt statement said logo avast software company seen headquarters prague czech republic april 12 2018 reutersdavid w cerny freemium model company pioneer widely used freemium business model distributing antivirus products free internet charging customers premium features counted 435 million users end last year including 290 million consumer pc users 145 million mobile users turnover 780 million acquired avg czech rival two years ago significantly expand user base well antivirus software also supplies privacy protection internet utility software targeting consumers small mediumsized businesses fragmented market avast competes brands including czechbased eset malwarebytes mcafee silicon valley romanias bitdefender britains sophos kaspersky lab russia avasts public offer follows successful listing two high profile freemium companies united states dropbox started free service share store photos went public last month musicstreaming spotify largest ever direct listing earlier april morgan stanley ubs appointed joint global coordinators lead bookrunners avasts ipo 46 percent owned founders czech entrepreneurs pavel baudiš eduard kučera cvc capital partners 29 percent stake summit partners holding 7 percent reporting emma rumney eric auchard additional reporting paul sandle editing silvia aloisisinead cruisesusan fenton standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,275 |
<p>APPOMATTOX, Va. (AP) — The surrender of Confederate Robert E. Lee to Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant 150 years ago Thursday was the definitive milestone of the end of the Civil War. This is a rolling account of Thursday's commemoration of the anniversary, including a reenactment of Lee's last clash with Grant's troops and the Confederate surrender in a Virginia farmhouse. Interspersed are historical accounts of events 150 years ago:</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2015:</p>
<p>Ahead of the battle reenactment, the boys of the Confederate 11th Virginia were a seemingly pretty cool bunch as those portraying Union troops gathered several fields away at Appomattox Court House amid these rolling farm fields of neat brick buildings and white picket fences.</p>
<p>But a stoic Chris Ferree couldn't contain his excitement when asked about his role in the 150th commemoration of Lee's surrender here, effectively ending the Civil War 150 years ago on Thursday.</p>
<p>"This is an awesome place to be," Ferree, of Roanoke, said. "We're all excited to be here."</p>
<p>The Confederate re-enactors were a ragtag, mismatched group of heavy wool coats, ill-fitting trousers and more types of hats than a haberdashery. Dozens stood along a rough wooden fence, their muskets stacked at the ready.</p>
<p>The Union and Southern re-enactors spent the night encamped in tents at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2015:</p>
<p>The smell of wood smoke greeted the first of thousands of visitors expected to flock to the park for several days of commemorative events. The outline of Union troops in formation could be seen in fields as visitors approached the park.</p>
<p>Perry Miller of Salisbury, a re-enactor with the North Carolina 28th from Salisbury, explained the strategy succinctly: "We're trying to break through the Union lines."</p>
<p>Thomas Holbrook, a park ranger on loan from Gettysburg to Appomattox, went down the line of re-enactors for a quick briefing before battle.</p>
<p>"This is part of what I like to call the armistice that was signed on April 9, when Gen. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia," he said.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1865:</p>
<p>The conflict to sputter out in the hours before Lee formally called it quits.</p>
<p>Ragged, hungry Southern soldiers, many straggling while on the run from federal forces, began giving up alone and in small bunches before the official surrender at a farmhouse in Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia. Days earlier in April 1865, the Union Army had smashed their way into the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.</p>
<p>Lee's forces, seeking an escape route, had crossed the Appomattox River while burning bridges, AP reported 150 years ago this week. Union forces "attacked them vigorously" in the hours before the official surrender, convincing Lee the fight was over. AP reporting from 150 years ago cited accounts as saying "the road for miles was strewn with broken down wagons, caissons, and baggage of all kinds, presenting a scene seldom witnessed on the part of Lee's army."</p>
<p>APPOMATTOX, Va. (AP) — The surrender of Confederate Robert E. Lee to Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant 150 years ago Thursday was the definitive milestone of the end of the Civil War. This is a rolling account of Thursday's commemoration of the anniversary, including a reenactment of Lee's last clash with Grant's troops and the Confederate surrender in a Virginia farmhouse. Interspersed are historical accounts of events 150 years ago:</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2015:</p>
<p>Ahead of the battle reenactment, the boys of the Confederate 11th Virginia were a seemingly pretty cool bunch as those portraying Union troops gathered several fields away at Appomattox Court House amid these rolling farm fields of neat brick buildings and white picket fences.</p>
<p>But a stoic Chris Ferree couldn't contain his excitement when asked about his role in the 150th commemoration of Lee's surrender here, effectively ending the Civil War 150 years ago on Thursday.</p>
<p>"This is an awesome place to be," Ferree, of Roanoke, said. "We're all excited to be here."</p>
<p>The Confederate re-enactors were a ragtag, mismatched group of heavy wool coats, ill-fitting trousers and more types of hats than a haberdashery. Dozens stood along a rough wooden fence, their muskets stacked at the ready.</p>
<p>The Union and Southern re-enactors spent the night encamped in tents at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2015:</p>
<p>The smell of wood smoke greeted the first of thousands of visitors expected to flock to the park for several days of commemorative events. The outline of Union troops in formation could be seen in fields as visitors approached the park.</p>
<p>Perry Miller of Salisbury, a re-enactor with the North Carolina 28th from Salisbury, explained the strategy succinctly: "We're trying to break through the Union lines."</p>
<p>Thomas Holbrook, a park ranger on loan from Gettysburg to Appomattox, went down the line of re-enactors for a quick briefing before battle.</p>
<p>"This is part of what I like to call the armistice that was signed on April 9, when Gen. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia," he said.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1865:</p>
<p>The conflict to sputter out in the hours before Lee formally called it quits.</p>
<p>Ragged, hungry Southern soldiers, many straggling while on the run from federal forces, began giving up alone and in small bunches before the official surrender at a farmhouse in Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia. Days earlier in April 1865, the Union Army had smashed their way into the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.</p>
<p>Lee's forces, seeking an escape route, had crossed the Appomattox River while burning bridges, AP reported 150 years ago this week. Union forces "attacked them vigorously" in the hours before the official surrender, convincing Lee the fight was over. AP reporting from 150 years ago cited accounts as saying "the road for miles was strewn with broken down wagons, caissons, and baggage of all kinds, presenting a scene seldom witnessed on the part of Lee's army."</p>
| false | 2 |
appomattox va ap surrender confederate robert e lee union lt gen ulysses grant 150 years ago thursday definitive milestone end civil war rolling account thursdays commemoration anniversary including reenactment lees last clash grants troops confederate surrender virginia farmhouse interspersed historical accounts events 150 years ago ___ 2015 ahead battle reenactment boys confederate 11th virginia seemingly pretty cool bunch portraying union troops gathered several fields away appomattox court house amid rolling farm fields neat brick buildings white picket fences stoic chris ferree couldnt contain excitement asked role 150th commemoration lees surrender effectively ending civil war 150 years ago thursday awesome place ferree roanoke said excited confederate reenactors ragtag mismatched group heavy wool coats illfitting trousers types hats haberdashery dozens stood along rough wooden fence muskets stacked ready union southern reenactors spent night encamped tents appomattox court house national historical park ___ 2015 smell wood smoke greeted first thousands visitors expected flock park several days commemorative events outline union troops formation could seen fields visitors approached park perry miller salisbury reenactor north carolina 28th salisbury explained strategy succinctly trying break union lines thomas holbrook park ranger loan gettysburg appomattox went line reenactors quick briefing battle part like call armistice signed april 9 gen lee surrendered army northern virginia said ___ 1865 conflict sputter hours lee formally called quits ragged hungry southern soldiers many straggling run federal forces began giving alone small bunches official surrender farmhouse appomattox courthouse virginia days earlier april 1865 union army smashed way confederate capital richmond virginia lees forces seeking escape route crossed appomattox river burning bridges ap reported 150 years ago week union forces attacked vigorously hours official surrender convincing lee fight ap reporting 150 years ago cited accounts saying road miles strewn broken wagons caissons baggage kinds presenting scene seldom witnessed part lees army appomattox va ap surrender confederate robert e lee union lt gen ulysses grant 150 years ago thursday definitive milestone end civil war rolling account thursdays commemoration anniversary including reenactment lees last clash grants troops confederate surrender virginia farmhouse interspersed historical accounts events 150 years ago ___ 2015 ahead battle reenactment boys confederate 11th virginia seemingly pretty cool bunch portraying union troops gathered several fields away appomattox court house amid rolling farm fields neat brick buildings white picket fences stoic chris ferree couldnt contain excitement asked role 150th commemoration lees surrender effectively ending civil war 150 years ago thursday awesome place ferree roanoke said excited confederate reenactors ragtag mismatched group heavy wool coats illfitting trousers types hats haberdashery dozens stood along rough wooden fence muskets stacked ready union southern reenactors spent night encamped tents appomattox court house national historical park ___ 2015 smell wood smoke greeted first thousands visitors expected flock park several days commemorative events outline union troops formation could seen fields visitors approached park perry miller salisbury reenactor north carolina 28th salisbury explained strategy succinctly trying break union lines thomas holbrook park ranger loan gettysburg appomattox went line reenactors quick briefing battle part like call armistice signed april 9 gen lee surrendered army northern virginia said ___ 1865 conflict sputter hours lee formally called quits ragged hungry southern soldiers many straggling run federal forces began giving alone small bunches official surrender farmhouse appomattox courthouse virginia days earlier april 1865 union army smashed way confederate capital richmond virginia lees forces seeking escape route crossed appomattox river burning bridges ap reported 150 years ago week union forces attacked vigorously hours official surrender convincing lee fight ap reporting 150 years ago cited accounts saying road miles strewn broken wagons caissons baggage kinds presenting scene seldom witnessed part lees army
| 594 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>But as he was inside the White House, two of his former associates were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a conspiracy to tie up traffic on the George Washington Bridge as part of a revenge plot against a Democratic mayor who refused to support Christie’s 2013 re-election bid.</p>
<p>“Bridgegate” illustrates how political scandals rarely fade away quickly and can dog an administration for years. It’s a lesson Trump’s team is beginning to learn as an FBI investigation and congressional inquiries into potential connections between Russia and the president’s advisers heat up. These, and what grows from them, may drag on for a very long time and undermine his presidency – even if a smoking gun never emerges to directly implicate Trump in any criminal wrongdoing.</p>
<p>Though Christie was never charged with any crime, and continues to plead ignorance to what his subordinates were doing, the scandal that derailed his political career has still not gone away. Almost four years later, it continues to rear its head at the most inopportune times and will forever taint his legacy.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>William Baroni, 45, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, and Bridget Anne Kelly, 44, Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, was sentenced to 18 months. “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” Kelly wrote in one infamous email, setting in motion five days of gridlock that slowed emergency vehicles from getting dying patients to hospitals, buses from getting kids to school and commuters from getting to work.</p>
<p>Christie went on three morning shows Wednesday to talk about his plan for fighting drug addiction. But what the anchors really wanted to talk about was Russia and Bridgegate. “The judge will do what the judge believes is appropriate,” the governor told Matt Lauer on NBC. “And it’s not my role or anybody else’s role, other than the judge in that courtroom, to pass sentence on people who have committed crimes.” His office declined to comment after the ruling.</p>
<p>Every time Christie has gotten a little distance from the scandal or appeared to turn the page, some new revelation has emerged to stomp on him. The drip, drip, drip of revelations big and small kept his presidential campaign from ever getting real traction. Donors always worried about which shoe would drop next. Even Christie himself has said the scandal was “a factor” in Trump passing him over for vice president, despite his early endorsement and their longtime friendship.</p>
<p>The seven-week trial for Baroni and Kelly last fall showcased just how fixated Christie and his operation were on laying the groundwork for his 2016 campaign. It also shined a light on a with-us-or-against-us culture inside the governor’s office. One of the prosecution’s key witnesses said under oath that he told the governor about the bridge conspiracy during a 9/11 memorial service. He testified that Christie laughed when informed of the plot. (Christie denies this.)</p>
<p>Trump himself, not long before Christie endorsed him, said it is inconceivable that the governor was out of the loop: “He totally knew about it!”</p>
<p>And Wednesday’s convictions are also not the end of the story. Both Baroni and Kelly promise to appeal. The Democratic-controlled state legislature conducted investigations, held hearings and issued subpoenas until the feds asked them to pause their efforts while they pursued a case. Now some Democrats are pushing their leadership to reopen those inquiries and to issue a fresh round of subpoenas targeting Christie.</p>
<p>Christie was the U.S. attorney for New Jersey before he ran for governor, so he knows first-hand how long these sorts of investigations and prosecutions take to play out. He also understands how hard it is to put a genie like Russia or Bridgegate back in the bottle.</p>
<p>Last summer, Christie called for a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton: “We must get to the bottom of what looks like a pay to play scheme,” he said in a statement distributed by the Trump campaign. “Unfortunately, the only appropriate action for our compromised Attorney General is to appoint a truly impartial Special Prosecutor. . . . Our system of justice deserves nothing less.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Now that Trump is the one potentially in jeopardy, Christie has completely changed his tune: “When a special prosecutor gets involved, the thing gets completely out of control,” Christie said on CNN last month, rejecting GOP Rep. Darrell Issa’s call for one. “That doesn’t serve anybody’s purposes. We have a lot of important problems to deal with in this country. I’m not saying that’s not one of them. But I believe the Justice Department can handle it.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Garden State has turned hard against Christie. A Fairleigh Dickinson University poll published Tuesday puts the Republican’s approval rating at just 20 percent and his disapproval rating at 72 percent. Two-thirds of voters think the state is on the wrong track.</p>
<p>It’s not just Bridgegate that’s driven his fall from grace. New Jersey’s credit rating was downgraded again this week, the 11th time that has now happened under Christie’s leadership. “The state has increased pension contributions since 2012, but Moody’s says they’re still below recommended levels and that unfunded pension obligations are growing,” the AP notes.</p>
<p>Christie reiterated Wednesday that he plans to serve out the final year of his term, but he’s keeping the door open to taking a formal role in the Trump administration early next year.</p>
<p>DRIP, DRIP, DRIP:</p>
<p>— “Who is ‘Source D’? The man said to be behind the Trump-Russia dossier’s most salacious claim,” by the Post’s Rosalind S. Helderman and Tom Hamburger: “In June (2016), a Belarusan American businessman who goes by the name Sergei Millian shared some tantalizing claims about [Trump]. He had a long-standing relationship with Russian officials, Millian told an associate, and those officials were now feeding Trump damaging information about [Hillary Clinton] … [that he said had proved] ‘very helpful..’ Unbeknownst to Millian, however, his conversation was not confidential. His associate passed on what he had heard to a former British intelligence officer, Christopher Steele, who had been hired by Trump’s political opponents to gather information about the Republican’s ties to Russia. While the dossier has not been verified and its claims have been denied by Trump, Steele’s document said that Millian’s assertions had been corroborated by other sources, including in the Russian government and former intelligence sources…</p>
<p>“By his own evolving statements, [Millian] is either a shrewd businessman with high-level access to both Trump’s inner circle and the Kremlin, or a bystander unwittingly caught up in a global controversy. An examination of Millian’s career shows he is a little of both. His case lays bare the challenge facing the FBI as it investigates Russia’s alleged attempts to manipulate the American political system and whether Trump associates participated. It also illustrates why the Trump administration remains unable to shake the Russia story[:] While some of the unproven claims attributed in the dossier to Millian are bizarre and outlandish, there are also indications that he had contacts with Trump’s circle. Millian told several people that during the campaign and presidential transition he was in touch with George Papadopoulos, a campaign foreign policy adviser.”</p>
<p>SO MUCH SMOKE:</p>
<p>— “Bank that Kushner met with paid Russian intelligence agent’s legal tab,” by CNN’s Scott Glover: “As federal prosecutors in New York prepared their case against a man accused of covertly working for Russian intelligence two years ago, they began raising questions about an unidentified ‘third party’ paying the defendant’s legal bills. The defendant’s benefactor turned out to be VneshEconomBank, the same financial institution at the center of a recent controversy over its chairman’s meeting with [Jared Kushner]. On the one hand it should be no surprise that bank, also known as VEB, was paying for Evgeny Buryakov’s legal defense — Buryakov was one of its employees, after all. But what made the matter more complicated was that Buryakov was charged with illegally gathering intelligence on behalf of the Russian government and the Russian government owned the bank that provided his cover.”</p>
<p>THE INVESTIGATIONS:</p>
<p>— Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr , R-N.C., and vice-chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said they will privately interview 20 people, beginning next week, as part of their inquiry into Russian meddling in the presidential campaign and possible ties to Trump officials. The joint appearance by the panel’s top Republican and Democrat stands in direct contrast to House Intelligence members – whose investigation is heavily embroiled in partisan rancor and has all but grinded to a halt. “Over the last month we’ve seen some progress,” Warner said. Later, with a hand on Burr’s shoulder, he added: “I have confidence in Richard Burr that we together, with the members of our committee, are going to get to the bottom of this.” “While much of the House Intelligence Committee’s political infighting has taken place in public, the Senate so far has conducted [nearly] the entirety of its Russia investigation behind closed doors,” the Post reported.</p>
<p>“Burr said the Senate committee has dedicated seven staff members to the Russia investigation and is ‘within weeks’ of completing a review of ‘thousands of pages’ of documents the intelligence community has made available to them,”per Karoun. “Burr added that although the committee is in “constant negotiations” with the intelligence community about access, it intends to request more documents – and expects to receive more – as the investigation continues. Most of the initial 20 interviews the committee will conduct are with ‘the people who helped put together the January report,’ Warner said, referring to a report that the intelligence community put out stating that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections with the purpose of trying to improve Trump’s chances of winning. Burr said that five of those interviews have already been scheduled, and the remaining 15 will be scheduled in the next 10 days. . .</p>
<p>“While Warner and Burr did not list additional people they hoped would testify before the committee, they hinted that they might include Michael Flynn, who resigned as national security adviser over conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak that he failed to fully disclose to Vice President Mike Pence, and former acting attorney general Sally Yates, who alerted Trump officials that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail” before being fired by the president.</p>
<p>— The integrity of the House Intelligence Committee’s inquiry, meanwhile, continues to be more and more compromised. The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza has laid out a very compelling case for why the White House was almost certainly aware of everything Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., was up to last week, and the Post’s Philip Bump has constructed a useful timeline to track who said what and when.</p>
<p>— FBI Director James Comey said Wednesday night that the bureau is “not on anybody’s side, ever,” defending himself against accusations that he acted to help or hurt either presidential candidate ahead of the election. Most people “are wearing glasses that filter the world according to side,” he said, insisting that does not apply to him or his agents.</p>
<p>— Andrew Napolitano, allowed back on Fox News, doubled down on his baseless claim: Nearly two weeks ago, the “legal analyst” was reportedly pulled from the air after he asserted without evidence that British intelligence officials spied on Trump at the request of Barack Obama. Wednesday, Napolitano was invited on. Host Bill Hemmer asked if he stands by the story. “Yes, I do, and the sources stand by it,” Napolitano replied defiantly. “And the American public needs to know more about this rather than less because a lot of the government surveillance authorities will expire in the fall and there’ll be a great debate about how much authority we want the government to have to surveil us.” It was his first appearance since March 16. A Fox News spokesperson told the Post that “the matter was addressed internally.” She declined to comment further.</p>
<p>Why is Napolitano so willing to sacrifice what little credibility he had left on Trump’s altar? Perhaps because he believes the president might appoint him to the Supreme Court. After meeting with Trump twice during the transition, the Newark, N.J.-born television personality told several people that Trump said he was on the list of judges from whom he was selecting a nominee, Politico’s Eliana Johnson scooped last weekend. “He said, ‘Trump said I’m on the list,'” said a source who spoke with Napolitano shortly after one of his meetings with the then president-elect. “He’s been saying that since the transition.” Friends warned Napolitano not to take the president too literally – or seriously. “He’ll take your call and invite you to the Oval Office, but he just wants you to say nice things about him on TV,” the source says he told Napolitano at the time. But that didn’t sink the ambitious judge’s hopes. He claims he’s submitted both academic and personal resumes to Trump aides, and that they’ve pored over the judge’s writings, including several popular non-fiction books.</p>
<p>Keep in mind: Napolitano, 66, was a New Jersey Superior Court judge, but he has not been on the bench since 1995. He is also a 9/11 truther.</p>
| false | 2 |
inside white house two former associates sentenced federal prison roles conspiracy tie traffic george washington bridge part revenge plot democratic mayor refused support christies 2013 reelection bid bridgegate illustrates political scandals rarely fade away quickly dog administration years lesson trumps team beginning learn fbi investigation congressional inquiries potential connections russia presidents advisers heat grows may drag long time undermine presidency even smoking gun never emerges directly implicate trump criminal wrongdoing though christie never charged crime continues plead ignorance subordinates scandal derailed political career still gone away almost four years later continues rear head inopportune times forever taint legacy advertisement william baroni 45 former deputy executive director port authority new york new jersey sentenced 24 months prison bridget anne kelly 44 christies former deputy chief staff sentenced 18 months time traffic problems fort lee kelly wrote one infamous email setting motion five days gridlock slowed emergency vehicles getting dying patients hospitals buses getting kids school commuters getting work christie went three morning shows wednesday talk plan fighting drug addiction anchors really wanted talk russia bridgegate judge judge believes appropriate governor told matt lauer nbc role anybody elses role judge courtroom pass sentence people committed crimes office declined comment ruling every time christie gotten little distance scandal appeared turn page new revelation emerged stomp drip drip drip revelations big small kept presidential campaign ever getting real traction donors always worried shoe would drop next even christie said scandal factor trump passing vice president despite early endorsement longtime friendship sevenweek trial baroni kelly last fall showcased fixated christie operation laying groundwork 2016 campaign also shined light withusoragainstus culture inside governors office one prosecutions key witnesses said oath told governor bridge conspiracy 911 memorial service testified christie laughed informed plot christie denies trump long christie endorsed said inconceivable governor loop totally knew wednesdays convictions also end story baroni kelly promise appeal democraticcontrolled state legislature conducted investigations held hearings issued subpoenas feds asked pause efforts pursued case democrats pushing leadership reopen inquiries issue fresh round subpoenas targeting christie christie us attorney new jersey ran governor knows firsthand long sorts investigations prosecutions take play also understands hard put genie like russia bridgegate back bottle last summer christie called special prosecutor investigate hillary clinton must get bottom looks like pay play scheme said statement distributed trump campaign unfortunately appropriate action compromised attorney general appoint truly impartial special prosecutor system justice deserves nothing less advertisement trump one potentially jeopardy christie completely changed tune special prosecutor gets involved thing gets completely control christie said cnn last month rejecting gop rep darrell issas call one doesnt serve anybodys purposes lot important problems deal country im saying thats one believe justice department handle meanwhile garden state turned hard christie fairleigh dickinson university poll published tuesday puts republicans approval rating 20 percent disapproval rating 72 percent twothirds voters think state wrong track bridgegate thats driven fall grace new jerseys credit rating downgraded week 11th time happened christies leadership state increased pension contributions since 2012 moodys says theyre still recommended levels unfunded pension obligations growing ap notes christie reiterated wednesday plans serve final year term hes keeping door open taking formal role trump administration early next year drip drip drip source man said behind trumprussia dossiers salacious claim posts rosalind helderman tom hamburger june 2016 belarusan american businessman goes name sergei millian shared tantalizing claims trump longstanding relationship russian officials millian told associate officials feeding trump damaging information hillary clinton said proved helpful unbeknownst millian however conversation confidential associate passed heard former british intelligence officer christopher steele hired trumps political opponents gather information republicans ties russia dossier verified claims denied trump steeles document said millians assertions corroborated sources including russian government former intelligence sources evolving statements millian either shrewd businessman highlevel access trumps inner circle kremlin bystander unwittingly caught global controversy examination millians career shows little case lays bare challenge facing fbi investigates russias alleged attempts manipulate american political system whether trump associates participated also illustrates trump administration remains unable shake russia story unproven claims attributed dossier millian bizarre outlandish also indications contacts trumps circle millian told several people campaign presidential transition touch george papadopoulos campaign foreign policy adviser much smoke bank kushner met paid russian intelligence agents legal tab cnns scott glover federal prosecutors new york prepared case man accused covertly working russian intelligence two years ago began raising questions unidentified third party paying defendants legal bills defendants benefactor turned vnesheconombank financial institution center recent controversy chairmans meeting jared kushner one hand surprise bank also known veb paying evgeny buryakovs legal defense buryakov one employees made matter complicated buryakov charged illegally gathering intelligence behalf russian government russian government owned bank provided cover investigations senate intelligence committee chairman richard burr rnc vicechairman mark warner dva said privately interview 20 people beginning next week part inquiry russian meddling presidential campaign possible ties trump officials joint appearance panels top republican democrat stands direct contrast house intelligence members whose investigation heavily embroiled partisan rancor grinded halt last month weve seen progress warner said later hand burrs shoulder added confidence richard burr together members committee going get bottom much house intelligence committees political infighting taken place public senate far conducted nearly entirety russia investigation behind closed doors post reported burr said senate committee dedicated seven staff members russia investigation within weeks completing review thousands pages documents intelligence community made available themper karoun burr added although committee constant negotiations intelligence community access intends request documents expects receive investigation continues initial 20 interviews committee conduct people helped put together january report warner said referring report intelligence community put stating russia interfered 2016 elections purpose trying improve trumps chances winning burr said five interviews already scheduled remaining 15 scheduled next 10 days warner burr list additional people hoped would testify committee hinted might include michael flynn resigned national security adviser conversations russian ambassador sergey kislyak failed fully disclose vice president mike pence former acting attorney general sally yates alerted trump officials flynn could vulnerable russian blackmail fired president integrity house intelligence committees inquiry meanwhile continues compromised new yorkers ryan lizza laid compelling case white house almost certainly aware everything rep devin nunes rcalif last week posts philip bump constructed useful timeline track said fbi director james comey said wednesday night bureau anybodys side ever defending accusations acted help hurt either presidential candidate ahead election people wearing glasses filter world according side said insisting apply agents andrew napolitano allowed back fox news doubled baseless claim nearly two weeks ago legal analyst reportedly pulled air asserted without evidence british intelligence officials spied trump request barack obama wednesday napolitano invited host bill hemmer asked stands story yes sources stand napolitano replied defiantly american public needs know rather less lot government surveillance authorities expire fall therell great debate much authority want government surveil us first appearance since march 16 fox news spokesperson told post matter addressed internally declined comment napolitano willing sacrifice little credibility left trumps altar perhaps believes president might appoint supreme court meeting trump twice transition newark njborn television personality told several people trump said list judges selecting nominee politicos eliana johnson scooped last weekend said trump said im list said source spoke napolitano shortly one meetings presidentelect hes saying since transition friends warned napolitano take president literally seriously hell take call invite oval office wants say nice things tv source says told napolitano time didnt sink ambitious judges hopes claims hes submitted academic personal resumes trump aides theyve pored judges writings including several popular nonfiction books keep mind napolitano 66 new jersey superior court judge bench since 1995 also 911 truther
| 1,250 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>"We knew it would have been difficult, challenging and sometimes hard," said Federica Mogherini, the European Union's foreign policy chief. She said the negotiations would continue despite hitting some "tense" moments, and the U.S. State Department declared the current interim nuclear arrangement with Iran extended through July 10.</p>
<p>As the latest target date arrived for a deal that would set a decade of restrictions on Iran's nuclear program, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and other top diplomats huddled in Vienna in search of a breakthrough.</p>
<p>All had spoken of deep differences remaining, and there was no public indication they had resolved disputes ranging from inspection rules on suspicious Iranian sites to limits on Tehran's research and development of advanced nuclear technology.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"The last, difficult, political issues, we have to solve," Mogherini said.</p>
<p>In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the parties "have never been closer to reaching a final agreement than we are now" but significant differences remain.</p>
<p>"That's an indication that these talks, at least for now, are worth continuing," he said.</p>
<p>A senior U.S. official in Vienna confirmed that one more clear difference had resurfaced, saying the U.S. would oppose Iran's demand that the nuclear agreement also include the lifting of the U.N. arms embargo on the country. The official said the U.S. is insisting that any new U.N. Security Council resolution pertaining to Iran retain an arms ban and ballistic missile restrictions.</p>
<p>As he left the talks for an economic summit at home, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said fewer than 10 major differences were still to be ironed out, including access to Iranian sites for international monitors. He said questions related to the easing of sanctions on Iran had been decided, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported. Lavrov said he could return to the talks later in the week.</p>
<p>Diplomats had extended their discussions by a week when they missed their goal of a pact by June 30, after passing previous deadlines in July 2014 and last November. For Kerry and his team, pressure is increasing from skeptical U.S. allies and members of Congress. If the accord isn't sent to Congress by Thursday, its monthlong review period would be doubled to 60 days, meaning the Obama administration couldn't lift any economic sanctions on Iran during that time.</p>
<p>In Tehran on Tuesday, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization declared it had reached a "general understanding" in parallel talks with the U.N. nuclear agency on "joint cooperation." The Iranians have made similar claims previously, and it was unclear if any process was established for the International Atomic Energy Agency's long-stymied investigation of past nuclear weapons work by Iran - a demand of Washington and its international partners in the negotiations.</p>
<p>Kerry met early Tuesday in a baroque, 19th-century palace with the foreign ministers of Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia and then briefly with Zarif. Russia's Lavrov and China's Wang Yi left on Tuesday, and the EU's Mogherini said other ministers were likely to depart and return.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"We are taking these negotiations day to day to see if we can conclude a comprehensive agreement," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement, adding that Kerry would remain in Vienna.</p>
<p>The U.S. is in a tough spot. President Barack Obama has expended significant political capital on finalizing an agreement that has prompted suspicion from Iran's regional rival, Saudi Arabia, outright hostility from America's closest Mideast ally, Israel, and deep ambivalence even among congressional Democrats.</p>
<p>The No. 2 Democrat in the U.S. House, Rep. Steny Hoyer, told reporters Tuesday the talks "ought to be brought to a close."</p>
<p>"My concern has been that there would be a rope-a-dope sort of performance by Iran, that they'll just string out these negotiations," he said.</p>
<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was more strident.</p>
<p>"The agreement of concessions that Iran is set to get from the world powers paves the way for it to arm itself with nuclear weaponry and to distribute it even more through the missiles it continues to develop," he said. "How can you even trust a country that violates time and again the decisions of the international community? How does one grant Iran hundreds of millions of dollars without stipulating that this money will not oil the wheels of the terror machine and its expansion?"</p>
<p>To ease their concerns, Obama and Kerry have vowed to hold out for a "good deal" that verifiably keeps Iran at least a year away from a nuclear weapons capability for at least a decade. Current intelligence estimates put the Iranians only two to three months away from amassing enough material for a nuclear warhead, if they pursue such a course. The administration has repeatedly threatened to abandon negotiations if they prove fruitless.</p>
<p>On-and-off talks with Tehran have been going on for more than a decade, though this incarnation has come closest to any resolution. The latest effort began in secret and then gained speed after the election of moderate-leaning Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in 2013. By November that year, Iran and the six world powers clinched an interim nuclear agreement and began the process for a comprehensive accord.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writers George Jahn in Vienna, Stephen Ohlemacher and Josh Lederman in Washington and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.</p>
| false | 2 |
knew would difficult challenging sometimes hard said federica mogherini european unions foreign policy chief said negotiations would continue despite hitting tense moments us state department declared current interim nuclear arrangement iran extended july 10 latest target date arrived deal would set decade restrictions irans nuclear program us secretary state john kerry iranian foreign minister mohammad javad zarif top diplomats huddled vienna search breakthrough spoken deep differences remaining public indication resolved disputes ranging inspection rules suspicious iranian sites limits tehrans research development advanced nuclear technology advertisement last difficult political issues solve mogherini said washington white house spokesman josh earnest said parties never closer reaching final agreement significant differences remain thats indication talks least worth continuing said senior us official vienna confirmed one clear difference resurfaced saying us would oppose irans demand nuclear agreement also include lifting un arms embargo country official said us insisting new un security council resolution pertaining iran retain arms ban ballistic missile restrictions left talks economic summit home russian foreign minister sergey lavrov said fewer 10 major differences still ironed including access iranian sites international monitors said questions related easing sanctions iran decided russian news agency ria novosti reported lavrov said could return talks later week diplomats extended discussions week missed goal pact june 30 passing previous deadlines july 2014 last november kerry team pressure increasing skeptical us allies members congress accord isnt sent congress thursday monthlong review period would doubled 60 days meaning obama administration couldnt lift economic sanctions iran time tehran tuesday irans atomic energy organization declared reached general understanding parallel talks un nuclear agency joint cooperation iranians made similar claims previously unclear process established international atomic energy agencys longstymied investigation past nuclear weapons work iran demand washington international partners negotiations kerry met early tuesday baroque 19thcentury palace foreign ministers britain china france germany russia briefly zarif russias lavrov chinas wang yi left tuesday eus mogherini said ministers likely depart return advertisement taking negotiations day day see conclude comprehensive agreement state department spokeswoman marie harf said statement adding kerry would remain vienna us tough spot president barack obama expended significant political capital finalizing agreement prompted suspicion irans regional rival saudi arabia outright hostility americas closest mideast ally israel deep ambivalence even among congressional democrats 2 democrat us house rep steny hoyer told reporters tuesday talks ought brought close concern would ropeadope sort performance iran theyll string negotiations said israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu strident agreement concessions iran set get world powers paves way arm nuclear weaponry distribute even missiles continues develop said even trust country violates time decisions international community one grant iran hundreds millions dollars without stipulating money oil wheels terror machine expansion ease concerns obama kerry vowed hold good deal verifiably keeps iran least year away nuclear weapons capability least decade current intelligence estimates put iranians two three months away amassing enough material nuclear warhead pursue course administration repeatedly threatened abandon negotiations prove fruitless onandoff talks tehran going decade though incarnation come closest resolution latest effort began secret gained speed election moderateleaning iranian president hassan rouhani 2013 november year iran six world powers clinched interim nuclear agreement began process comprehensive accord ___ associated press writers george jahn vienna stephen ohlemacher josh lederman washington josef federman jerusalem contributed report
| 535 |
<p>McLEAN, Va. (AP) — A dashboard video released Wednesday shows national park police in Virginia firing their weapons up to nine times at a car they had stopped after a four-minute, stop-and-go chase, killing an apparently unarmed motorist.</p>
<p>Lawyers for the family of the dead motorist, 25-year-old Bijan Ghaisar, said the video provides clear evidence police overreacted.</p>
<p>"No one was even close to being in harm's way until a pair of U.S. Park Police officers repeatedly shot Bijan at close range as he sat, unarmed, in his Jeep on a residential street," lawyers for Ghaisar's family said in a statement Wednesday after the video was made public.</p>
<p>Ghaisar, of McLean, died after the Nov. 17 chase, in which he was shot by U.S. Park Police. Authorities say Ghaisar fled after being involved in a crash on the George Washington Parkway. The FBI is now investigating the shooting.</p>
<p>Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler said Wednesday he released <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1DfM9DSxgY" type="external">the video</a> Wednesday in an effort at transparency.</p>
<p>The four-minute nighttime video shows a chase beginning on the parkway a few miles south of the nation's capital, then turning into a residential neighborhood. It shows the car driven by Ghaisar stopping twice during the chase, and officers approaching the car with guns drawn. In both cases, Ghaisar drives off.</p>
<p>At the third and final stop, officers with guns drawn approach the car at the driver side door. When the car starts to move again, five gunshots are heard. The car starts to drift into a ditch, and two more sets of two gunshots are heard.</p>
<p>"The video does not provide all the answers," Roessler said in a statement Wednesday accompanying the video's release. "However, we should all have confidence in the FBI's investigation of this matter as I know it will be thorough, objective and professional."</p>
<p>The Ghaisar family's lawyers, Roy Austin and Thomas Connolly, said the video depicts "the senseless killing of a young man at the hands of those charged with protecting public safety."</p>
<p>"Bijan Ghaisar was repeatedly threatened by over-aggressive and out-of-control law enforcement officers, after he drove away from a minor traffic incident in which he was the victim and in which there was little property damage and no known injuries," the lawyers said.</p>
<p>In an interview, Austin said he suspects Ghaisar, who has no criminal record, drove off after stopping because he was spooked by the very first stop initiated by Park Police, in which police cut him off in the middle of the highway and approached with guns drawn, yanking at his front door.</p>
<p>"A lot of people's reactions would be, 'I am in danger here," Austin said.</p>
<p>The aggressive response by police is all the more puzzling, Austin said, because the crash that precipitated the chase was little more than a fender-bender in which Ghaisar's car was rear-ended by an Uber driver, according to an accident report.</p>
<p>Roessler said in December that his department, which played a backup role in the chase, had in-car video of the shooting. He urged the FBI at the time to release video as soon as possible. But he was reluctant to immediately release the video himself out of deference to the FBI's investigation.</p>
<p>Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, said Wednesday after reviewing the video that he wants the FBI to provide more details on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.</p>
<p>FBI spokeswoman Kadia Koroma declined to comment Wednesday on the release of the video or on the investigation itself.</p>
<p>U.S. Park Police Chief Robert MacLean said in a statement that he recognizes "the desire for more information and details surrounding the investigation."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.</p>
<p>McLEAN, Va. (AP) — A dashboard video released Wednesday shows national park police in Virginia firing their weapons up to nine times at a car they had stopped after a four-minute, stop-and-go chase, killing an apparently unarmed motorist.</p>
<p>Lawyers for the family of the dead motorist, 25-year-old Bijan Ghaisar, said the video provides clear evidence police overreacted.</p>
<p>"No one was even close to being in harm's way until a pair of U.S. Park Police officers repeatedly shot Bijan at close range as he sat, unarmed, in his Jeep on a residential street," lawyers for Ghaisar's family said in a statement Wednesday after the video was made public.</p>
<p>Ghaisar, of McLean, died after the Nov. 17 chase, in which he was shot by U.S. Park Police. Authorities say Ghaisar fled after being involved in a crash on the George Washington Parkway. The FBI is now investigating the shooting.</p>
<p>Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler said Wednesday he released <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1DfM9DSxgY" type="external">the video</a> Wednesday in an effort at transparency.</p>
<p>The four-minute nighttime video shows a chase beginning on the parkway a few miles south of the nation's capital, then turning into a residential neighborhood. It shows the car driven by Ghaisar stopping twice during the chase, and officers approaching the car with guns drawn. In both cases, Ghaisar drives off.</p>
<p>At the third and final stop, officers with guns drawn approach the car at the driver side door. When the car starts to move again, five gunshots are heard. The car starts to drift into a ditch, and two more sets of two gunshots are heard.</p>
<p>"The video does not provide all the answers," Roessler said in a statement Wednesday accompanying the video's release. "However, we should all have confidence in the FBI's investigation of this matter as I know it will be thorough, objective and professional."</p>
<p>The Ghaisar family's lawyers, Roy Austin and Thomas Connolly, said the video depicts "the senseless killing of a young man at the hands of those charged with protecting public safety."</p>
<p>"Bijan Ghaisar was repeatedly threatened by over-aggressive and out-of-control law enforcement officers, after he drove away from a minor traffic incident in which he was the victim and in which there was little property damage and no known injuries," the lawyers said.</p>
<p>In an interview, Austin said he suspects Ghaisar, who has no criminal record, drove off after stopping because he was spooked by the very first stop initiated by Park Police, in which police cut him off in the middle of the highway and approached with guns drawn, yanking at his front door.</p>
<p>"A lot of people's reactions would be, 'I am in danger here," Austin said.</p>
<p>The aggressive response by police is all the more puzzling, Austin said, because the crash that precipitated the chase was little more than a fender-bender in which Ghaisar's car was rear-ended by an Uber driver, according to an accident report.</p>
<p>Roessler said in December that his department, which played a backup role in the chase, had in-car video of the shooting. He urged the FBI at the time to release video as soon as possible. But he was reluctant to immediately release the video himself out of deference to the FBI's investigation.</p>
<p>Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, said Wednesday after reviewing the video that he wants the FBI to provide more details on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.</p>
<p>FBI spokeswoman Kadia Koroma declined to comment Wednesday on the release of the video or on the investigation itself.</p>
<p>U.S. Park Police Chief Robert MacLean said in a statement that he recognizes "the desire for more information and details surrounding the investigation."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.</p>
| false | 2 |
mclean va ap dashboard video released wednesday shows national park police virginia firing weapons nine times car stopped fourminute stopandgo chase killing apparently unarmed motorist lawyers family dead motorist 25yearold bijan ghaisar said video provides clear evidence police overreacted one even close harms way pair us park police officers repeatedly shot bijan close range sat unarmed jeep residential street lawyers ghaisars family said statement wednesday video made public ghaisar mclean died nov 17 chase shot us park police authorities say ghaisar fled involved crash george washington parkway fbi investigating shooting fairfax county police chief edwin roessler said wednesday released video wednesday effort transparency fourminute nighttime video shows chase beginning parkway miles south nations capital turning residential neighborhood shows car driven ghaisar stopping twice chase officers approaching car guns drawn cases ghaisar drives third final stop officers guns drawn approach car driver side door car starts move five gunshots heard car starts drift ditch two sets two gunshots heard video provide answers roessler said statement wednesday accompanying videos release however confidence fbis investigation matter know thorough objective professional ghaisar familys lawyers roy austin thomas connolly said video depicts senseless killing young man hands charged protecting public safety bijan ghaisar repeatedly threatened overaggressive outofcontrol law enforcement officers drove away minor traffic incident victim little property damage known injuries lawyers said interview austin said suspects ghaisar criminal record drove stopping spooked first stop initiated park police police cut middle highway approached guns drawn yanking front door lot peoples reactions would danger austin said aggressive response police puzzling austin said crash precipitated chase little fenderbender ghaisars car rearended uber driver according accident report roessler said december department played backup role chase incar video shooting urged fbi time release video soon possible reluctant immediately release video deference fbis investigation sen tim kaine democrat virginia said wednesday reviewing video wants fbi provide details circumstances surrounding shooting fbi spokeswoman kadia koroma declined comment wednesday release video investigation us park police chief robert maclean said statement recognizes desire information details surrounding investigation ___ associated press writer eric tucker washington contributed report mclean va ap dashboard video released wednesday shows national park police virginia firing weapons nine times car stopped fourminute stopandgo chase killing apparently unarmed motorist lawyers family dead motorist 25yearold bijan ghaisar said video provides clear evidence police overreacted one even close harms way pair us park police officers repeatedly shot bijan close range sat unarmed jeep residential street lawyers ghaisars family said statement wednesday video made public ghaisar mclean died nov 17 chase shot us park police authorities say ghaisar fled involved crash george washington parkway fbi investigating shooting fairfax county police chief edwin roessler said wednesday released video wednesday effort transparency fourminute nighttime video shows chase beginning parkway miles south nations capital turning residential neighborhood shows car driven ghaisar stopping twice chase officers approaching car guns drawn cases ghaisar drives third final stop officers guns drawn approach car driver side door car starts move five gunshots heard car starts drift ditch two sets two gunshots heard video provide answers roessler said statement wednesday accompanying videos release however confidence fbis investigation matter know thorough objective professional ghaisar familys lawyers roy austin thomas connolly said video depicts senseless killing young man hands charged protecting public safety bijan ghaisar repeatedly threatened overaggressive outofcontrol law enforcement officers drove away minor traffic incident victim little property damage known injuries lawyers said interview austin said suspects ghaisar criminal record drove stopping spooked first stop initiated park police police cut middle highway approached guns drawn yanking front door lot peoples reactions would danger austin said aggressive response police puzzling austin said crash precipitated chase little fenderbender ghaisars car rearended uber driver according accident report roessler said december department played backup role chase incar video shooting urged fbi time release video soon possible reluctant immediately release video deference fbis investigation sen tim kaine democrat virginia said wednesday reviewing video wants fbi provide details circumstances surrounding shooting fbi spokeswoman kadia koroma declined comment wednesday release video investigation us park police chief robert maclean said statement recognizes desire information details surrounding investigation ___ associated press writer eric tucker washington contributed report
| 686 |
<p>The Jacksonville Jaguars frittered away a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in losing 24-20 to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game, yet their unraveling really began in the final 2½ minutes of the first half.</p>
<p>As Jacksonville threatened to expand a 14-3 lead, New England coach Bill Belichick called a timeout with 2:20 remaining and things started falling apart for the Jaguars, who would <a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/brady-leads-patriots-back-super-bowl-top-jaguars-24-20" type="external">lead until succumbing in the final minutes of a 24-20 heartbreaker.</a></p>
<p>After the timeout, Blake Bortles dropped back on third-and-7 and zinged a beautiful 12-yard pass that Marcedes Lewis caught at the New England 32, putting the Jaguars within striking distance of a 17-3 or even 21-3 halftime cushion.</p>
<p>Only, the Jaguars were flagged for delay of game.</p>
<p>"Yeah I just thought out of the timeout we lost track," lamented coach Doug Marrone.</p>
<p>Bortles was sacked for a six-yard loss on third-and-12, when the Patriots declined a holding penalty.</p>
<p>So the clock was running when the Jaguars inexplicably rushed their punt with 24 seconds to spare on the play clock.</p>
<p>Danny Amendola's fair catch of Brad Nortman's punt at his 14 came with 2:02 remaining, which essentially gave Brady and Belichick an extra timeout with which to work.</p>
<p>On first-and-10 from his 40, Brady threw a long pass for Rob Gronkowski, who was injured when he got popped by Barry Church on a helmet-to-helmet hit. Church was called for unnecessary roughness, putting the ball at the Jacksonville 45.</p>
<p>"It was a tough call," Church said, "but you've got to go with what they call."</p>
<p>A.J. Bouye was called for pass interference on Brandin Cooks on the next play. The 32-yard penalty gave the Patriots the ball at the Jaguars 13. After a 12-yard catch by Cooks, James White ran it in from the 1 to make it 14-10 with just under a minute left in the half.</p>
<p>That was the 14th time this season the Patriots scored in the last two minutes before halftime.</p>
<p>Even though they had two timeouts and 55 seconds to work with, Bortles twice took a knee and the Jaguars, who had deferred to the second half, went into the locker room up by four, yet it was the Patriots who were feeling good about things.</p>
<p>"We came in at halftime with a good level of confidence that it was a four-point game and we hadn't played well," Belichick said. "If we could get it going then we could win the game. It took us a little while to do that, but that was a big drive for us."</p>
<p>Asked afterward if he had any regrets about not trying to score in the final minute of the first half, Marrone said: "I think more the second-half kickoff. They came down and we had to make some adjustments going into halftime. Wanted to make sure we got that done knowing we were going in getting the ball back."</p>
<p>The Jaguars scored on their opening possession of the second half, and Josh Lambo followed up his 53-yard field goal with a 43-yarder on the first play of the fourth quarter that made it 20-10.</p>
<p>No team had ever overcome a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter of an AFC championship, but coveted <a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/bye-week-means-job-search-patriots-assistant-coaches" type="external">coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia</a> , in what might have been their last game on the home sideline at Gillette Stadium, made all the right adjustments, further burnishing their head coaching credentials.</p>
<p>Brady started pushing the ball downfield to his receivers and the New England defense took away the short middle and dared Bortles to start making plays downfield, too.</p>
<p>While Bortles managed a single first down in the fourth quarter, <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/955212351887716352" type="external">Brady came through with a pair of TD throws to Amendola.</a></p>
<p>Amendola had the crucial catch on the first TD drive, hauling in a 21-yard pass from Brady on third-and-18 in front of safety Tashaun Gipson, who said he figures he'd break up that pass nine out of 10 times.</p>
<p>"That play kind of gave them momentum," Gipson said.</p>
<p>It was vintage Brady, too.</p>
<p>"He is the greatest quarterback to ever play this game," Gipson said. "You can never have a safe lead with 12 at the helm. We knew we had to keep our foot on the gas."</p>
<p>Which, remember, they didn't do at the end of the first half.</p>
<p>The Patriots' comeback set up a Super Bowl 52 showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles, who were miffed last week when the <a href="https://twitter.com/brandonlongo/status/954411040799944704" type="external">NFL mistakenly released an ad</a> that featured Brady and Case Keenum with the Super Bowl trophy between them, signifying a New England-Minnesota matchup.</p>
<p>Instead, it'll be Nick Foles and the Eagles, who <a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/foles-eagles-fly-super-bowl-rout-vikings-38-7" type="external">routed the Vikings 38-7</a> in the NFC championship game, trying to dethrone Brady and the Patriots.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>For more NFL coverage: <a href="http://www.pro32.ap.org" type="external">http://www.pro32.ap.org</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/arniestapleton" type="external">http://twitter.com/arniestapleton</a></p>
<p>The Jacksonville Jaguars frittered away a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in losing 24-20 to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game, yet their unraveling really began in the final 2½ minutes of the first half.</p>
<p>As Jacksonville threatened to expand a 14-3 lead, New England coach Bill Belichick called a timeout with 2:20 remaining and things started falling apart for the Jaguars, who would <a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/brady-leads-patriots-back-super-bowl-top-jaguars-24-20" type="external">lead until succumbing in the final minutes of a 24-20 heartbreaker.</a></p>
<p>After the timeout, Blake Bortles dropped back on third-and-7 and zinged a beautiful 12-yard pass that Marcedes Lewis caught at the New England 32, putting the Jaguars within striking distance of a 17-3 or even 21-3 halftime cushion.</p>
<p>Only, the Jaguars were flagged for delay of game.</p>
<p>"Yeah I just thought out of the timeout we lost track," lamented coach Doug Marrone.</p>
<p>Bortles was sacked for a six-yard loss on third-and-12, when the Patriots declined a holding penalty.</p>
<p>So the clock was running when the Jaguars inexplicably rushed their punt with 24 seconds to spare on the play clock.</p>
<p>Danny Amendola's fair catch of Brad Nortman's punt at his 14 came with 2:02 remaining, which essentially gave Brady and Belichick an extra timeout with which to work.</p>
<p>On first-and-10 from his 40, Brady threw a long pass for Rob Gronkowski, who was injured when he got popped by Barry Church on a helmet-to-helmet hit. Church was called for unnecessary roughness, putting the ball at the Jacksonville 45.</p>
<p>"It was a tough call," Church said, "but you've got to go with what they call."</p>
<p>A.J. Bouye was called for pass interference on Brandin Cooks on the next play. The 32-yard penalty gave the Patriots the ball at the Jaguars 13. After a 12-yard catch by Cooks, James White ran it in from the 1 to make it 14-10 with just under a minute left in the half.</p>
<p>That was the 14th time this season the Patriots scored in the last two minutes before halftime.</p>
<p>Even though they had two timeouts and 55 seconds to work with, Bortles twice took a knee and the Jaguars, who had deferred to the second half, went into the locker room up by four, yet it was the Patriots who were feeling good about things.</p>
<p>"We came in at halftime with a good level of confidence that it was a four-point game and we hadn't played well," Belichick said. "If we could get it going then we could win the game. It took us a little while to do that, but that was a big drive for us."</p>
<p>Asked afterward if he had any regrets about not trying to score in the final minute of the first half, Marrone said: "I think more the second-half kickoff. They came down and we had to make some adjustments going into halftime. Wanted to make sure we got that done knowing we were going in getting the ball back."</p>
<p>The Jaguars scored on their opening possession of the second half, and Josh Lambo followed up his 53-yard field goal with a 43-yarder on the first play of the fourth quarter that made it 20-10.</p>
<p>No team had ever overcome a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter of an AFC championship, but coveted <a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/bye-week-means-job-search-patriots-assistant-coaches" type="external">coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia</a> , in what might have been their last game on the home sideline at Gillette Stadium, made all the right adjustments, further burnishing their head coaching credentials.</p>
<p>Brady started pushing the ball downfield to his receivers and the New England defense took away the short middle and dared Bortles to start making plays downfield, too.</p>
<p>While Bortles managed a single first down in the fourth quarter, <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/955212351887716352" type="external">Brady came through with a pair of TD throws to Amendola.</a></p>
<p>Amendola had the crucial catch on the first TD drive, hauling in a 21-yard pass from Brady on third-and-18 in front of safety Tashaun Gipson, who said he figures he'd break up that pass nine out of 10 times.</p>
<p>"That play kind of gave them momentum," Gipson said.</p>
<p>It was vintage Brady, too.</p>
<p>"He is the greatest quarterback to ever play this game," Gipson said. "You can never have a safe lead with 12 at the helm. We knew we had to keep our foot on the gas."</p>
<p>Which, remember, they didn't do at the end of the first half.</p>
<p>The Patriots' comeback set up a Super Bowl 52 showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles, who were miffed last week when the <a href="https://twitter.com/brandonlongo/status/954411040799944704" type="external">NFL mistakenly released an ad</a> that featured Brady and Case Keenum with the Super Bowl trophy between them, signifying a New England-Minnesota matchup.</p>
<p>Instead, it'll be Nick Foles and the Eagles, who <a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/foles-eagles-fly-super-bowl-rout-vikings-38-7" type="external">routed the Vikings 38-7</a> in the NFC championship game, trying to dethrone Brady and the Patriots.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>For more NFL coverage: <a href="http://www.pro32.ap.org" type="external">http://www.pro32.ap.org</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/arniestapleton" type="external">http://twitter.com/arniestapleton</a></p>
| false | 2 |
jacksonville jaguars frittered away 10point fourthquarter lead losing 2420 tom brady new england patriots afc championship game yet unraveling really began final 2½ minutes first half jacksonville threatened expand 143 lead new england coach bill belichick called timeout 220 remaining things started falling apart jaguars would lead succumbing final minutes 2420 heartbreaker timeout blake bortles dropped back thirdand7 zinged beautiful 12yard pass marcedes lewis caught new england 32 putting jaguars within striking distance 173 even 213 halftime cushion jaguars flagged delay game yeah thought timeout lost track lamented coach doug marrone bortles sacked sixyard loss thirdand12 patriots declined holding penalty clock running jaguars inexplicably rushed punt 24 seconds spare play clock danny amendolas fair catch brad nortmans punt 14 came 202 remaining essentially gave brady belichick extra timeout work firstand10 40 brady threw long pass rob gronkowski injured got popped barry church helmettohelmet hit church called unnecessary roughness putting ball jacksonville 45 tough call church said youve got go call aj bouye called pass interference brandin cooks next play 32yard penalty gave patriots ball jaguars 13 12yard catch cooks james white ran 1 make 1410 minute left half 14th time season patriots scored last two minutes halftime even though two timeouts 55 seconds work bortles twice took knee jaguars deferred second half went locker room four yet patriots feeling good things came halftime good level confidence fourpoint game hadnt played well belichick said could get going could win game took us little big drive us asked afterward regrets trying score final minute first half marrone said think secondhalf kickoff came make adjustments going halftime wanted make sure got done knowing going getting ball back jaguars scored opening possession second half josh lambo followed 53yard field goal 43yarder first play fourth quarter made 2010 team ever overcome doubledigit deficit fourth quarter afc championship coveted coordinators josh mcdaniels matt patricia might last game home sideline gillette stadium made right adjustments burnishing head coaching credentials brady started pushing ball downfield receivers new england defense took away short middle dared bortles start making plays downfield bortles managed single first fourth quarter brady came pair td throws amendola amendola crucial catch first td drive hauling 21yard pass brady thirdand18 front safety tashaun gipson said figures hed break pass nine 10 times play kind gave momentum gipson said vintage brady greatest quarterback ever play game gipson said never safe lead 12 helm knew keep foot gas remember didnt end first half patriots comeback set super bowl 52 showdown philadelphia eagles miffed last week nfl mistakenly released ad featured brady case keenum super bowl trophy signifying new englandminnesota matchup instead itll nick foles eagles routed vikings 387 nfc championship game trying dethrone brady patriots ___ nfl coverage httpwwwpro32aporg httpwwwtwittercomap_nfl ___ follow arnie melendrez stapleton twitter httptwittercomarniestapleton jacksonville jaguars frittered away 10point fourthquarter lead losing 2420 tom brady new england patriots afc championship game yet unraveling really began final 2½ minutes first half jacksonville threatened expand 143 lead new england coach bill belichick called timeout 220 remaining things started falling apart jaguars would lead succumbing final minutes 2420 heartbreaker timeout blake bortles dropped back thirdand7 zinged beautiful 12yard pass marcedes lewis caught new england 32 putting jaguars within striking distance 173 even 213 halftime cushion jaguars flagged delay game yeah thought timeout lost track lamented coach doug marrone bortles sacked sixyard loss thirdand12 patriots declined holding penalty clock running jaguars inexplicably rushed punt 24 seconds spare play clock danny amendolas fair catch brad nortmans punt 14 came 202 remaining essentially gave brady belichick extra timeout work firstand10 40 brady threw long pass rob gronkowski injured got popped barry church helmettohelmet hit church called unnecessary roughness putting ball jacksonville 45 tough call church said youve got go call aj bouye called pass interference brandin cooks next play 32yard penalty gave patriots ball jaguars 13 12yard catch cooks james white ran 1 make 1410 minute left half 14th time season patriots scored last two minutes halftime even though two timeouts 55 seconds work bortles twice took knee jaguars deferred second half went locker room four yet patriots feeling good things came halftime good level confidence fourpoint game hadnt played well belichick said could get going could win game took us little big drive us asked afterward regrets trying score final minute first half marrone said think secondhalf kickoff came make adjustments going halftime wanted make sure got done knowing going getting ball back jaguars scored opening possession second half josh lambo followed 53yard field goal 43yarder first play fourth quarter made 2010 team ever overcome doubledigit deficit fourth quarter afc championship coveted coordinators josh mcdaniels matt patricia might last game home sideline gillette stadium made right adjustments burnishing head coaching credentials brady started pushing ball downfield receivers new england defense took away short middle dared bortles start making plays downfield bortles managed single first fourth quarter brady came pair td throws amendola amendola crucial catch first td drive hauling 21yard pass brady thirdand18 front safety tashaun gipson said figures hed break pass nine 10 times play kind gave momentum gipson said vintage brady greatest quarterback ever play game gipson said never safe lead 12 helm knew keep foot gas remember didnt end first half patriots comeback set super bowl 52 showdown philadelphia eagles miffed last week nfl mistakenly released ad featured brady case keenum super bowl trophy signifying new englandminnesota matchup instead itll nick foles eagles routed vikings 387 nfc championship game trying dethrone brady patriots ___ nfl coverage httpwwwpro32aporg httpwwwtwittercomap_nfl ___ follow arnie melendrez stapleton twitter httptwittercomarniestapleton
| 918 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Consultant Jonathan Hunt checks seedlings growing in the new marijuana growing facility on the Flandreau Santee Sioux Reservation in Flandreau, S.D., in September. The South Dakota American Indian tribe that sought to open the nation's first marijuana resort burned its crop after federal officials signaled a potential raid, the tribal president said on Nov. 9. (Jay Pickthorn/The Associated Press)</p>
<p>SANTA FE - Tribes across the U.S. are finding marijuana is risky business nearly a year after a Justice Department policy indicated they could grow and sell pot under the same guidelines as states.</p>
<p>Federal raids on tribal cannabis operations in California followed by a South Dakota tribe's move this month to burn its crop amid fears it could be next have raised questions over whether there's more to complying with DOJ standards than a department memo suggested last December.</p>
<p>The uncertainty - blamed partly on thin DOJ guidelines, the fact that marijuana remains an illegal drug under federal laws, and a complex tangle of state, federal and tribal law enforcement oversight on reservations - has led attorneys to urge tribal leaders to weigh the risks involved before moving forward with legalizing and growing pot.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"Everybody who is smart is pausing to look at the feasibility and risks of growing hemp and marijuana," said Lance Gumbs, a former chairman of the Shinnecock Tribe in New York and regional vice president of the National Congress of American Indians. "But are we giving up on it? Absolutely not."</p>
<p>At a conference on tribal economic development held in Santa Fe, tribal leaders and attorneys said Wednesday that the raids have shown there may be more red tape for tribes to negotiate when it comes to legalizing cannabis than states have faced.</p>
<p>That's especially the case for tribes that are within states where marijuana is not legal. In those cases, tribes may face the challenge of figuring out how to bring cannabis seeds onto reservations without crossing a state jurisdiction, and sheriffs and state officials are bound to be less approving of marijuana, said Blake Trueblood, director of business development for the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, host of the conference.</p>
<p>The DOJ memo sent to U.S. attorneys last December directed them not to prioritize prosecuting federal marijuana laws in most cases where tribes legalized the drug for medical or recreational use. The memo calls for tribes to follow an eight-point policy standard that includes taking measures to keep pot out of the hands of children and criminal networks, and not transport it across federal or state jurisdictions where it remains illegal.</p>
<p>"Industrial hemp, medical marijuana and maybe recreational marijuana present a lot of opportunity. But for now, the best advice is to proceed with caution," said Michael Reif, an attorney for the Menominee tribe in Wisconsin, where tribal leaders filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday after federal agents recently seized thousands of hemp plants grown for research. "We're seeing the ramifications of things being unclear in a way states didn't."</p>
<p>The Flandreau Santee Sioux in South Dakota - a state where marijuana isn't legal - was the first to approve recreational pot under tribal law with a vote in June, and was one of the most aggressive about entering the industry, with plans to open the nation's first marijuana resort on its reservation north of Sioux Falls.</p>
<p>But after weeks of discussions with authorities who signaled a raid was possible, the tribe announced last week it had burned all of its marijuana plants. Anthony Reider, the tribe's president, said that the main holdup centered on whether the tribe could sell marijuana to non-Indians, along with issues over where the seed used for planting originated.</p>
<p>He suggested that by burning the crops, the tribe could have a clean slate to relaunch a grow operation in consultation with authorities.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In California, the Alturas and Pit River Indian rancherias launched tribally run marijuana operations that were raided by federal authorities, with agents seizing 12,000 marijuana plants in July. The regional U.S. attorney's office said in a statement that the two neighboring tribes planned to distribute the pot off tribal lands and the large-scale operations may have been financed by a foreign third party.</p>
<p>It's not clear if the two tribes have plans for a new marijuana venture, and calls from The Associated Press were not immediately returned.</p>
<p>The California and South Dakota tribes are three of just six so far this year that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana on their reservations.</p>
<p>The Squaxin Island Tribe in Washington state is another, and just opened a store last week for retail sales of the drug. But most expect the tribe to face fewer legal challenges because Washington allows for recreational marijuana use and the tribe entered into a compact with the state that sets guidelines for taxing pot sales.</p>
<p>"The tribes are not going to be immune to what the local attitudes toward marijuana are going to be," Trueblood said. "If there's one 30,000-feet takeaway from this year, it's that you're not going to be successful if you don't work with your local governments or U.S. attorneys."</p>
<p />
<p />
| false | 2 |
consultant jonathan hunt checks seedlings growing new marijuana growing facility flandreau santee sioux reservation flandreau sd september south dakota american indian tribe sought open nations first marijuana resort burned crop federal officials signaled potential raid tribal president said nov 9 jay pickthornthe associated press santa fe tribes across us finding marijuana risky business nearly year justice department policy indicated could grow sell pot guidelines states federal raids tribal cannabis operations california followed south dakota tribes move month burn crop amid fears could next raised questions whether theres complying doj standards department memo suggested last december uncertainty blamed partly thin doj guidelines fact marijuana remains illegal drug federal laws complex tangle state federal tribal law enforcement oversight reservations led attorneys urge tribal leaders weigh risks involved moving forward legalizing growing pot advertisement everybody smart pausing look feasibility risks growing hemp marijuana said lance gumbs former chairman shinnecock tribe new york regional vice president national congress american indians giving absolutely conference tribal economic development held santa fe tribal leaders attorneys said wednesday raids shown may red tape tribes negotiate comes legalizing cannabis states faced thats especially case tribes within states marijuana legal cases tribes may face challenge figuring bring cannabis seeds onto reservations without crossing state jurisdiction sheriffs state officials bound less approving marijuana said blake trueblood director business development national center american indian enterprise development host conference doj memo sent us attorneys last december directed prioritize prosecuting federal marijuana laws cases tribes legalized drug medical recreational use memo calls tribes follow eightpoint policy standard includes taking measures keep pot hands children criminal networks transport across federal state jurisdictions remains illegal industrial hemp medical marijuana maybe recreational marijuana present lot opportunity best advice proceed caution said michael reif attorney menominee tribe wisconsin tribal leaders filed federal lawsuit wednesday federal agents recently seized thousands hemp plants grown research seeing ramifications things unclear way states didnt flandreau santee sioux south dakota state marijuana isnt legal first approve recreational pot tribal law vote june one aggressive entering industry plans open nations first marijuana resort reservation north sioux falls weeks discussions authorities signaled raid possible tribe announced last week burned marijuana plants anthony reider tribes president said main holdup centered whether tribe could sell marijuana nonindians along issues seed used planting originated suggested burning crops tribe could clean slate relaunch grow operation consultation authorities advertisement california alturas pit river indian rancherias launched tribally run marijuana operations raided federal authorities agents seizing 12000 marijuana plants july regional us attorneys office said statement two neighboring tribes planned distribute pot tribal lands largescale operations may financed foreign third party clear two tribes plans new marijuana venture calls associated press immediately returned california south dakota tribes three six far year legalized medical recreational marijuana reservations squaxin island tribe washington state another opened store last week retail sales drug expect tribe face fewer legal challenges washington allows recreational marijuana use tribe entered compact state sets guidelines taxing pot sales tribes going immune local attitudes toward marijuana going trueblood said theres one 30000feet takeaway year youre going successful dont work local governments us attorneys
| 512 |
<p>INDIANOLA, Miss. (AP) — A black granite slab now marks the gravesite of B.B. King, the blues icon who died nearly seven months ago in Las Vegas but was returned for burial in his beloved native Mississippi as he wished.</p>
<p>More than 100 relatives, friends, fans and former employees gathered Friday to dedicate the stone that eventually will become the centerpiece of a memorial garden outside the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center.</p>
<p>King was buried May 30 outside the museum in Indianola, the Delta cotton country town where he first sang and played guitar on street corners as a young man.</p>
<p>For months, the gravesite was adorned with just a wreath and a chain-link fence. Architectural drawings for the memorial garden show benches and song titles engraved on metal panels. It will be part of a $4.5 million expansion of the museum that tells King’s life story.</p>
<p>“Some folks might argue that the blues is the greatest export from Mississippi ... and the greatest purveyor of that music was B.B. King,” state Sen. John Horhn of Jackson said during the dedication ceremony.</p>
<p>One of King’s top hits, “The Thrill Is Gone,” played from loudspeakers as a black cloth was pulled back to reveal the ledger engraved with his birth name, Riley B. King, and his signature. Also engraved in gold on the stone are lyrics from “Take It Home,” a song on his 1979 album of the same name:</p>
<p>“Don’t know why / I was made to wander / I’ve seen the light, Lord / I’ve felt the thunder. / Someday I’ll go home again / And I know they’ll take me in. / And take it home.”</p>
<p>Seven of King’s 11 living children attended the dedication, as did numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.</p>
<p>“This is such an outpouring of love and seeing how the Delta really loved B.B. King and what a wonderful man he was,” said one of his daughters, Karen King Williams of Las Vegas, while dabbing tears from her eyes. “This is just how he would want to be remembered.”</p>
<p>Soon after King died at age 89, Williams and one of her sisters, Patty King of Las Vegas, publicly accused his longtime personal assistant, Myron Johnson, of poisoning their father. But a coroner’s report showed the performer died of Alzheimer’s disease, plus physical conditions including coronary disease, heart failure and the effects of Type 2 diabetes.</p>
<p>Johnson attended the dedication ceremony Friday, and there was no interaction between him and the two women. Instead, Johnson, who had traveled with King for 11 years as tour manager, spoke warmly of the man he considered a friend as well as an employer.</p>
<p>“He had a big heart and a kind soul,” Johnson said before the ceremony. He held hands with his own two daughters, 5-year-old Jordyn and 2-year-old Olivia, and said the girls still ask about the man they called Papa B.B.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus" type="external" /> <a href="http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus" type="external">http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus</a> .</p>
<p>INDIANOLA, Miss. (AP) — A black granite slab now marks the gravesite of B.B. King, the blues icon who died nearly seven months ago in Las Vegas but was returned for burial in his beloved native Mississippi as he wished.</p>
<p>More than 100 relatives, friends, fans and former employees gathered Friday to dedicate the stone that eventually will become the centerpiece of a memorial garden outside the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center.</p>
<p>King was buried May 30 outside the museum in Indianola, the Delta cotton country town where he first sang and played guitar on street corners as a young man.</p>
<p>For months, the gravesite was adorned with just a wreath and a chain-link fence. Architectural drawings for the memorial garden show benches and song titles engraved on metal panels. It will be part of a $4.5 million expansion of the museum that tells King’s life story.</p>
<p>“Some folks might argue that the blues is the greatest export from Mississippi ... and the greatest purveyor of that music was B.B. King,” state Sen. John Horhn of Jackson said during the dedication ceremony.</p>
<p>One of King’s top hits, “The Thrill Is Gone,” played from loudspeakers as a black cloth was pulled back to reveal the ledger engraved with his birth name, Riley B. King, and his signature. Also engraved in gold on the stone are lyrics from “Take It Home,” a song on his 1979 album of the same name:</p>
<p>“Don’t know why / I was made to wander / I’ve seen the light, Lord / I’ve felt the thunder. / Someday I’ll go home again / And I know they’ll take me in. / And take it home.”</p>
<p>Seven of King’s 11 living children attended the dedication, as did numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.</p>
<p>“This is such an outpouring of love and seeing how the Delta really loved B.B. King and what a wonderful man he was,” said one of his daughters, Karen King Williams of Las Vegas, while dabbing tears from her eyes. “This is just how he would want to be remembered.”</p>
<p>Soon after King died at age 89, Williams and one of her sisters, Patty King of Las Vegas, publicly accused his longtime personal assistant, Myron Johnson, of poisoning their father. But a coroner’s report showed the performer died of Alzheimer’s disease, plus physical conditions including coronary disease, heart failure and the effects of Type 2 diabetes.</p>
<p>Johnson attended the dedication ceremony Friday, and there was no interaction between him and the two women. Instead, Johnson, who had traveled with King for 11 years as tour manager, spoke warmly of the man he considered a friend as well as an employer.</p>
<p>“He had a big heart and a kind soul,” Johnson said before the ceremony. He held hands with his own two daughters, 5-year-old Jordyn and 2-year-old Olivia, and said the girls still ask about the man they called Papa B.B.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus" type="external" /> <a href="http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus" type="external">http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus</a> .</p>
| false | 2 |
indianola miss ap black granite slab marks gravesite bb king blues icon died nearly seven months ago las vegas returned burial beloved native mississippi wished 100 relatives friends fans former employees gathered friday dedicate stone eventually become centerpiece memorial garden outside bb king museum delta interpretive center king buried may 30 outside museum indianola delta cotton country town first sang played guitar street corners young man months gravesite adorned wreath chainlink fence architectural drawings memorial garden show benches song titles engraved metal panels part 45 million expansion museum tells kings life story folks might argue blues greatest export mississippi greatest purveyor music bb king state sen john horhn jackson said dedication ceremony one kings top hits thrill gone played loudspeakers black cloth pulled back reveal ledger engraved birth name riley b king signature also engraved gold stone lyrics take home song 1979 album name dont know made wander ive seen light lord ive felt thunder someday ill go home know theyll take take home seven kings 11 living children attended dedication numerous grandchildren greatgrandchildren outpouring love seeing delta really loved bb king wonderful man said one daughters karen king williams las vegas dabbing tears eyes would want remembered soon king died age 89 williams one sisters patty king las vegas publicly accused longtime personal assistant myron johnson poisoning father coroners report showed performer died alzheimers disease plus physical conditions including coronary disease heart failure effects type 2 diabetes johnson attended dedication ceremony friday interaction two women instead johnson traveled king 11 years tour manager spoke warmly man considered friend well employer big heart kind soul johnson said ceremony held hands two daughters 5yearold jordyn 2yearold olivia said girls still ask man called papa bb ____ follow emily wagster pettus twitter httptwittercomewagsterpettus indianola miss ap black granite slab marks gravesite bb king blues icon died nearly seven months ago las vegas returned burial beloved native mississippi wished 100 relatives friends fans former employees gathered friday dedicate stone eventually become centerpiece memorial garden outside bb king museum delta interpretive center king buried may 30 outside museum indianola delta cotton country town first sang played guitar street corners young man months gravesite adorned wreath chainlink fence architectural drawings memorial garden show benches song titles engraved metal panels part 45 million expansion museum tells kings life story folks might argue blues greatest export mississippi greatest purveyor music bb king state sen john horhn jackson said dedication ceremony one kings top hits thrill gone played loudspeakers black cloth pulled back reveal ledger engraved birth name riley b king signature also engraved gold stone lyrics take home song 1979 album name dont know made wander ive seen light lord ive felt thunder someday ill go home know theyll take take home seven kings 11 living children attended dedication numerous grandchildren greatgrandchildren outpouring love seeing delta really loved bb king wonderful man said one daughters karen king williams las vegas dabbing tears eyes would want remembered soon king died age 89 williams one sisters patty king las vegas publicly accused longtime personal assistant myron johnson poisoning father coroners report showed performer died alzheimers disease plus physical conditions including coronary disease heart failure effects type 2 diabetes johnson attended dedication ceremony friday interaction two women instead johnson traveled king 11 years tour manager spoke warmly man considered friend well employer big heart kind soul johnson said ceremony held hands two daughters 5yearold jordyn 2yearold olivia said girls still ask man called papa bb ____ follow emily wagster pettus twitter httptwittercomewagsterpettus
| 582 |
<p>FRANKFURT (Reuters) - South African retailer Steinhoff plans to sell about 7.5 billion rand ($620 million) of shares in investment firm PSG Group as it scrambles to plug a liquidity gap after it disclosed “accounting irregularities”.</p>
<p>In a separate development, South Africa’s bourse said on Monday it may suspend trade in Steinhoff bonds if the company’s delayed financial results are not published before the end of February, which could complicate efforts to raise fresh debt.</p>
<p>The group, which owns more than 40 brands, such as Conforama, Mattress Firm and Poundland, said on Monday it would place around 29.5 million shares in PSG with institutional investors in an accelerated bookbuild. Steinhoff owns 16 percent of PSG, which has a total market value of around 60 billion rand.</p>
<p>Steinhoff last month shocked investors with the disclosure of what it said were irregularities in its accounts, wiping about $15 billion, or 85 percent, off its market value as it delayed its results.</p>
<p>However, it said in a statement on Monday the placement would only go ahead if it achieved acceptable pricing. “Steinhoff will not dispose of the Placing Shares at all costs, as the Placing is being undertaken in order to be pro-active and prudent,” it said.</p>
<p>Steinhoff’s top two executives have resigned, as well as its chairman, and the group is currently being run by an acting chief executive while its former finance chief works full-time on securing financing.</p>
<p>Sources familiar with the matter had told Reuters last month that Steinhoff was considering selling stakes worth a combined $1.4 billion in PSG Group and KAP Industrial to raise much-needed funds.</p>
<p>Steinhoff owns 39 percent of diversified industrial group KAP, which is worth around 22.4 billion rand at current market prices.</p>
<p>PSG Capital Proprietary Limited and The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited are acting as joint bookrunners for the placement in PSG shares.</p>
<p>Steinhoff faces new challenges on the debt front. Andre Visser, the General Manager of Issuer Regulation, said in an emailed response to Reuters queries that the exchange could suspend trade in the company’s bonds over the results delay.</p>
<p>“In terms of the debt listings requirements, they have until 31 January to publish their year-end results. The requirement then provides issuers with an extra month grace period. Failure to publish by the end of February could result in suspension,”</p>
<p>Visser said.</p>
<p>Steinhoff Services Limited is the issuer of the company’s debt and the Business Day newspaper reported on Monday that Steinhoff had 11 bonds listed in Johannesburg with an outstanding value of 6.8 billion rand.</p>
<p>Reporting by Maria Sheahan; Additional reporting by Ed Stoddard in Johannesburg; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Louise Heavens</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>TUNIS, March 31 (Reuters) - Tunisia raised fuel prices on Saturday for the second time in three months in an effort to rein in its budget deficit, one of a series of reforms the country’s international lenders want.</p>
<p>The price of a litre of petrol will rise about 3 percent, from 1.80 dinars to 1.85 dinars, starting Sunday, the ministry of energy said in a statement. The last increase was also by about 3 percent, in January of this year.</p>
<p>The International Monetary Fund approved last week the payment of a $257 million tranche of Tunisia’s loan programme and urged it to go ahead with more reforms.</p>
<p>The IMF said in statement that among the priorities for 2018 are to strengthen tax collection, not grant new wage increases unless growth surprises on the upside and enact quarterly price increase for fuel.</p>
<p>Fuel subsidies will rise from the 1.5 billion dinars expected this year to a 3 billion dinars with the rise of world oil prices, Minister of Reforms Taoufik Rajhi said. Tunisia has forecast that the budget deficit will fall to 4.9 percent of gross domestic product in 2018, from about 6 percent in 2017. (Reporting By Tarek Amara, editing by Larry King)</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>DUBAI (Reuters) - Foreign investors will be able to hold up to 49 percent of Qatar stock exchange-listed shares in three subsidiaries of Qatar Petroleum (QP) [QATPE.UL] after limits on foreign ownership were lifted, the state-owned energy company said on Saturday.</p>
<p>In a statement, QP said shareholder ownership limits in the companies would also be raised, to 1 percent for Qatar Electricity and Water Company (WOQOD) and to 2 percent for Gulf International Services Company and Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Company.</p>
<p>The three firms will take the steps needed to approve the increase in the foreign ownership limit to 49 percent within the coming weeks, the statement said.</p>
<p>“We believe this decision will give more strength to Qatar Stock Exchange, and will contribute to its development to be a leading regional financial center and an attractive financial destination to local and global investments,” QP president and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said in the statement.</p>
<p>It did not say what the current foreign ownership limit is, but a stock market official said it was 25 percent for most companies listed on the Gulf Arab state’s bourse.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, Industries Qatar increased its foreign ownership limit to 49 percent from 25 percent in line with QP directives.</p>
<p>Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Catherine Evans</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LAGOS, March 31 (Reuters) - Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves stood at $46.2 billion as of March 28, up 8.8 percent from a month earlier, central bank data showed on Saturday.</p>
<p>Successful debt sales, including a eurobond offering last month, have helped the government accrue billions of dollars in foreign reserves, although they remain far from the peak of $64 billion in August 2008.</p>
<p>The government raised $2.5 billion in Eurobonds in February and expects more to follow. Nigeria’s foreign exchange buffer has climbed 53 percent since March 2017 when it stood at $30.30 billion. (Reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha; editing by Jonathan Oatis)</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON, April 1 (LPC) - The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has closed an increased US$16bn syndicated loan that refinances a US$10bn facility signed in 2016, according to banking sources.</p>
<p>The deal, which closed on March 19, comprises a US$8.35bn term loan and a US$7.65bn murabaha financing.</p>
<p>HSBC, JP Morgan and MUFG were coordinators, bookrunners and mandated lead arrangers on the deal with Bank of China, Citibank, Credit Agricole, ICBC, Mizuho Bank, Standard Chartered and SMBC as bookrunners and mandated lead arrangers. BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs, Societe Generale joined as mandated lead arrangers and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley acted as lead arrangers, according to data from Thomson Reuters LPC.</p>
<p>As well as the introduction of the Islamic finance tranche the new deal included the extension of its maturity to 2023 from 2021 and a repricing.</p>
<p>Pricing on the deal is 30% lower than on the original loan, which paid 120bp over Libor, bringing pricing on the new deal to 84bp over Libor.</p>
<p>The original five-year loan was also coordinated by HSBC, JP Morgan and MUFG, which were joined by BNP Paribas, Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Citibank, Credit Agricole, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, ICBC, Mizuho Bank, Morgan Stanley and SMBC.</p>
<p>The Saudi government started issuing debt in the international markets through loans and bonds two years ago in order to refill state coffers hit by a slump in oil prices.</p>
<p>Its Vision 2030 is a plan to reduce the Kingdom’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism.</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
frankfurt reuters south african retailer steinhoff plans sell 75 billion rand 620 million shares investment firm psg group scrambles plug liquidity gap disclosed accounting irregularities separate development south africas bourse said monday may suspend trade steinhoff bonds companys delayed financial results published end february could complicate efforts raise fresh debt group owns 40 brands conforama mattress firm poundland said monday would place around 295 million shares psg institutional investors accelerated bookbuild steinhoff owns 16 percent psg total market value around 60 billion rand steinhoff last month shocked investors disclosure said irregularities accounts wiping 15 billion 85 percent market value delayed results however said statement monday placement would go ahead achieved acceptable pricing steinhoff dispose placing shares costs placing undertaken order proactive prudent said steinhoffs top two executives resigned well chairman group currently run acting chief executive former finance chief works fulltime securing financing sources familiar matter told reuters last month steinhoff considering selling stakes worth combined 14 billion psg group kap industrial raise muchneeded funds steinhoff owns 39 percent diversified industrial group kap worth around 224 billion rand current market prices psg capital proprietary limited standard bank south africa limited acting joint bookrunners placement psg shares steinhoff faces new challenges debt front andre visser general manager issuer regulation said emailed response reuters queries exchange could suspend trade companys bonds results delay terms debt listings requirements 31 january publish yearend results requirement provides issuers extra month grace period failure publish end february could result suspension visser said steinhoff services limited issuer companys debt business day newspaper reported monday steinhoff 11 bonds listed johannesburg outstanding value 68 billion rand reporting maria sheahan additional reporting ed stoddard johannesburg editing kenneth maxwell louise heavens standards thomson reuters trust principles tunis march 31 reuters tunisia raised fuel prices saturday second time three months effort rein budget deficit one series reforms countrys international lenders want price litre petrol rise 3 percent 180 dinars 185 dinars starting sunday ministry energy said statement last increase also 3 percent january year international monetary fund approved last week payment 257 million tranche tunisias loan programme urged go ahead reforms imf said statement among priorities 2018 strengthen tax collection grant new wage increases unless growth surprises upside enact quarterly price increase fuel fuel subsidies rise 15 billion dinars expected year 3 billion dinars rise world oil prices minister reforms taoufik rajhi said tunisia forecast budget deficit fall 49 percent gross domestic product 2018 6 percent 2017 reporting tarek amara editing larry king standards thomson reuters trust principles dubai reuters foreign investors able hold 49 percent qatar stock exchangelisted shares three subsidiaries qatar petroleum qp qatpeul limits foreign ownership lifted stateowned energy company said saturday statement qp said shareholder ownership limits companies would also raised 1 percent qatar electricity water company woqod 2 percent gulf international services company mesaieed petrochemical holding company three firms take steps needed approve increase foreign ownership limit 49 percent within coming weeks statement said believe decision give strength qatar stock exchange contribute development leading regional financial center attractive financial destination local global investments qp president ceo saad sherida alkaabi said statement say current foreign ownership limit stock market official said 25 percent companies listed gulf arab states bourse earlier month industries qatar increased foreign ownership limit 49 percent 25 percent line qp directives reporting hadeel al sayegh writing ghaida ghantous editing catherine evans standards thomson reuters trust principles lagos march 31 reuters nigerias foreign exchange reserves stood 462 billion march 28 88 percent month earlier central bank data showed saturday successful debt sales including eurobond offering last month helped government accrue billions dollars foreign reserves although remain far peak 64 billion august 2008 government raised 25 billion eurobonds february expects follow nigerias foreign exchange buffer climbed 53 percent since march 2017 stood 3030 billion reporting chijioke ohuocha editing jonathan oatis standards thomson reuters trust principles london april 1 lpc kingdom saudi arabia closed increased us16bn syndicated loan refinances us10bn facility signed 2016 according banking sources deal closed march 19 comprises us835bn term loan us765bn murabaha financing hsbc jp morgan mufg coordinators bookrunners mandated lead arrangers deal bank china citibank credit agricole icbc mizuho bank standard chartered smbc bookrunners mandated lead arrangers bnp paribas goldman sachs societe generale joined mandated lead arrangers bank america merrill lynch deutsche bank morgan stanley acted lead arrangers according data thomson reuters lpc well introduction islamic finance tranche new deal included extension maturity 2023 2021 repricing pricing deal 30 lower original loan paid 120bp libor bringing pricing new deal 84bp libor original fiveyear loan also coordinated hsbc jp morgan mufg joined bnp paribas bank china china construction bank citibank credit agricole deutsche bank goldman sachs icbc mizuho bank morgan stanley smbc saudi government started issuing debt international markets loans bonds two years ago order refill state coffers hit slump oil prices vision 2030 plan reduce kingdoms dependence oil diversify economy develop public service sectors health education infrastructure recreation tourism standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 821 |
<p>Republicans are right: The White House is greatly exaggerating when it says that “women, in particular,” benefit from a prevention fund that the House GOP proposes to repeal. The truth is that the fund in question wasn’t set up specifically for women’s health programs, and we could find no concrete evidence that it has paid anything to gender-specific health programs so far.</p>
<p>For example, the fund has paid for programs to discourage tobacco use, encourage physical fitness, and prevent heart disease and cancer — for both sexes. And House Speaker John Boehner is correct when he says the White House itself has proposed cutting this very same fund. The president’s fiscal 2013 budget proposes to slash $4 billion from the fund over 10 years. Furthermore, in February, Democrats agreed to a <a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/daily-reports/2012/february/16/sgr.aspx" type="external">$5 billion cut</a> in the fund to <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c112:5:./temp/~c112NprzJ1:e4771:" type="external">help pay for</a> extending a payroll tax cut and delaying a reduction in Medicare payment to physicians. That bill passed with bipartisan support.</p>
<p>It’s true that the fund could specifically pay for women’s health programs — in the future. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/fmo/topic/Budget%20Information/appropriations_budget_form_pdf/FY2013_CDC_CJ_Final.pdf" type="external">2013 budget request</a> proposes using money from the fund for its <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/about.htm" type="external">National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program</a>, which started providing such screenings to low-income women more than 20 years ago. The fund is also slated to be tapped in 2012 for a community-based program to encourage breastfeeding, <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/open/recordsandreports/prevention/index.html" type="external">according to the Department of Health and Human Services</a>, which administers the fund.</p>
<p>The flap is yet another front in a political battle over which party is waging a “war on women.” Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his campaign have charged President Obama with doing just that — but they’ve used misleading statistics to do so, as we’ve <a href="" type="internal">pointed</a> <a href="" type="internal">out</a>. This time, it’s the White House accusing House Republicans of sacrificing women’s health in order to pay for a continued reduction in student loan rates.</p>
<p>Students Over Women’s Health?</p>
<p>On April 27, the House <a href="http://www.opencongress.org/vote/2012/h/195" type="external">narrowly approved</a> the Interest Rate Reduction Act, which would extend the 3.4 percent interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans for one year. The rate is set to jump up to 6.8 percent in July. To pay for the rate cut — <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/hr4628.pdf" type="external">a cost of about $6 billion</a> — the bill would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund, a fund set up by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the federal health care law). The law said that HHS was to use money in the fund “for prevention, wellness, and public health activities including prevention research, health screenings, and initiatives, such as the Community Transformation grant program, the Education and Outreach Campaign Regarding Preventive Benefits, and immunization programs.”</p>
<p>Eliminating the fund would save $12 billion over 10 years, twice the cost of the student loan rate extension, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Only 13 Democrats voted for the House bill.</p>
<p>The White House has <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/27/obama-student-loans-white-house-veto_n_1459016.html" type="external">threatened a veto</a> if the bill makes it to the president’s desk, saying in a statement that women would be hurt by the measure:</p>
<p>White House statement: Women, in particular, will benefit from this Prevention Fund, which would provide for hundreds of thousands of screenings for breast and cervical cancer. This is a politically-motivated proposal and not the serious response that the problem facing America’s college students deserves. If the President is presented with H.R. 4628, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.</p>
<p>A White House blog post by Deputy Press Secretary Amy Brundage on April 27 said that eliminating the fund “would have a devastating effect on women’s health and our work to prevent disease and illness.” It went on to claim that “[h]undreds of thousands of women could lose access” to breast and cervical cancer screenings.</p>
<p>A year ago, however, when another Republican bill proposed eliminating the fund, the White House <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/legislative/sap/112/saphr1217h_20110413.pdf" type="external">stated its opposition</a> to the measure but didn’t mention women’s health as a focus of the fund.</p>
<p>House Speaker Boehner was asked about the women’s health dustup by CNN “ <a href="http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1204/29/sotu.01.html" type="external">State of the Union</a>” host Candy Crowley. He countered: “I’ll guarantee you that they’ve not spent a dime out of this fund dealing with anything to do with women’s health.”</p>
<p>Boehner said, “There’s no women’s health issue here.” And he noted, correctly, that “[t]he president’s own budget called for reductions in spending in this fund, in this prevention fund.”</p>
<p>The president’s fiscal 2013 budget proposes cutting $4 billion from the fund over 10 years. But Boehner’s bill would eliminate the fund altogether.</p>
<p>We are unable to determine definitively whether Boehner is correct when he says that “they’ve not spent a dime out of this fund dealing with anything to do with women’s health.” It’s hard to prove a negative, and the prevention initiatives backed with money from the fund have been so broad in many cases that it’s certainly possible specific women’s health issues have been funded, particularly at the state or community level, so far. But the White House is overselling — by a long shot — the idea that the fund specifically helps women.</p>
<p>HHS <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/02/prevention02092011a.html" type="external">says</a> on its website that much of the money has gone to state and community projects that “are already using Prevention Fund dollars to help control the obesity epidemic, fight health disparities, detect and quickly respond to health threats, reduce tobacco use, train the nation’s public health workforce, modernize vaccine systems, prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, increase public health programs’ effectiveness and efficiency, and improve access to behavioral health services.” There’s no specific mention of women’s health projects.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/02/prevention02092011b.html" type="external">list of programs funded in 2011</a> included: state and community programs to prevent tobacco use and obesity and to reduce disparities in health; behavioral health screenings; programs promoting awareness of preventive care provided by the federal health care law; public health training and the use of information technology; research on prevention; and other initiatives such as first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program.</p>
<p>Women’s health isn’t specifically mentioned in that list, either. For 2012, the program to promote breastfeeding is one in a <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/open/recordsandreports/prevention/index.html" type="external">long list of prevention programs</a>. None of the others specifically mentions women.</p>
<p>When we contacted Health and Human Services about this, an official told us the fund supported the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/about.htm" type="external">National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program</a> and pointed us to the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/fmo/topic/Budget%20Information/appropriations_budget_form_pdf/FY2013_CDC_CJ_Final.pdf" type="external">CDC’s 2013 budget request</a>. The CDC requested $511.7 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to pay for various programs, and about half of that amount is slated for “Cancer Prevention and Control.” (See page 138.) The cancer prevention program includes screenings for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers, and cancer registries. While federal appropriations have funded the Cancer Prevention and Control program in the past, for 2013, most of the total funding ($323.7 million) would come from the Prevention and Public Health Fund ($260.9 million). The total 2013 funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund is set at $938 million, as stipulated in the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2013/assets/ccs.pdf" type="external">president’s budget</a> (page 181). That means the money requested by CDC for Cancer Prevention and Control would make up 28 percent of the fund’s 2013 resources.</p>
<p>So, most of the funding for the CDC’s cancer prevention programs, which includes the breast and cervical screening program, would come from the Prevention and Public Health Fund in 2013 for the first time. But as we said previously, the breast and cervical cancer program was set up more than 20 years ago.</p>
<p>The White House blog posting says that without the prevention fund “[h]undreds of thousands of women could lose access to vital cancer screenings. Prevention Fund resources are expected to help more than 300,000 women be screened for breast cancer in 2013 and more than 280,000 be screened for cervical cancer.”</p>
<p>Those are the total expected screenings to be done under the CDC’s program. For calendar year 2010, the breast and cervical cancer program provided screenings for 326,136 women for breast cancer and 283,997 women for cervical cancer, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/about.htm" type="external">according to the CDC</a>. That was before it requested Prevention and Public Health Fund money to do so.</p>
<p>Health and Human Services also sent us a a one-page document that says it is supported by various medical groups, including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, and March of Dimes. It says that reducing or eliminating the prevention fund “will have a significant impact on community efforts to prevent chronic disease and promote and protect the health and safety of all Americans, including women and their families.” It says women benefit from several of the programs slated for funding in 2012, beyond the breastfeeding initiative, such as tobacco cessation programs that can help pregnant women or women of childbearing age quit smoking. “States are already using the Prevention and Public Health funds to help control obesity, reduce tobacco use, and improve nutrition – risk factors known to impact pregnancy outcomes,” the document says.</p>
<p>We don’t argue with the fact that tobacco, obesity, nutrition and other prevention programs can help women, pregnant or otherwise. But those programs also help men, and they show that prevention fund dollars go to many initiatives that aren’t women-specific.</p>
<p>We’ll chalk this up as another distortion in the political “war on women.”</p>
<p>— Lori Robertson</p>
| false | 2 |
republicans right white house greatly exaggerating says women particular benefit prevention fund house gop proposes repeal truth fund question wasnt set specifically womens health programs could find concrete evidence paid anything genderspecific health programs far example fund paid programs discourage tobacco use encourage physical fitness prevent heart disease cancer sexes house speaker john boehner correct says white house proposed cutting fund presidents fiscal 2013 budget proposes slash 4 billion fund 10 years furthermore february democrats agreed 5 billion cut fund help pay extending payroll tax cut delaying reduction medicare payment physicians bill passed bipartisan support true fund could specifically pay womens health programs future centers disease control preventions 2013 budget request proposes using money fund national breast cervical cancer early detection program started providing screenings lowincome women 20 years ago fund also slated tapped 2012 communitybased program encourage breastfeeding according department health human services administers fund flap yet another front political battle party waging war women republican presidential candidate mitt romney campaign charged president obama theyve used misleading statistics weve pointed time white house accusing house republicans sacrificing womens health order pay continued reduction student loan rates students womens health april 27 house narrowly approved interest rate reduction act would extend 34 percent interest rate subsidized stafford loans one year rate set jump 68 percent july pay rate cut cost 6 billion bill would eliminate prevention public health fund fund set patient protection affordable care act federal health care law law said hhs use money fund prevention wellness public health activities including prevention research health screenings initiatives community transformation grant program education outreach campaign regarding preventive benefits immunization programs eliminating fund would save 12 billion 10 years twice cost student loan rate extension according congressional budget office 13 democrats voted house bill white house threatened veto bill makes presidents desk saying statement women would hurt measure white house statement women particular benefit prevention fund would provide hundreds thousands screenings breast cervical cancer politicallymotivated proposal serious response problem facing americas college students deserves president presented hr 4628 senior advisors would recommend veto bill white house blog post deputy press secretary amy brundage april 27 said eliminating fund would devastating effect womens health work prevent disease illness went claim hundreds thousands women could lose access breast cervical cancer screenings year ago however another republican bill proposed eliminating fund white house stated opposition measure didnt mention womens health focus fund house speaker boehner asked womens health dustup cnn state union host candy crowley countered ill guarantee theyve spent dime fund dealing anything womens health boehner said theres womens health issue noted correctly presidents budget called reductions spending fund prevention fund presidents fiscal 2013 budget proposes cutting 4 billion fund 10 years boehners bill would eliminate fund altogether unable determine definitively whether boehner correct says theyve spent dime fund dealing anything womens health hard prove negative prevention initiatives backed money fund broad many cases certainly possible specific womens health issues funded particularly state community level far white house overselling long shot idea fund specifically helps women hhs says website much money gone state community projects already using prevention fund dollars help control obesity epidemic fight health disparities detect quickly respond health threats reduce tobacco use train nations public health workforce modernize vaccine systems prevent spread hivaids increase public health programs effectiveness efficiency improve access behavioral health services theres specific mention womens health projects list programs funded 2011 included state community programs prevent tobacco use obesity reduce disparities health behavioral health screenings programs promoting awareness preventive care provided federal health care law public health training use information technology research prevention initiatives first lady michelle obamas lets move program womens health isnt specifically mentioned list either 2012 program promote breastfeeding one long list prevention programs none others specifically mentions women contacted health human services official told us fund supported national breast cervical cancer early detection program pointed us cdcs 2013 budget request cdc requested 5117 million prevention public health fund pay various programs half amount slated cancer prevention control see page 138 cancer prevention program includes screenings breast cervical colorectal cancers cancer registries federal appropriations funded cancer prevention control program past 2013 total funding 3237 million would come prevention public health fund 2609 million total 2013 funding prevention public health fund set 938 million stipulated presidents budget page 181 means money requested cdc cancer prevention control would make 28 percent funds 2013 resources funding cdcs cancer prevention programs includes breast cervical screening program would come prevention public health fund 2013 first time said previously breast cervical cancer program set 20 years ago white house blog posting says without prevention fund hundreds thousands women could lose access vital cancer screenings prevention fund resources expected help 300000 women screened breast cancer 2013 280000 screened cervical cancer total expected screenings done cdcs program calendar year 2010 breast cervical cancer program provided screenings 326136 women breast cancer 283997 women cervical cancer according cdc requested prevention public health fund money health human services also sent us onepage document says supported various medical groups including american congress obstetricians gynecologists association maternal child health programs march dimes says reducing eliminating prevention fund significant impact community efforts prevent chronic disease promote protect health safety americans including women families says women benefit several programs slated funding 2012 beyond breastfeeding initiative tobacco cessation programs help pregnant women women childbearing age quit smoking states already using prevention public health funds help control obesity reduce tobacco use improve nutrition risk factors known impact pregnancy outcomes document says dont argue fact tobacco obesity nutrition prevention programs help women pregnant otherwise programs also help men show prevention fund dollars go many initiatives arent womenspecific well chalk another distortion political war women lori robertson
| 943 |
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer on Tuesday pulled back an offer of $25 billion for President Donald Trump’s long-promised southern border wall, as lawmakers scrambled to figure out how to push a deal to protect 700,000 or more so-called Dreamer immigrants from deportation.</p>
<p>Schumer had made the offer last Friday in a last-ditch effort to head off a government shutdown, then came scalding criticism from his party’s liberal activist base that Democrats had given up too easily in reopening the government without more concrete promises on immigration.</p>
<p>“We’re going to have to start on a new basis, and the wall offer’s off the table,” Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters Tuesday.</p>
<p>The shutdown battle — settled mostly on Trump’s terms — complicated the already difficult search for an immigration pact: GOP hard-liners appeared emboldened, while Democrats absorbed withering criticism from progressives. Neither development seemed likely to push the combatants toward the compromises needed to produce a bill that can pass both the tea party-driven House and the more pragmatic Senate.</p>
<p>Still, there were fresh signs of a willingness to keep hunting for a solution, with a flurry of meetings on Capitol Hill and an assessment from White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders that “I don’t think they’re that far apart.”</p>
<p>Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he’d been to three meetings Tuesday about immigration. “I know there’s a lot of skepticism around here and not much trust,” he said, “but I do believe that there is a bona fide bipartisan concern about getting this done.”</p>
<p>Even if the Senate can come up with the votes to pass a plan, Democrats fear there is little chance such a bill would gain the support of House Republicans.</p>
<p>“There were no commitments made in the House” as legislators worked to end the government shutdown, House GOP Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana said Monday, warning against any “amnesty” measure.</p>
<p>Trump weighed in Tuesday via Twitter: “Nobody knows for sure that the Republicans &amp; Democrats will be able to reach a deal on DACA by February 8, but everyone will be trying....with a big additional focus put on Military Strength and Border Security. The Dems have just learned that a Shutdown is not the answer!”</p>
<p>Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said Schumer had promised a $25 billion figure for the wall and other border security measures, though not all of that would have been immediate funding. He called Schumer’s withdrawal of the offer “a step backward.”</p>
<p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has committed to trying to reach a deal on immigration and key budget issues by Feb. 8, though Cornyn said Monday that “strikes me as highly difficult.”</p>
<p>Instead, the Senate appeared more likely to start a freewheeling debate next month.</p>
<p>“Whoever gets 60 votes wins,” said McConnell.</p>
<p>And it remained unclear precisely who was taking the lead in the negotiating.</p>
<p>“If you had a tattoo for every group that’s forming, you’d have an arm full of them,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was working to bring together a new bipartisan group of senators to reach an agreement.</p>
<p>The retreat by Democrats brought an end to the three-day government shutdown, but roiled immigration activists who blasted Democrats for caving to Republicans with nothing gained by the promise of a Senate vote.</p>
<p>“Once again, Dreamers are left behind,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y.</p>
<p>Trump last year announced that he was ending the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, but gave Congress until March 5 to come up with a legislative fix. With the clock ticking, Trump appeared to agree to a pair of deals with Democrats, then backed out and demanded more money for a border wall. He also sought an overhaul of the legal immigration system to prevent immigrants from sponsoring their family members and an end to a visa lottery aimed at expanding diversity.</p>
<p>On the House side, the Republican Study Committee, a group of more than 150 lawmakers, announced its support for a bill written by Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., Raúl Labrador, R-Idaho, and Michael McCaul, R-Texas. Their plan would offer DACA recipients a three-year renewal of legal status, allowing them to continue to live and work in the country with no special path to citizenship. It also contains a host of stringent features that are anathema to Democrats, including reducing legal immigration by 25 percent, adding border patrol agents and denying certain funding to cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.</p>
<p>The White House endorsed that bill, and it appeared to be gaining traction among conservatives. NumbersUSA, a group that advocates for reduced immigration, announcing its support Tuesday.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Luis Alonso Lugo contributed to this report. Follow Taylor and Colvin on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/APAndrewTaylor" type="external" /> <a href="https://twitter.com/APAndrewTaylor" type="external">https://twitter.com/APAndrewTaylor</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colvinj" type="external" /> <a href="https://twitter.com/colvinj" type="external">https://twitter.com/colvinj</a></p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer on Tuesday pulled back an offer of $25 billion for President Donald Trump’s long-promised southern border wall, as lawmakers scrambled to figure out how to push a deal to protect 700,000 or more so-called Dreamer immigrants from deportation.</p>
<p>Schumer had made the offer last Friday in a last-ditch effort to head off a government shutdown, then came scalding criticism from his party’s liberal activist base that Democrats had given up too easily in reopening the government without more concrete promises on immigration.</p>
<p>“We’re going to have to start on a new basis, and the wall offer’s off the table,” Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters Tuesday.</p>
<p>The shutdown battle — settled mostly on Trump’s terms — complicated the already difficult search for an immigration pact: GOP hard-liners appeared emboldened, while Democrats absorbed withering criticism from progressives. Neither development seemed likely to push the combatants toward the compromises needed to produce a bill that can pass both the tea party-driven House and the more pragmatic Senate.</p>
<p>Still, there were fresh signs of a willingness to keep hunting for a solution, with a flurry of meetings on Capitol Hill and an assessment from White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders that “I don’t think they’re that far apart.”</p>
<p>Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he’d been to three meetings Tuesday about immigration. “I know there’s a lot of skepticism around here and not much trust,” he said, “but I do believe that there is a bona fide bipartisan concern about getting this done.”</p>
<p>Even if the Senate can come up with the votes to pass a plan, Democrats fear there is little chance such a bill would gain the support of House Republicans.</p>
<p>“There were no commitments made in the House” as legislators worked to end the government shutdown, House GOP Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana said Monday, warning against any “amnesty” measure.</p>
<p>Trump weighed in Tuesday via Twitter: “Nobody knows for sure that the Republicans &amp; Democrats will be able to reach a deal on DACA by February 8, but everyone will be trying....with a big additional focus put on Military Strength and Border Security. The Dems have just learned that a Shutdown is not the answer!”</p>
<p>Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said Schumer had promised a $25 billion figure for the wall and other border security measures, though not all of that would have been immediate funding. He called Schumer’s withdrawal of the offer “a step backward.”</p>
<p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has committed to trying to reach a deal on immigration and key budget issues by Feb. 8, though Cornyn said Monday that “strikes me as highly difficult.”</p>
<p>Instead, the Senate appeared more likely to start a freewheeling debate next month.</p>
<p>“Whoever gets 60 votes wins,” said McConnell.</p>
<p>And it remained unclear precisely who was taking the lead in the negotiating.</p>
<p>“If you had a tattoo for every group that’s forming, you’d have an arm full of them,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was working to bring together a new bipartisan group of senators to reach an agreement.</p>
<p>The retreat by Democrats brought an end to the three-day government shutdown, but roiled immigration activists who blasted Democrats for caving to Republicans with nothing gained by the promise of a Senate vote.</p>
<p>“Once again, Dreamers are left behind,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y.</p>
<p>Trump last year announced that he was ending the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, but gave Congress until March 5 to come up with a legislative fix. With the clock ticking, Trump appeared to agree to a pair of deals with Democrats, then backed out and demanded more money for a border wall. He also sought an overhaul of the legal immigration system to prevent immigrants from sponsoring their family members and an end to a visa lottery aimed at expanding diversity.</p>
<p>On the House side, the Republican Study Committee, a group of more than 150 lawmakers, announced its support for a bill written by Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., Raúl Labrador, R-Idaho, and Michael McCaul, R-Texas. Their plan would offer DACA recipients a three-year renewal of legal status, allowing them to continue to live and work in the country with no special path to citizenship. It also contains a host of stringent features that are anathema to Democrats, including reducing legal immigration by 25 percent, adding border patrol agents and denying certain funding to cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.</p>
<p>The White House endorsed that bill, and it appeared to be gaining traction among conservatives. NumbersUSA, a group that advocates for reduced immigration, announcing its support Tuesday.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Luis Alonso Lugo contributed to this report. Follow Taylor and Colvin on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/APAndrewTaylor" type="external" /> <a href="https://twitter.com/APAndrewTaylor" type="external">https://twitter.com/APAndrewTaylor</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colvinj" type="external" /> <a href="https://twitter.com/colvinj" type="external">https://twitter.com/colvinj</a></p>
| false | 2 |
washington ap top senate democrat chuck schumer tuesday pulled back offer 25 billion president donald trumps longpromised southern border wall lawmakers scrambled figure push deal protect 700000 socalled dreamer immigrants deportation schumer made offer last friday lastditch effort head government shutdown came scalding criticism partys liberal activist base democrats given easily reopening government without concrete promises immigration going start new basis wall offers table schumer dny told reporters tuesday shutdown battle settled mostly trumps terms complicated already difficult search immigration pact gop hardliners appeared emboldened democrats absorbed withering criticism progressives neither development seemed likely push combatants toward compromises needed produce bill pass tea partydriven house pragmatic senate still fresh signs willingness keep hunting solution flurry meetings capitol hill assessment white house press secretary sarah huckabee sanders dont think theyre far apart sen john cornyn rtexas said hed three meetings tuesday immigration know theres lot skepticism around much trust said believe bona fide bipartisan concern getting done even senate come votes pass plan democrats fear little chance bill would gain support house republicans commitments made house legislators worked end government shutdown house gop whip steve scalise louisiana said monday warning amnesty measure trump weighed tuesday via twitter nobody knows sure republicans amp democrats able reach deal daca february 8 everyone tryingwith big additional focus put military strength border security dems learned shutdown answer cornyn 2 senate republican said schumer promised 25 billion figure wall border security measures though would immediate funding called schumers withdrawal offer step backward senate majority leader mitch mcconnell rky committed trying reach deal immigration key budget issues feb 8 though cornyn said monday strikes highly difficult instead senate appeared likely start freewheeling debate next month whoever gets 60 votes wins said mcconnell remained unclear precisely taking lead negotiating tattoo every group thats forming youd arm full said sen lindsey graham rsc working bring together new bipartisan group senators reach agreement retreat democrats brought end threeday government shutdown roiled immigration activists blasted democrats caving republicans nothing gained promise senate vote dreamers left behind said rep adriano espaillat dny trump last year announced ending obamaera deferred action childhood arrivals program daca gave congress march 5 come legislative fix clock ticking trump appeared agree pair deals democrats backed demanded money border wall also sought overhaul legal immigration system prevent immigrants sponsoring family members end visa lottery aimed expanding diversity house side republican study committee group 150 lawmakers announced support bill written reps bob goodlatte rva raúl labrador ridaho michael mccaul rtexas plan would offer daca recipients threeyear renewal legal status allowing continue live work country special path citizenship also contains host stringent features anathema democrats including reducing legal immigration 25 percent adding border patrol agents denying certain funding cities refuse cooperate federal immigration authorities white house endorsed bill appeared gaining traction among conservatives numbersusa group advocates reduced immigration announcing support tuesday ___ associated press writer luis alonso lugo contributed report follow taylor colvin twitter httpstwittercomapandrewtaylor httpstwittercomcolvinj washington ap top senate democrat chuck schumer tuesday pulled back offer 25 billion president donald trumps longpromised southern border wall lawmakers scrambled figure push deal protect 700000 socalled dreamer immigrants deportation schumer made offer last friday lastditch effort head government shutdown came scalding criticism partys liberal activist base democrats given easily reopening government without concrete promises immigration going start new basis wall offers table schumer dny told reporters tuesday shutdown battle settled mostly trumps terms complicated already difficult search immigration pact gop hardliners appeared emboldened democrats absorbed withering criticism progressives neither development seemed likely push combatants toward compromises needed produce bill pass tea partydriven house pragmatic senate still fresh signs willingness keep hunting solution flurry meetings capitol hill assessment white house press secretary sarah huckabee sanders dont think theyre far apart sen john cornyn rtexas said hed three meetings tuesday immigration know theres lot skepticism around much trust said believe bona fide bipartisan concern getting done even senate come votes pass plan democrats fear little chance bill would gain support house republicans commitments made house legislators worked end government shutdown house gop whip steve scalise louisiana said monday warning amnesty measure trump weighed tuesday via twitter nobody knows sure republicans amp democrats able reach deal daca february 8 everyone tryingwith big additional focus put military strength border security dems learned shutdown answer cornyn 2 senate republican said schumer promised 25 billion figure wall border security measures though would immediate funding called schumers withdrawal offer step backward senate majority leader mitch mcconnell rky committed trying reach deal immigration key budget issues feb 8 though cornyn said monday strikes highly difficult instead senate appeared likely start freewheeling debate next month whoever gets 60 votes wins said mcconnell remained unclear precisely taking lead negotiating tattoo every group thats forming youd arm full said sen lindsey graham rsc working bring together new bipartisan group senators reach agreement retreat democrats brought end threeday government shutdown roiled immigration activists blasted democrats caving republicans nothing gained promise senate vote dreamers left behind said rep adriano espaillat dny trump last year announced ending obamaera deferred action childhood arrivals program daca gave congress march 5 come legislative fix clock ticking trump appeared agree pair deals democrats backed demanded money border wall also sought overhaul legal immigration system prevent immigrants sponsoring family members end visa lottery aimed expanding diversity house side republican study committee group 150 lawmakers announced support bill written reps bob goodlatte rva raúl labrador ridaho michael mccaul rtexas plan would offer daca recipients threeyear renewal legal status allowing continue live work country special path citizenship also contains host stringent features anathema democrats including reducing legal immigration 25 percent adding border patrol agents denying certain funding cities refuse cooperate federal immigration authorities white house endorsed bill appeared gaining traction among conservatives numbersusa group advocates reduced immigration announcing support tuesday ___ associated press writer luis alonso lugo contributed report follow taylor colvin twitter httpstwittercomapandrewtaylor httpstwittercomcolvinj
| 972 |
<p>TRIPOLI (Reuters) - The only functioning airport in the Libyan capital reopened on Saturday after a five-day closure caused by deadly clashes that left passenger jets damaged.</p> FILE PHOTO - A plane flies over Mitiga airport following clashes, in Tripoli, Libya, January 15, 2018. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny
<p>Mitiga airport, located just east of Tripoli city center, appeared to be operating normally, with both departures and arrivals areas busy with passengers.</p>
<p>“All domestic and international flights have ...resumed,” said an airport official who asked not to be named for security reasons. “No technical problems have been reported and security is under control.”</p>
<p>Fighting on Monday pitted the Special Deterrence Force (SDF), which is aligned with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), and an armed group based in the nearby Tajoura district. [nL8N1PA216]</p>
<p>At least 20 people were killed and 60 wounded. The four Libyan airlines operating out of Mitiga have been rushing to repair or replace aircraft that were hit by gunfire or artillery while parked there during the battle.</p>
<p>Flights to evacuate or repatriate foreign migrants from Tripoli, which are mainly operated by U.N. agencies, were suspended because of Mitiga’s closure.</p>
<p>Tripoli has frequently been shaken by clashes between armed groups since Libya slid into chaos and violence following the overthrow of Mummar Gaddafi in 2011. Under the GNA, several large groups have expanded their power and the situation remains fragile.</p>
<p>Tripoli’s main international airport was badly damaged by fighting in 2014 and is still out of service.</p>
<p>editing by John Stonestreet</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he was cancelling an agreement with the U.N. refugee agency to relocate thousands of African migrants, bowing to right-wing pressure to scrap the deal.</p>
<p>The agency, the UNHCR, said it hoped Israel would reconsider the decision soon and offered to work with it to identify and “respond to the protection needs” of asylum seekers in the country.</p>
<p>Netanyahu’s critics seized on his backtracking on the arrangement - under which thousands of other migrants would have won the right to remain in Israel - as a sign of political weakness. The prime minister is the subject of police investigations into suspected corruption, which he denies.</p>
<p>For the estimated 37,000 African migrants in Israel, most of them from Eritrea and Sudan, a whirlwind of announcements about their future has swept their status even deeper into limbo.</p>
<p>Outside a government complex in Tel Aviv where Netanyahu said he was scrapping the deal, several African men wrapped themselves in chains in a protest that put their sense of powerlessness on display.</p>
<p>On Monday Netanyahu announced an arrangement with the UNHCR that would have relocated about 16,250 migrants to Western countries.</p>
<p>But the fact that thousands more would be allowed to stay raised an outcry from right-wing politicians and on social media from Netanyahu’s nationalist voter base, which wants the migrants expelled. He then posted on Facebook he was putting the agreement’s implementation on hold.</p>
<p>By Tuesday, the deal was dead.</p>
<p>“I have listened carefully to the many comments on the agreement. As a result, and after I again weighed the advantages and disadvantages, I decided to cancel the deal,” a statement from the prime minister’s office quoted Netanyahu as saying.</p>
<p>He made the remarks at a meeting with representatives of residents of south Tel Aviv, a poor area that has attracted the largest migrant community and where many of its inhabitants want the Africans out.</p>
<p>The fate of migrants who entered Israel illegally by trekking across a desert border with Egypt, has posed a moral dilemma for a state founded as a haven for Jews from persecution and a national home.</p>
<p>In a statement, Israeli human rights groups condemned the decision to cancel the agreement, accusing Netanyahu of playing “political games”. The groups said Israel is capable of absorbing all of the migrants, describing them as “asylum-seekers who came knocking on its door”.</p>
<p>Before announcing the deal, Israel had been moving ahead with plans to deport many of the Africans to Rwanda. But the Supreme Court intervened, freezing such deportations in March, and Netanyahu said Rwanda had buckled to international pressure and reneged on the deal.</p> Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem April 2, 2018. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
<p>“Despite legal restraints and international difficulties that are piling up, we will continue to act with determination to explore all of the options at our disposal to remove the infiltrators,” Netanyahu said in his statement on Tuesday.</p> NETANYAHU BLAMES NGO
<p>Netanyahu blamed the New Israel Fund (NIF), a U.S.-based non-governmental organization, for causing the deal with Rwanda to be scuppered, saying that through European states, it had persuaded the African nation to refuse to take in the migrants.</p>
<p>In a Facebook post in Hebrew, he added that “for decades, the Fund contributes to anti-Zionist, pro-Palestinian organizations” and called for a parliamentary committee to investigate it.</p>
<p>The NIF denied Netanyahu’s allegation and said on its Facebook page that it had not influenced Rwanda’s decision and that he had “once again resorted to lies about the New Israel Fund in order to score cheap political points.”</p> African migrants and Israeli activists demonstrate in support of the new agreement with the U.N. refugee agency to relocate thousands of African migrants, outside Israeli Prime Minister office in Jerusalem April 3, 2018. The placard in Hebrew reads "Not Playing with Human Life, Yes to the deal". REUTERS/Ammar Awad
<p>“The New Israel Fund had nothing to do with Rwanda’s decision to refuse to participate in the Prime Minister’s cruel mass deportation plan.”</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Ori Lewis and by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; editing by David Stamp and Richard Balmforth</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria’s right-wing government announced plans on Wednesday to ban girls from wearing headscarves in kindergarten and primary schools to combat what it sees as a threat to Austrian mainstream culture from some Muslims.</p> Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz addresses the media after a cabinet meeting in Vienna, Austria, April 4, 2018. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
<p>Austria took in more than one percent of its population in asylum seekers during Europe’s migration crisis, an issue that helped Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s conservatives win an election last year by taking a hard line on immigration.</p>
<p>“Our goal is to confront any development of parallel societies in Austria,” Kurz told ORF radio, using a term he and the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), the coalition partner, favour to describe what they see as a threat posed by some Muslims to mainstream culture.</p>
<p>“Girls wearing a headscarf in kindergarten or primary school is of course part of that.”</p> Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache address the media after a cabinet meeting in Vienna, Austria, April 4, 2018. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader
<p>If any such plan became law it would apply to girls of up to around the age of 10 years.</p>
<p>Many Muslims believe their religion requires girls to wear a headscarf from puberty. Headscarves are rarely worn before then.</p>
<p>Kurz, at a news conference with Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache of the FPO, said they believed there was a problem in schools though they produced no figures to support this.</p>
<p>“What I can tell you is that it is a growing phenomenon. A few decades ago we did not have this in Austria and now it occurs primarily in Islamic kindergartens but also here and there in public establishments of Vienna and other cities,” Kurz said.</p>
<p>He said a bill would be drawn up.</p>
<p>Austria’s main Muslim organisation was not immediately available for comment.</p> Slideshow (2 Images)
<p>The previous coalition of Social Democrats and Kurz’s conservatives, passed a law banning face coverings including Muslim full-face veils in public spaces, but women and girls are free to wear regular hijab.</p>
<p>It considered banning teachers from wearing headscarves but that plan was dropped after a debate over religious symbols in schools such as the Catholic crosses that still hang on many classroom walls.</p>
<p>For any headscarf ban to come into force in kindergartens, which are run by Austria’s provinces, the government would need a two-thirds majority in parliament and therefore the support of either the Social Democrats or the liberal Neos party.</p>
<p>While the Social Democrats said they wanted a broader package of measures, they did not rule out cooperation. The Neos said they would examine the text drawn up by the government.</p>
<p>(This version of the story corrects policy line of Kurz’s conservatives in para 2)</p>
<p>Reporting by Francois Murphy and Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich; Editing by Richard Balmforth</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. intelligence chief said on Wednesday that a decision had been made on the future of American troops in war-torn Syria and the White House would make it public soon.</p> Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Dan Coats testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats" on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 13, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis
<p>Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said the decision was reached at an “all hands on deck” National Security Council meeting on Tuesday.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he wanted to “get out” of Syria but offered no timetable. [nL2N1RG1HN]</p>
<p>At the same time, Trump’s advisers warned of the hard work left to defeat Islamic State and stabilize areas recaptured from the hardline militant group.</p>
<p>Trump said at a news conference the United States would “not rest until ISIS is gone,” using an acronym for the militant group. But he also suggested that victory was imminent.</p>
<p>“It’s time,” Trump told reporters, when asked if he was inclined to withdraw American forces.</p>
<p>The Pentagon and State Department have said a longer term U.S. effort would be needed to ensure that Islamic State’s defeat is a lasting one.</p>
<p>Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by David Gregorio</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Three foreign powers who have shaped Syria’s civil war - Iran, Russia and Turkey - will discuss ways to wind down the fighting on Wednesday despite their involvement in rival military campaigns on the ground.</p>
<p>The leaders of the three countries will meet in Ankara for talks on a new constitution for Syria and increasing security in “de-escalation” zones across the country, Turkish officials say.</p>
<p>The Syria summit brings together two powers which have been President Bashar al-Assad’s most forceful supporters, Iran and Russia, with one of his strongest opponents, Turkey.</p>
<p>Cooperation between the rival camps raised hopes of stabilizing Syria after seven years of conflict in which 500,000 people have been killed and half the population displaced.</p>
<p>But the violence has raged on, highlighting strategic rifts between the three countries who, in the absence of decisive Western intervention, hold Syria’s fate largely in their hands.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-iran-syria/u-s-and-israel-interfere-in-syria-says-iran-president-idUSKCN1HA1X6" type="external">U.S. and Israel interfere in Syria, says Iran president</a>
<p>Syria’s army and Iran-backed militias, with Russian air power, have crushed insurgents near Damascus in eastern Ghouta - one of the four mooted “de-escalation zones”.</p>
<p>Turkey, which sharply criticized the Ghouta offensive, waged its own military operation to drive Kurdish YPG fighters from the northwestern Syrian region of Afrin. It has pledged to take the town of Tel Rifaat and push further east, angering Iran.</p>
<p>“Whatever the intentions are, Turkey’s moves in Syria, whether in Afrin, Tel Rifaat or any other part of Syria, should be halted as soon as possible,” a senior Iranian official said.</p>
<p>Iran has been Assad’s most supportive ally throughout the conflict. Iran-backed militias first helped his army stem rebel advances and, following Russia’s entry into the war in 2015, turn the tide decisively in Assad’s favor.</p>
<p>A Turkish official said Ankara will ask Moscow to press Assad to grant more humanitarian access in Ghouta, and to rein in air strikes on rebel-held areas. “We expect ... Russia to control the regime more,” the official told reporters this week.</p> RIFTS OVER ASSAD
<p>Ankara’s relations with Moscow collapsed in 2015 when Turkey shot down a Russian warplane but have recovered since then - to the concern of Turkey’s Western allies.</p>
<p>Turkey was one of the few NATO partners not to expel Russian diplomats in response to a nerve agent attack on a former Russian agent which Britain blamed on Moscow - an allegation which Turkey said was not proven.</p>
<p>Improved political ties have been reflected in Turkey’s agreement to buy a Russian missile defence system and plans for Russia’s ROSATOM to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.</p>
<p>Turkey has also expanded relations with Iran, exchanging visits by military chiefs of staff, although its deepening ties with Tehran and Moscow have not translated into broader agreement on Syria’s future.</p>
<p>Iran remains determined that Assad stay in power, while Russia is less committed to keeping him in office, a regional diplomat said. Turkey says Assad has lost legitimacy, although it no longer demands his immediate departure.</p>
<p>At a meeting in Russia two months ago, boycotted by the leadership of Syria’s opposition, delegates agreed to set up a committee to rewrite Syria’s constitution and called for democratic elections.</p>
<p>Turkey says Wednesday’s meeting will discuss setting up the constitutional committee, humanitarian issues and developments in Syria’s northern Idlib region, which is under the control of rival rebel factions and jihadi groups, and where Turkey has set up seven military observation posts.</p> Syrian and Russian soldiers are seen at a checkpoint near Wafideen camp in Damascus, Syria March 2, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki
<p>“There are issues where all three countries have different policies in Syria,” another Turkish official said. “In this regard, an aim is to find middle ground and create policies to improve the current situation.”</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Orhan Coskun and Tulay Karadeniz in Ankara, Writing by Dominic Evans, Editing by Angus MacSwan</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
tripoli reuters functioning airport libyan capital reopened saturday fiveday closure caused deadly clashes left passenger jets damaged file photo plane flies mitiga airport following clashes tripoli libya january 15 2018 reutersismail zitouny mitiga airport located east tripoli city center appeared operating normally departures arrivals areas busy passengers domestic international flights resumed said airport official asked named security reasons technical problems reported security control fighting monday pitted special deterrence force sdf aligned internationally recognized government national accord gna armed group based nearby tajoura district nl8n1pa216 least 20 people killed 60 wounded four libyan airlines operating mitiga rushing repair replace aircraft hit gunfire artillery parked battle flights evacuate repatriate foreign migrants tripoli mainly operated un agencies suspended mitigas closure tripoli frequently shaken clashes armed groups since libya slid chaos violence following overthrow mummar gaddafi 2011 gna several large groups expanded power situation remains fragile tripolis main international airport badly damaged fighting 2014 still service editing john stonestreet standards thomson reuters trust principles jerusalem reuters israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said tuesday cancelling agreement un refugee agency relocate thousands african migrants bowing rightwing pressure scrap deal agency unhcr said hoped israel would reconsider decision soon offered work identify respond protection needs asylum seekers country netanyahus critics seized backtracking arrangement thousands migrants would right remain israel sign political weakness prime minister subject police investigations suspected corruption denies estimated 37000 african migrants israel eritrea sudan whirlwind announcements future swept status even deeper limbo outside government complex tel aviv netanyahu said scrapping deal several african men wrapped chains protest put sense powerlessness display monday netanyahu announced arrangement unhcr would relocated 16250 migrants western countries fact thousands would allowed stay raised outcry rightwing politicians social media netanyahus nationalist voter base wants migrants expelled posted facebook putting agreements implementation hold tuesday deal dead listened carefully many comments agreement result weighed advantages disadvantages decided cancel deal statement prime ministers office quoted netanyahu saying made remarks meeting representatives residents south tel aviv poor area attracted largest migrant community many inhabitants want africans fate migrants entered israel illegally trekking across desert border egypt posed moral dilemma state founded jews persecution national home statement israeli human rights groups condemned decision cancel agreement accusing netanyahu playing political games groups said israel capable absorbing migrants describing asylumseekers came knocking door announcing deal israel moving ahead plans deport many africans rwanda supreme court intervened freezing deportations march netanyahu said rwanda buckled international pressure reneged deal israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu speaks news conference prime ministers office jerusalem april 2 2018 reutersronen zvulun despite legal restraints international difficulties piling continue act determination explore options disposal remove infiltrators netanyahu said statement tuesday netanyahu blames ngo netanyahu blamed new israel fund nif usbased nongovernmental organization causing deal rwanda scuppered saying european states persuaded african nation refuse take migrants facebook post hebrew added decades fund contributes antizionist propalestinian organizations called parliamentary committee investigate nif denied netanyahus allegation said facebook page influenced rwandas decision resorted lies new israel fund order score cheap political points african migrants israeli activists demonstrate support new agreement un refugee agency relocate thousands african migrants outside israeli prime minister office jerusalem april 3 2018 placard hebrew reads playing human life yes deal reutersammar awad new israel fund nothing rwandas decision refuse participate prime ministers cruel mass deportation plan additional reporting ori lewis stephanie nebehay geneva editing david stamp richard balmforth standards thomson reuters trust principles vienna reuters austrias rightwing government announced plans wednesday ban girls wearing headscarves kindergarten primary schools combat sees threat austrian mainstream culture muslims austrias chancellor sebastian kurz addresses media cabinet meeting vienna austria april 4 2018 reutersheinzpeter bader austria took one percent population asylum seekers europes migration crisis issue helped chancellor sebastian kurzs conservatives win election last year taking hard line immigration goal confront development parallel societies austria kurz told orf radio using term farright freedom party fpo coalition partner favour describe see threat posed muslims mainstream culture girls wearing headscarf kindergarten primary school course part austrias chancellor sebastian kurz vice chancellor heinzchristian strache address media cabinet meeting vienna austria april 4 2018 reutersheinzpeter bader plan became law would apply girls around age 10 years many muslims believe religion requires girls wear headscarf puberty headscarves rarely worn kurz news conference vice chancellor heinzchristian strache fpo said believed problem schools though produced figures support tell growing phenomenon decades ago austria occurs primarily islamic kindergartens also public establishments vienna cities kurz said said bill would drawn austrias main muslim organisation immediately available comment slideshow 2 images previous coalition social democrats kurzs conservatives passed law banning face coverings including muslim fullface veils public spaces women girls free wear regular hijab considered banning teachers wearing headscarves plan dropped debate religious symbols schools catholic crosses still hang many classroom walls headscarf ban come force kindergartens run austrias provinces government would need twothirds majority parliament therefore support either social democrats liberal neos party social democrats said wanted broader package measures rule cooperation neos said would examine text drawn government version story corrects policy line kurzs conservatives para 2 reporting francois murphy alexandra schwarzgoerlich editing richard balmforth standards thomson reuters trust principles washington reuters us intelligence chief said wednesday decision made future american troops wartorn syria white house would make public soon director national intelligence dni dan coats testifies senate intelligence committee hearing worldwide threats capitol hill washington us february 13 2018 reutersleah millis director national intelligence dan coats said decision reached hands deck national security council meeting tuesday president donald trump said tuesday wanted get syria offered timetable nl2n1rg1hn time trumps advisers warned hard work left defeat islamic state stabilize areas recaptured hardline militant group trump said news conference united states would rest isis gone using acronym militant group also suggested victory imminent time trump told reporters asked inclined withdraw american forces pentagon state department said longer term us effort would needed ensure islamic states defeat lasting one reporting jonathan landay writing doina chiacu editing david gregorio standards thomson reuters trust principles ankaraistanbul reuters three foreign powers shaped syrias civil war iran russia turkey discuss ways wind fighting wednesday despite involvement rival military campaigns ground leaders three countries meet ankara talks new constitution syria increasing security deescalation zones across country turkish officials say syria summit brings together two powers president bashar alassads forceful supporters iran russia one strongest opponents turkey cooperation rival camps raised hopes stabilizing syria seven years conflict 500000 people killed half population displaced violence raged highlighting strategic rifts three countries absence decisive western intervention hold syrias fate largely hands related coverage us israel interfere syria says iran president syrias army iranbacked militias russian air power crushed insurgents near damascus eastern ghouta one four mooted deescalation zones turkey sharply criticized ghouta offensive waged military operation drive kurdish ypg fighters northwestern syrian region afrin pledged take town tel rifaat push east angering iran whatever intentions turkeys moves syria whether afrin tel rifaat part syria halted soon possible senior iranian official said iran assads supportive ally throughout conflict iranbacked militias first helped army stem rebel advances following russias entry war 2015 turn tide decisively assads favor turkish official said ankara ask moscow press assad grant humanitarian access ghouta rein air strikes rebelheld areas expect russia control regime official told reporters week rifts assad ankaras relations moscow collapsed 2015 turkey shot russian warplane recovered since concern turkeys western allies turkey one nato partners expel russian diplomats response nerve agent attack former russian agent britain blamed moscow allegation turkey said proven improved political ties reflected turkeys agreement buy russian missile defence system plans russias rosatom build turkeys first nuclear power plant turkey also expanded relations iran exchanging visits military chiefs staff although deepening ties tehran moscow translated broader agreement syrias future iran remains determined assad stay power russia less committed keeping office regional diplomat said turkey says assad lost legitimacy although longer demands immediate departure meeting russia two months ago boycotted leadership syrias opposition delegates agreed set committee rewrite syrias constitution called democratic elections turkey says wednesdays meeting discuss setting constitutional committee humanitarian issues developments syrias northern idlib region control rival rebel factions jihadi groups turkey set seven military observation posts syrian russian soldiers seen checkpoint near wafideen camp damascus syria march 2 2018 reutersomar sanadiki issues three countries different policies syria another turkish official said regard aim find middle ground create policies improve current situation additional reporting orhan coskun tulay karadeniz ankara writing dominic evans editing angus macswan standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,394 |
<p>by Richard C. Auxier, Researcher/Editorial Assistant, Pew Research Center</p>
<p>Prior to the current recession, the deepest post-World War II economic downturn occurred in the early 1980s. According to the accepted arbiter of the economy’s ups and downs, the <a href="http://www.nber.org/" type="external">National Bureau for Economic Research</a>, a brief recession in 1980 — lasting only six months — and a short period of growth, were followed by a sustained recession from July 1981 to November 1982. The unemployment rate hovered between 7% and 8% from the summer of 1980 to the fall of 1981, when it began to rise quickly. By March 1982 it had reached 9%, and in December of that year the unemployment rate stood at its recession peak of 10.8%. The jobless rate slowly receded over the next few years, falling to 8.3% by the end of 1983 and to 7.2% by the 1984 presidential election. The unemployment rate did not fall below 6%, however, until September 1987.</p>
<p>In the spring of 1981, shortly before the onset of the painful recession, most Americans were optimistic about their economic future. A Gallup survey at the time found that 48% of the public believed the financial position of their household would be better in the next 12 months. Another 35% believed it would stay the same, while only 15% thought it would get worse. The public also smiled on the newly elected president. In a May poll, nearly half of Americans said the Reagan administration’s economic policies would make their family’s financial situation much better (8%) or somewhat better (41%). Just 37% said Reagan’s policies would make their family finances worse.</p>
<p>A year later, in September 1982, with the unemployment rate at 10.1%, most Americans were far from pleased with the state of the economy. A 54%-majority said Reagan’s policies had made their personal financial situation worse; just 34% said the policies had made their situation better. But even as the economy reached its nadir, the public did not lose all confidence in Reagan: In an October survey, a 40%-plurality said that over the long run the president’s policies would make their economic situation better, while a third said they would make things worse and 15% volunteered they would stay the same.</p>
<p>Even as the jobless rate remained above 10% and the public experienced added economic pain, those predicting improvement in their finances greatly outnumbered those who anticipated a further weakening. In November 1982, more said their financial situation had gotten worse (37%) than better (28%) over the last year, but Americans believed their personal financial situation would improve over the next year by a 41%-to-22% margin. In March 1983, nearly half (46%) said their personal financial situation had gotten worse in the past 12 months, but the better-to-worse margin for the year ahead remained 45% to 22%.</p>
<p>As <a href="../../pubs/1197/obama-reagan-approval-rating-comparison" type="external">Andrew Kohut</a> noted in a special to the New York Times, the rising unemployment paralleled a rise in disapproval of Reagan’s job performance. By the summer of 1982, only 42% of Americans approved of the president. Reagan’s approval would eventually hit a low of 35% early in 1983. In September 1982, when the public was asked by Gallup whether Reagan was correct to argue that his economic program needed more time or that Democrats were right in asserting that budget deficits and high unemployment were signs he had failed, half of Americans sided with the Democrats while 43% agreed with the president. A year and a half into his presidency, <a href="../../pubs/1778/public-split-on-obama-run-in-2012-but-better-than-reagan-outlook-in-1982" type="external">only 36% of Americans wanted Reagan to run for reelection</a> at the end of his first term, while 51% said they would rather he sit the election out. Of course, the economy eventually did rebound, and so did <a href="../../pubs/1476/unemployment-presidential-approval-ratings-1981-2009-reagan-obama" type="external">Reagan’s poll numbers</a>.</p>
<p>Much like today, Americans were concerned not only with high unemployment but increasing budget deficits in the early 1980s. A September 1983 Gallup poll found that three-fourths of the public agreed that the federal government’s budget deficit was a great threat (42%) or somewhat of a threat (34%) to the continuing recovery of the economy.</p>
<p />
<p>Agreement on proposed solutions, though, did not share the ubiquity of concern about the size of the deficit. A poll in the summer of 1983 found overwhelming disapproval for raising taxes (78% disapprove, 15% approve) and making cuts to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare (82% disapprove, 11% approve) in order to address the deficit. By lesser margins, Americans also rejected further cuts to social programs (50% disapprove, 42% approve) as a solution. With the Cold War front and center during the Reagan years, the public nevertheless gave its strongest support for any deficit-cutting proposal to cuts in defense spending (55% approve, 35% disapprove).</p>
<p>While cuts to the government may have been unpopular, the public was not necessarily looking directly to Washington for answers on the economy either. The public started the decade and the recession in no mood for government regulation. In a September 1981 Gallup survey, fully 59% said they opposed greater government intervention into business, siding with the argument that regulation impairs the workings of the free market system. Just 24% favored greater government intervention to protect individuals from economic abuses. A 1981 CBS/New York Times poll found that two-thirds of Americans completely or mostly agreed that the government had gone too far in regulating business and interfering with the free enterprise system.</p>
<p>This may have been the result of a lack of <a href="http://people-press.org/report/606/trust-in-government" type="external">trust in the government</a>. In 1982, an American National Election Studies survey found 62% said they trusted the government in Washington only sometimes and an additional 2% said they never did. Only about a third said they trusted the feds most of the time (31%) or just about always (2%). In a May 1983 Gallup poll, 51% said big government was the biggest threat to the country’s future, while just 19% cited big business and 18% said big labor.</p>
<p>Still, the public was not blindly in love with the private sector. In an August 1983 Gallup poll, most Americans said they had only some (39%) or very little (26%) or no (2%) confidence in big business. Just 28% had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in big business. Banks (then more heavily regulated) fared better, with roughly half the country having a great deal (19%) or quite a lot (32%) of confidence in them.</p>
<p>And while regulation may have been an enemy, Americans were not demanding a greater role for business. Half of the public (51%) felt American business should be just about as important as it then was; only 22% felt American business should be more important, with about the same number (26%) saying it should be less important.</p>
<p>To see how the public’s sour mood in response the Great Recession contrasts sharply with many of its views during the Great Depression of the 1930s read this article’s accompanying commentary: “ <a href="../../pubs/1810/public-opinion-great-depression-compared-with-now" type="external">How a Different America Responded to the Great Depression</a>“</p>
| false | 2 |
richard c auxier researchereditorial assistant pew research center prior current recession deepest postworld war ii economic downturn occurred early 1980s according accepted arbiter economys ups downs national bureau economic research brief recession 1980 lasting six months short period growth followed sustained recession july 1981 november 1982 unemployment rate hovered 7 8 summer 1980 fall 1981 began rise quickly march 1982 reached 9 december year unemployment rate stood recession peak 108 jobless rate slowly receded next years falling 83 end 1983 72 1984 presidential election unemployment rate fall 6 however september 1987 spring 1981 shortly onset painful recession americans optimistic economic future gallup survey time found 48 public believed financial position household would better next 12 months another 35 believed would stay 15 thought would get worse public also smiled newly elected president may poll nearly half americans said reagan administrations economic policies would make familys financial situation much better 8 somewhat better 41 37 said reagans policies would make family finances worse year later september 1982 unemployment rate 101 americans far pleased state economy 54majority said reagans policies made personal financial situation worse 34 said policies made situation better even economy reached nadir public lose confidence reagan october survey 40plurality said long run presidents policies would make economic situation better third said would make things worse 15 volunteered would stay even jobless rate remained 10 public experienced added economic pain predicting improvement finances greatly outnumbered anticipated weakening november 1982 said financial situation gotten worse 37 better 28 last year americans believed personal financial situation would improve next year 41to22 margin march 1983 nearly half 46 said personal financial situation gotten worse past 12 months bettertoworse margin year ahead remained 45 22 andrew kohut noted special new york times rising unemployment paralleled rise disapproval reagans job performance summer 1982 42 americans approved president reagans approval would eventually hit low 35 early 1983 september 1982 public asked gallup whether reagan correct argue economic program needed time democrats right asserting budget deficits high unemployment signs failed half americans sided democrats 43 agreed president year half presidency 36 americans wanted reagan run reelection end first term 51 said would rather sit election course economy eventually rebound reagans poll numbers much like today americans concerned high unemployment increasing budget deficits early 1980s september 1983 gallup poll found threefourths public agreed federal governments budget deficit great threat 42 somewhat threat 34 continuing recovery economy agreement proposed solutions though share ubiquity concern size deficit poll summer 1983 found overwhelming disapproval raising taxes 78 disapprove 15 approve making cuts entitlement programs social security medicare 82 disapprove 11 approve order address deficit lesser margins americans also rejected cuts social programs 50 disapprove 42 approve solution cold war front center reagan years public nevertheless gave strongest support deficitcutting proposal cuts defense spending 55 approve 35 disapprove cuts government may unpopular public necessarily looking directly washington answers economy either public started decade recession mood government regulation september 1981 gallup survey fully 59 said opposed greater government intervention business siding argument regulation impairs workings free market system 24 favored greater government intervention protect individuals economic abuses 1981 cbsnew york times poll found twothirds americans completely mostly agreed government gone far regulating business interfering free enterprise system may result lack trust government 1982 american national election studies survey found 62 said trusted government washington sometimes additional 2 said never third said trusted feds time 31 always 2 may 1983 gallup poll 51 said big government biggest threat countrys future 19 cited big business 18 said big labor still public blindly love private sector august 1983 gallup poll americans said 39 little 26 2 confidence big business 28 great deal quite lot confidence big business banks heavily regulated fared better roughly half country great deal 19 quite lot 32 confidence regulation may enemy americans demanding greater role business half public 51 felt american business important 22 felt american business important number 26 saying less important see publics sour mood response great recession contrasts sharply many views great depression 1930s read articles accompanying commentary different america responded great depression
| 674 |
<p>VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) - Sasha Thomas' family has textured dots and stickers placed around the house to help identify various appliances, railings and other items.</p>
<p>His father placed them in their home so he can determine how to best help his clients at the Vancouver Veteran Affairs campus, where he works as a rehab outpatient specialist for the blind.</p>
<p>Thomas, 18, and his friend Carson Mowrer, 17, are both big fans of solving Rubik's Cube, and had been talking for more than a year about ways to bring the puzzle to people with visual impairments. They decided to borrow some of the textured items from Thomas' father and place them on a Rubik's Cube.</p>
<p>"We wanted to share our hobby with people who couldn't play before," said Mowrer, a senior at Skyview High School.</p>
<p>The two bought a generic cube puzzle, since it was looser and would slide easier. They then placed different textured items on each side. One side was left smooth and the other had plastic squares. Another side had scratchy Velcro and the opposite had soft Velcro. The final two sides had squishy craft dots and hard plastic dots. Mowrer said the textures are paired, since it's important for players to know what is on the opposite side of the cube.</p>
<p>They cold-called the Washington State School for the Blind and asked if they could bring their cube there to see how students reacted to it. They visited the school twice in the fall, teaching about six students how to use it.</p>
<p>The students seemed excited by it, said Thomas, a senior at Vancouver iTech Preparatory, adding that he and Mowrer had to be patient.</p>
<p>"How do you explain a Rubik's Cube to someone who has never seen a Rubik's Cube?" he said. "It's such a visual puzzle."</p>
<p>They talked students through the puzzle, and the goal of solving it.</p>
<p>They tested the cube two ways. The first time, they placed the textures directly on the original colored sides. The second time, they blacked out all the colors before adding the textures. Some partially sighted students said they preferred to have the colors showing to help them solve it.</p>
<p>Scott McCallum, superintendent at the school, said the tactile cube was a great idea, and he was happy to see people thinking about accessibility for those with visual impairments.</p>
<p>"If people start thinking about accessibility, it improves access for all," he said.</p>
<p>Sean McCormick, director of on-campus programs, said students having access to something they normally couldn't use was huge for them, as was interacting with peers who were passionate about the puzzle. He said it was clear how genuine Thomas and Mowrer were in putting together their cube, and how they made sure each side felt distinctive while also having a paired side across from it.</p>
<p>"They really were peers who were helping and celebrating the process with them," McCormick said. "They were just great to step in and accepted the challenge of figuring out how to make something accessible. It was like their own puzzle."</p>
<p>McCormick said his students were excited to try the puzzle, even if some were a bit discouraged at the difficulty at first.</p>
<p>"Starting with something that seems almost impossible and see it come to fruition is a pretty meaningful learning experience," he said.</p>
<p>"Without visual access and seeing things, whether it's your siblings playing games during the holiday times or seeing games played on TV, you have to learn through real experiences. This is one of those real experiences."</p>
<p>Thomas and Mowrer find the tactile cube they created harder to solve than the traditional Rubik's Cube.</p>
<p>The two have been friends since they were in first grade. Thomas started a Rubik's Cube Club in seventh grade at iTech, and Mowrer was one of the first members.</p>
<p>In the club, they taught others how to solve it, as well as honed their technique.</p>
<p>"There's no magical tips or tricks," Thomas said. "It's about learning algorithms. There are certain patterns and series of moves you need to know how to do on the cube to get everything to line up where you need it to."</p>
<p>Thomas's fastest time solving the cube is 13 seconds, while Mowrer, 18, has a personal best of 10.83 seconds. The world record is 4.69 seconds, which was set by a 15-year-old in September, according to Guinness World Records.</p>
<p>The two aren't sure what's next. They said they'd be open to going back to the school to work more with students. At the moment, they're both applying to colleges. Mowrer wants to be a structural engineer, and Thomas wants to be a college math teacher.</p>
<p>"Doing this reinforced that patience is really important," Thomas said. "I can see how much being passionate about something helps a teacher. When you're patient with your students, and have a genuine passion for what you're teaching, I think that goes a long way."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: The Columbian, <a href="http://www.columbian.com" type="external">http://www.columbian.com</a></p>
<p>VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) - Sasha Thomas' family has textured dots and stickers placed around the house to help identify various appliances, railings and other items.</p>
<p>His father placed them in their home so he can determine how to best help his clients at the Vancouver Veteran Affairs campus, where he works as a rehab outpatient specialist for the blind.</p>
<p>Thomas, 18, and his friend Carson Mowrer, 17, are both big fans of solving Rubik's Cube, and had been talking for more than a year about ways to bring the puzzle to people with visual impairments. They decided to borrow some of the textured items from Thomas' father and place them on a Rubik's Cube.</p>
<p>"We wanted to share our hobby with people who couldn't play before," said Mowrer, a senior at Skyview High School.</p>
<p>The two bought a generic cube puzzle, since it was looser and would slide easier. They then placed different textured items on each side. One side was left smooth and the other had plastic squares. Another side had scratchy Velcro and the opposite had soft Velcro. The final two sides had squishy craft dots and hard plastic dots. Mowrer said the textures are paired, since it's important for players to know what is on the opposite side of the cube.</p>
<p>They cold-called the Washington State School for the Blind and asked if they could bring their cube there to see how students reacted to it. They visited the school twice in the fall, teaching about six students how to use it.</p>
<p>The students seemed excited by it, said Thomas, a senior at Vancouver iTech Preparatory, adding that he and Mowrer had to be patient.</p>
<p>"How do you explain a Rubik's Cube to someone who has never seen a Rubik's Cube?" he said. "It's such a visual puzzle."</p>
<p>They talked students through the puzzle, and the goal of solving it.</p>
<p>They tested the cube two ways. The first time, they placed the textures directly on the original colored sides. The second time, they blacked out all the colors before adding the textures. Some partially sighted students said they preferred to have the colors showing to help them solve it.</p>
<p>Scott McCallum, superintendent at the school, said the tactile cube was a great idea, and he was happy to see people thinking about accessibility for those with visual impairments.</p>
<p>"If people start thinking about accessibility, it improves access for all," he said.</p>
<p>Sean McCormick, director of on-campus programs, said students having access to something they normally couldn't use was huge for them, as was interacting with peers who were passionate about the puzzle. He said it was clear how genuine Thomas and Mowrer were in putting together their cube, and how they made sure each side felt distinctive while also having a paired side across from it.</p>
<p>"They really were peers who were helping and celebrating the process with them," McCormick said. "They were just great to step in and accepted the challenge of figuring out how to make something accessible. It was like their own puzzle."</p>
<p>McCormick said his students were excited to try the puzzle, even if some were a bit discouraged at the difficulty at first.</p>
<p>"Starting with something that seems almost impossible and see it come to fruition is a pretty meaningful learning experience," he said.</p>
<p>"Without visual access and seeing things, whether it's your siblings playing games during the holiday times or seeing games played on TV, you have to learn through real experiences. This is one of those real experiences."</p>
<p>Thomas and Mowrer find the tactile cube they created harder to solve than the traditional Rubik's Cube.</p>
<p>The two have been friends since they were in first grade. Thomas started a Rubik's Cube Club in seventh grade at iTech, and Mowrer was one of the first members.</p>
<p>In the club, they taught others how to solve it, as well as honed their technique.</p>
<p>"There's no magical tips or tricks," Thomas said. "It's about learning algorithms. There are certain patterns and series of moves you need to know how to do on the cube to get everything to line up where you need it to."</p>
<p>Thomas's fastest time solving the cube is 13 seconds, while Mowrer, 18, has a personal best of 10.83 seconds. The world record is 4.69 seconds, which was set by a 15-year-old in September, according to Guinness World Records.</p>
<p>The two aren't sure what's next. They said they'd be open to going back to the school to work more with students. At the moment, they're both applying to colleges. Mowrer wants to be a structural engineer, and Thomas wants to be a college math teacher.</p>
<p>"Doing this reinforced that patience is really important," Thomas said. "I can see how much being passionate about something helps a teacher. When you're patient with your students, and have a genuine passion for what you're teaching, I think that goes a long way."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: The Columbian, <a href="http://www.columbian.com" type="external">http://www.columbian.com</a></p>
| false | 2 |
vancouver wash ap sasha thomas family textured dots stickers placed around house help identify various appliances railings items father placed home determine best help clients vancouver veteran affairs campus works rehab outpatient specialist blind thomas 18 friend carson mowrer 17 big fans solving rubiks cube talking year ways bring puzzle people visual impairments decided borrow textured items thomas father place rubiks cube wanted share hobby people couldnt play said mowrer senior skyview high school two bought generic cube puzzle since looser would slide easier placed different textured items side one side left smooth plastic squares another side scratchy velcro opposite soft velcro final two sides squishy craft dots hard plastic dots mowrer said textures paired since important players know opposite side cube coldcalled washington state school blind asked could bring cube see students reacted visited school twice fall teaching six students use students seemed excited said thomas senior vancouver itech preparatory adding mowrer patient explain rubiks cube someone never seen rubiks cube said visual puzzle talked students puzzle goal solving tested cube two ways first time placed textures directly original colored sides second time blacked colors adding textures partially sighted students said preferred colors showing help solve scott mccallum superintendent school said tactile cube great idea happy see people thinking accessibility visual impairments people start thinking accessibility improves access said sean mccormick director oncampus programs said students access something normally couldnt use huge interacting peers passionate puzzle said clear genuine thomas mowrer putting together cube made sure side felt distinctive also paired side across really peers helping celebrating process mccormick said great step accepted challenge figuring make something accessible like puzzle mccormick said students excited try puzzle even bit discouraged difficulty first starting something seems almost impossible see come fruition pretty meaningful learning experience said without visual access seeing things whether siblings playing games holiday times seeing games played tv learn real experiences one real experiences thomas mowrer find tactile cube created harder solve traditional rubiks cube two friends since first grade thomas started rubiks cube club seventh grade itech mowrer one first members club taught others solve well honed technique theres magical tips tricks thomas said learning algorithms certain patterns series moves need know cube get everything line need thomass fastest time solving cube 13 seconds mowrer 18 personal best 1083 seconds world record 469 seconds set 15yearold september according guinness world records two arent sure whats next said theyd open going back school work students moment theyre applying colleges mowrer wants structural engineer thomas wants college math teacher reinforced patience really important thomas said see much passionate something helps teacher youre patient students genuine passion youre teaching think goes long way ___ information columbian httpwwwcolumbiancom vancouver wash ap sasha thomas family textured dots stickers placed around house help identify various appliances railings items father placed home determine best help clients vancouver veteran affairs campus works rehab outpatient specialist blind thomas 18 friend carson mowrer 17 big fans solving rubiks cube talking year ways bring puzzle people visual impairments decided borrow textured items thomas father place rubiks cube wanted share hobby people couldnt play said mowrer senior skyview high school two bought generic cube puzzle since looser would slide easier placed different textured items side one side left smooth plastic squares another side scratchy velcro opposite soft velcro final two sides squishy craft dots hard plastic dots mowrer said textures paired since important players know opposite side cube coldcalled washington state school blind asked could bring cube see students reacted visited school twice fall teaching six students use students seemed excited said thomas senior vancouver itech preparatory adding mowrer patient explain rubiks cube someone never seen rubiks cube said visual puzzle talked students puzzle goal solving tested cube two ways first time placed textures directly original colored sides second time blacked colors adding textures partially sighted students said preferred colors showing help solve scott mccallum superintendent school said tactile cube great idea happy see people thinking accessibility visual impairments people start thinking accessibility improves access said sean mccormick director oncampus programs said students access something normally couldnt use huge interacting peers passionate puzzle said clear genuine thomas mowrer putting together cube made sure side felt distinctive also paired side across really peers helping celebrating process mccormick said great step accepted challenge figuring make something accessible like puzzle mccormick said students excited try puzzle even bit discouraged difficulty first starting something seems almost impossible see come fruition pretty meaningful learning experience said without visual access seeing things whether siblings playing games holiday times seeing games played tv learn real experiences one real experiences thomas mowrer find tactile cube created harder solve traditional rubiks cube two friends since first grade thomas started rubiks cube club seventh grade itech mowrer one first members club taught others solve well honed technique theres magical tips tricks thomas said learning algorithms certain patterns series moves need know cube get everything line need thomass fastest time solving cube 13 seconds mowrer 18 personal best 1083 seconds world record 469 seconds set 15yearold september according guinness world records two arent sure whats next said theyd open going back school work students moment theyre applying colleges mowrer wants structural engineer thomas wants college math teacher reinforced patience really important thomas said see much passionate something helps teacher youre patient students genuine passion youre teaching think goes long way ___ information columbian httpwwwcolumbiancom
| 894 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Store co-owner Janene Zakrajsek feeds a dog a gourmet meal at the Pussy &amp; Pooch Pet Lifestyle Center store in Beverly Hills, Calif. American pets include an estimated 95.6 million cats and 83.3 million dogs, 20.6 million birds, 8.3 million horses, 145 million freshwater fish, 13.6 million saltwater fish, 11.6 million reptiles and 18.1 million small animals. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)</p>
<p>LOS ANGELES - Dogs and cats have become part of the American family's inner circle over the past 20 years, sleeping in their own beds or yours, eating food bought specially to help their digestive tracts, drinking purified water and cuddling up in chairs on heated pads made to fend off arthritis.</p>
<p>In addition to veterinarians, some pets have their own groomers, trainers, sitters and occasional walkers.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>All this suggests a bright future for an industry that has grown alongside the popularity of pets, expanding at a steady 4 percent to 6 percent a year since the American Pet Products Association started record-keeping in 1996.</p>
<p>Americans spent an all-time high $55.7 billion on their pets last year, and spending will creep close to $60 billion this year, association president and CEO Bob Vetere told buyers and exhibitors at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Fla., earlier this month.</p>
<p>The biggest chunk of 2013 spending, $21.6 billion, went for food - a lot of it more expensive, healthier grub. In 1996, total pet spending was just $21 billion. Adjusted for inflation, that's $31.3 billion.</p>
<p>Leather dog collars are displayed at the Pussy &amp; Pooch Pet Lifestyle Center store in Beverly Hills, Calif. An industry spokesman said Americans spent an all-time high of $55.7 billion on their pets in 2013 and will creep close to $60 billion this year. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)</p>
<p>The humanization of our pets started about 20 years ago, Vetere said in a telephone interview. As pets accepted their new perch in the family, manufacturers introduced products that helped animals move from the backyard to the front room.</p>
<p>"What is feeding a large part of the growth now are the baby boomers who have become empty-nesters and are looking for some other ways to find the love and affection they used to get from their kids," Vetere said.</p>
<p>"In the past, children were a reflection of us, and people are now extending that to their pets," said Dr. Jessica Vogelsang, a San Diego veterinarian who owns the website pawcurious.com.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>People don't bring their pets in just for health reasons anymore - they also want them to look good and smell good, she said. "From my perspective, it's a good thing. It's nice to see people care as deeply as they do."</p>
<p>People have always spent more on food than any other pet spending category, and pet food trends follow human food and diet trends, according to Vetere.</p>
<p>That means if you are on a health kick, chances are your pet is too.</p>
<p>"Food choices are extraordinarily confusing," Vogelsang said. "I think people spend more time in the dog food aisle than they do in the rest of the store."</p>
<p>Sales numbers show owners are buying more age-specific, breed-specific, vitamin-infused or additive-enhanced foods, Vetere said.</p>
<p>Dave Bolen is president and CEO of Pet Supplies Plus, a chain of 294 specialty stores in 24 Eastern states. His 25-years-old business has expanded every year - it opened eight stores in 2013 and plans to open 30 this year.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"We are bullish about pet ownership," he said.</p>
<p>It can only get better, Bolen said, as people discover all the healthy benefits of owning pets.</p>
<p>Other spending last year included $14.4 billion for veterinary care; $13.1 billion for supplies and over-the-counter medicines; $2.2 billion for live animal purchases; and $4.4 billion for other services.</p>
<p>Those services include grooming, boarding, training and pet-sitting and grew by the largest percentage last year - 6.1 percent.</p>
<p>How much did Americans spend on other popular industries?</p>
<p>They spent just under $44 billion on carbonated soft drinks in 2012, based on the latest year of data available, the Mintel Group said. In 2013, Americans spent $83 billion on beer, Mintel said, although Beer Marketer's Insights set sales at just over $100 billion.</p>
<p>Health and wellness products, supplies and over-the-counter medications - which grew by 7.4 percent in 2012 - grew only 3.9 percent in 2013, Vetere said.</p>
<p>Sales of live animals - everything except dogs and cats - has fallen off in the past few years, Vetere said. He expects it to drop off another 2 percent this year.</p>
<p>American pets include an estimated 95.6 million cats and 83.3 million dogs, the APPA said. There are also 20.6 million birds, 8.3 million horses, 145 million freshwater fish, 13.6 million saltwater fish, 11.6 million reptiles and 18.1 million small animals.</p>
<p />
| false | 2 |
store coowner janene zakrajsek feeds dog gourmet meal pussy amp pooch pet lifestyle center store beverly hills calif american pets include estimated 956 million cats 833 million dogs 206 million birds 83 million horses 145 million freshwater fish 136 million saltwater fish 116 million reptiles 181 million small animals ap photonick ut file los angeles dogs cats become part american familys inner circle past 20 years sleeping beds eating food bought specially help digestive tracts drinking purified water cuddling chairs heated pads made fend arthritis addition veterinarians pets groomers trainers sitters occasional walkers advertisement suggests bright future industry grown alongside popularity pets expanding steady 4 percent 6 percent year since american pet products association started recordkeeping 1996 americans spent alltime high 557 billion pets last year spending creep close 60 billion year association president ceo bob vetere told buyers exhibitors global pet expo orlando fla earlier month biggest chunk 2013 spending 216 billion went food lot expensive healthier grub 1996 total pet spending 21 billion adjusted inflation thats 313 billion leather dog collars displayed pussy amp pooch pet lifestyle center store beverly hills calif industry spokesman said americans spent alltime high 557 billion pets 2013 creep close 60 billion year ap photonick ut file humanization pets started 20 years ago vetere said telephone interview pets accepted new perch family manufacturers introduced products helped animals move backyard front room feeding large part growth baby boomers become emptynesters looking ways find love affection used get kids vetere said past children reflection us people extending pets said dr jessica vogelsang san diego veterinarian owns website pawcuriouscom advertisement people dont bring pets health reasons anymore also want look good smell good said perspective good thing nice see people care deeply people always spent food pet spending category pet food trends follow human food diet trends according vetere means health kick chances pet food choices extraordinarily confusing vogelsang said think people spend time dog food aisle rest store sales numbers show owners buying agespecific breedspecific vitamininfused additiveenhanced foods vetere said dave bolen president ceo pet supplies plus chain 294 specialty stores 24 eastern states 25yearsold business expanded every year opened eight stores 2013 plans open 30 year advertisement bullish pet ownership said get better bolen said people discover healthy benefits owning pets spending last year included 144 billion veterinary care 131 billion supplies overthecounter medicines 22 billion live animal purchases 44 billion services services include grooming boarding training petsitting grew largest percentage last year 61 percent much americans spend popular industries spent 44 billion carbonated soft drinks 2012 based latest year data available mintel group said 2013 americans spent 83 billion beer mintel said although beer marketers insights set sales 100 billion health wellness products supplies overthecounter medications grew 74 percent 2012 grew 39 percent 2013 vetere said sales live animals everything except dogs cats fallen past years vetere said expects drop another 2 percent year american pets include estimated 956 million cats 833 million dogs appa said also 206 million birds 83 million horses 145 million freshwater fish 136 million saltwater fish 116 million reptiles 181 million small animals
| 515 |
<p>HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut’s Supreme Court has rejected a claim by a coalition of municipalities, parents and students that the state’s educational funding formula is unconstitutional.</p>
<p>A divided court overturned a lower-court judge who had ordered state officials to develop plans for an overhaul of the state’s public education system, citing a huge gap in test scores between students in rich and poor towns.</p>
<p>The high court, in a ruling released Wednesday, found that while there is an educational achievement gap between poorer students and “their more fortunate peers,” that gap alone does not violate the equal protection provisions of the Connecticut Constitution.</p>
<p>“The plaintiffs have not shown that this gap is the result of the state’s unlawful discrimination against poor and needy students in its provision of educational resources as opposed to the complex web of disadvantaging societal conditions over which the schools have no control,” Chief Justice Chase Rogers wrote for the court.</p>
<p>The ruling came in a lawsuit filed in 2005 against the state by the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, a nonprofit group that includes cities, towns, local boards of education, parent groups and public school students. More than 50 parents and students also were named as plaintiffs.</p>
<p>The coalition argued during a months-long trial that the state isn’t providing adequate education funding to cities and towns and isn’t meeting its constitutional obligation to provide all students with adequate educations. It cited the vast differences in test results, graduation rates and other factors between rich and poor towns as proof that the funding system isn’t fair.</p>
<p>The ruling overturns Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher, who had ordered the state to submit proposed reforms to the court to revamp its formula for providing education aid to cities and towns, develop a statewide high school graduation standard such as a test, make eighth-graders show they have acquired the skills to move on to high school, and replace what he called a weak statewide system of teacher evaluation and compensation.</p>
<p>“Courts simply are not in a position to determine whether schools in poorer districts would be better off expending scarce additional resources on more teachers, more computers, more books, more technical staff, more meals, more guidance counselors, more health care, more English instruction, greater preschool availability, or some other resource,” Rogers wrote.</p>
<p>In a statement Wednesday night, the coalition said it was disappointed with the ruling and that it would “pursue all legal remedies” to have the decision in the case “reconsidered and overturned.”</p>
<p>Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the decision ends the landmark case regarding education funding, but not the need to distribute more educational dollars where there is the greatest need.</p>
<p>“We continue to believe that the state is obligated to ensure that funding is distributed in a rational manner based on student need, reflecting student poverty and demographic shifts in our communities,” he said, adding how not enough progress has been made to improve the state’s major education funding distribution formula.</p>
<p>Three of the seven justices involved issued a partial dissent, saying they would have ordered a new trial in the case, rather than simply ruling in the state’s favor.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writers Dave Collins and Susan Haigh contributed to this report</p>
<p>HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut’s Supreme Court has rejected a claim by a coalition of municipalities, parents and students that the state’s educational funding formula is unconstitutional.</p>
<p>A divided court overturned a lower-court judge who had ordered state officials to develop plans for an overhaul of the state’s public education system, citing a huge gap in test scores between students in rich and poor towns.</p>
<p>The high court, in a ruling released Wednesday, found that while there is an educational achievement gap between poorer students and “their more fortunate peers,” that gap alone does not violate the equal protection provisions of the Connecticut Constitution.</p>
<p>“The plaintiffs have not shown that this gap is the result of the state’s unlawful discrimination against poor and needy students in its provision of educational resources as opposed to the complex web of disadvantaging societal conditions over which the schools have no control,” Chief Justice Chase Rogers wrote for the court.</p>
<p>The ruling came in a lawsuit filed in 2005 against the state by the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, a nonprofit group that includes cities, towns, local boards of education, parent groups and public school students. More than 50 parents and students also were named as plaintiffs.</p>
<p>The coalition argued during a months-long trial that the state isn’t providing adequate education funding to cities and towns and isn’t meeting its constitutional obligation to provide all students with adequate educations. It cited the vast differences in test results, graduation rates and other factors between rich and poor towns as proof that the funding system isn’t fair.</p>
<p>The ruling overturns Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher, who had ordered the state to submit proposed reforms to the court to revamp its formula for providing education aid to cities and towns, develop a statewide high school graduation standard such as a test, make eighth-graders show they have acquired the skills to move on to high school, and replace what he called a weak statewide system of teacher evaluation and compensation.</p>
<p>“Courts simply are not in a position to determine whether schools in poorer districts would be better off expending scarce additional resources on more teachers, more computers, more books, more technical staff, more meals, more guidance counselors, more health care, more English instruction, greater preschool availability, or some other resource,” Rogers wrote.</p>
<p>In a statement Wednesday night, the coalition said it was disappointed with the ruling and that it would “pursue all legal remedies” to have the decision in the case “reconsidered and overturned.”</p>
<p>Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the decision ends the landmark case regarding education funding, but not the need to distribute more educational dollars where there is the greatest need.</p>
<p>“We continue to believe that the state is obligated to ensure that funding is distributed in a rational manner based on student need, reflecting student poverty and demographic shifts in our communities,” he said, adding how not enough progress has been made to improve the state’s major education funding distribution formula.</p>
<p>Three of the seven justices involved issued a partial dissent, saying they would have ordered a new trial in the case, rather than simply ruling in the state’s favor.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writers Dave Collins and Susan Haigh contributed to this report</p>
| false | 2 |
hartford conn ap connecticuts supreme court rejected claim coalition municipalities parents students states educational funding formula unconstitutional divided court overturned lowercourt judge ordered state officials develop plans overhaul states public education system citing huge gap test scores students rich poor towns high court ruling released wednesday found educational achievement gap poorer students fortunate peers gap alone violate equal protection provisions connecticut constitution plaintiffs shown gap result states unlawful discrimination poor needy students provision educational resources opposed complex web disadvantaging societal conditions schools control chief justice chase rogers wrote court ruling came lawsuit filed 2005 state connecticut coalition justice education funding nonprofit group includes cities towns local boards education parent groups public school students 50 parents students also named plaintiffs coalition argued monthslong trial state isnt providing adequate education funding cities towns isnt meeting constitutional obligation provide students adequate educations cited vast differences test results graduation rates factors rich poor towns proof funding system isnt fair ruling overturns superior court judge thomas moukawsher ordered state submit proposed reforms court revamp formula providing education aid cities towns develop statewide high school graduation standard test make eighthgraders show acquired skills move high school replace called weak statewide system teacher evaluation compensation courts simply position determine whether schools poorer districts would better expending scarce additional resources teachers computers books technical staff meals guidance counselors health care english instruction greater preschool availability resource rogers wrote statement wednesday night coalition said disappointed ruling would pursue legal remedies decision case reconsidered overturned democratic gov dannel p malloy said decision ends landmark case regarding education funding need distribute educational dollars greatest need continue believe state obligated ensure funding distributed rational manner based student need reflecting student poverty demographic shifts communities said adding enough progress made improve states major education funding distribution formula three seven justices involved issued partial dissent saying would ordered new trial case rather simply ruling states favor ___ associated press writers dave collins susan haigh contributed report hartford conn ap connecticuts supreme court rejected claim coalition municipalities parents students states educational funding formula unconstitutional divided court overturned lowercourt judge ordered state officials develop plans overhaul states public education system citing huge gap test scores students rich poor towns high court ruling released wednesday found educational achievement gap poorer students fortunate peers gap alone violate equal protection provisions connecticut constitution plaintiffs shown gap result states unlawful discrimination poor needy students provision educational resources opposed complex web disadvantaging societal conditions schools control chief justice chase rogers wrote court ruling came lawsuit filed 2005 state connecticut coalition justice education funding nonprofit group includes cities towns local boards education parent groups public school students 50 parents students also named plaintiffs coalition argued monthslong trial state isnt providing adequate education funding cities towns isnt meeting constitutional obligation provide students adequate educations cited vast differences test results graduation rates factors rich poor towns proof funding system isnt fair ruling overturns superior court judge thomas moukawsher ordered state submit proposed reforms court revamp formula providing education aid cities towns develop statewide high school graduation standard test make eighthgraders show acquired skills move high school replace called weak statewide system teacher evaluation compensation courts simply position determine whether schools poorer districts would better expending scarce additional resources teachers computers books technical staff meals guidance counselors health care english instruction greater preschool availability resource rogers wrote statement wednesday night coalition said disappointed ruling would pursue legal remedies decision case reconsidered overturned democratic gov dannel p malloy said decision ends landmark case regarding education funding need distribute educational dollars greatest need continue believe state obligated ensure funding distributed rational manner based student need reflecting student poverty demographic shifts communities said adding enough progress made improve states major education funding distribution formula three seven justices involved issued partial dissent saying would ordered new trial case rather simply ruling states favor ___ associated press writers dave collins susan haigh contributed report
| 644 |
<p>BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills fired offensive coordinator Rick Dennison after the team finished 29th in offense this season.</p>
<p>The team announced the move on Friday. Their running attack fell to sixth after leading the league the past two seasons.</p>
<p>Buffalo’s offense topped 300 yards just nine times in 17 games and scored only eight touchdowns in its final seven games. Dennison’s play-calling was questioned after Buffalo scored just three points against Jacksonville in the franchise’s first playoff game in 18 years.</p>
<p>Dennison wasn’t coach Sean McDermott’s first choice for the job last offseason — that was former San Diego Chargers coach Mike McCoy. But McCoy took the Green Bay Packers’ offensive coordinator job and was fired midseason.</p>
<p>McCoy is expected to be a candidate to join McDermott’s staff in Buffalo.</p>
<p>Other possible candidates include former Seattles Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, former New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo, former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Rob Cudzinski. Mike Shula, the former offensive coordinator in Carolina, previously worked with McDermott and Bills general manager Brandon Beane.</p>
<p>McDermott was non-committal when discussing potential coaching staff changes during the season-ending news conference on Tuesday. The coach said any decisions would be his, but Beane would be involved with coordinating possible coaching changes with roster moves this offseason.</p>
<p>“We’re building this thing together,” McDermott said then. “We are aligned philosophically on how we believe it should look and how we believe the building process should basically take shape.”</p>
<p>Dennison was criticized for giving quarterback Tyrod Taylor the option to pass on first-and-goal from the 1 instead of handing the ball off to star running back LeSean McCoy in the wild-card game against Jacksonville.</p>
<p>The play resulted in an offensive pass interference penalty on wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin and the Bills settled for a field goal in the 10-3 loss.</p>
<p>“There’s some calls we want back. That’s probably one of them,” McDermott said after the game.</p>
<p>Before coming to Buffalo, Dennison was Denver Broncos offensive coordinator for two seasons. He was replaced in Denver by McCoy after coach Gary Kubiak retired.</p>
<p>Dennison was Kubiak’s offensive coordinator in Houston from 2010-13 and had a previous stint as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator from 2006-08.</p>
<p>The decision to part ways with Dennison also raised questions about the future of Taylor, who has one year left on his contract. Taylor’s production declined in his third year as a starter and he was benched in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman for a game at the Los Angeles Chargers in November.</p>
<p>The quarterback change backfired after Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half of a 54-24 loss.</p>
<p>BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills fired offensive coordinator Rick Dennison after the team finished 29th in offense this season.</p>
<p>The team announced the move on Friday. Their running attack fell to sixth after leading the league the past two seasons.</p>
<p>Buffalo’s offense topped 300 yards just nine times in 17 games and scored only eight touchdowns in its final seven games. Dennison’s play-calling was questioned after Buffalo scored just three points against Jacksonville in the franchise’s first playoff game in 18 years.</p>
<p>Dennison wasn’t coach Sean McDermott’s first choice for the job last offseason — that was former San Diego Chargers coach Mike McCoy. But McCoy took the Green Bay Packers’ offensive coordinator job and was fired midseason.</p>
<p>McCoy is expected to be a candidate to join McDermott’s staff in Buffalo.</p>
<p>Other possible candidates include former Seattles Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, former New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo, former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Rob Cudzinski. Mike Shula, the former offensive coordinator in Carolina, previously worked with McDermott and Bills general manager Brandon Beane.</p>
<p>McDermott was non-committal when discussing potential coaching staff changes during the season-ending news conference on Tuesday. The coach said any decisions would be his, but Beane would be involved with coordinating possible coaching changes with roster moves this offseason.</p>
<p>“We’re building this thing together,” McDermott said then. “We are aligned philosophically on how we believe it should look and how we believe the building process should basically take shape.”</p>
<p>Dennison was criticized for giving quarterback Tyrod Taylor the option to pass on first-and-goal from the 1 instead of handing the ball off to star running back LeSean McCoy in the wild-card game against Jacksonville.</p>
<p>The play resulted in an offensive pass interference penalty on wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin and the Bills settled for a field goal in the 10-3 loss.</p>
<p>“There’s some calls we want back. That’s probably one of them,” McDermott said after the game.</p>
<p>Before coming to Buffalo, Dennison was Denver Broncos offensive coordinator for two seasons. He was replaced in Denver by McCoy after coach Gary Kubiak retired.</p>
<p>Dennison was Kubiak’s offensive coordinator in Houston from 2010-13 and had a previous stint as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator from 2006-08.</p>
<p>The decision to part ways with Dennison also raised questions about the future of Taylor, who has one year left on his contract. Taylor’s production declined in his third year as a starter and he was benched in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman for a game at the Los Angeles Chargers in November.</p>
<p>The quarterback change backfired after Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half of a 54-24 loss.</p>
| false | 2 |
buffalo ny ap buffalo bills fired offensive coordinator rick dennison team finished 29th offense season team announced move friday running attack fell sixth leading league past two seasons buffalos offense topped 300 yards nine times 17 games scored eight touchdowns final seven games dennisons playcalling questioned buffalo scored three points jacksonville franchises first playoff game 18 years dennison wasnt coach sean mcdermotts first choice job last offseason former san diego chargers coach mike mccoy mccoy took green bay packers offensive coordinator job fired midseason mccoy expected candidate join mcdermotts staff buffalo possible candidates include former seattles seahawks offensive coordinator darrell bevell former new york giants head coach ben mcadoo former indianapolis colts offensive coordinator rob cudzinski mike shula former offensive coordinator carolina previously worked mcdermott bills general manager brandon beane mcdermott noncommittal discussing potential coaching staff changes seasonending news conference tuesday coach said decisions would beane would involved coordinating possible coaching changes roster moves offseason building thing together mcdermott said aligned philosophically believe look believe building process basically take shape dennison criticized giving quarterback tyrod taylor option pass firstandgoal 1 instead handing ball star running back lesean mccoy wildcard game jacksonville play resulted offensive pass interference penalty wide receiver kelvin benjamin bills settled field goal 103 loss theres calls want back thats probably one mcdermott said game coming buffalo dennison denver broncos offensive coordinator two seasons replaced denver mccoy coach gary kubiak retired dennison kubiaks offensive coordinator houston 201013 previous stint broncos offensive coordinator 200608 decision part ways dennison also raised questions future taylor one year left contract taylors production declined third year starter benched favor rookie nathan peterman game los angeles chargers november quarterback change backfired peterman threw five interceptions first half 5424 loss buffalo ny ap buffalo bills fired offensive coordinator rick dennison team finished 29th offense season team announced move friday running attack fell sixth leading league past two seasons buffalos offense topped 300 yards nine times 17 games scored eight touchdowns final seven games dennisons playcalling questioned buffalo scored three points jacksonville franchises first playoff game 18 years dennison wasnt coach sean mcdermotts first choice job last offseason former san diego chargers coach mike mccoy mccoy took green bay packers offensive coordinator job fired midseason mccoy expected candidate join mcdermotts staff buffalo possible candidates include former seattles seahawks offensive coordinator darrell bevell former new york giants head coach ben mcadoo former indianapolis colts offensive coordinator rob cudzinski mike shula former offensive coordinator carolina previously worked mcdermott bills general manager brandon beane mcdermott noncommittal discussing potential coaching staff changes seasonending news conference tuesday coach said decisions would beane would involved coordinating possible coaching changes roster moves offseason building thing together mcdermott said aligned philosophically believe look believe building process basically take shape dennison criticized giving quarterback tyrod taylor option pass firstandgoal 1 instead handing ball star running back lesean mccoy wildcard game jacksonville play resulted offensive pass interference penalty wide receiver kelvin benjamin bills settled field goal 103 loss theres calls want back thats probably one mcdermott said game coming buffalo dennison denver broncos offensive coordinator two seasons replaced denver mccoy coach gary kubiak retired dennison kubiaks offensive coordinator houston 201013 previous stint broncos offensive coordinator 200608 decision part ways dennison also raised questions future taylor one year left contract taylors production declined third year starter benched favor rookie nathan peterman game los angeles chargers november quarterback change backfired peterman threw five interceptions first half 5424 loss
| 570 |
<p>After decades of hope and high promise, this was the year scientists really showed they could doctor DNA to successfully treat diseases. Gene therapies to treat cancer and even pull off the biblical-sounding feat of helping the blind to see were approved by U.S. regulators, establishing gene manipulation as a new mode of medicine.</p>
<p>Almost 20 years ago, a teen's death in a gene experiment put a chill on what had been a field full of outsized expectations. Now, a series of jaw-dropping successes have renewed hopes that some one-time fixes of DNA, the chemical code that governs life, might turn out to be cures.</p>
<p>"I am totally willing to use the 'C' word," said the National Institutes of Health's director, Dr. Francis Collins.</p>
<p>Gene therapy aims to treat the root cause of a problem by deleting, adding or altering DNA, rather than just treating symptoms that result from the genetic flaw.</p>
<p>(AP Video/Kathy Young)</p>
<p>The advent of gene editing — a more precise and long-lasting way to do gene therapy — may expand the number and types of diseases that can be treated. In November, California scientists tried editing a gene inside someone's body for the <a href="" type="internal">first time</a> , using a tool called zinc finger nucleases for a man with a metabolic disease. It's like a cut-and-paste operation to place a new gene in a specific spot. Tests of another editing tool called CRISPR, to genetically alter human cells in the lab, may start next year.</p>
<p>"There are a few times in our lives when science astonishes us. This is one of those times," Dr. Matthew Porteus, a Stanford University gene editing expert, told a Senate panel discussing this technology last month.</p>
<p>It's a common path for trail-blazing science — success initially seems within reach, setbacks send researchers back to the lab, new understandings emerge over years, and studies ultimately reveal what is safe and effective.</p>
<p>Here is a look at what's been achieved and what lies ahead.</p>
<p>A STRING OF FIRSTS</p>
<p>The year started with no gene therapies sold in the U.S. and only a couple elsewhere. Then the Food and Drug Administration approved the first CAR-T cell therapies, which alter a patient's own blood cells to turn them into specialized <a href="" type="internal">cancer killers</a> . They're only for certain types of leukemia and lymphoma now, but more are in the works for other blood cancers.</p>
<p>Last week, the FDA approved Luxturna, the first gene therapy for an inherited disease, a form of blindness. People with it can't make a protein needed by the retina, tissue at the back of the eye that converts light into signals to the brain, enabling sight. The therapy injects a modified virus containing a corrective gene into the retina so the cells can make the protein.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Children</a> who received the treatment told what it was like to gain vision.</p>
<p>(AP Video/Kathy Young)</p>
<p>"Oh yikes, colors. Colors are super fun," said 13-year-old Caroline Carper of Little Rock, Arkansas. "And the sunshine is blinding."</p>
<p>Gene therapies also showed some promise against a variety of diseases including <a href="" type="internal">hemophilia</a> , a blood clotting problem; "bubble boy" disease, where a flawed immune system leaves patients vulnerable to fatal infections, and sickle cell disease, a serious and painful blood disorder common among black people.</p>
<p>It's not all good news, though. The therapies don't work for everyone. They're shockingly expensive. And no one knows how long some results will last, though scientists say the aim is a one-time repair that gets at the root cause.</p>
<p>"The whole promise ... is to cure diseases. It's based on the rationale of fixing the problem," not just improving treatment, said Dr. Carl June, a University of Pennsylvania scientist who pioneered CAR-T therapy.</p>
<p>A NEW FRONTIER: GENE EDITING</p>
<p>In mid-November, Brian Madeux, a 44-year-old Phoenix man with a metabolic disease called Hunter syndrome, had just become the first person to try an experimental gene editing treatment.</p>
<p>"I believe in science," he texted The Associated Press after doctors sent viruses containing a corrective gene and an editing tool through an IV into his body. The hope is that the gene and the editing tool would enter some of his liver cells and insert the instructions needed to start making an enzyme he lacks.</p>
<p>It's not known yet if it worked. Sangamo Therapeutics is testing its therapy in several studies, and independent monitors will help decide when results are released.</p>
<p>"It's a pretty exciting milestone," Collins said, because it shows a way to treat more diseases than ones that can be addressed now by altering blood cells in the lab or injecting genes into the eye.</p>
<p>"You can imagine having a scalable approach to thousands of genetic diseases," he said.</p>
<p>WHAT'S NEXT</p>
<p>Top of Collins' list: muscular dystrophy and sickle cell.</p>
<p>There's been so much progress that the NIH has modified an oversight panel that just a few years ago reviewed every gene therapy experiment in the U.S. Most are considered safe enough to go ahead without the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee's review. The panel hasn't even met for a year.</p>
<p>When the panel was formed decades ago, "there was a lot of concern that a graduate student could take some of this home and create a monster in his basement," said one panel member, Boston scientist Dr. Howard Kaufman.</p>
<p>Those fears have eased, he said.</p>
<p>"There's no monsters that have materialized from this."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Marilynn Marchione can be followed on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP" type="external">@MMarchioneAP</a> .</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>This Associated Press <a href="" type="internal">series</a> was produced in <a href="https://www.ap.org/press-releases/2017/ap-and-howard-hughes-medical-institute-collaborate-to-enhance-science-journalism" type="external">partnership</a> with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.</p>
<p>After decades of hope and high promise, this was the year scientists really showed they could doctor DNA to successfully treat diseases. Gene therapies to treat cancer and even pull off the biblical-sounding feat of helping the blind to see were approved by U.S. regulators, establishing gene manipulation as a new mode of medicine.</p>
<p>Almost 20 years ago, a teen's death in a gene experiment put a chill on what had been a field full of outsized expectations. Now, a series of jaw-dropping successes have renewed hopes that some one-time fixes of DNA, the chemical code that governs life, might turn out to be cures.</p>
<p>"I am totally willing to use the 'C' word," said the National Institutes of Health's director, Dr. Francis Collins.</p>
<p>Gene therapy aims to treat the root cause of a problem by deleting, adding or altering DNA, rather than just treating symptoms that result from the genetic flaw.</p>
<p>(AP Video/Kathy Young)</p>
<p>The advent of gene editing — a more precise and long-lasting way to do gene therapy — may expand the number and types of diseases that can be treated. In November, California scientists tried editing a gene inside someone's body for the <a href="" type="internal">first time</a> , using a tool called zinc finger nucleases for a man with a metabolic disease. It's like a cut-and-paste operation to place a new gene in a specific spot. Tests of another editing tool called CRISPR, to genetically alter human cells in the lab, may start next year.</p>
<p>"There are a few times in our lives when science astonishes us. This is one of those times," Dr. Matthew Porteus, a Stanford University gene editing expert, told a Senate panel discussing this technology last month.</p>
<p>It's a common path for trail-blazing science — success initially seems within reach, setbacks send researchers back to the lab, new understandings emerge over years, and studies ultimately reveal what is safe and effective.</p>
<p>Here is a look at what's been achieved and what lies ahead.</p>
<p>A STRING OF FIRSTS</p>
<p>The year started with no gene therapies sold in the U.S. and only a couple elsewhere. Then the Food and Drug Administration approved the first CAR-T cell therapies, which alter a patient's own blood cells to turn them into specialized <a href="" type="internal">cancer killers</a> . They're only for certain types of leukemia and lymphoma now, but more are in the works for other blood cancers.</p>
<p>Last week, the FDA approved Luxturna, the first gene therapy for an inherited disease, a form of blindness. People with it can't make a protein needed by the retina, tissue at the back of the eye that converts light into signals to the brain, enabling sight. The therapy injects a modified virus containing a corrective gene into the retina so the cells can make the protein.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Children</a> who received the treatment told what it was like to gain vision.</p>
<p>(AP Video/Kathy Young)</p>
<p>"Oh yikes, colors. Colors are super fun," said 13-year-old Caroline Carper of Little Rock, Arkansas. "And the sunshine is blinding."</p>
<p>Gene therapies also showed some promise against a variety of diseases including <a href="" type="internal">hemophilia</a> , a blood clotting problem; "bubble boy" disease, where a flawed immune system leaves patients vulnerable to fatal infections, and sickle cell disease, a serious and painful blood disorder common among black people.</p>
<p>It's not all good news, though. The therapies don't work for everyone. They're shockingly expensive. And no one knows how long some results will last, though scientists say the aim is a one-time repair that gets at the root cause.</p>
<p>"The whole promise ... is to cure diseases. It's based on the rationale of fixing the problem," not just improving treatment, said Dr. Carl June, a University of Pennsylvania scientist who pioneered CAR-T therapy.</p>
<p>A NEW FRONTIER: GENE EDITING</p>
<p>In mid-November, Brian Madeux, a 44-year-old Phoenix man with a metabolic disease called Hunter syndrome, had just become the first person to try an experimental gene editing treatment.</p>
<p>"I believe in science," he texted The Associated Press after doctors sent viruses containing a corrective gene and an editing tool through an IV into his body. The hope is that the gene and the editing tool would enter some of his liver cells and insert the instructions needed to start making an enzyme he lacks.</p>
<p>It's not known yet if it worked. Sangamo Therapeutics is testing its therapy in several studies, and independent monitors will help decide when results are released.</p>
<p>"It's a pretty exciting milestone," Collins said, because it shows a way to treat more diseases than ones that can be addressed now by altering blood cells in the lab or injecting genes into the eye.</p>
<p>"You can imagine having a scalable approach to thousands of genetic diseases," he said.</p>
<p>WHAT'S NEXT</p>
<p>Top of Collins' list: muscular dystrophy and sickle cell.</p>
<p>There's been so much progress that the NIH has modified an oversight panel that just a few years ago reviewed every gene therapy experiment in the U.S. Most are considered safe enough to go ahead without the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee's review. The panel hasn't even met for a year.</p>
<p>When the panel was formed decades ago, "there was a lot of concern that a graduate student could take some of this home and create a monster in his basement," said one panel member, Boston scientist Dr. Howard Kaufman.</p>
<p>Those fears have eased, he said.</p>
<p>"There's no monsters that have materialized from this."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Marilynn Marchione can be followed on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP" type="external">@MMarchioneAP</a> .</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>This Associated Press <a href="" type="internal">series</a> was produced in <a href="https://www.ap.org/press-releases/2017/ap-and-howard-hughes-medical-institute-collaborate-to-enhance-science-journalism" type="external">partnership</a> with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.</p>
| false | 2 |
decades hope high promise year scientists really showed could doctor dna successfully treat diseases gene therapies treat cancer even pull biblicalsounding feat helping blind see approved us regulators establishing gene manipulation new mode medicine almost 20 years ago teens death gene experiment put chill field full outsized expectations series jawdropping successes renewed hopes onetime fixes dna chemical code governs life might turn cures totally willing use c word said national institutes healths director dr francis collins gene therapy aims treat root cause problem deleting adding altering dna rather treating symptoms result genetic flaw ap videokathy young advent gene editing precise longlasting way gene therapy may expand number types diseases treated november california scientists tried editing gene inside someones body first time using tool called zinc finger nucleases man metabolic disease like cutandpaste operation place new gene specific spot tests another editing tool called crispr genetically alter human cells lab may start next year times lives science astonishes us one times dr matthew porteus stanford university gene editing expert told senate panel discussing technology last month common path trailblazing science success initially seems within reach setbacks send researchers back lab new understandings emerge years studies ultimately reveal safe effective look whats achieved lies ahead string firsts year started gene therapies sold us couple elsewhere food drug administration approved first cart cell therapies alter patients blood cells turn specialized cancer killers theyre certain types leukemia lymphoma works blood cancers last week fda approved luxturna first gene therapy inherited disease form blindness people cant make protein needed retina tissue back eye converts light signals brain enabling sight therapy injects modified virus containing corrective gene retina cells make protein children received treatment told like gain vision ap videokathy young oh yikes colors colors super fun said 13yearold caroline carper little rock arkansas sunshine blinding gene therapies also showed promise variety diseases including hemophilia blood clotting problem bubble boy disease flawed immune system leaves patients vulnerable fatal infections sickle cell disease serious painful blood disorder common among black people good news though therapies dont work everyone theyre shockingly expensive one knows long results last though scientists say aim onetime repair gets root cause whole promise cure diseases based rationale fixing problem improving treatment said dr carl june university pennsylvania scientist pioneered cart therapy new frontier gene editing midnovember brian madeux 44yearold phoenix man metabolic disease called hunter syndrome become first person try experimental gene editing treatment believe science texted associated press doctors sent viruses containing corrective gene editing tool iv body hope gene editing tool would enter liver cells insert instructions needed start making enzyme lacks known yet worked sangamo therapeutics testing therapy several studies independent monitors help decide results released pretty exciting milestone collins said shows way treat diseases ones addressed altering blood cells lab injecting genes eye imagine scalable approach thousands genetic diseases said whats next top collins list muscular dystrophy sickle cell theres much progress nih modified oversight panel years ago reviewed every gene therapy experiment us considered safe enough go ahead without recombinant dna advisory committees review panel hasnt even met year panel formed decades ago lot concern graduate student could take home create monster basement said one panel member boston scientist dr howard kaufman fears eased said theres monsters materialized ___ marilynn marchione followed twitter mmarchioneap ___ associated press series produced partnership howard hughes medical institutes department science education ap solely responsible content decades hope high promise year scientists really showed could doctor dna successfully treat diseases gene therapies treat cancer even pull biblicalsounding feat helping blind see approved us regulators establishing gene manipulation new mode medicine almost 20 years ago teens death gene experiment put chill field full outsized expectations series jawdropping successes renewed hopes onetime fixes dna chemical code governs life might turn cures totally willing use c word said national institutes healths director dr francis collins gene therapy aims treat root cause problem deleting adding altering dna rather treating symptoms result genetic flaw ap videokathy young advent gene editing precise longlasting way gene therapy may expand number types diseases treated november california scientists tried editing gene inside someones body first time using tool called zinc finger nucleases man metabolic disease like cutandpaste operation place new gene specific spot tests another editing tool called crispr genetically alter human cells lab may start next year times lives science astonishes us one times dr matthew porteus stanford university gene editing expert told senate panel discussing technology last month common path trailblazing science success initially seems within reach setbacks send researchers back lab new understandings emerge years studies ultimately reveal safe effective look whats achieved lies ahead string firsts year started gene therapies sold us couple elsewhere food drug administration approved first cart cell therapies alter patients blood cells turn specialized cancer killers theyre certain types leukemia lymphoma works blood cancers last week fda approved luxturna first gene therapy inherited disease form blindness people cant make protein needed retina tissue back eye converts light signals brain enabling sight therapy injects modified virus containing corrective gene retina cells make protein children received treatment told like gain vision ap videokathy young oh yikes colors colors super fun said 13yearold caroline carper little rock arkansas sunshine blinding gene therapies also showed promise variety diseases including hemophilia blood clotting problem bubble boy disease flawed immune system leaves patients vulnerable fatal infections sickle cell disease serious painful blood disorder common among black people good news though therapies dont work everyone theyre shockingly expensive one knows long results last though scientists say aim onetime repair gets root cause whole promise cure diseases based rationale fixing problem improving treatment said dr carl june university pennsylvania scientist pioneered cart therapy new frontier gene editing midnovember brian madeux 44yearold phoenix man metabolic disease called hunter syndrome become first person try experimental gene editing treatment believe science texted associated press doctors sent viruses containing corrective gene editing tool iv body hope gene editing tool would enter liver cells insert instructions needed start making enzyme lacks known yet worked sangamo therapeutics testing therapy several studies independent monitors help decide results released pretty exciting milestone collins said shows way treat diseases ones addressed altering blood cells lab injecting genes eye imagine scalable approach thousands genetic diseases said whats next top collins list muscular dystrophy sickle cell theres much progress nih modified oversight panel years ago reviewed every gene therapy experiment us considered safe enough go ahead without recombinant dna advisory committees review panel hasnt even met year panel formed decades ago lot concern graduate student could take home create monster basement said one panel member boston scientist dr howard kaufman fears eased said theres monsters materialized ___ marilynn marchione followed twitter mmarchioneap ___ associated press series produced partnership howard hughes medical institutes department science education ap solely responsible content
| 1,126 |
<p>BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium lowered its national threat level on Monday, saying Islamic State’s defeats in Iraq and Syria meant an attack was less likely almost two years after bombings killed 32 people in Brussels.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Charles Michel said the country had reduced the threat level to two from three on a four-tier scale. The move indicates the threat has fallen to “medium” from “serious”, meaning an attack is now considered unlikely, rather than probable.</p>
<p>“But level two after the attacks is not the same as level two was before the attacks,” Prime Minister Charles Michel told a news conference. “There is a security culture which has developed over the past years.”</p>
<p>Belgian soldiers will continue to patrol streets, but in fewer numbers. The move is expected to save money and relieve pressure on a stretched military, allowing troops to train.</p>
<p>Paul Van Tigchelt, head of security assessment agency OCAD/OCAM, said that while an attack had become less likely in Belgium, it did not mean there was no threat at all.</p>
<p>“The self-proclaimed caliphate does not exist anymore in Iraq and Syria. The virtual caliphate has also lost ground. The Islamic State has lost much of its attraction,” he said.</p>
<p>In December, Iraqi forces recaptured the last areas still under Islamic State control along the border with Syria, three years after the militants had invaded about a third of Iraq’s territory.</p>
<p>The group’s militants are still active in Syria and it has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks worldwide, including vehicles driven into pedestrians in two incidents in London and one in Barcelona last year.</p>
<p>Belgium was last at level two on the eve of the coordinated shooting and suicide bomb attacks that killed 130 people in Paris in November 2015.</p>
<p>Two weeks later, the threat level rose to the maximum of four in Brussels for about a week, with schools initially closed, the metro shut and more soldiers on patrol. Belgium was also at level four for a few days after the Brussels attacks.</p>
<p>Some places would continue to be put on level three alert, but officials declined to give any details. Belgium has previously given greater protection to large events, certain embassies and Jewish schools and areas.</p>
<p>Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek, writing by Philip Blenkinsop</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>VALENCIA, Venezuela (Reuters) - Rioting and a fire in the cells of a Venezuelan police station in the central city of Valencia killed 68 people on Wednesday, according to the government and witnesses.</p>
<p>Families hoping for news outside the police station were dispersed with tear gas and authorities did not give information until late into the evening.</p>
<p>“The State Prosecutor’s Office guarantees to deepen investigations to immediately clarify what happened in these painful events that have left dozens of Venezuelan families in mourning,” said Chief Prosecutor Tarek William Saab on Twitter.</p>
<p>Venezuelan prisons are notoriously overcrowded and filled with weapons and drugs. Riots leaving dozens dead are not uncommon.</p>
<p>State official Jesus Santander said the state of Carabobo was in mourning after the incident in the city of Valencia.</p>
<p>“Forensic doctors are determining the number of fatalities,” Santander said. A policeman was shot in the leg and was in a stable condition and firefighters had extinguished the flames, he said.</p>
<p>Many Venezuelan prisons are lawless and have been for decades. Prisoners often openly wield machine guns and grenades, use drugs and leave guards powerless.</p> Slideshow (14 Images)
<p>“There are people who are inside those dungeons (...) and the authorities do not know they exist because they do not dare to enter,” said Humberto Prado, a local prisons rights activist.</p>
<p>Aditional reporting by Vivian SequeraWriting by Girish Gupta and Vivian Sequera; Editing by Paul Tait and Michael Perry</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - For a regime obsessed with secrecy, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s decision to travel to Beijing on a distinctive green armored train was an all-but-dead giveaway that he was making his first journey abroad since assuming power in 2011.</p> FILE PHOTO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves from a train, as he paid an unofficial visit to China, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang March 28, 2018. KCNA/via Reuters/File Photo
<p>The historic visit sent officials scrambling to obscure the identity of the 21-car train and its occupants as it meandered across roughly 1,100 km (680 miles) of track through northeast China, causing rare delays along the way and triggering a growing frenzy of speculation as it neared the Chinese capital.</p>
<p>The train arrived at Beijing Station on Monday afternoon and left the following afternoon, with the identity of its occupants only announced on Wednesday morning - after it had crossed back into North Korea at the city of Sinuiju.</p>
<p>Clues that something unusual was afoot emerged in the border city of Dandong, just across the Yalu River from North Korea and linked to the isolated country by the Sino-Korea Friendship Bridge. That bridge bears a single rail track which, it turned out, carried Kim’s train into China late on Sunday.</p>
<p>The Daily NK, a Seoul-based website staffed by North Korean defectors, reported that boards supported by scaffolding had been set up on the platform at Dandong’s train station, blocking what is ordinarily an open view, before two trains passed through the station between 10:20 and 10:40 p.m. on Sunday night.</p>
<p>Yao Jun, who sells car parts in Dandong, said the station was locked down again on Tuesday night, an unusual occurrence. Kim returned to North Korea in the early hours of Wednesday.</p>
<p>“Now we know for next time - if the train station is in lockdown then that means Kim Jong Un has come to China,” Yao told Reuters.</p>
<p>At least one Dandong hotel was told by Chinese authorities not to book rooms facing the bridge, while tours from China into the North were canceled on Sunday, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. A local resident said that a wedding party along the river on Sunday had been told not to set off firecrackers.</p>
<p>By Monday morning sighting rumors and pictures were making the rounds on Chinese social media, before being blocked or deleted by censors, while railway bureaus began warning travelers to expect delays or cancellations on Monday and Tuesday.</p>
<p>The disruptions were noteworthy in a country with a vast rail network that prides itself on its efficiency, with 98.8 percent of trains departing on time in 2016 and 95.4 percent arriving on schedule, and prompted complaints online.</p>
<p>Zhao Jian, a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University who researches the country’s railway system, said Kim’s train traveled on the regular track network, rather than on the tracks used by the country’s high-speed trains.</p>
<p>“Passenger and freight traffic would have been affected,” he said.</p>
<p>A person answering the official phone line at Dandong station on Thursday stressed that everything had been “normal” this week, and asked, “who told you the station was closed?”</p>
<p>An official in the international cooperation department of the China Railway Corporation declined immediate comment on Kim’s visit.</p> MANCHURIA AND THE GREAT WALL&#160;&#160;&#160;
<p>China has not disclosed the route taken by Kim in the train - green with a yellow stripe resembling one used by his late father, Kim Jong Il, on his last visit to China in 2011.</p> FILE PHOTO: A train believed to be carrying a senior North Korean delegation leaves the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, China March 27, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo
<p>Based on photos from the elder Kim’s visit, the only visible difference between the two trains was a license plate. The younger Kim’s license plate showed DF0002; the plate on the train used by his father displayed DF0001.</p>
<p>North Korean state media showed Kim and his entourage, including his wife Ri Sol Ju, seated on stuffed pink sofas inside the train carriage with Song Tao, the head of the Chinese Communist Party’s international affairs department, during their inbound stop in Dandong.</p>
<p>There are at least two likely rail routes between Dandong and Beijing, and an ordinary service takes at least 14 hours, according to Chinese railway timetables. The route is also covered by China’s high-speed trains, which travel on separate tracks, in just over six hours.</p>
<p>But social media posts made by local railway bureaus and ordinary users on social media suggest a surge in delays around the route from Dandong that heads north to Shenyang, in the region previously known as Manchuria. The route then snakes west along the Hebei province coast towards Beijing.</p>
<p>On Monday morning, Weibo users at rail stations in Tangshan and Tianjin began complaining of unexpected cancellations to regular services bound for Beijing, which they said were made without explanation.</p>
<p>In a Weibo post published at 5:14 p.m. on Monday and since deleted, the Beijing Railway Bureau told travelers waiting at stations in Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang to expect delays of up to two hours for trains from Shenyang and Qinhuangdao.</p>
<p>On Tuesday evening, a Twitter user with the handle “2018you333” posted a grainy video of a train with a single horizontal stripe hurtling across an empty car underpass, which the user said was taken at the Shanhai Pass area, 300 km east of Beijing and a major pass in the Great Wall of China.</p>
<p>“Let’s guess where this distinguished guest is coming from!”, the post said.</p>
<p>Reuters was unable to verify the authenticity of the video.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Michael Martina, Philip Wen and the Shanghai and Beijing newsrooms; Editing by Tony Munroe and Alex Richardson</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SEOUL (Reuters) - North and South Korea will hold their first summit in more than a decade on April 27, South Korean officials said on Thursday, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged his commitment to denuclearization as tensions ease between the old foes.</p>
<p>South Korean officials, who announced the date after high-level talks with North Korean counterparts, said the agenda would largely be denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and improving inter-Korean relations.</p>
<p>The two Koreas had agreed to hold the summit at the border truce village of Panmunjom when South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent a delegation to Pyongyang this month to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.</p>
<p>Thursday’s meeting was the first high-level dialogue between the two Koreas since the delegation returned from the North.</p>
<p>The two sides said in a joint statement they would hold a working-level meeting on April 4 to discuss details of the summit, such as staffing support, security and news releases.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-northkorea-missiles-china-southkorea/beijing-envoy-says-kim-jong-uns-china-visit-will-help-toward-denuclearization-idUSKBN1H50YM" type="external">Beijing envoy says Kim Jong Un's China visit will help toward denuclearization</a>
<a href="/article/us-northkorea-missiles-ioc/ioc-chief-bach-arrives-to-north-korea-to-stay-until-saturday-idUSKBN1H50VC" type="external">IOC chief Bach arrives to North Korea, to stay until Saturday</a>
<a href="/article/us-northkorea-missiles-russia-meeting/russia-foreign-ministry-working-on-north-korea-meetings-in-moscow-idUSKBN1H51T5" type="external">Russia foreign ministry working on North Korea meetings in Moscow</a>
<p>“We still have a fair number of issues to resolve on a working level for preparations over the next month,” said Ri Son Gwon, the chairman of North Korea’s committee for the peaceful reunification of the country in closing remarks to the South Korean delegation.</p>
<p>“But if the two sides deeply understand the historic significance and meaning of this summit and give their all, we will be able to solve all problems swiftly and amicably,” Ri added.</p>
<p>Tension over North Korea’s tests of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile surged last year and raised fears of U.S. military action in response to North Korea’s threat to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States.</p>
<p>But tension has eased significantly since North Korea decided to send athletes to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February. The neighbours are technically still at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended with a ceasefire, not a truce.</p>
<p>China commended both sides for their efforts to improve ties.</p>
<p>“We hope the momentum of dialogue can continue and that the peaceful situation also can last,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a briefing.</p>
<p>United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was encouraged by the recent developments with North Korea.</p>
<p>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;“I believe that in this world where unfortunately so many problems seem not to have a solution, I think there is here an opportunity for a peaceful solution to something that a few months ago was haunting us as the biggest danger we were facing,” Guterres told reporters on Thursday.</p> ‘RESOLVE PROBLEMS’
<p>Kim is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in May to discuss denuclearization, although a time and place have not been set.</p>
<p>Kim met Chinese President Xi Jinping in a surprise visit to Beijing this week, his first trip outside the isolated North since he came to power in 2011.</p>
<p>Even more surprising was Kim’s pledge to denuclearize the Korean peninsula. That commitment was reported by Chinese state media, although North Korea’s official media made no mention of it, or Kim’s anticipated meeting with Trump.</p>
<p>A senior Chinese official visiting Seoul on Thursday to brief South Korea on Kim’s visit to Beijing said it should help ease tension and lead to the denuclearization of the peninsula.</p> South Korean delegation led by Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon cross the concrete border as they leave after their meeting at the truce village of Panmunjom, North Korea March 29, 2018. Korea Pool/Yonhap via REUTERS
<p>“We believe his visit will help the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, ensure peace and security of the Korean peninsula and resolve problems regarding the peninsula through political negotiations and discussions,” Yang Jiechi said in opening remarks during a meeting with South Korea’s National Security Office head, Chung Eui-yong.</p>
<p>Yang, a top Chinese diplomat, is scheduled to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday.</p>
<p>South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myong-gyon told reporters Kim’s visit to China was not discussed with North Korean officials in their Thursday talks.</p>
<p>Trump and Kim had exchanged insults and veiled threats of war in recent months but the U.S. leader made the surprising announcement this month that he was prepared to meet Kim to discuss the crisis over the North’s development of weapons.</p>
<p>The North Korean leader’s engagement with the international community has sparked speculation that he may try to meet other leaders. Japan’s Asahi newspaper said Japan had sounded out the North Korean government about a summit.</p> Slideshow (4 Images)
<p>Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Kono left open the possibility that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe might meet Kim at some point. Kono said in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday that Japan was closely watching preparations for the North-South Korean summit and the Trump-Kim meeting.</p>
<p>Xi promised that Beijing would uphold its friendship with North Korea after his meeting with Kim.</p>
<p>Trump wrote on Twitter he had received a message from Xi late on Tuesday that his meeting with Kim “went very well” and that Kim looked forward to meeting the U.S. president.</p>
<p>Reporting by Christine Kim; Additional reporting by Michael Martina in BEIJING and Michelle Nichols at the UNITED NATIONS; Editing by Robert Birsel and James Dalgleish</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>YANGON (Reuters) - Prominent human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has joined the legal team representing two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar, who are accused of possessing secret government papers, her office said on Thursday.</p>
<p>A court in Yangon has been holding preliminary hearings since January to decide whether Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, will be charged under the colonial-era Officials Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.</p>
<p>The journalists had been working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state during an army crackdown that began in August, which has sent nearly 700,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.</p>
<p>Lawyers for the two reporters on Wednesday asked the court to throw out the case, saying there was insufficient evidence to support charges against the pair.</p>
<p>“Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are being prosecuted simply because they reported the news. I have reviewed the case file and it is clear beyond doubt that the two journalists are innocent and should be released immediately,” Amal Clooney was quoted as saying in a statement released by her office.</p>
<p>“The outcome of this case will tell us a lot about Myanmar’s commitment to the rule of law and freedom of speech,” said Clooney, who is married to actor George Clooney.</p>
<p>Zaw Htay, spokesman for Myanmar’s civilian government, declined to comment.</p> FILE PHOTO: Amal Clooney attends a security council meeting at U.N. headquarters during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, U.S. September 21, 2017. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith
<p>Government officials have previously denied the arrests represent an attack on press freedom, which rights advocates say is under growing threat in the Southeast Asian country.</p>
<p>Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations, Hau Do Suan, said last month that the Reuters journalists were not arrested for reporting a story, but were accused of “illegally possessing confidential government documents”.</p>
<p>Gail Gove, chief counsel of Reuters, said retaining Clooney would strengthen the company’s international legal expertise and broaden efforts to secure the release of the reporters.</p> Slideshow (2 Images)
<p>Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been in custody since their arrest on Dec. 12.</p>
<p>The pair have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some rolled up papers at a restaurant in northern Yangon by two policemen they had not met before, having been invited to meet the officers for dinner.</p>
<p>The district court in northern Yangon will hear arguments from prosecutors and defense lawyers on the motion to dismiss the case on April 4.</p>
<p>Reporting By Yimou Lee; Additional reporting by Shoon Naing; Editing by Alex Richardson</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
brussels reuters belgium lowered national threat level monday saying islamic states defeats iraq syria meant attack less likely almost two years bombings killed 32 people brussels prime minister charles michel said country reduced threat level two three fourtier scale move indicates threat fallen medium serious meaning attack considered unlikely rather probable level two attacks level two attacks prime minister charles michel told news conference security culture developed past years belgian soldiers continue patrol streets fewer numbers move expected save money relieve pressure stretched military allowing troops train paul van tigchelt head security assessment agency ocadocam said attack become less likely belgium mean threat selfproclaimed caliphate exist anymore iraq syria virtual caliphate also lost ground islamic state lost much attraction said december iraqi forces recaptured last areas still islamic state control along border syria three years militants invaded third iraqs territory groups militants still active syria claimed responsibility multiple attacks worldwide including vehicles driven pedestrians two incidents london one barcelona last year belgium last level two eve coordinated shooting suicide bomb attacks killed 130 people paris november 2015 two weeks later threat level rose maximum four brussels week schools initially closed metro shut soldiers patrol belgium also level four days brussels attacks places would continue put level three alert officials declined give details belgium previously given greater protection large events certain embassies jewish schools areas reporting robertjan bartunek writing philip blenkinsop standards thomson reuters trust principles valencia venezuela reuters rioting fire cells venezuelan police station central city valencia killed 68 people wednesday according government witnesses families hoping news outside police station dispersed tear gas authorities give information late evening state prosecutors office guarantees deepen investigations immediately clarify happened painful events left dozens venezuelan families mourning said chief prosecutor tarek william saab twitter venezuelan prisons notoriously overcrowded filled weapons drugs riots leaving dozens dead uncommon state official jesus santander said state carabobo mourning incident city valencia forensic doctors determining number fatalities santander said policeman shot leg stable condition firefighters extinguished flames said many venezuelan prisons lawless decades prisoners often openly wield machine guns grenades use drugs leave guards powerless slideshow 14 images people inside dungeons authorities know exist dare enter said humberto prado local prisons rights activist aditional reporting vivian sequerawriting girish gupta vivian sequera editing paul tait michael perry standards thomson reuters trust principles shanghaibeijing reuters regime obsessed secrecy north korean leader kim jong uns decision travel beijing distinctive green armored train allbutdead giveaway making first journey abroad since assuming power 2011 file photo north korean leader kim jong un waves train paid unofficial visit china undated photo released north koreas korean central news agency kcna pyongyang march 28 2018 kcnavia reutersfile photo historic visit sent officials scrambling obscure identity 21car train occupants meandered across roughly 1100 km 680 miles track northeast china causing rare delays along way triggering growing frenzy speculation neared chinese capital train arrived beijing station monday afternoon left following afternoon identity occupants announced wednesday morning crossed back north korea city sinuiju clues something unusual afoot emerged border city dandong across yalu river north korea linked isolated country sinokorea friendship bridge bridge bears single rail track turned carried kims train china late sunday daily nk seoulbased website staffed north korean defectors reported boards supported scaffolding set platform dandongs train station blocking ordinarily open view two trains passed station 1020 1040 pm sunday night yao jun sells car parts dandong said station locked tuesday night unusual occurrence kim returned north korea early hours wednesday know next time train station lockdown means kim jong un come china yao told reuters least one dandong hotel told chinese authorities book rooms facing bridge tours china north canceled sunday source familiar matter told reuters local resident said wedding party along river sunday told set firecrackers monday morning sighting rumors pictures making rounds chinese social media blocked deleted censors railway bureaus began warning travelers expect delays cancellations monday tuesday disruptions noteworthy country vast rail network prides efficiency 988 percent trains departing time 2016 954 percent arriving schedule prompted complaints online zhao jian professor beijing jiaotong university researches countrys railway system said kims train traveled regular track network rather tracks used countrys highspeed trains passenger freight traffic would affected said person answering official phone line dandong station thursday stressed everything normal week asked told station closed official international cooperation department china railway corporation declined immediate comment kims visit manchuria great wall160160160 china disclosed route taken kim train green yellow stripe resembling one used late father kim jong il last visit china 2011 file photo train believed carrying senior north korean delegation leaves beijing railway station beijing china march 27 2018 reutersjason leefile photo based photos elder kims visit visible difference two trains license plate younger kims license plate showed df0002 plate train used father displayed df0001 north korean state media showed kim entourage including wife ri sol ju seated stuffed pink sofas inside train carriage song tao head chinese communist partys international affairs department inbound stop dandong least two likely rail routes dandong beijing ordinary service takes least 14 hours according chinese railway timetables route also covered chinas highspeed trains travel separate tracks six hours social media posts made local railway bureaus ordinary users social media suggest surge delays around route dandong heads north shenyang region previously known manchuria route snakes west along hebei province coast towards beijing monday morning weibo users rail stations tangshan tianjin began complaining unexpected cancellations regular services bound beijing said made without explanation weibo post published 514 pm monday since deleted beijing railway bureau told travelers waiting stations beijing tianjin shijiazhuang expect delays two hours trains shenyang qinhuangdao tuesday evening twitter user handle 2018you333 posted grainy video train single horizontal stripe hurtling across empty car underpass user said taken shanhai pass area 300 km east beijing major pass great wall china lets guess distinguished guest coming post said reuters unable verify authenticity video additional reporting michael martina philip wen shanghai beijing newsrooms editing tony munroe alex richardson standards thomson reuters trust principles seoul reuters north south korea hold first summit decade april 27 south korean officials said thursday north korean leader kim jong un pledged commitment denuclearization tensions ease old foes south korean officials announced date highlevel talks north korean counterparts said agenda would largely denuclearization korean peninsula improving interkorean relations two koreas agreed hold summit border truce village panmunjom south korean president moon jaein sent delegation pyongyang month meet north korean leader kim jong un thursdays meeting first highlevel dialogue two koreas since delegation returned north two sides said joint statement would hold workinglevel meeting april 4 discuss details summit staffing support security news releases related coverage beijing envoy says kim jong uns china visit help toward denuclearization ioc chief bach arrives north korea stay saturday russia foreign ministry working north korea meetings moscow still fair number issues resolve working level preparations next month said ri son gwon chairman north koreas committee peaceful reunification country closing remarks south korean delegation two sides deeply understand historic significance meaning summit give able solve problems swiftly amicably ri added tension north koreas tests nuclear weapons ballistic missile surged last year raised fears us military action response north koreas threat develop nuclear weapon capable hitting united states tension eased significantly since north korea decided send athletes winter olympics south korea february neighbours technically still war 195053 conflict ended ceasefire truce china commended sides efforts improve ties hope momentum dialogue continue peaceful situation also last chinese foreign ministry spokesman lu kang told briefing united nations secretarygeneral antonio guterres said encouraged recent developments north korea 160160160160i believe world unfortunately many problems seem solution think opportunity peaceful solution something months ago haunting us biggest danger facing guterres told reporters thursday resolve problems kim scheduled meet us president donald trump may discuss denuclearization although time place set kim met chinese president xi jinping surprise visit beijing week first trip outside isolated north since came power 2011 even surprising kims pledge denuclearize korean peninsula commitment reported chinese state media although north koreas official media made mention kims anticipated meeting trump senior chinese official visiting seoul thursday brief south korea kims visit beijing said help ease tension lead denuclearization peninsula south korean delegation led unification minister cho myounggyon cross concrete border leave meeting truce village panmunjom north korea march 29 2018 korea poolyonhap via reuters believe visit help denuclearization korean peninsula ensure peace security korean peninsula resolve problems regarding peninsula political negotiations discussions yang jiechi said opening remarks meeting south koreas national security office head chung euiyong yang top chinese diplomat scheduled meet south korean president moon jaein friday south korean unification minister cho myonggyon told reporters kims visit china discussed north korean officials thursday talks trump kim exchanged insults veiled threats war recent months us leader made surprising announcement month prepared meet kim discuss crisis norths development weapons north korean leaders engagement international community sparked speculation may try meet leaders japans asahi newspaper said japan sounded north korean government summit slideshow 4 images japans foreign minister taro kono left open possibility prime minister shinzo abe might meet kim point kono said interview reuters tuesday japan closely watching preparations northsouth korean summit trumpkim meeting xi promised beijing would uphold friendship north korea meeting kim trump wrote twitter received message xi late tuesday meeting kim went well kim looked forward meeting us president reporting christine kim additional reporting michael martina beijing michelle nichols united nations editing robert birsel james dalgleish standards thomson reuters trust principles yangon reuters prominent human rights lawyer amal clooney joined legal team representing two reuters reporters jailed myanmar accused possessing secret government papers office said thursday court yangon holding preliminary hearings since january decide whether wa lone 31 kyaw soe oo 28 charged colonialera officials secrets act carries maximum penalty 14 years prison journalists working reuters investigation killing 10 rohingya muslim men western myanmars rakhine state army crackdown began august sent nearly 700000 people fleeing bangladesh lawyers two reporters wednesday asked court throw case saying insufficient evidence support charges pair wa lone kyaw soe oo prosecuted simply reported news reviewed case file clear beyond doubt two journalists innocent released immediately amal clooney quoted saying statement released office outcome case tell us lot myanmars commitment rule law freedom speech said clooney married actor george clooney zaw htay spokesman myanmars civilian government declined comment file photo amal clooney attends security council meeting un headquarters united nations general assembly new york city us september 21 2017 reutersstephanie keith government officials previously denied arrests represent attack press freedom rights advocates say growing threat southeast asian country myanmars ambassador united nations hau suan said last month reuters journalists arrested reporting story accused illegally possessing confidential government documents gail gove chief counsel reuters said retaining clooney would strengthen companys international legal expertise broaden efforts secure release reporters slideshow 2 images wa lone kyaw soe oo custody since arrest dec 12 pair told relatives arrested almost immediately handed rolled papers restaurant northern yangon two policemen met invited meet officers dinner district court northern yangon hear arguments prosecutors defense lawyers motion dismiss case april 4 reporting yimou lee additional reporting shoon naing editing alex richardson standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,846 |
<p>Words matter. That’s one of the key messages of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEISCLGZ6HE" type="external">“Darkest Hour,”</a> in which Gary Oldman embodies — fiercely and memorably — the legendary Winston Churchill, who rallied his country with soaring oratory when Britain’s very survival was at stake.</p>
<p>But the same man who uttered indelible phrases like “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” — and many others — was also a human being, the film argues, with fears and doubts and insecurities and flaws. “Just be yourself,” Churchill’s wife, Clementine (a briskly effective Kristin Scott Thomas) advises him as he heads off, full of jitters, to meet the king and become the wartime prime minister. Later, he raises a glass with Clementine, with a fervent wish: “Here’s to not buggering it up.”</p>
<p>“Buggering it up” was certainly a risk — both for Churchill, and for Oldman or any actor attempting to embody the great man. It’s hard enough to portray a revered real-life figure — and harder yet with such a larger-than-life persona, physically and otherwise. It won’t be a surprise to fans of the skilled Oldman that he avoids mimicry or caricature, and it’s an even better treat that he’s able to so adeptly balance conviction with doubt, courage with fear, and gravity with humor. (Kudos are due as well to the superb makeup by Kazuhiro Tsuji, jowls and all.)</p>
<p>“Darkest Hour,” directed by Joe Wright and written by Anthony McCarten, focuses on one month in 1940 that saw Churchill rise to office and face down his political foes and a wary British monarch as he navigated the threat of looming war against Adolf Hitler’s forces. Though Wright is known for his sweeping filmmaking in another war film, “Atonement,” here he focuses not on the beaches of Dunkirk but on dimly lit interiors like the underground war rooms at Westminster Palace, the halls of Parliament, and Churchill’s own bedroom.</p>
<p>The film is, in a sense, a companion piece — by way of timing, at least — to Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” released in the summer. While Nolan focused on the action, Wright focuses on the talk — specifically how Churchill, in the words of one frustrated opponent, “mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t the first choice to be prime minister — not of his party, and certainly not of a skeptical King George VI (an excellent Ben Mendelsohn). But Parliament, as we learn at the beginning of the film, had lost confidence in the ailing Neville Chamberlain, and Churchill was a compromise solution.</p>
<p>He enters office as France and Belgium are on the brink of falling to the Nazis, and most of the British Army is stranded at Dunkirk. The new prime minister is forced to make an agonizing decision: try to negotiate a dubious peace, as Chamberlain desired, or fight — and risk the deaths of a generation of young British men. He’s hated by Chamberlain and his sidekick, Lord Halifax, and doubted by the king, who (initially) finds him scary and unpredictable.</p>
<p>It’s fun to watch the lunch meeting between the restrained king and Churchill, a man of great appetites — and a famous thirst. When the king asks how he can drink during the day, the prime minister replies: “Practice.”</p>
<p>There are many such moments of humor, including when Churchill first meets his new young secretary, Elizabeth Layton (Lily James), and inadvertently flashes his privates under his nightshirt. Or when he warns her as he exits the shower: “I’m coming out in a state of nature!” He’s also shown on the toilet, shouting out that he cannot speak to the Lord Privy Seal because he is “sealed on The Privy.”</p>
<p>Despite such comic moments, which Oldman attacks with gusto, the film’s mood is urgent and dire. The United States cannot help because of neutrality agreements; in a dispiriting phone call with Franklin D. Roosevelt, the U.S. president notes: “It must be late there.” Churchill replies: “In more ways than you can possibly know.”</p>
<p>Ultimately — as we all know — Churchill decides to fight on, and to declare “We will never surrender.” What gets him there? Partly, a ride on the London Underground. The prime minister decides to ditch his aides and take the Tube to Westminster, and on the way, to chat with some commonfolk. To a person, they agree with him that the country must never surrender to the forces of evil.</p>
<p>There are two problems with this scene. First, it’s rather corny. The second is that it never happened. The filmmakers do warn that some material has been fictionalized. But some may be disappointed to learn that one of the most pivotal scenes in the film was manufactured.</p>
<p>Oldman’s performance, though, which has launched him to the forefront of awards season chatter, triumphs over any such qualms. The last few years have seen a number of notable Churchill interpretations. Oldman has set the bar higher still.</p>
<p>“Darkest Hour,” a Focus Features release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America “for some thematic material.” Running time: 125 minutes. Three stars out of four.</p>
<p>Words matter. That’s one of the key messages of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEISCLGZ6HE" type="external">“Darkest Hour,”</a> in which Gary Oldman embodies — fiercely and memorably — the legendary Winston Churchill, who rallied his country with soaring oratory when Britain’s very survival was at stake.</p>
<p>But the same man who uttered indelible phrases like “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” — and many others — was also a human being, the film argues, with fears and doubts and insecurities and flaws. “Just be yourself,” Churchill’s wife, Clementine (a briskly effective Kristin Scott Thomas) advises him as he heads off, full of jitters, to meet the king and become the wartime prime minister. Later, he raises a glass with Clementine, with a fervent wish: “Here’s to not buggering it up.”</p>
<p>“Buggering it up” was certainly a risk — both for Churchill, and for Oldman or any actor attempting to embody the great man. It’s hard enough to portray a revered real-life figure — and harder yet with such a larger-than-life persona, physically and otherwise. It won’t be a surprise to fans of the skilled Oldman that he avoids mimicry or caricature, and it’s an even better treat that he’s able to so adeptly balance conviction with doubt, courage with fear, and gravity with humor. (Kudos are due as well to the superb makeup by Kazuhiro Tsuji, jowls and all.)</p>
<p>“Darkest Hour,” directed by Joe Wright and written by Anthony McCarten, focuses on one month in 1940 that saw Churchill rise to office and face down his political foes and a wary British monarch as he navigated the threat of looming war against Adolf Hitler’s forces. Though Wright is known for his sweeping filmmaking in another war film, “Atonement,” here he focuses not on the beaches of Dunkirk but on dimly lit interiors like the underground war rooms at Westminster Palace, the halls of Parliament, and Churchill’s own bedroom.</p>
<p>The film is, in a sense, a companion piece — by way of timing, at least — to Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” released in the summer. While Nolan focused on the action, Wright focuses on the talk — specifically how Churchill, in the words of one frustrated opponent, “mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t the first choice to be prime minister — not of his party, and certainly not of a skeptical King George VI (an excellent Ben Mendelsohn). But Parliament, as we learn at the beginning of the film, had lost confidence in the ailing Neville Chamberlain, and Churchill was a compromise solution.</p>
<p>He enters office as France and Belgium are on the brink of falling to the Nazis, and most of the British Army is stranded at Dunkirk. The new prime minister is forced to make an agonizing decision: try to negotiate a dubious peace, as Chamberlain desired, or fight — and risk the deaths of a generation of young British men. He’s hated by Chamberlain and his sidekick, Lord Halifax, and doubted by the king, who (initially) finds him scary and unpredictable.</p>
<p>It’s fun to watch the lunch meeting between the restrained king and Churchill, a man of great appetites — and a famous thirst. When the king asks how he can drink during the day, the prime minister replies: “Practice.”</p>
<p>There are many such moments of humor, including when Churchill first meets his new young secretary, Elizabeth Layton (Lily James), and inadvertently flashes his privates under his nightshirt. Or when he warns her as he exits the shower: “I’m coming out in a state of nature!” He’s also shown on the toilet, shouting out that he cannot speak to the Lord Privy Seal because he is “sealed on The Privy.”</p>
<p>Despite such comic moments, which Oldman attacks with gusto, the film’s mood is urgent and dire. The United States cannot help because of neutrality agreements; in a dispiriting phone call with Franklin D. Roosevelt, the U.S. president notes: “It must be late there.” Churchill replies: “In more ways than you can possibly know.”</p>
<p>Ultimately — as we all know — Churchill decides to fight on, and to declare “We will never surrender.” What gets him there? Partly, a ride on the London Underground. The prime minister decides to ditch his aides and take the Tube to Westminster, and on the way, to chat with some commonfolk. To a person, they agree with him that the country must never surrender to the forces of evil.</p>
<p>There are two problems with this scene. First, it’s rather corny. The second is that it never happened. The filmmakers do warn that some material has been fictionalized. But some may be disappointed to learn that one of the most pivotal scenes in the film was manufactured.</p>
<p>Oldman’s performance, though, which has launched him to the forefront of awards season chatter, triumphs over any such qualms. The last few years have seen a number of notable Churchill interpretations. Oldman has set the bar higher still.</p>
<p>“Darkest Hour,” a Focus Features release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America “for some thematic material.” Running time: 125 minutes. Three stars out of four.</p>
| false | 2 |
words matter thats one key messages darkest hour gary oldman embodies fiercely memorably legendary winston churchill rallied country soaring oratory britains survival stake man uttered indelible phrases like nothing offer blood toil tears sweat many others also human film argues fears doubts insecurities flaws churchills wife clementine briskly effective kristin scott thomas advises heads full jitters meet king become wartime prime minister later raises glass clementine fervent wish heres buggering buggering certainly risk churchill oldman actor attempting embody great man hard enough portray revered reallife figure harder yet largerthanlife persona physically otherwise wont surprise fans skilled oldman avoids mimicry caricature even better treat hes able adeptly balance conviction doubt courage fear gravity humor kudos due well superb makeup kazuhiro tsuji jowls darkest hour directed joe wright written anthony mccarten focuses one month 1940 saw churchill rise office face political foes wary british monarch navigated threat looming war adolf hitlers forces though wright known sweeping filmmaking another war film atonement focuses beaches dunkirk dimly lit interiors like underground war rooms westminster palace halls parliament churchills bedroom film sense companion piece way timing least christopher nolans dunkirk released summer nolan focused action wright focuses talk specifically churchill words one frustrated opponent mobilized english language sent battle wasnt first choice prime minister party certainly skeptical king george vi excellent ben mendelsohn parliament learn beginning film lost confidence ailing neville chamberlain churchill compromise solution enters office france belgium brink falling nazis british army stranded dunkirk new prime minister forced make agonizing decision try negotiate dubious peace chamberlain desired fight risk deaths generation young british men hes hated chamberlain sidekick lord halifax doubted king initially finds scary unpredictable fun watch lunch meeting restrained king churchill man great appetites famous thirst king asks drink day prime minister replies practice many moments humor including churchill first meets new young secretary elizabeth layton lily james inadvertently flashes privates nightshirt warns exits shower im coming state nature hes also shown toilet shouting speak lord privy seal sealed privy despite comic moments oldman attacks gusto films mood urgent dire united states help neutrality agreements dispiriting phone call franklin roosevelt us president notes must late churchill replies ways possibly know ultimately know churchill decides fight declare never surrender gets partly ride london underground prime minister decides ditch aides take tube westminster way chat commonfolk person agree country must never surrender forces evil two problems scene first rather corny second never happened filmmakers warn material fictionalized may disappointed learn one pivotal scenes film manufactured oldmans performance though launched forefront awards season chatter triumphs qualms last years seen number notable churchill interpretations oldman set bar higher still darkest hour focus features release rated pg13 motion picture association america thematic material running time 125 minutes three stars four words matter thats one key messages darkest hour gary oldman embodies fiercely memorably legendary winston churchill rallied country soaring oratory britains survival stake man uttered indelible phrases like nothing offer blood toil tears sweat many others also human film argues fears doubts insecurities flaws churchills wife clementine briskly effective kristin scott thomas advises heads full jitters meet king become wartime prime minister later raises glass clementine fervent wish heres buggering buggering certainly risk churchill oldman actor attempting embody great man hard enough portray revered reallife figure harder yet largerthanlife persona physically otherwise wont surprise fans skilled oldman avoids mimicry caricature even better treat hes able adeptly balance conviction doubt courage fear gravity humor kudos due well superb makeup kazuhiro tsuji jowls darkest hour directed joe wright written anthony mccarten focuses one month 1940 saw churchill rise office face political foes wary british monarch navigated threat looming war adolf hitlers forces though wright known sweeping filmmaking another war film atonement focuses beaches dunkirk dimly lit interiors like underground war rooms westminster palace halls parliament churchills bedroom film sense companion piece way timing least christopher nolans dunkirk released summer nolan focused action wright focuses talk specifically churchill words one frustrated opponent mobilized english language sent battle wasnt first choice prime minister party certainly skeptical king george vi excellent ben mendelsohn parliament learn beginning film lost confidence ailing neville chamberlain churchill compromise solution enters office france belgium brink falling nazis british army stranded dunkirk new prime minister forced make agonizing decision try negotiate dubious peace chamberlain desired fight risk deaths generation young british men hes hated chamberlain sidekick lord halifax doubted king initially finds scary unpredictable fun watch lunch meeting restrained king churchill man great appetites famous thirst king asks drink day prime minister replies practice many moments humor including churchill first meets new young secretary elizabeth layton lily james inadvertently flashes privates nightshirt warns exits shower im coming state nature hes also shown toilet shouting speak lord privy seal sealed privy despite comic moments oldman attacks gusto films mood urgent dire united states help neutrality agreements dispiriting phone call franklin roosevelt us president notes must late churchill replies ways possibly know ultimately know churchill decides fight declare never surrender gets partly ride london underground prime minister decides ditch aides take tube westminster way chat commonfolk person agree country must never surrender forces evil two problems scene first rather corny second never happened filmmakers warn material fictionalized may disappointed learn one pivotal scenes film manufactured oldmans performance though launched forefront awards season chatter triumphs qualms last years seen number notable churchill interpretations oldman set bar higher still darkest hour focus features release rated pg13 motion picture association america thematic material running time 125 minutes three stars four
| 908 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>I love going to courthouses with their stately façades and imposing corridors. And inside it’s like watching a big vat of human soup. We all get stirred up together in a courthouse. The poor, the middle class, the rich. People seeking justice, people in big trouble with the law, people whose families are falling apart. The process is fascinating to watch.</p>
<p>Inside courtrooms where the most-watched trials take place there is a group of unsung regulars that I have never written about – professional courtroom artists. Whenever I can I try to get a seat next to one of them. Watching them work is a treat.</p>
<p>Cameras aren’t always allowed in court (especially in federal court) and so the artist is there as a front-row eyewitness to capture the scene, those special moments that can be shown on television or in print to give the public a real feel for what it was like in the room.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Elizabeth Williams is one of these artists, and she has just accomplished something remarkable. After a nine-year effort, she has brought together the artwork of five of the nation’s most experienced courtroom artists in the book “The Illustrated Courtroom – Fifty Years of Court Room Art.” It is a delicious retrospective for court aficionados who can’t get enough of headliner trials.</p>
<p>The vast collection of iconic art is punctuated by captivating personal stories from all five artists: Howard Brodie, Richard Tomlinson, Bill Robles, Aggy Kenny and, of course, Williams herself.</p>
<p>The book begins with the late Brodie’s intricate rendering of the courtroom in which Jack Ruby was found guilty of murdering presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in 1964. Also included is a sketch of Ruby as he heard the verdict.</p>
<p>“Just before the panel brought in a death sentence, Ruby’s Adam’s apple quivered and he gulped,” Brodie wrote on the bottom of that day’s drawing.</p>
<p>From that time in a Dallas courtroom half a century ago, the artwork flows like the pages of a legal history book. Among the many other Brodie accomplishments: the Watergate cover-up trial and the Patty Hearst case.</p>
<p>Richard Tomlinson, also now deceased, was there to see radical Abbie Hoffman on trial for selling cocaine. The artist describes how his long-held philosophy, “To approach each subject as if it is the only chance I’ll ever have to draw them, because it just might be,” came in handy during that 1973 trial. Hoffman skipped bail, changed his name and appearance and didn’t re-surface until 1980.</p>
<p>Tomlinson’s bold drawings of David Berkowitz (aka the “Son of Sam”) are powerful, as was his portrait of Mark David Chapman (John Lennon’s killer), and he spent two full years drawing participants in the Black Panther 21 case.</p>
<p>“Now I’m glad the book took nine years,” Williams told me on the phone. “Because if I’d started it later Howard and Richard would have been gone and we would have had no recollections from them.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Aggie Kenny’s watercolor sketches are riveting. Among her included works are scenes from the trials of Iran-Contra defendants like John Poindexter and Oliver North.</p>
<p>“Strange details sometimes stick with you and I was very aware of Ollie’s mother wearing a prim bright-yellow hat,” Kenny recalls.</p>
<p>Also in the book, Kenny’s drawings from inside the U.S. Supreme Court, John Chambers the “Preppie Murderer,” Sydney Biddle Barrows aka “The Mayflower Madam” (another who favored prim hats) and Jerry Sandusky.</p>
<p>Her 1974 portrait of James Earl Ray is shocking in his nonchalance as he faced charges of assassinating the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.</p>
<p>“Drawing (Ray) in a makeshift courtroom set up in a penitentiary was a first for me,” Kenny says. “I felt as if I was drawing an infamous felon in a school cafeteria.” Kenny reveals that another courtroom artist there that day married Ray the next year.</p>
<p>Much of the book highlights the work of the talented and prolific Bill Robles, considered to be today’s dean of courtroom artists. Based in Los Angeles, he has covered trials for CBS news for more than 40 years and remembers as if it were yesterday his first assignment: the 1970 murder case against Charles Manson and his followers. Robles’ iconic drawing and insider story of how Manson nearly caused a mistrial by displaying to the jury a newspaper headline that read “Manson Guilty Nixon Declares” is not to be missed. Robles’ rendition of the moment Manson grabbed a pencil and leapt to attack the judge graces the book’s front cover.</p>
<p>Robles went on to famously capture for posterity the trials of Roman Polanski, John DeLorean, Timothy McVeigh, O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson and many others.</p>
<p>Included in Williams’ work are drawings from several dirty money cases including the infamous Bernard Madoff’s. Williams was the only artist to render the moment Madoff was led away in handcuffs by federal marshals and it was seen worldwide. Her work from several mob trials are also in the book, along with her personal recollections of each (John Gotti once stood over her and asked in a menacing tone why her drawing of him “wasn’t smiling”).</p>
<p>For me this book was a great trip down memory lane and it reminded me what a service these special artists do for the rest of us. They take us inside courtrooms where many have never been.</p>
<p><a href="" type="external">DianeDimond.com</a>; email to <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p />
| false | 2 |
love going courthouses stately façades imposing corridors inside like watching big vat human soup get stirred together courthouse poor middle class rich people seeking justice people big trouble law people whose families falling apart process fascinating watch inside courtrooms mostwatched trials take place group unsung regulars never written professional courtroom artists whenever try get seat next one watching work treat cameras arent always allowed court especially federal court artist frontrow eyewitness capture scene special moments shown television print give public real feel like room advertisement elizabeth williams one artists accomplished something remarkable nineyear effort brought together artwork five nations experienced courtroom artists book illustrated courtroom fifty years court room art delicious retrospective court aficionados cant get enough headliner trials vast collection iconic art punctuated captivating personal stories five artists howard brodie richard tomlinson bill robles aggy kenny course williams book begins late brodies intricate rendering courtroom jack ruby found guilty murdering presidential assassin lee harvey oswald 1964 also included sketch ruby heard verdict panel brought death sentence rubys adams apple quivered gulped brodie wrote bottom days drawing time dallas courtroom half century ago artwork flows like pages legal history book among many brodie accomplishments watergate coverup trial patty hearst case richard tomlinson also deceased see radical abbie hoffman trial selling cocaine artist describes longheld philosophy approach subject chance ill ever draw might came handy 1973 trial hoffman skipped bail changed name appearance didnt resurface 1980 tomlinsons bold drawings david berkowitz aka son sam powerful portrait mark david chapman john lennons killer spent two full years drawing participants black panther 21 case im glad book took nine years williams told phone id started later howard richard would gone would recollections advertisement aggie kennys watercolor sketches riveting among included works scenes trials irancontra defendants like john poindexter oliver north strange details sometimes stick aware ollies mother wearing prim brightyellow hat kenny recalls also book kennys drawings inside us supreme court john chambers preppie murderer sydney biddle barrows aka mayflower madam another favored prim hats jerry sandusky 1974 portrait james earl ray shocking nonchalance faced charges assassinating rev martin luther king jr drawing ray makeshift courtroom set penitentiary first kenny says felt drawing infamous felon school cafeteria kenny reveals another courtroom artist day married ray next year much book highlights work talented prolific bill robles considered todays dean courtroom artists based los angeles covered trials cbs news 40 years remembers yesterday first assignment 1970 murder case charles manson followers robles iconic drawing insider story manson nearly caused mistrial displaying jury newspaper headline read manson guilty nixon declares missed robles rendition moment manson grabbed pencil leapt attack judge graces books front cover robles went famously capture posterity trials roman polanski john delorean timothy mcveigh oj simpson michael jackson many others included williams work drawings several dirty money cases including infamous bernard madoffs williams artist render moment madoff led away handcuffs federal marshals seen worldwide work several mob trials also book along personal recollections john gotti stood asked menacing tone drawing wasnt smiling book great trip memory lane reminded service special artists rest us take us inside courtrooms many never dianedimondcom email dianedianedimondcom
| 518 |
<p>Jan 23 (Reuters) - Sharps Compliance Corp:</p>
<p>* SAYS FISCAL 2018 Q2 REVENUE OF $11.1 MILLION INCREASED 15% OVER THE PRIOR YEAR SECOND QUARTER - SEC FILING</p> * QTRLY ‍SHR $0.01​
<p>* Q2 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $0.02, REVENUE VIEW $10.1 MILLION -- THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S Source text : ( <a href="http://bit.ly/2F5CkmG" type="external">bit.ly/2F5CkmG</a>) Further company coverage:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SINGAPORE/SAN FRANSICO (Reuters) - Ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] has agreed to sell its Southeast Asian business to bigger regional rival Grab, the firms said in a statement on Monday, marking the U.S. company’s second retreat from an Asian market.</p> A ComfortDelgro taxi passes Uber and Grab offices in Singapore March 26, 2018. REUTERS/Edgar Su
<p>The deal marks the industry’s first big consolidation in Southeast Asia, home to about 640 million people, and puts pressure on Indonesia’s Go-Jek, which is backed by Alphabet Inc’s ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GOOGL.O" type="external">GOOGL.O</a>) Google and China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=0700.HK" type="external">0700.HK</a>).</p>
<p>As part of the transaction, Uber will take a 27.5 percent stake in the Southeast Asian company and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will join Grab’s board.</p>
<p>Expectations of consolidation in Asia’s fiercely competitive ride-hailing industry were stoked earlier this year when Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=9984.T" type="external">9984.T</a>) made a multi-billion dollar investment in Uber.</p> Slideshow (5 Images)
<p>SoftBank is also one of the main investors in several other big ride-hailing firms including Grab, China’s Didi Chuxing, and India’s Ola.</p>
<p>Ride-hailing companies throughout Asia have relied heavily on discounts and promotions, driving down profit margins.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GOOGL.O" type="external">Alphabet Inc</a> 1026.55 GOOGL.O Nasdaq -26.60 (-2.53%) GOOGL.O 0700.HK 9984.T
<p>Uber, which is preparing for a potential initial public offering in 2019, lost $4.5 billion last year and is facing fierce competition at home and in Asia, as well as a regulatory crackdown in Europe.</p>
<p>“It will help us double down on our plans for growth as we invest heavily in our products and technology,” Khosrowshahi said in a statement.</p>
<p>Grab said it will take over Uber’s operations and assets in eight countries in the region, and will expand its food delivery services.</p>
<p>Reporting by Aradhana Aravindan in Singapore and Heather Somerville in San Fransisco; Writing by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Edwina Gibbs</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>(Reuters) - Remington Outdoor Co Inc [FREDM.UL], one of the largest U.S. makers of firearms, filed for bankruptcy protection on Sunday to carry out a debt-cutting deal with creditors amid mounting public pressure for greater gun control.</p>
<p>The company listed assets in the range of $500 million to $1 billion and liabilities in the range of $500 million to $1 billion. <a href="http://bit.ly/2IS9hWH" type="external">bit.ly/2IS9hWH</a></p>
<p>Remington, America’s oldest gun maker, announced the deal in February to reduce its $950 million debtload in a deal that will transfer control of the company to creditors.</p>
<p>The filing comes after a Feb. 14 shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school that killed 17 and spurred an intense campaign for gun control by activists.</p>
<p>The massacre inspired hundreds of thousands of young Americans to lead huge U.S. anti-gun rallies on Saturday.</p>
<p>In some of the biggest U.S. youth demonstrations for decades, protesters called on lawmakers and President Donald Trump to confront the issue. Voter registration activists fanned out in the crowds, signing up thousands of the nation’s newest voters.</p>
<p>Major U.S. companies and retailers have taken some steps to restrict firearm sales.</p>
<p>Citigroup Inc said last week it will require new retail-sector clients to sell firearms only to customers who passed background checks and to bar sales of high-capacity magazines.</p>
<p>Citi also said it was restricting sales for buyers under 21, a move adopted by other large retailers, while Kroger Co’s superstore chain Fred Meyer said it will stop selling firearms entirely.</p> CERBERUS TO LOSE OWNERSHIP
<p>Cerberus Capital Management LP, the private equity firm that controls Remington, will lose ownership in the bankruptcy.</p>
<p>Remington’s creditors, which sources told Reuters include Franklin Templeton Investments and JPMorgan Asset Management, will exchange their debt holdings for Remington equity.</p>
<p>The creditors inked the debt-cutting deal prior to the Parkland shooting, and it is unclear if any have exited. The restructuring support agreement allows creditors to sell their holdings, but the buyer is bound by the deal.</p>
<p>One investor told IFR, a Thomson Reuters news provider, that his firm had contemplated buying the Remington loans that will be exchanged into equity, which were offered at as low as 25 cents on the dollar.</p>
<p>“We bowed out because we were uncomfortable,” he said.</p>
<p>After a Remington Bushmaster rifle was used in the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in Connecticut in 2012 that killed 20 children and six adults, Cerberus tried unsuccessfully to sell Remington, then known as Freedom Group.</p>
<p>Katie-Mesner Hage, an attorney representing Sandy Hook families in a lawsuit against Remington, said in a prepared statement that she did not expect the gun maker’s bankruptcy would affect their case.</p>
<p>Remington and other gunmakers have suffered from slumping sales in the past year as fears of stricter gun laws have faded.</p>
<p>The chief executive of American Outdoor Brands Corp, maker of the Smith &amp; Wesson gun used in the Parkland shooting, said on March 1 that some gun retailers reported increased sales after the Florida school shooting.</p>
<p>Remington filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.</p>
<p>Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware and Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Gopakumar Warrier</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An adult-film actress who claims she had sex with Donald Trump before he was president said on Sunday she had been threatened in 2011 while in a parking lot with her infant daughter to discourage her from discussing the relationship.</p> Stormy Daniels, an adult film star and director whose real name is Stephanie Clifford is interviewed by Anderson Cooper of CBS News' 60 Minutes program in early March 2018, in a still image from video provided March 25, 2018. CBSNews/60 MINUTES/Handout via REUTERS.
<p>Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, told CBS News’ “60 Minutes” that she was on her way to a fitness class with her child when an unknown man approached her, according to a transcript of the interview released on Sunday.</p>
<p>“And a guy walked up on me and said to me, ‘Leave Trump alone. Forget the story.’ And then he leaned around and looked at my daughter and said, ‘That’s a beautiful little girl. It’d be a shame if something happened to her mom.’ And then he was gone,” Daniels said.</p>
<p>Daniels sued the president on March 6, stating Trump never signed an agreement for her to keep quiet about an “intimate” relationship between them.</p>
<p>White House aides did not immediately respond to requests for comment after the interview aired.</p>
<p>Trump did not respond to reporters’ shouted questions about whether he would watch the interview when he returned to the White House from Florida on Sunday evening.</p>
<p>Daniels’ appearance represented back to back trouble for Trump after an interview broadcast last week on CNN with former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who described a 10-month long affair with Trump starting in 2006.</p>
<p>Trump would have been married to his wife, Melania, during both the alleged extramarital relationships. The first lady accompanied him this weekend to his Florida golf club. A White House spokeswoman said Melania stayed behind as is her custom during their son’s school holiday.</p> Stormy Daniels, an adult film star and director whose real name is Stephanie Clifford is interviewed by Anderson Cooper of CBS News' 60 Minutes program in early March 2018, in a still image from video provided March 25, 2018. CBSNews/60 MINUTES/Handout via REUTERS. NOT ATTRACTED
<p>Daniels told “60 Minutes” that she and Trump had sexual relations only once, but that she had seen him other occasions and he had kept in touch with her.</p>
<p>She said she was not attracted to Trump, who was 60, to Daniels’ 27, in 2006.</p>
<p>The White House has denied he had an affair with Daniels, although Trump lawyer Michael Cohen said he paid her $130,000 of his own money during the 2016 presidential election campaign.</p> Slideshow (2 Images)
<p>The payment could pose a legal problem. Watchdog groups have filed complaints with the Department of Justice and Federal Election Commission, saying that it may have violated campaign finance law by exceeding the limit on the size of a contribution.</p>
<p>Cohen, who has denied that there was an affair, has not explained why he made the payment or said whether Trump was aware of it. Cohen did not respond to requests for comment after the interview aired.</p>
<p>Daniels and her attorney would not discuss in the interview whether they had text messages or other materials that might verify her story.</p>
<p>She was asked why she repeatedly signed statements denying the relationship with Trump, and acknowledged that there could be questions about her credibility.</p>
<p>“I felt intimidated and ... honestly bullied. And I didn’t know what to do. And so I signed it,” Daniels said.</p>
<p>Asked why viewers could be confident now that she was telling the truth, she said, “Cause I have no reason to lie. I’m opening myself up for, you know, possible danger, and definitely a whole lot of s***,” she said.</p>
<p>Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by David Lawder, Sarah Lynch, Steve Holland and Jim Oliphant in Washington, and Karen Freifeld in New York; editing by Caren Bohan and Grant McCool</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SYDNEY (Reuters) - Fears of a full-blown trade war between the United States and China battered Asian shares again on Monday, keeping the safe haven yen near a 16-month peak as investors fretted over the fate of global growth.</p> People walk past an electronic board showing Japan's Nikkei average outside a brokerage at a business district in Tokyo, Japan August 9, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
<p>But E-Mini futures for the S&amp;P 500 .ESc1 leapt 0.6 percent, an unusual move during early Asian hours, after the Wall Street Journal reported the United States and China have quietly started negotiating to improve U.S. access to Chinese markets.</p>
<p>The news was little consolation for Asian shares which were left nursing their wounds.</p>
<p>Japan's Nikkei <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.N225" type="external">.N225</a> was down 0.6 percent after falling to a near six-month trough at open. Chinese shares declined about 1 percent in early trade. SSEC <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.CSI300" type="external">.CSI300</a></p>
<p>MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS slipped 0.2 percent for its fourth consecutive day in the red.</p>
<p>The index is headed for its first quarterly decline since late 2016 as the risk of faster U.S. rate rises and the specter of a trade war spooked investors who had enjoyed a multi-year bull run.</p>
<p>“Protectionism remains a source of volatility and downside for equities,” analysts at JPMorgan said in a note.</p>
<p>“Asia ex-Japan equity outperformance is in part a function of faster growth and capital inflows - both clearly at risk in a trade war.”</p>
<p>South Korea's benchmark share index <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.KS11" type="external">.KS11</a> was the lone bright spot, up 0.1 percent on reports the United States and South Korea were on the verge of a trade deal, including an exemption from U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs for South Korea.</p>
<p>The Korean won KWR= was also firmer after hitting a near one-month trough on the U.S. dollar last week.</p>
<p>U.S. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Friday that could impose tariffs on up to $60 billion of imports from China, although the measures have a 30-day consultation period before they take effect.</p>
<p>The tariffs are on top of additional duties on steel and aluminum on a number of countries including China, which has already hit back with its own plans to slap duties on up to $3 billion of U.S. imports.</p>
<p>U.S. shares were also clobbered last week, with the Dow <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.DJI" type="external">.DJI</a> falling 1.8 percent on Friday, the S&amp;P 500 <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.SPX" type="external">.SPX</a> declining 2.1 percent and the Nasdaq <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.IXIC" type="external">.IXIC</a> off 2.4 percent.</p>
<p>“A faltering US stock market would be contagious, which it has been since Wednesday,” Capital Economics said in a note.</p>
<a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.N225" type="external">Nikkei Inc</a> 20535.88 .N225 Nikkei Index -81.98 (-0.40%) .N225 .CSI300 .KS11 .DJI .SPX
<p>“Stocks in emerging market countries with close to ties to China remain especially vulnerable, as do companies around the world which could be affected by Chinese retaliation,” it added.</p> IN SEARCH OF SAFETY
<p>In the uncertain global economic climate, investors looked to pile into the Japanese yen <a href="/finance/currencies/quote?srcCurr=JPY&amp;destCurr=USD" type="external">JPY=</a>, traditionally a safe haven asset thanks to the country's massive current account surplus.</p>
<p>Speculators added short dollar bets to their portfolios, taking the net short position to its highest in more than a year, according to calculations by Reuters and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for the week to March 20.Short yen positions were cut to the smallest since November 2016.</p>
<p>The yen held at 104.90 after last week going below 105 for the first time since November 2016. The euro <a href="/finance/currencies/quote?srcCurr=EUR&amp;destCurr=USD" type="external">EUR=</a>, another perceived haven for nervous investors, was up 0.1 percent at $1.2367.</p>
<p>The dollar index .DXY tracking the greenback against six other major currencies, was near a one-month low at 89.423.</p>
<p>In commodities, international Brent crude futures LCOcv1 opened above $70 per barrel for the first time since January.Prices were lifted by expectations that OPEC-leader Saudi Arabia may extend supply cuts into 2019, as well as concerns that the United States may re-introduce sanctions against Iran. [O/R]</p>
<p>Spot gold XAU= was flat at $1,346.71 an ounce.</p>
<p>Reporting by Swati Pandey; Editing by Eric Meijer</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
jan 23 reuters sharps compliance corp says fiscal 2018 q2 revenue 111 million increased 15 prior year second quarter sec filing qtrly shr 001 q2 earnings per share view 002 revenue view 101 million thomson reuters ibes source text bitly2f5ckmg company coverage standards thomson reuters trust principles singaporesan fransico reuters ridehailing firm uber technologies inc uberul agreed sell southeast asian business bigger regional rival grab firms said statement monday marking us companys second retreat asian market comfortdelgro taxi passes uber grab offices singapore march 26 2018 reutersedgar su deal marks industrys first big consolidation southeast asia home 640 million people puts pressure indonesias gojek backed alphabet incs googlo google chinas tencent holdings ltd 0700hk part transaction uber take 275 percent stake southeast asian company uber ceo dara khosrowshahi join grabs board expectations consolidation asias fiercely competitive ridehailing industry stoked earlier year japans softbank group corp 9984t made multibillion dollar investment uber slideshow 5 images softbank also one main investors several big ridehailing firms including grab chinas didi chuxing indias ola ridehailing companies throughout asia relied heavily discounts promotions driving profit margins alphabet inc 102655 googlo nasdaq 2660 253 googlo 0700hk 9984t uber preparing potential initial public offering 2019 lost 45 billion last year facing fierce competition home asia well regulatory crackdown europe help us double plans growth invest heavily products technology khosrowshahi said statement grab said take ubers operations assets eight countries region expand food delivery services reporting aradhana aravindan singapore heather somerville san fransisco writing miyoung kim editing edwina gibbs standards thomson reuters trust principles reuters remington outdoor co inc fredmul one largest us makers firearms filed bankruptcy protection sunday carry debtcutting deal creditors amid mounting public pressure greater gun control company listed assets range 500 million 1 billion liabilities range 500 million 1 billion bitly2is9hwh remington americas oldest gun maker announced deal february reduce 950 million debtload deal transfer control company creditors filing comes feb 14 shooting parkland florida high school killed 17 spurred intense campaign gun control activists massacre inspired hundreds thousands young americans lead huge us antigun rallies saturday biggest us youth demonstrations decades protesters called lawmakers president donald trump confront issue voter registration activists fanned crowds signing thousands nations newest voters major us companies retailers taken steps restrict firearm sales citigroup inc said last week require new retailsector clients sell firearms customers passed background checks bar sales highcapacity magazines citi also said restricting sales buyers 21 move adopted large retailers kroger cos superstore chain fred meyer said stop selling firearms entirely cerberus lose ownership cerberus capital management lp private equity firm controls remington lose ownership bankruptcy remingtons creditors sources told reuters include franklin templeton investments jpmorgan asset management exchange debt holdings remington equity creditors inked debtcutting deal prior parkland shooting unclear exited restructuring support agreement allows creditors sell holdings buyer bound deal one investor told ifr thomson reuters news provider firm contemplated buying remington loans exchanged equity offered low 25 cents dollar bowed uncomfortable said remington bushmaster rifle used sandy hook elementary school shooting connecticut 2012 killed 20 children six adults cerberus tried unsuccessfully sell remington known freedom group katiemesner hage attorney representing sandy hook families lawsuit remington said prepared statement expect gun makers bankruptcy would affect case remington gunmakers suffered slumping sales past year fears stricter gun laws faded chief executive american outdoor brands corp maker smith amp wesson gun used parkland shooting said march 1 gun retailers reported increased sales florida school shooting remington filed chapter 11 bankruptcy us bankruptcy court district delaware reporting tom hals wilmington delaware ismail shakil bengaluru editing lisa shumaker gopakumar warrier standards thomson reuters trust principles washington reuters adultfilm actress claims sex donald trump president said sunday threatened 2011 parking lot infant daughter discourage discussing relationship stormy daniels adult film star director whose real name stephanie clifford interviewed anderson cooper cbs news 60 minutes program early march 2018 still image video provided march 25 2018 cbsnews60 minuteshandout via reuters stormy daniels whose real name stephanie clifford told cbs news 60 minutes way fitness class child unknown man approached according transcript interview released sunday guy walked said leave trump alone forget story leaned around looked daughter said thats beautiful little girl itd shame something happened mom gone daniels said daniels sued president march 6 stating trump never signed agreement keep quiet intimate relationship white house aides immediately respond requests comment interview aired trump respond reporters shouted questions whether would watch interview returned white house florida sunday evening daniels appearance represented back back trouble trump interview broadcast last week cnn former playboy model karen mcdougal described 10month long affair trump starting 2006 trump would married wife melania alleged extramarital relationships first lady accompanied weekend florida golf club white house spokeswoman said melania stayed behind custom sons school holiday stormy daniels adult film star director whose real name stephanie clifford interviewed anderson cooper cbs news 60 minutes program early march 2018 still image video provided march 25 2018 cbsnews60 minuteshandout via reuters attracted daniels told 60 minutes trump sexual relations seen occasions kept touch said attracted trump 60 daniels 27 2006 white house denied affair daniels although trump lawyer michael cohen said paid 130000 money 2016 presidential election campaign slideshow 2 images payment could pose legal problem watchdog groups filed complaints department justice federal election commission saying may violated campaign finance law exceeding limit size contribution cohen denied affair explained made payment said whether trump aware cohen respond requests comment interview aired daniels attorney would discuss interview whether text messages materials might verify story asked repeatedly signed statements denying relationship trump acknowledged could questions credibility felt intimidated honestly bullied didnt know signed daniels said asked viewers could confident telling truth said cause reason lie im opening know possible danger definitely whole lot said reporting patricia zengerle additional reporting david lawder sarah lynch steve holland jim oliphant washington karen freifeld new york editing caren bohan grant mccool standards thomson reuters trust principles sydney reuters fears fullblown trade war united states china battered asian shares monday keeping safe yen near 16month peak investors fretted fate global growth people walk past electronic board showing japans nikkei average outside brokerage business district tokyo japan august 9 2017 reuterskim kyunghoon emini futures sampp 500 esc1 leapt 06 percent unusual move early asian hours wall street journal reported united states china quietly started negotiating improve us access chinese markets news little consolation asian shares left nursing wounds japans nikkei n225 06 percent falling near sixmonth trough open chinese shares declined 1 percent early trade ssec csi300 mscis broadest index asiapacific shares outside japan miapj0000pus slipped 02 percent fourth consecutive day red index headed first quarterly decline since late 2016 risk faster us rate rises specter trade war spooked investors enjoyed multiyear bull run protectionism remains source volatility downside equities analysts jpmorgan said note asia exjapan equity outperformance part function faster growth capital inflows clearly risk trade war south koreas benchmark share index ks11 lone bright spot 01 percent reports united states south korea verge trade deal including exemption us steel aluminum tariffs south korea korean kwr also firmer hitting near onemonth trough us dollar last week us president donald trump signed memorandum friday could impose tariffs 60 billion imports china although measures 30day consultation period take effect tariffs top additional duties steel aluminum number countries including china already hit back plans slap duties 3 billion us imports us shares also clobbered last week dow dji falling 18 percent friday sampp 500 spx declining 21 percent nasdaq ixic 24 percent faltering us stock market would contagious since wednesday capital economics said note nikkei inc 2053588 n225 nikkei index 8198 040 n225 csi300 ks11 dji spx stocks emerging market countries close ties china remain especially vulnerable companies around world could affected chinese retaliation added search safety uncertain global economic climate investors looked pile japanese yen jpy traditionally safe asset thanks countrys massive current account surplus speculators added short dollar bets portfolios taking net short position highest year according calculations reuters commodity futures trading commission week march 20short yen positions cut smallest since november 2016 yen held 10490 last week going 105 first time since november 2016 euro eur another perceived nervous investors 01 percent 12367 dollar index dxy tracking greenback six major currencies near onemonth low 89423 commodities international brent crude futures lcocv1 opened 70 per barrel first time since januaryprices lifted expectations opecleader saudi arabia may extend supply cuts 2019 well concerns united states may reintroduce sanctions iran spot gold xau flat 134671 ounce reporting swati pandey editing eric meijer standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,417 |
<p>PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) — The Olympics are coming to one of the most remote, ruggedly beautiful parts of South Korea, an area known for icy winds, a collapsed mining industry, towering granite mountains that blot out the horizon and for a tough, proud, rapidly aging population as curious about the approaching foreign masses as outsiders are about the place they're heading.</p>
<p>With the Olympics just a few weeks away, here are some answers to questions about Pyeongchang and the Korean Peninsula:</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: Is the Korean Peninsula safe?</p>
<p>A: Yes, with a half-century-old caveat.</p>
<p>South Korea is one of the safest places in the world to live and visit. People regularly leave their cellphones and bags on restaurant tables when they go to the restrooms.</p>
<p>But it's also an easy drive to the edge of an incredibly hostile, and nuclear-armed, North Korea. Since U.S. President Donald Trump has begun matching the over-the-top rhetoric North Korea has always favored, there have been worries over the possibility of war. South Koreans, used to decades of threats about turning Seoul into a "sea of fire," are still fairly nonchalant about the North. The presence of 28,500 U.S. military personnel and a massive amount of U.S. and South Korean firepower aimed at North Korea helps. North Korea's dictatorship values its existence above all things, and knows that it could not win a war with South Korea and its U.S. ally. This has tempered the threat since the Korean War ended in 1953.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: Do people speak English?</p>
<p>A: Not many.</p>
<p>But the government has paid for English lessons for some people in the service industry; there will be translation apps and English-speaking volunteers; phone hotlines are available. Adding to these efforts will be South Koreans' natural hospitality and curiosity.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: Where, exactly, am I going?</p>
<p>A: To a lovely, frigid land of mountains, streams and clean air. But also to a more temperate, coastal region known for its seafood and beach.</p>
<p>The Olympics are actually being held in three areas: Pyeongchang, known for mountains and winter sports; Jeongseon, a blue-collar former mining region; and Gangneung, the biggest of the three Olympic towns by far and a bustling port and vacation area along the Sea of Japan, known here as the East Sea. Together they take up South Korea's northeast corner, not far from the border with the North. The inland areas have always been isolated, and while sections have been revamped for the Olympics and the coastal areas are well developed, many places are proudly as they've always been, which is to say they have little in common with the skyscraper glitz and "Gangnam Style" glamour of Seoul.</p>
<p>That, for many Koreans who visit, is the point.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: What can I eat?</p>
<p>A: Korean cuisine is some of the world's best, a daily joy to explore.</p>
<p>Spicy, pungent kimchi; thick fermented soups filled with meat so tender it falls off the bone; barbecued everything; all of it washed down with ubiquitous soju liquor. While food options here aren't as wide as in Seoul, there are local delicacies, including dried pollack (fish), in stews and grilled; grilled and marinated pork and squid; tofu; riced steamed with mountain herbs and some of the country's best beef.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: What's the weather like?</p>
<p>A: Bundle up.</p>
<p>Gangwon Province is one of the country's coldest places. The wind is brutal, and the stadium for the nighttime opening and closing ceremonies is open air and has no heating system. Locals make it a matter of pride not to complain about daily wintertime life, but visitors risk misery if they're unprepared.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: How will I get around?</p>
<p>A: Just in time for the games, high-speed trains will whisk people from Seoul and the Incheon airport to the area in about an hour, compared to three hours or more by car. Also available: more taxis than usual, 150 free inter-city buses and shuttle buses that connect with major hotels and the local airport. Officials hope to reduce traffic by restricting locals' car usage. Outsiders driving in can choose from seven parking lots near the Olympic venues, then take free shuttles to stadiums.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: What else is there to do in Pyeongchang and South Korea?</p>
<p>A: Pyeongchang County is famous for winter sports, with plenty of area ski rental shops. Just driving among the massive granite peaks and frozen streams can be breathtaking. For scenic views, try Odaesan National Park and the Woljeongsa Buddhist temple, which offers overnight stays. You can hike Mount Seonjaryeong and visit sheep ranches in the mountain town of Daegwallyeong.</p>
<p>Jeongseon, with one Olympic venue, the downhill skiing course, has the country's only casino where Koreans may gamble — Gangwon Land. You can pedal "rail bikes" amid the mountains at the Jeongseon Railbike Park, an abandoned coalmining railway track, or walk over a cliffside see-through floor at the Jeongseon Ski Walk on Mount Beyongbangsan.</p>
<p>Gangneung has the vibrant Sacheon and Gyodong districts near the city's famous Gyeongpo Beach and hosts five Olympic venues handling skating, curling and hockey. The Ojukheon House and Municipal Museum is a well-preserved 16th-century Joseon Kingdom-era house. And Jeongdongjin Sunrise Park arguably provides South Korea's best mainland sunrise view.</p>
<p>Seoul offers shopping and nightlife in Gangnam south of the Han River. In the north there are Namdaemun's open air markets and several royal palaces and gardens. A short drive away is the Demilitarized Zone, where soldiers glare at each other across the border, the South Koreans through mirrored sunglasses, as tourists gawk. The always odd mix of Cold War tension and modern tourist trap (the southern side has a Popeyes and amusement park) has gotten stranger since the recent defection of a North Korean soldier. He's recovering from being shot five times by his former comrades during a dash across the line.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Listen to an <a href="http://apple.co/2s2ruHY" type="external">AP Travel podcast</a> about Pyeongchang: <a href="" type="internal">https://apnews.com/afs:Content:1719270175</a></p>
<p>AP writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow AP's Seoul Bureau Chief Foster Klug at twitter.com/apklug</p>
<p>PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) — The Olympics are coming to one of the most remote, ruggedly beautiful parts of South Korea, an area known for icy winds, a collapsed mining industry, towering granite mountains that blot out the horizon and for a tough, proud, rapidly aging population as curious about the approaching foreign masses as outsiders are about the place they're heading.</p>
<p>With the Olympics just a few weeks away, here are some answers to questions about Pyeongchang and the Korean Peninsula:</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: Is the Korean Peninsula safe?</p>
<p>A: Yes, with a half-century-old caveat.</p>
<p>South Korea is one of the safest places in the world to live and visit. People regularly leave their cellphones and bags on restaurant tables when they go to the restrooms.</p>
<p>But it's also an easy drive to the edge of an incredibly hostile, and nuclear-armed, North Korea. Since U.S. President Donald Trump has begun matching the over-the-top rhetoric North Korea has always favored, there have been worries over the possibility of war. South Koreans, used to decades of threats about turning Seoul into a "sea of fire," are still fairly nonchalant about the North. The presence of 28,500 U.S. military personnel and a massive amount of U.S. and South Korean firepower aimed at North Korea helps. North Korea's dictatorship values its existence above all things, and knows that it could not win a war with South Korea and its U.S. ally. This has tempered the threat since the Korean War ended in 1953.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: Do people speak English?</p>
<p>A: Not many.</p>
<p>But the government has paid for English lessons for some people in the service industry; there will be translation apps and English-speaking volunteers; phone hotlines are available. Adding to these efforts will be South Koreans' natural hospitality and curiosity.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: Where, exactly, am I going?</p>
<p>A: To a lovely, frigid land of mountains, streams and clean air. But also to a more temperate, coastal region known for its seafood and beach.</p>
<p>The Olympics are actually being held in three areas: Pyeongchang, known for mountains and winter sports; Jeongseon, a blue-collar former mining region; and Gangneung, the biggest of the three Olympic towns by far and a bustling port and vacation area along the Sea of Japan, known here as the East Sea. Together they take up South Korea's northeast corner, not far from the border with the North. The inland areas have always been isolated, and while sections have been revamped for the Olympics and the coastal areas are well developed, many places are proudly as they've always been, which is to say they have little in common with the skyscraper glitz and "Gangnam Style" glamour of Seoul.</p>
<p>That, for many Koreans who visit, is the point.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: What can I eat?</p>
<p>A: Korean cuisine is some of the world's best, a daily joy to explore.</p>
<p>Spicy, pungent kimchi; thick fermented soups filled with meat so tender it falls off the bone; barbecued everything; all of it washed down with ubiquitous soju liquor. While food options here aren't as wide as in Seoul, there are local delicacies, including dried pollack (fish), in stews and grilled; grilled and marinated pork and squid; tofu; riced steamed with mountain herbs and some of the country's best beef.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: What's the weather like?</p>
<p>A: Bundle up.</p>
<p>Gangwon Province is one of the country's coldest places. The wind is brutal, and the stadium for the nighttime opening and closing ceremonies is open air and has no heating system. Locals make it a matter of pride not to complain about daily wintertime life, but visitors risk misery if they're unprepared.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: How will I get around?</p>
<p>A: Just in time for the games, high-speed trains will whisk people from Seoul and the Incheon airport to the area in about an hour, compared to three hours or more by car. Also available: more taxis than usual, 150 free inter-city buses and shuttle buses that connect with major hotels and the local airport. Officials hope to reduce traffic by restricting locals' car usage. Outsiders driving in can choose from seven parking lots near the Olympic venues, then take free shuttles to stadiums.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Q: What else is there to do in Pyeongchang and South Korea?</p>
<p>A: Pyeongchang County is famous for winter sports, with plenty of area ski rental shops. Just driving among the massive granite peaks and frozen streams can be breathtaking. For scenic views, try Odaesan National Park and the Woljeongsa Buddhist temple, which offers overnight stays. You can hike Mount Seonjaryeong and visit sheep ranches in the mountain town of Daegwallyeong.</p>
<p>Jeongseon, with one Olympic venue, the downhill skiing course, has the country's only casino where Koreans may gamble — Gangwon Land. You can pedal "rail bikes" amid the mountains at the Jeongseon Railbike Park, an abandoned coalmining railway track, or walk over a cliffside see-through floor at the Jeongseon Ski Walk on Mount Beyongbangsan.</p>
<p>Gangneung has the vibrant Sacheon and Gyodong districts near the city's famous Gyeongpo Beach and hosts five Olympic venues handling skating, curling and hockey. The Ojukheon House and Municipal Museum is a well-preserved 16th-century Joseon Kingdom-era house. And Jeongdongjin Sunrise Park arguably provides South Korea's best mainland sunrise view.</p>
<p>Seoul offers shopping and nightlife in Gangnam south of the Han River. In the north there are Namdaemun's open air markets and several royal palaces and gardens. A short drive away is the Demilitarized Zone, where soldiers glare at each other across the border, the South Koreans through mirrored sunglasses, as tourists gawk. The always odd mix of Cold War tension and modern tourist trap (the southern side has a Popeyes and amusement park) has gotten stranger since the recent defection of a North Korean soldier. He's recovering from being shot five times by his former comrades during a dash across the line.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Listen to an <a href="http://apple.co/2s2ruHY" type="external">AP Travel podcast</a> about Pyeongchang: <a href="" type="internal">https://apnews.com/afs:Content:1719270175</a></p>
<p>AP writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow AP's Seoul Bureau Chief Foster Klug at twitter.com/apklug</p>
| false | 2 |
pyeongchang south korea ap olympics coming one remote ruggedly beautiful parts south korea area known icy winds collapsed mining industry towering granite mountains blot horizon tough proud rapidly aging population curious approaching foreign masses outsiders place theyre heading olympics weeks away answers questions pyeongchang korean peninsula ___ q korean peninsula safe yes halfcenturyold caveat south korea one safest places world live visit people regularly leave cellphones bags restaurant tables go restrooms also easy drive edge incredibly hostile nucleararmed north korea since us president donald trump begun matching overthetop rhetoric north korea always favored worries possibility war south koreans used decades threats turning seoul sea fire still fairly nonchalant north presence 28500 us military personnel massive amount us south korean firepower aimed north korea helps north koreas dictatorship values existence things knows could win war south korea us ally tempered threat since korean war ended 1953 ___ q people speak english many government paid english lessons people service industry translation apps englishspeaking volunteers phone hotlines available adding efforts south koreans natural hospitality curiosity ___ q exactly going lovely frigid land mountains streams clean air also temperate coastal region known seafood beach olympics actually held three areas pyeongchang known mountains winter sports jeongseon bluecollar former mining region gangneung biggest three olympic towns far bustling port vacation area along sea japan known east sea together take south koreas northeast corner far border north inland areas always isolated sections revamped olympics coastal areas well developed many places proudly theyve always say little common skyscraper glitz gangnam style glamour seoul many koreans visit point ___ q eat korean cuisine worlds best daily joy explore spicy pungent kimchi thick fermented soups filled meat tender falls bone barbecued everything washed ubiquitous soju liquor food options arent wide seoul local delicacies including dried pollack fish stews grilled grilled marinated pork squid tofu riced steamed mountain herbs countrys best beef ___ q whats weather like bundle gangwon province one countrys coldest places wind brutal stadium nighttime opening closing ceremonies open air heating system locals make matter pride complain daily wintertime life visitors risk misery theyre unprepared ___ q get around time games highspeed trains whisk people seoul incheon airport area hour compared three hours car also available taxis usual 150 free intercity buses shuttle buses connect major hotels local airport officials hope reduce traffic restricting locals car usage outsiders driving choose seven parking lots near olympic venues take free shuttles stadiums ___ q else pyeongchang south korea pyeongchang county famous winter sports plenty area ski rental shops driving among massive granite peaks frozen streams breathtaking scenic views try odaesan national park woljeongsa buddhist temple offers overnight stays hike mount seonjaryeong visit sheep ranches mountain town daegwallyeong jeongseon one olympic venue downhill skiing course countrys casino koreans may gamble gangwon land pedal rail bikes amid mountains jeongseon railbike park abandoned coalmining railway track walk cliffside seethrough floor jeongseon ski walk mount beyongbangsan gangneung vibrant sacheon gyodong districts near citys famous gyeongpo beach hosts five olympic venues handling skating curling hockey ojukheon house municipal museum wellpreserved 16thcentury joseon kingdomera house jeongdongjin sunrise park arguably provides south koreas best mainland sunrise view seoul offers shopping nightlife gangnam south han river north namdaemuns open air markets several royal palaces gardens short drive away demilitarized zone soldiers glare across border south koreans mirrored sunglasses tourists gawk always odd mix cold war tension modern tourist trap southern side popeyes amusement park gotten stranger since recent defection north korean soldier hes recovering shot five times former comrades dash across line ___ listen ap travel podcast pyeongchang httpsapnewscomafscontent1719270175 ap writer kim tonghyung contributed report ___ follow aps seoul bureau chief foster klug twittercomapklug pyeongchang south korea ap olympics coming one remote ruggedly beautiful parts south korea area known icy winds collapsed mining industry towering granite mountains blot horizon tough proud rapidly aging population curious approaching foreign masses outsiders place theyre heading olympics weeks away answers questions pyeongchang korean peninsula ___ q korean peninsula safe yes halfcenturyold caveat south korea one safest places world live visit people regularly leave cellphones bags restaurant tables go restrooms also easy drive edge incredibly hostile nucleararmed north korea since us president donald trump begun matching overthetop rhetoric north korea always favored worries possibility war south koreans used decades threats turning seoul sea fire still fairly nonchalant north presence 28500 us military personnel massive amount us south korean firepower aimed north korea helps north koreas dictatorship values existence things knows could win war south korea us ally tempered threat since korean war ended 1953 ___ q people speak english many government paid english lessons people service industry translation apps englishspeaking volunteers phone hotlines available adding efforts south koreans natural hospitality curiosity ___ q exactly going lovely frigid land mountains streams clean air also temperate coastal region known seafood beach olympics actually held three areas pyeongchang known mountains winter sports jeongseon bluecollar former mining region gangneung biggest three olympic towns far bustling port vacation area along sea japan known east sea together take south koreas northeast corner far border north inland areas always isolated sections revamped olympics coastal areas well developed many places proudly theyve always say little common skyscraper glitz gangnam style glamour seoul many koreans visit point ___ q eat korean cuisine worlds best daily joy explore spicy pungent kimchi thick fermented soups filled meat tender falls bone barbecued everything washed ubiquitous soju liquor food options arent wide seoul local delicacies including dried pollack fish stews grilled grilled marinated pork squid tofu riced steamed mountain herbs countrys best beef ___ q whats weather like bundle gangwon province one countrys coldest places wind brutal stadium nighttime opening closing ceremonies open air heating system locals make matter pride complain daily wintertime life visitors risk misery theyre unprepared ___ q get around time games highspeed trains whisk people seoul incheon airport area hour compared three hours car also available taxis usual 150 free intercity buses shuttle buses connect major hotels local airport officials hope reduce traffic restricting locals car usage outsiders driving choose seven parking lots near olympic venues take free shuttles stadiums ___ q else pyeongchang south korea pyeongchang county famous winter sports plenty area ski rental shops driving among massive granite peaks frozen streams breathtaking scenic views try odaesan national park woljeongsa buddhist temple offers overnight stays hike mount seonjaryeong visit sheep ranches mountain town daegwallyeong jeongseon one olympic venue downhill skiing course countrys casino koreans may gamble gangwon land pedal rail bikes amid mountains jeongseon railbike park abandoned coalmining railway track walk cliffside seethrough floor jeongseon ski walk mount beyongbangsan gangneung vibrant sacheon gyodong districts near citys famous gyeongpo beach hosts five olympic venues handling skating curling hockey ojukheon house municipal museum wellpreserved 16thcentury joseon kingdomera house jeongdongjin sunrise park arguably provides south koreas best mainland sunrise view seoul offers shopping nightlife gangnam south han river north namdaemuns open air markets several royal palaces gardens short drive away demilitarized zone soldiers glare across border south koreans mirrored sunglasses tourists gawk always odd mix cold war tension modern tourist trap southern side popeyes amusement park gotten stranger since recent defection north korean soldier hes recovering shot five times former comrades dash across line ___ listen ap travel podcast pyeongchang httpsapnewscomafscontent1719270175 ap writer kim tonghyung contributed report ___ follow aps seoul bureau chief foster klug twittercomapklug
| 1,212 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>As it rose from a golden, miniature Cleveland skyline toward the ceiling, Queen’s “We Are The Champions” filled Quicken Loans Arena and Cavs fans sang along with Freddie Mercury just as they did in June.</p>
<p>And, incredibly, this was just the warm-up act for a night this city won’t soon forget.</p>
<p>Welcome to the center of the sports galaxy — Cleveland, Ohio.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>On the same night the Cavs celebrated their historic comeback in the NBA Finals, winning a title that not only ended a 52-year drought in Cleveland but energized an entire region, the Indians hosted Game 1 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs next door at Progressive Field.</p>
<p>A perfect sports storm on the shores of Lake Erie.</p>
<p>And an extraordinary night ended just right — the Cavs won, and so did the Indians, who beat the Cubs 6-0.</p>
<p>This type of thing never happened in Cleveland, where sports heartbreak was passed down from generation to generation like family heirlooms. But those days are over. This is a new Cleveland — city of champions.</p>
<p>The Cavs flipped that tired sports script, storming back from a 3-1 deficit to shock the 73-win Golden State Warriors and give Cleveland its first title since 1964, when the Browns won the NFL title. Before receiving their rings on Tuesday night — about an hour before the Indians and Cubs got started — Cleveland re-lived those special days earlier this summer when one its teams finally fought its way all the way to the top.</p>
<p>James was the final player to be introduced and handed his 6.5 karat ring by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. After slipping it on his hand, James, the kid from Akron who delivered on his promise to win a title for Cleveland, looked at the jewelry with admiration and perhaps some astonishment.</p>
<p>Yes, it really happened. Here.</p>
<p>“This is for you guys,” James told the crowd, repeating a message he screamed after the Cavs won Game 7 at Oracle Arena on June 19. “This is all for you.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>James paused and then reminded Cleveland that it remains underdogs — even in victory.</p>
<p>“At this point, if you’re not from here, live here, play here … then it makes no sense for you to live at this point,” said the three-time champion. “Cleveland against the world.”</p>
<p>James made sure to wish luck to the Indians, who overcame adversity all season and won their first AL pennant since 1997. They’re trying to end a 68-year Series title drought against the Cubs, those lovable losers 108 years removed from their last championship.</p>
<p>Once the pomp and pageantry ended, James posted a triple-double as the Cavs opened the season with a 117-88 win over the New York Knicks. The Cubs-Indians game was shown on smaller scoreboards during timeouts and James, now 3-0 in ring ceremony games, applauded from the bench when he saw Robert Perez’s homer give Cleveland a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning.</p>
<p>Afterward, James said the ceremony touched him.</p>
<p>“Very emotional, man,” he said, “and our fans deserve everything that they got tonight and everything that’s going to come in the future. They’ve been supportive of all the sports here and especially us, so it’s great to have a moment like that.”</p>
<p>Before they took the floor for the ceremony, the Cavs, wearing new white-and-gold warmups with 2016 NBA Champions written on the back, looked like little kids getting ready to storm the Christmas tree and tear open presents. Kyrie Irving did a little dance in the hallway outside Cleveland’s locker room and shared a big hug with Kevin Love before James joined them and the team headed into the darkened arena where 20,000-plus fans roared.</p>
<p>Following a video that showed highlights from the epic Game 7 — James’ huge block, Irving’s 3-pointer — Silver introduced Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who has spared no expense in building a super team. Cleveland’s starting five this season will make $100 million in salary.</p>
<p>Gilbert’s gotten greedy, and Cleveland fans don’t mind one bit. After all, most of them have waited a lifetime to see one title.</p>
<p>Why not another.</p>
<p>“When this is all over and that banner goes up there, there is really only one thing left to do — repeat,” Gilbert said. “And, go Tribe.”</p>
<p>There was still an opener to play, but that hardly mattered.</p>
<p>In the hours leading up to the ceremony and Game 1, fans of the Indians, Cavs — and a sizeable contingent of Cubs backers — posed for photos around the two buildings. They were savoring a day many never dreamed possible.</p>
<p>Indians outfielder Coco Crisp stopped and signed autographs on his stroll to work. For Crisp, in his second stint with Cleveland after the Indians traded for him in August, the chance to play in the World Series for the team he started with is beyond special.</p>
<p>“It’s a dream come true,” said Crisp, who also played for the Indians from 2002-05. “To be here now in this situation is unbelievable. And for Cleveland, I mean, what a day. These fans have done a great job of keeping the faith.”</p>
<p>It was rewarded by the Cavaliers, whose championship transcended all three teams and connected Clevelanders like nothing else.</p>
<p>Coach Tyronn Lue, who took over the Cavs midway through last season, shared the story of what it meant to a pair of fans he met after Cleveland won the title. The father and son approached Lue as he had dinner in Las Vegas.</p>
<p>Lue said the man told him, “You don’t understand how much this means to the city of Cleveland. My dad is not alive but he supported all three sports every year. It’s so sad he’s not here to see this. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.”</p>
<p>“Then he broke down and started crying,” Lue said. “That was one of the best moments I experienced this summer.”</p>
| false | 2 |
rose golden miniature cleveland skyline toward ceiling queens champions filled quicken loans arena cavs fans sang along freddie mercury june incredibly warmup act night city wont soon forget welcome center sports galaxy cleveland ohio advertisement night cavs celebrated historic comeback nba finals winning title ended 52year drought cleveland energized entire region indians hosted game 1 world series chicago cubs next door progressive field perfect sports storm shores lake erie extraordinary night ended right cavs indians beat cubs 60 type thing never happened cleveland sports heartbreak passed generation generation like family heirlooms days new cleveland city champions cavs flipped tired sports script storming back 31 deficit shock 73win golden state warriors give cleveland first title since 1964 browns nfl title receiving rings tuesday night hour indians cubs got started cleveland relived special days earlier summer one teams finally fought way way top james final player introduced handed 65 karat ring nba commissioner adam silver slipping hand james kid akron delivered promise win title cleveland looked jewelry admiration perhaps astonishment yes really happened guys james told crowd repeating message screamed cavs game 7 oracle arena june 19 advertisement james paused reminded cleveland remains underdogs even victory point youre live play makes sense live point said threetime champion cleveland world james made sure wish luck indians overcame adversity season first al pennant since 1997 theyre trying end 68year series title drought cubs lovable losers 108 years removed last championship pomp pageantry ended james posted tripledouble cavs opened season 11788 win new york knicks cubsindians game shown smaller scoreboards timeouts james 30 ring ceremony games applauded bench saw robert perezs homer give cleveland 30 lead fourth inning afterward james said ceremony touched emotional man said fans deserve everything got tonight everything thats going come future theyve supportive sports especially us great moment like took floor ceremony cavs wearing new whiteandgold warmups 2016 nba champions written back looked like little kids getting ready storm christmas tree tear open presents kyrie irving little dance hallway outside clevelands locker room shared big hug kevin love james joined team headed darkened arena 20000plus fans roared following video showed highlights epic game 7 james huge block irvings 3pointer silver introduced cavs owner dan gilbert spared expense building super team clevelands starting five season make 100 million salary gilberts gotten greedy cleveland fans dont mind one bit waited lifetime see one title another banner goes really one thing left repeat gilbert said go tribe still opener play hardly mattered hours leading ceremony game 1 fans indians cavs sizeable contingent cubs backers posed photos around two buildings savoring day many never dreamed possible indians outfielder coco crisp stopped signed autographs stroll work crisp second stint cleveland indians traded august chance play world series team started beyond special dream come true said crisp also played indians 200205 situation unbelievable cleveland mean day fans done great job keeping faith rewarded cavaliers whose championship transcended three teams connected clevelanders like nothing else coach tyronn lue took cavs midway last season shared story meant pair fans met cleveland title father son approached lue dinner las vegas lue said man told dont understand much means city cleveland dad alive supported three sports every year sad hes see want thank bottom heart broke started crying lue said one best moments experienced summer
| 545 |
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Alongside Nashville's famous row of honky-tonk bars and nightclubs, a new island-inspired sound is emerging in Music City thanks to a Grammy-winning ambassador for reggae music.</p>
<p>Morgan Heritage started in the early '90s as a sibling band whose father is Jamaican reggae singer Denroy Morgan. Brothers Peter "Peetah," Memmalatel "Mr. Mojo" and Roy "Gramps" Morgan were raised in Massachusetts, but added a Southern touch to their latest album, "Avrakedabra," which was partially recorded in Nashville and is nominated for a Grammy for best reggae album.</p>
<p>Singer Roy "Gramps" Morgan has made Tennessee his home for five years, after being encouraged to visit the city by their Grammy-winning producer Shannon Sanders, who has worked with India.Arie, John Legend and Jonny Lang.</p>
<p>"Coming to Nashville has changed my life," Morgan told The Associated Press. "Just being among the best songwriters. I remember going to a session with Keith Urban and just watching him. The musicianship, that's what kills. That's what we grew up on as a family."</p>
<p>Historically there is a long connection between country music and reggae music. Morgan said that Jamaicans could pick up powerful short wave radio stations from the United States playing artists like Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline, and they also idolized Western films that also featured a lot of traditional country songs. His mother used to play Dolly Parton and Randy Travis, alongside Jamaican artists Toots and the Maytals.</p>
<p>"If you follow reggae music and country music, it's a lot of storytelling," Morgan said. "In reggae we tell the story of people suffering."</p>
<p>Now Morgan is trying to introduce Nashville to reggae. He hosted a regular rooftop reggae party last summer at Acme Feed and Seed, a popular downtown music venue and club, and served as DJ for a local radio station where he spun reggae records and talked about his musical influences. This is all part of his efforts to keep the genre sounding fresh.</p>
<p>"We cannot afford for our genre to be stagnant," Morgan said. "You have reggae from Canada, Germany, Italy, California and right here in America, right here in Nashville, Tennessee."</p>
<p>Sanders said he felt an immediate kinship to Morgan Heritage, given that they also grew up listening to American rock 'n' roll, soul, R&amp;B and gospel.</p>
<p>"He was able to make reggae make sense to me in a lot of ways," Sanders said. "I started getting deeper and deeper into it, since knowing him."</p>
<p>The band's previous album, "Strictly Roots," won the Grammy for best reggae album in 2016, and since the win, they've had to keep up an ambitious international touring schedule. The siblings staying on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean when they came up with a song called "One Family."</p>
<p>Morgan said he immediately thought about reaching out to collaborate with another reggae family, Ziggy and Stephen Marley, sons of reggae icon Bob Marley.</p>
<p>"It was a message to let the world know no matter where you come from, what walk of life you come from, we're all one family," Morgan said. "Just have faith in me and I will have faith in you."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Online: http:// <a href="http://www.morganheritagemusic.com" type="external">www.morganheritagemusic.com</a></p>
<p>__</p>
<p>Follow Kristin M. Hall at Twitter.com/kmhall</p>
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Alongside Nashville's famous row of honky-tonk bars and nightclubs, a new island-inspired sound is emerging in Music City thanks to a Grammy-winning ambassador for reggae music.</p>
<p>Morgan Heritage started in the early '90s as a sibling band whose father is Jamaican reggae singer Denroy Morgan. Brothers Peter "Peetah," Memmalatel "Mr. Mojo" and Roy "Gramps" Morgan were raised in Massachusetts, but added a Southern touch to their latest album, "Avrakedabra," which was partially recorded in Nashville and is nominated for a Grammy for best reggae album.</p>
<p>Singer Roy "Gramps" Morgan has made Tennessee his home for five years, after being encouraged to visit the city by their Grammy-winning producer Shannon Sanders, who has worked with India.Arie, John Legend and Jonny Lang.</p>
<p>"Coming to Nashville has changed my life," Morgan told The Associated Press. "Just being among the best songwriters. I remember going to a session with Keith Urban and just watching him. The musicianship, that's what kills. That's what we grew up on as a family."</p>
<p>Historically there is a long connection between country music and reggae music. Morgan said that Jamaicans could pick up powerful short wave radio stations from the United States playing artists like Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline, and they also idolized Western films that also featured a lot of traditional country songs. His mother used to play Dolly Parton and Randy Travis, alongside Jamaican artists Toots and the Maytals.</p>
<p>"If you follow reggae music and country music, it's a lot of storytelling," Morgan said. "In reggae we tell the story of people suffering."</p>
<p>Now Morgan is trying to introduce Nashville to reggae. He hosted a regular rooftop reggae party last summer at Acme Feed and Seed, a popular downtown music venue and club, and served as DJ for a local radio station where he spun reggae records and talked about his musical influences. This is all part of his efforts to keep the genre sounding fresh.</p>
<p>"We cannot afford for our genre to be stagnant," Morgan said. "You have reggae from Canada, Germany, Italy, California and right here in America, right here in Nashville, Tennessee."</p>
<p>Sanders said he felt an immediate kinship to Morgan Heritage, given that they also grew up listening to American rock 'n' roll, soul, R&amp;B and gospel.</p>
<p>"He was able to make reggae make sense to me in a lot of ways," Sanders said. "I started getting deeper and deeper into it, since knowing him."</p>
<p>The band's previous album, "Strictly Roots," won the Grammy for best reggae album in 2016, and since the win, they've had to keep up an ambitious international touring schedule. The siblings staying on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean when they came up with a song called "One Family."</p>
<p>Morgan said he immediately thought about reaching out to collaborate with another reggae family, Ziggy and Stephen Marley, sons of reggae icon Bob Marley.</p>
<p>"It was a message to let the world know no matter where you come from, what walk of life you come from, we're all one family," Morgan said. "Just have faith in me and I will have faith in you."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Online: http:// <a href="http://www.morganheritagemusic.com" type="external">www.morganheritagemusic.com</a></p>
<p>__</p>
<p>Follow Kristin M. Hall at Twitter.com/kmhall</p>
| false | 2 |
nashville tenn ap alongside nashvilles famous row honkytonk bars nightclubs new islandinspired sound emerging music city thanks grammywinning ambassador reggae music morgan heritage started early 90s sibling band whose father jamaican reggae singer denroy morgan brothers peter peetah memmalatel mr mojo roy gramps morgan raised massachusetts added southern touch latest album avrakedabra partially recorded nashville nominated grammy best reggae album singer roy gramps morgan made tennessee home five years encouraged visit city grammywinning producer shannon sanders worked indiaarie john legend jonny lang coming nashville changed life morgan told associated press among best songwriters remember going session keith urban watching musicianship thats kills thats grew family historically long connection country music reggae music morgan said jamaicans could pick powerful short wave radio stations united states playing artists like jim reeves patsy cline also idolized western films also featured lot traditional country songs mother used play dolly parton randy travis alongside jamaican artists toots maytals follow reggae music country music lot storytelling morgan said reggae tell story people suffering morgan trying introduce nashville reggae hosted regular rooftop reggae party last summer acme feed seed popular downtown music venue club served dj local radio station spun reggae records talked musical influences part efforts keep genre sounding fresh afford genre stagnant morgan said reggae canada germany italy california right america right nashville tennessee sanders said felt immediate kinship morgan heritage given also grew listening american rock n roll soul rampb gospel able make reggae make sense lot ways sanders said started getting deeper deeper since knowing bands previous album strictly roots grammy best reggae album 2016 since win theyve keep ambitious international touring schedule siblings staying reunion island indian ocean came song called one family morgan said immediately thought reaching collaborate another reggae family ziggy stephen marley sons reggae icon bob marley message let world know matter come walk life come one family morgan said faith faith ___ online http wwwmorganheritagemusiccom __ follow kristin hall twittercomkmhall nashville tenn ap alongside nashvilles famous row honkytonk bars nightclubs new islandinspired sound emerging music city thanks grammywinning ambassador reggae music morgan heritage started early 90s sibling band whose father jamaican reggae singer denroy morgan brothers peter peetah memmalatel mr mojo roy gramps morgan raised massachusetts added southern touch latest album avrakedabra partially recorded nashville nominated grammy best reggae album singer roy gramps morgan made tennessee home five years encouraged visit city grammywinning producer shannon sanders worked indiaarie john legend jonny lang coming nashville changed life morgan told associated press among best songwriters remember going session keith urban watching musicianship thats kills thats grew family historically long connection country music reggae music morgan said jamaicans could pick powerful short wave radio stations united states playing artists like jim reeves patsy cline also idolized western films also featured lot traditional country songs mother used play dolly parton randy travis alongside jamaican artists toots maytals follow reggae music country music lot storytelling morgan said reggae tell story people suffering morgan trying introduce nashville reggae hosted regular rooftop reggae party last summer acme feed seed popular downtown music venue club served dj local radio station spun reggae records talked musical influences part efforts keep genre sounding fresh afford genre stagnant morgan said reggae canada germany italy california right america right nashville tennessee sanders said felt immediate kinship morgan heritage given also grew listening american rock n roll soul rampb gospel able make reggae make sense lot ways sanders said started getting deeper deeper since knowing bands previous album strictly roots grammy best reggae album 2016 since win theyve keep ambitious international touring schedule siblings staying reunion island indian ocean came song called one family morgan said immediately thought reaching collaborate another reggae family ziggy stephen marley sons reggae icon bob marley message let world know matter come walk life come one family morgan said faith faith ___ online http wwwmorganheritagemusiccom __ follow kristin hall twittercomkmhall
| 644 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>“We would look at each other and ask, ‘Are we going too far?'” says DiCaprio. Rarely was the answer “yes.”</p>
<p>The two longtime collaborators pushed the based-on-a-true-story tale to the limits of outrageousness, decency and MPAA approval. With pinstripe suits instead of togas, it’s their “Satyricon,” their “Caligula”: a nearly three-hour-long orgy of money, sex and drugs.</p>
<p>The partnership between the 71-year-old Scorsese and DiCaprio, 39, has now stretched over five films and more than a dozen years. They’ve together been able to carve out a space for the kind of daring Hollywood typically shuns. “Anything goes” is far from the mantra of today’s movie business.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I don’t think people really quite understand how unique this movie is,” says DiCaprio, while Scorsese, sitting next to him, nods. “No matter what they think of the movie, you do not see films like this happening.”</p>
<p>Scorsese and DiCaprio recently sat down for a joint interview to discuss their latest film, which opened Christmas Day. On the surface, they exude the dynamic of master and pupil. But they’re on more equal footing, bonded by a desire to make movies like those from the ’70s that DiCaprio grew up admiring and Scorsese actually made. In the last 13 years, Scorsese has made only one fictional film (“Hugo”) that didn’t star DiCaprio.</p>
<p>“Over the years, it’s been about learning more, fine-tuning the instruments together, so to speak, and discovering more from each other in the process,” says Scorsese. They co-produced “The Wolf of Wall Street,” which Warner Bros. turned down in 2008 before it was reborn with Paramount Pictures.</p>
<p>Ironically, Scorsese was tipped off to DiCaprio’s talent by the actor he’s most associated with: Robert De Niro. After De Niro made 1993’s “This Boy’s Life,” he recommended an 18-year-old DiCaprio to Scorsese. That would spark a pairing that has grown to rival De Niro’s own with Scorsese (eight films).</p>
<p>DiCaprio was in his mid-20s when he sought out a part in Scorsese’s bloody New York tale, “Gangs of New York.” The Howard Hughes biopic, “The Aviator,” followed, a movie that DiCaprio (who landed his first lead actor Oscar nomination) suggested to Scorsese. Then came the Boston crime flick “The Departed” (earning Scorsese his first directing Academy Award) and the ’50s noir “Shutter Island.”</p>
<p>“It hasn’t been calculated at all,” says DiCaprio. “I brought projects to him. Projects have come to us. And we just kind of both said, ‘Yes, that’s the type of movie we want to do.’ It’s been this really natural progression. We’ve taken more and more chances. And, certainly, I’ve grown more as an actor having a trusted ally.”</p>
<p>“The Wolf of Wall Street,” written by Terence Winter (“Boardwalk Empire”), is adapted from Jordan Belfort’s memoir about his heady rise from a Long Island penny stock trader to a wealthy stock swindler presiding over the brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont.</p>
<p>Schooled by an early boss (Matthew McConaughey) on the “fairy dust” that is high finance, Belfort recklessly plunders his clients’ pockets to make himself rich, and to finance a parade of prostitutes, cocaine and Quaaludes. DiCaprio calls the movie “a biography of a scumbag.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“It has to be seen. It has to be experienced,” says Scorsese. “If it raises the ire of some people, that might be a good thing because it makes you think about it.”</p>
<p>Though DiCaprio has spent much of his post-“Titanic” career taking on iconic, somewhat stiff, roles like J. Edgar Hoover, Jay Gatsby and Howard Hughes, his performance as Belfort is wildly uninhibited – more like he was in Woody Allen’s “Celebrity.” In scenes in front of hundreds of cheering extras playing sycophant employees, DiCaprio identified with Belfort’s swelling ego. He felt, he says, “like a rock star.”</p>
<p>“Jordan’s character had been brewing in me for a while,” says DiCaprio. “I had been thinking about this for six years, so I knew something was going to come out. Some beast was going to come out. I just didn’t know what it was going to be.”</p>
<p>“He was enjoying himself with the character,” says Scorsese. “I didn’t want to stand back and say, ‘This is bad behavior.’ It’s not for us to say, it’s for us to present. And obviously it’s bad behavior.”</p>
<p>The arc of the movie will recall for many Scorsese’s “Goodfellas.” It could be that Scorsese identifies with the voracious appetites of Belfort and Henry Hill because he shares it, only his taste is for movies. He paraphrases Frank Capra: “Film is a disease and the only antidote is more film.”</p>
<p>Though Scorsese remains an unusually prolific filmmaker, he signals an acceptance that his time is waning: “Who knows? You may have a couple of minutes left. You may have 20 years left.</p>
<p>“I want to do so much, and when you get to this vantage point, there’s not much time left.”</p>
<p>Scorsese compares new films to a diet of Big Macs being served to young people like his teenage daughter. “It’s not cinema anymore,” he says. “It’s a blockbuster.”</p>
<p>“What’s their idea of what cinema is? A film that opens on a weekend and the money it makes on a Friday night,” he says. “The only way that can really be changed is if the audience changes. But how can you change the audience now because they’ve been raised on it? A young person won’t take it as seriously, maybe.”</p>
<p>For now, he and DiCaprio (their career together will be honored by the National Board of Review) hope to work together again, continuing to evade industry pressures as a duo. Says the Los Angeles-native DiCaprio: “I’ve been given an opportunity to finance movies based on my name and what am I going to do with that? … It’s an opportunity that I’d feel like an idiot to squander.”</p>
<p>Unlike the business of Wall Street, the results aren’t “fairy dust.”</p>
<p>“Good, bad or indifferent, we’re trying to make something so we can sit here and talk about it,” says Scorsese. “If you’re taking money from here and here, and nothing comes out, what is it for? What are you creating?”</p>
<p />
<p />
| false | 2 |
would look ask going far says dicaprio rarely answer yes two longtime collaborators pushed basedonatruestory tale limits outrageousness decency mpaa approval pinstripe suits instead togas satyricon caligula nearly threehourlong orgy money sex drugs partnership 71yearold scorsese dicaprio 39 stretched five films dozen years theyve together able carve space kind daring hollywood typically shuns anything goes far mantra todays movie business advertisement dont think people really quite understand unique movie says dicaprio scorsese sitting next nods matter think movie see films like happening scorsese dicaprio recently sat joint interview discuss latest film opened christmas day surface exude dynamic master pupil theyre equal footing bonded desire make movies like 70s dicaprio grew admiring scorsese actually made last 13 years scorsese made one fictional film hugo didnt star dicaprio years learning finetuning instruments together speak discovering process says scorsese coproduced wolf wall street warner bros turned 2008 reborn paramount pictures ironically scorsese tipped dicaprios talent actor hes associated robert de niro de niro made 1993s boys life recommended 18yearold dicaprio scorsese would spark pairing grown rival de niros scorsese eight films dicaprio mid20s sought part scorseses bloody new york tale gangs new york howard hughes biopic aviator followed movie dicaprio landed first lead actor oscar nomination suggested scorsese came boston crime flick departed earning scorsese first directing academy award 50s noir shutter island hasnt calculated says dicaprio brought projects projects come us kind said yes thats type movie want really natural progression weve taken chances certainly ive grown actor trusted ally wolf wall street written terence winter boardwalk empire adapted jordan belforts memoir heady rise long island penny stock trader wealthy stock swindler presiding brokerage firm stratton oakmont schooled early boss matthew mcconaughey fairy dust high finance belfort recklessly plunders clients pockets make rich finance parade prostitutes cocaine quaaludes dicaprio calls movie biography scumbag advertisement seen experienced says scorsese raises ire people might good thing makes think though dicaprio spent much posttitanic career taking iconic somewhat stiff roles like j edgar hoover jay gatsby howard hughes performance belfort wildly uninhibited like woody allens celebrity scenes front hundreds cheering extras playing sycophant employees dicaprio identified belforts swelling ego felt says like rock star jordans character brewing says dicaprio thinking six years knew something going come beast going come didnt know going enjoying character says scorsese didnt want stand back say bad behavior us say us present obviously bad behavior arc movie recall many scorseses goodfellas could scorsese identifies voracious appetites belfort henry hill shares taste movies paraphrases frank capra film disease antidote film though scorsese remains unusually prolific filmmaker signals acceptance time waning knows may couple minutes left may 20 years left want much get vantage point theres much time left scorsese compares new films diet big macs served young people like teenage daughter cinema anymore says blockbuster whats idea cinema film opens weekend money makes friday night says way really changed audience changes change audience theyve raised young person wont take seriously maybe dicaprio career together honored national board review hope work together continuing evade industry pressures duo says los angelesnative dicaprio ive given opportunity finance movies based name going opportunity id feel like idiot squander unlike business wall street results arent fairy dust good bad indifferent trying make something sit talk says scorsese youre taking money nothing comes creating
| 547 |
<p>CINCINNATI (AP) — Some days, it’s more like being a Hollywood star’s agent than a communications official for the zoo. That’s what happens when your prematurely born hippopotamus becomes a global celebrity.</p>
<p>The Cincinnati Zoo has a day of festivities ready for Fiona’s first birthday <a href="http://cincinnatizoo.org/fionas-first-birthday-party/" type="external">party</a> Saturday, and expect plenty more of Fiona in Year 2.</p>
<p>Zoo director Thane Maynard’s own “Saving Fiona” will later this year join the growing library of books about her. The Cincinnati Reds baseball team will feature a Fiona bobblehead, and the minor-league Florence, Kentucky, Freedom plans a Fiona snow globe this summer. There will be a “Fiona’s Cove” exhibit at next month’s annual Cincinnati Home &amp; Garden Show.</p>
<p>Also ahead: additions to the Fiona-themed T-shirts, cookies, ornaments, and even beer from tie-ins by local retailers who have shared an estimated half-million dollars in revenues with the zoo so far.</p>
<p>Not everything gets green-lighted.</p>
<p>“We’ve gotten some strange requests,” said Chad Yelton, zoo spokesman.</p>
<p>Left on the table: proposals to record music and make videos with Fiona, national toy company endorsements, a simulated space launch of Fiona, and a Texas library’s invitation for her to pay a visit.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, zoo staffers are working with Fiona on her transition toward more-typical zoo behavior, with training on responding to verbal cues and receiving grown-up health care from staffers aware that hippos can become aggressive and dangerous. Her bottle-feeding ended a few weeks ago.</p>
<p>“We’re treating her more like a full-time hippo and less like a part-time hippo, part-time human,” said Christina Gorsuch, the zoo’s mammals curator. Fiona will likely double in size in the next year from her current weight of nearly 700 pounds (318 kilograms).</p>
<p>“But she’ll still be her adorable self,” Gorsuch added.</p>
<p>A few steps away, adults raised their cameras and cellphones and children squealed as Fiona swam over to check out her latest throng of fans. “I love Fiona!” shouted 3-year-old Nolyn Hanley after she nosed near the glass where he had been watching for her with little brother A.J.</p>
<p>The numbers speak volumes about her popularity:</p>
<p>— Zoo attendance in 2016 was 1.63 million. In 2017, it rose to 1.87 million.</p>
<p>— Views of the zoo’s Facebook videos in 2016 totaled 8.85 million. From Fiona’s <a href="http://interactives-preview.inside.ap.org/interactives/timeline-fiona-the-hippo/" type="external">birth</a> on Jan. 24, 2017, to Jan. 2, 2018, they totaled 144.4 million.</p>
<p>Some animal rights activists have expressed cynicism, saying the zoo is using a captive animal to boost its marketing.</p>
<p>Fiona came eight months after the May 28, 2016, shooting by a zoo special-response team of an endangered western lowland gorilla after a little boy fell into his enclosure. The death of Harambe spurred criticism of the zoo, while leading to satires and memes over social media that made the slain gorilla a pop-culture icon.</p>
<p>Round-the-clock critical care, with an assist from Cincinnati Children’s hospital personnel, helped the baby born Jan. 24, 2017, grow from a dangerously low 29 pounds (13 kilograms). The zoo kept up online updates through good days and bad, but as she continued to progress, the publicists signaled plans to cut back on the regular updates. That drew blowback from fans hungry, hungry for their “Fiona fix.”</p>
<p>After a year of it, Yelton doesn’t expect the Fiona Frenzy to fade as she leaves her baby days behind.</p>
<p>“She’s still going to be Fiona,” he said. “A superstar.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Dan Sewell at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/dansewell" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/dansewell" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/dansewell</a></p>
<p />
<p>CINCINNATI (AP) — Some days, it’s more like being a Hollywood star’s agent than a communications official for the zoo. That’s what happens when your prematurely born hippopotamus becomes a global celebrity.</p>
<p>The Cincinnati Zoo has a day of festivities ready for Fiona’s first birthday <a href="http://cincinnatizoo.org/fionas-first-birthday-party/" type="external">party</a> Saturday, and expect plenty more of Fiona in Year 2.</p>
<p>Zoo director Thane Maynard’s own “Saving Fiona” will later this year join the growing library of books about her. The Cincinnati Reds baseball team will feature a Fiona bobblehead, and the minor-league Florence, Kentucky, Freedom plans a Fiona snow globe this summer. There will be a “Fiona’s Cove” exhibit at next month’s annual Cincinnati Home &amp; Garden Show.</p>
<p>Also ahead: additions to the Fiona-themed T-shirts, cookies, ornaments, and even beer from tie-ins by local retailers who have shared an estimated half-million dollars in revenues with the zoo so far.</p>
<p>Not everything gets green-lighted.</p>
<p>“We’ve gotten some strange requests,” said Chad Yelton, zoo spokesman.</p>
<p>Left on the table: proposals to record music and make videos with Fiona, national toy company endorsements, a simulated space launch of Fiona, and a Texas library’s invitation for her to pay a visit.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, zoo staffers are working with Fiona on her transition toward more-typical zoo behavior, with training on responding to verbal cues and receiving grown-up health care from staffers aware that hippos can become aggressive and dangerous. Her bottle-feeding ended a few weeks ago.</p>
<p>“We’re treating her more like a full-time hippo and less like a part-time hippo, part-time human,” said Christina Gorsuch, the zoo’s mammals curator. Fiona will likely double in size in the next year from her current weight of nearly 700 pounds (318 kilograms).</p>
<p>“But she’ll still be her adorable self,” Gorsuch added.</p>
<p>A few steps away, adults raised their cameras and cellphones and children squealed as Fiona swam over to check out her latest throng of fans. “I love Fiona!” shouted 3-year-old Nolyn Hanley after she nosed near the glass where he had been watching for her with little brother A.J.</p>
<p>The numbers speak volumes about her popularity:</p>
<p>— Zoo attendance in 2016 was 1.63 million. In 2017, it rose to 1.87 million.</p>
<p>— Views of the zoo’s Facebook videos in 2016 totaled 8.85 million. From Fiona’s <a href="http://interactives-preview.inside.ap.org/interactives/timeline-fiona-the-hippo/" type="external">birth</a> on Jan. 24, 2017, to Jan. 2, 2018, they totaled 144.4 million.</p>
<p>Some animal rights activists have expressed cynicism, saying the zoo is using a captive animal to boost its marketing.</p>
<p>Fiona came eight months after the May 28, 2016, shooting by a zoo special-response team of an endangered western lowland gorilla after a little boy fell into his enclosure. The death of Harambe spurred criticism of the zoo, while leading to satires and memes over social media that made the slain gorilla a pop-culture icon.</p>
<p>Round-the-clock critical care, with an assist from Cincinnati Children’s hospital personnel, helped the baby born Jan. 24, 2017, grow from a dangerously low 29 pounds (13 kilograms). The zoo kept up online updates through good days and bad, but as she continued to progress, the publicists signaled plans to cut back on the regular updates. That drew blowback from fans hungry, hungry for their “Fiona fix.”</p>
<p>After a year of it, Yelton doesn’t expect the Fiona Frenzy to fade as she leaves her baby days behind.</p>
<p>“She’s still going to be Fiona,” he said. “A superstar.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Dan Sewell at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/dansewell" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/dansewell" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/dansewell</a></p>
<p />
| false | 2 |
cincinnati ap days like hollywood stars agent communications official zoo thats happens prematurely born hippopotamus becomes global celebrity cincinnati zoo day festivities ready fionas first birthday party saturday expect plenty fiona year 2 zoo director thane maynards saving fiona later year join growing library books cincinnati reds baseball team feature fiona bobblehead minorleague florence kentucky freedom plans fiona snow globe summer fionas cove exhibit next months annual cincinnati home amp garden show also ahead additions fionathemed tshirts cookies ornaments even beer tieins local retailers shared estimated halfmillion dollars revenues zoo far everything gets greenlighted weve gotten strange requests said chad yelton zoo spokesman left table proposals record music make videos fiona national toy company endorsements simulated space launch fiona texas librarys invitation pay visit meanwhile zoo staffers working fiona transition toward moretypical zoo behavior training responding verbal cues receiving grownup health care staffers aware hippos become aggressive dangerous bottlefeeding ended weeks ago treating like fulltime hippo less like parttime hippo parttime human said christina gorsuch zoos mammals curator fiona likely double size next year current weight nearly 700 pounds 318 kilograms shell still adorable self gorsuch added steps away adults raised cameras cellphones children squealed fiona swam check latest throng fans love fiona shouted 3yearold nolyn hanley nosed near glass watching little brother aj numbers speak volumes popularity zoo attendance 2016 163 million 2017 rose 187 million views zoos facebook videos 2016 totaled 885 million fionas birth jan 24 2017 jan 2 2018 totaled 1444 million animal rights activists expressed cynicism saying zoo using captive animal boost marketing fiona came eight months may 28 2016 shooting zoo specialresponse team endangered western lowland gorilla little boy fell enclosure death harambe spurred criticism zoo leading satires memes social media made slain gorilla popculture icon roundtheclock critical care assist cincinnati childrens hospital personnel helped baby born jan 24 2017 grow dangerously low 29 pounds 13 kilograms zoo kept online updates good days bad continued progress publicists signaled plans cut back regular updates drew blowback fans hungry hungry fiona fix year yelton doesnt expect fiona frenzy fade leaves baby days behind shes still going fiona said superstar ___ follow dan sewell httpwwwtwittercomdansewell cincinnati ap days like hollywood stars agent communications official zoo thats happens prematurely born hippopotamus becomes global celebrity cincinnati zoo day festivities ready fionas first birthday party saturday expect plenty fiona year 2 zoo director thane maynards saving fiona later year join growing library books cincinnati reds baseball team feature fiona bobblehead minorleague florence kentucky freedom plans fiona snow globe summer fionas cove exhibit next months annual cincinnati home amp garden show also ahead additions fionathemed tshirts cookies ornaments even beer tieins local retailers shared estimated halfmillion dollars revenues zoo far everything gets greenlighted weve gotten strange requests said chad yelton zoo spokesman left table proposals record music make videos fiona national toy company endorsements simulated space launch fiona texas librarys invitation pay visit meanwhile zoo staffers working fiona transition toward moretypical zoo behavior training responding verbal cues receiving grownup health care staffers aware hippos become aggressive dangerous bottlefeeding ended weeks ago treating like fulltime hippo less like parttime hippo parttime human said christina gorsuch zoos mammals curator fiona likely double size next year current weight nearly 700 pounds 318 kilograms shell still adorable self gorsuch added steps away adults raised cameras cellphones children squealed fiona swam check latest throng fans love fiona shouted 3yearold nolyn hanley nosed near glass watching little brother aj numbers speak volumes popularity zoo attendance 2016 163 million 2017 rose 187 million views zoos facebook videos 2016 totaled 885 million fionas birth jan 24 2017 jan 2 2018 totaled 1444 million animal rights activists expressed cynicism saying zoo using captive animal boost marketing fiona came eight months may 28 2016 shooting zoo specialresponse team endangered western lowland gorilla little boy fell enclosure death harambe spurred criticism zoo leading satires memes social media made slain gorilla popculture icon roundtheclock critical care assist cincinnati childrens hospital personnel helped baby born jan 24 2017 grow dangerously low 29 pounds 13 kilograms zoo kept online updates good days bad continued progress publicists signaled plans cut back regular updates drew blowback fans hungry hungry fiona fix year yelton doesnt expect fiona frenzy fade leaves baby days behind shes still going fiona said superstar ___ follow dan sewell httpwwwtwittercomdansewell
| 716 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The bug is one in an expanding army of insects draining the life out of forests from New England to the West Coast. Aided by global trade, a warming climate and drought-weakened trees, the invaders have become one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in the United States.</p>
<p>Scientists say they already are driving some tree species toward extinction and are causing billions of dollars a year in damage — and the situation is expected to worsen.</p>
<p>“They are one of the few things that can actually eliminate a forest tree species in pretty short order — within years,” said Harvard University ecologist David Orwig as he walked past dead hemlocks scattered across the university’s 5.8-square-mile research forest in Petersham.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>This scourge is projected to put 63 percent of the country’s forest at risk through 2027 and carries a cost of several billion dollars annually in dead tree removal, declining property values and timber industry losses, according to a peer-reviewed study this year in Ecological Applications.</p>
<p>That examination, by more than a dozen experts, found that hundreds of pests have invaded the nation’s forests, and that the emerald ash borer alone has the potential to cause $12.7 billion in damage by 2020.</p>
<p>Insect pests, some native and others from as far away as Asia, can undermine forest ecosystems. For example, scientists say, several species of hemlock and almost 20 species of ash could nearly go extinct in the coming decades. Such destruction would do away with a critical sponge to capture greenhouse gas emissions, shelter for birds and insects and food sources for bears and other animals. Dead forests also can increase the danger of catastrophic wildfires.</p>
<p>Today’s connected world enables foreign invaders to cross oceans in packing materials or on garden plants, and then reach American forests. Once here, they have rapidly expanded their ranges.</p>
<p>While all 50 states have been attacked by pests, experts say forests in the Northeast, California, Colorado and parts of the Midwest, North Carolina and Florida are especially at risk. Forests in some states, like New York, are close to major trade routes, while others, like in Florida, house trees especially susceptible to pests. Others, like New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine, are experiencing record warming.</p>
<p>“The primary driver of the invasive pest problem is globalization, which includes increased trade and travel,” Andrew Liebhold, a Forest Service research entomologist in West Virginia. “But there are cases where climate change can play an important role. As climates warm, species are able to survive and thrive in more northerly areas.”</p>
<p>The emerald ash borer, first found in 2002 in Michigan, is now in 30 states and has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees. The gypsy moth, discovered in 1869 in Boston, is now found in 20 states and has reached the northern Great Lakes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.</p>
<p>Native bark beetles have taken advantage of warming conditions and a long western drought to rapidly range from Mexico into Canada. An outbreak in Colorado spread across 3.4 million acres of forest from 1996 to 2013, according to the Forest Service, and in California 100 million-plus trees have died in the Sierra Nevada since 2010.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Though small, bugs can easily overwhelm big trees with sheer numbers.</p>
<p>“They drain the resin that otherwise defends the tree,” said Matt Ayres, a Dartmouth College ecologist who worked on the Ecological Applications study. “Then, the tree is toast.”</p>
<p>Forest pests in the era of climate change are especially concerning for timberland owners, said Jasen Stock, executive director of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association.</p>
<p>“We’re dealing with pests we’ve never been around before, never had to manage around before,” Stock said. “It’s something we’re going to be dealing with forever.”</p>
<p>Urban forests, too, are at risk from outbreaks. In Worcester, Massachusetts, a city of about 180,000, an Asian longhorned beetle infestation in 2008 resulted in the removal of 31,000 trees.</p>
<p>“You would leave for work with a tree-lined street, and you come back and there was not a tree in sight,” recalled Ruth Seward, executive director of the nonprofit Worcester Tree Initiative. Most trees have since been replaced.</p>
<p>Though trees can die off quickly, the impact of pests on a forest ecosystem can take decades to play out. Dead hemlocks, for example, are giving way to black birch and other hardwoods. Gone are favorite nesting spots for two types of warblers, as well as the bark that red squirrels love to eat, Harvard’s Orwig said. The birds won’t die off, he said, but their ranges will be restricted.</p>
<p>“It’s a great example of how one species can make a difference in the forest,” Orwig said.</p>
<p>As pests proliferate, scientists seek to contain them.</p>
<p>Among the methods are bio controls, in which bugs that feed upon pests in their native lands are introduced here. Of the 30 states with emerald ash borer outbreaks, the USDA says 24 have released wasp species to combat them. Some scientists worry about introducing another pest; others complain they aren’t effective because they can’t eat enough of the fast-breeding pests to make a difference.</p>
<p>“With all bio controls, the hope is to create balance — balance between predator and prey,” said Ken Gooch, forest health program director for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.</p>
<p>Genetic modifications also offer promise.</p>
<p>On a research farm in Syracuse, New York, are rows of 10-foot chestnut trees tweaked with a wheat gene to make them resistant to chestnut blight, a fungus that came from Japan more than a century ago and killed millions of trees. Genetic engineering could likewise be applied to fight insects, said William Powell, a State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry professor directing the chestnut research.</p>
<p>An alternative strategy, also a slow one, is to plant trees 50 or 100 miles away from their normal range so they can escape pests, or adapt to a more favorable climate, said Steven Strauss, a professor of forest biotechnology at Oregon State University.</p>
<p>“Mother Nature knows best,” he said. “It’s assisted migration.”</p>
<p>To stop the next pest from entering the country, researchers like Gary M. Lovett, of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York, propose measures such as switching from solid wood shipping material that can harbor insects and restricting shrub and tree imports.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, Lovett said new pests are inevitable. “We have this burgeoning global trade,” he said, “so we will get a lot more of these.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press writer Michael Hill in Syracuse, New York, contributed to this report.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP 360 :</p>
<p>Signs and effects of global warming: <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/vr360" type="external">http://bigstory.ap.org/vr360</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>This story has been updated to correct a spelling to the Worcester Tree Initiative, instead of Worchester.</p>
| false | 2 |
bug one expanding army insects draining life forests new england west coast aided global trade warming climate droughtweakened trees invaders become one greatest threats biodiversity united states scientists say already driving tree species toward extinction causing billions dollars year damage situation expected worsen one things actually eliminate forest tree species pretty short order within years said harvard university ecologist david orwig walked past dead hemlocks scattered across universitys 58squaremile research forest petersham advertisement scourge projected put 63 percent countrys forest risk 2027 carries cost several billion dollars annually dead tree removal declining property values timber industry losses according peerreviewed study year ecological applications examination dozen experts found hundreds pests invaded nations forests emerald ash borer alone potential cause 127 billion damage 2020 insect pests native others far away asia undermine forest ecosystems example scientists say several species hemlock almost 20 species ash could nearly go extinct coming decades destruction would away critical sponge capture greenhouse gas emissions shelter birds insects food sources bears animals dead forests also increase danger catastrophic wildfires todays connected world enables foreign invaders cross oceans packing materials garden plants reach american forests rapidly expanded ranges 50 states attacked pests experts say forests northeast california colorado parts midwest north carolina florida especially risk forests states like new york close major trade routes others like florida house trees especially susceptible pests others like new hampshire massachusetts maine experiencing record warming primary driver invasive pest problem globalization includes increased trade travel andrew liebhold forest service research entomologist west virginia cases climate change play important role climates warm species able survive thrive northerly areas emerald ash borer first found 2002 michigan 30 states killed hundreds millions ash trees gypsy moth discovered 1869 boston found 20 states reached northern great lakes according us department agriculture native bark beetles taken advantage warming conditions long western drought rapidly range mexico canada outbreak colorado spread across 34 million acres forest 1996 2013 according forest service california 100 millionplus trees died sierra nevada since 2010 advertisement though small bugs easily overwhelm big trees sheer numbers drain resin otherwise defends tree said matt ayres dartmouth college ecologist worked ecological applications study tree toast forest pests era climate change especially concerning timberland owners said jasen stock executive director new hampshire timberland owners association dealing pests weve never around never manage around stock said something going dealing forever urban forests risk outbreaks worcester massachusetts city 180000 asian longhorned beetle infestation 2008 resulted removal 31000 trees would leave work treelined street come back tree sight recalled ruth seward executive director nonprofit worcester tree initiative trees since replaced though trees die quickly impact pests forest ecosystem take decades play dead hemlocks example giving way black birch hardwoods gone favorite nesting spots two types warblers well bark red squirrels love eat harvards orwig said birds wont die said ranges restricted great example one species make difference forest orwig said pests proliferate scientists seek contain among methods bio controls bugs feed upon pests native lands introduced 30 states emerald ash borer outbreaks usda says 24 released wasp species combat scientists worry introducing another pest others complain arent effective cant eat enough fastbreeding pests make difference bio controls hope create balance balance predator prey said ken gooch forest health program director massachusetts department conservation recreation genetic modifications also offer promise research farm syracuse new york rows 10foot chestnut trees tweaked wheat gene make resistant chestnut blight fungus came japan century ago killed millions trees genetic engineering could likewise applied fight insects said william powell state university new york college environmental science forestry professor directing chestnut research alternative strategy also slow one plant trees 50 100 miles away normal range escape pests adapt favorable climate said steven strauss professor forest biotechnology oregon state university mother nature knows best said assisted migration stop next pest entering country researchers like gary lovett cary institute ecosystem studies new york propose measures switching solid wood shipping material harbor insects restricting shrub tree imports nonetheless lovett said new pests inevitable burgeoning global trade said get lot ___ whittle reported portland maine associated press writer michael hill syracuse new york contributed report ___ ap 360 signs effects global warming httpbigstoryaporgvr360 ___ story updated correct spelling worcester tree initiative instead worchester
| 700 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Critics say the military training disturbs nearby landowners and visitors, is harmful to wildlife habitat and should be conducted on military land instead of in public forests. They also question the need for the proposed 20-year extension of the agreement.</p>
<p>But the Air Force and a Marine Corps unit say the changes proposed are minor and the training areas accurately simulate places to which they have been, and could be, deployed.</p>
<p>Some military units at Kirtland have conducted training in portions of the Cibola since 1977, said Ruth Sutton, public affairs officer for the Cibola National Forest. The training takes place in the Sandia, Mount Taylor, Magdalena and Mountainair ranger districts.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p><a href="https://d3el53au0d7w62.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/A00_j04Nov_military-training-2013.jpg" type="external" />That arrangement was formalized in 1988 when the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Defense signed a master agreement allowing military training to take place in national forests. Since then, the Cibola training activities have been governed by a Special Use Permit issued to the military by the U.S. Forest Service.</p>
<p>Because that agreement expires next year, Kirtland has applied to extend the agreement for another 20 years. It’s also asking for some modifications to the existing permit.</p>
<p>The re-permitting process began in January 2010 when the Forest Service notified congressional staff and federal, state, local and tribal agencies of the proposal, Sutton said. The Forest Service also notified environmental groups, permittees, members of the public and media about the proposal.</p>
<p>An environmental assessment gauging the potential impacts of the plan was released last July and interested parties were given until Aug. 20 to comment – a period critics say was too brief.</p>
<p>Cibola and Air Force officials are now responding to comments made during the comment period, Sutton said.</p>
<p>Forest Service officials are also considering holding public meetings on the proposal, particularly in Magdalena, Sutton said.</p>
<p>Eventually, a “draft decision notice” – one for the Air Force and one for the Forest Service – and a “Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)” will be released for public review and anyone who has previously raised concerns about the proposal will have 45 days to file an objection to the draft decision.</p>
<p>Objections will be subject to review by a “reviewing officer” who, in this instance, will be Regional Forester Cal Joyner, Sutton said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The objection process can include a meeting among the objector, Joyner and Forest Supervisor Elaine Kohrman in an effort to resolve the issues.</p>
<p>Environmental analyses are then conducted, including impacts on federally threatened, endangered and sensitive species, as well as effects to historic or prehistoric sites.</p>
<p>Kohrman will then decide whether to issue the Special Use Permit to the military. Such permits are typically accompanied by a “Plan of Operations” that details the activities allowed in specific locations. The Forest Service conducts inspections during the life of the permit for compliance, Sutton said.</p>
<p>Opposition arises</p>
<p>Arian Pregenzer, who owns 160 acres north of Magdalena, said while she understands the military needs to train pilots and soldiers, she questions why that training has to be done in public forests when the military already owns “nearly 5,500 square miles of land” in New Mexico.</p>
<p>“The noise from helicopters both day and night shakes the houses, and disturbs wildlife and cattle,” Pregenzer said in an Aug. 22 Journal op-ed. “It completely destroys the peace in this wild and open area.”</p>
<p>In a letter to the Forest Service, the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, Backcountry Horsemen of New Mexico, Sierra Club, New Mexico Sportsmen and The Wilderness Society asked the agency to consider alternatives to using forest lands for military training, including limiting military training to military lands.</p>
<p>Pregenzer and the conservation groups suggest the training be conducted on Kirtland, Holloman Air Force Base, White Sands Missile Range or Fort Bliss.</p>
<p>“There are tons of other units, including the Army, already using those spaces,” countered Maj. Daniel Leichssenring, assistant commander of Kirtland’s 58th Special Operations Support Squadron, citing fighter training at Holloman, missile testing at White Sands and tank training at Fort Bliss.</p>
<p>Lt. Col. Christina Willard, 58th Special Operations Support Squadron commander, said training in mountainous areas – as opposed to the relatively lower elevations of Holloman, White Sands and Fort Bliss – is invaluable to Air Force pilots.</p>
<p>“It provides realistic training,” she said. “Because we send people out to units that might not have this terrain there, we train for it here. Then when they’re sent to do operational things overseas, they’ve already worked in that environment before.</p>
<p>“Also, the altitude affects the engines differently, so their takeoffs and landings change. Training at altitude gives them realistic experience, so they know what to expect,” Willard said.</p>
<p>Realistic training</p>
<p>Two Air Force units and one Marine unit based at Kirtland currently train in the Cibola: the 58th Special Operations Wing; the 342nd Training Squadron; and the Marine’s 4th Reconnaissance Battalion.</p>
<p>The 58th Special Operations Wing conducts helicopter combat and cargo air-drop training. The wing’s “helicopter” training primarily involves the CV-22 Osprey, a hybrid aircraft that combines the vertical flight capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and range of a turboprop airplane. In remote areas, the Ospreys land and take off like a helicopter. The 58th also flies HH-60 Pave Hawk and UH-1N Huey helicopters.</p>
<p>That training, which takes place in the Sandia, Mountainair and Magdalena Ranger Districts, trains pilots to approach, land and depart in remote landing zones. Those districts are ideal for high-altitude training, where the thin air affects aircraft handling and efficiency, officers with the 58th said.</p>
<p>Currently, the 58th trains at two helicopter landing zones – one at the southern end of the Manzano Mountains in the Mountainair Ranger District, and one a few miles north of Magdalena in the Magdalena Ranger District. Typically, a landing zone is no larger than 200 feet by 200 feet square.</p>
<p>The 58th conducts about 300 days of training annually, flying about 4,375 sorties, or flights. The average number of training days per year on a given landing zone would range from 52 to 312.</p>
<p>Although those numbers won’t change under the proposal, the Air Force is asking for three additional helicopter landing zones in the Magdalena district.</p>
<p>Kirtland’s 342nd Training Squadron trains pararescuemen, also known as PJs, who are members of Air Force Special Operations combat search-and-rescue teams. Their main mission is rescuing downed air crews in hostile territory.</p>
<p>The 342nd currently conducts four tactics and rescue classes annually in the Mount Taylor and Magdalena ranger districts, and spends up to six days per class in the forest. Although the proposal would allow a maximum of 175 students per year to participate in the training, the classes currently involve an average of 80 students per year, Fleming said.</p>
<p>The 342nd is asking to increase the number of classes from the current four to five per year, and to hold the additional class in the Magdalena Ranger District.</p>
<p>Once or twice a year, a maximum of 80 Marines, Navy Corpsmen and support personnel practice reconnaissance and patrolling techniques in the Cibola, mainly in the Magdalena Ranger District, said Maj. Brian Cillessen, spokesman for the U.S. Marine Corps’ 4th Reconnaissance Battalion</p>
<p>These exercises, which last three to six days, involve Marines moving furtively by foot through mountainous terrain and relaying information about enemy locations, topography, roads and infrastructure to commanders.</p>
<p>The troops are sometimes dropped by air into the area, where they set up base camps consisting of a command post and two-man tents. Under the proposal, the number of reconnaissance training exercises could increase from a maximum of two per year to three.</p>
<p />
<p />
| false | 2 |
critics say military training disturbs nearby landowners visitors harmful wildlife habitat conducted military land instead public forests also question need proposed 20year extension agreement air force marine corps unit say changes proposed minor training areas accurately simulate places could deployed military units kirtland conducted training portions cibola since 1977 said ruth sutton public affairs officer cibola national forest training takes place sandia mount taylor magdalena mountainair ranger districts advertisement arrangement formalized 1988 us department agriculture department defense signed master agreement allowing military training take place national forests since cibola training activities governed special use permit issued military us forest service agreement expires next year kirtland applied extend agreement another 20 years also asking modifications existing permit repermitting process began january 2010 forest service notified congressional staff federal state local tribal agencies proposal sutton said forest service also notified environmental groups permittees members public media proposal environmental assessment gauging potential impacts plan released last july interested parties given aug 20 comment period critics say brief cibola air force officials responding comments made comment period sutton said forest service officials also considering holding public meetings proposal particularly magdalena sutton said eventually draft decision notice one air force one forest service finding significant impact fonsi released public review anyone previously raised concerns proposal 45 days file objection draft decision objections subject review reviewing officer instance regional forester cal joyner sutton said advertisement objection process include meeting among objector joyner forest supervisor elaine kohrman effort resolve issues environmental analyses conducted including impacts federally threatened endangered sensitive species well effects historic prehistoric sites kohrman decide whether issue special use permit military permits typically accompanied plan operations details activities allowed specific locations forest service conducts inspections life permit compliance sutton said opposition arises arian pregenzer owns 160 acres north magdalena said understands military needs train pilots soldiers questions training done public forests military already owns nearly 5500 square miles land new mexico noise helicopters day night shakes houses disturbs wildlife cattle pregenzer said aug 22 journal oped completely destroys peace wild open area letter forest service new mexico wilderness alliance backcountry horsemen new mexico sierra club new mexico sportsmen wilderness society asked agency consider alternatives using forest lands military training including limiting military training military lands pregenzer conservation groups suggest training conducted kirtland holloman air force base white sands missile range fort bliss tons units including army already using spaces countered maj daniel leichssenring assistant commander kirtlands 58th special operations support squadron citing fighter training holloman missile testing white sands tank training fort bliss lt col christina willard 58th special operations support squadron commander said training mountainous areas opposed relatively lower elevations holloman white sands fort bliss invaluable air force pilots provides realistic training said send people units might terrain train theyre sent operational things overseas theyve already worked environment also altitude affects engines differently takeoffs landings change training altitude gives realistic experience know expect willard said realistic training two air force units one marine unit based kirtland currently train cibola 58th special operations wing 342nd training squadron marines 4th reconnaissance battalion 58th special operations wing conducts helicopter combat cargo airdrop training wings helicopter training primarily involves cv22 osprey hybrid aircraft combines vertical flight capabilities helicopter speed range turboprop airplane remote areas ospreys land take like helicopter 58th also flies hh60 pave hawk uh1n huey helicopters training takes place sandia mountainair magdalena ranger districts trains pilots approach land depart remote landing zones districts ideal highaltitude training thin air affects aircraft handling efficiency officers 58th said currently 58th trains two helicopter landing zones one southern end manzano mountains mountainair ranger district one miles north magdalena magdalena ranger district typically landing zone larger 200 feet 200 feet square 58th conducts 300 days training annually flying 4375 sorties flights average number training days per year given landing zone would range 52 312 although numbers wont change proposal air force asking three additional helicopter landing zones magdalena district kirtlands 342nd training squadron trains pararescuemen also known pjs members air force special operations combat searchandrescue teams main mission rescuing downed air crews hostile territory 342nd currently conducts four tactics rescue classes annually mount taylor magdalena ranger districts spends six days per class forest although proposal would allow maximum 175 students per year participate training classes currently involve average 80 students per year fleming said 342nd asking increase number classes current four five per year hold additional class magdalena ranger district twice year maximum 80 marines navy corpsmen support personnel practice reconnaissance patrolling techniques cibola mainly magdalena ranger district said maj brian cillessen spokesman us marine corps 4th reconnaissance battalion exercises last three six days involve marines moving furtively foot mountainous terrain relaying information enemy locations topography roads infrastructure commanders troops sometimes dropped air area set base camps consisting command post twoman tents proposal number reconnaissance training exercises could increase maximum two per year three
| 803 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>WASHINGTON — Eager for a victory, the White House expressed confidence Thursday that a breakthrough on the mired Republican health care bill could be achieved in the House next week. The chamber’s GOP leaders, burned by a March debacle on the measure, were dubious and signs were scant that an emerging plan was gaining enough votes to succeed.</p>
<p>During a White House news conference, Trump said progress was being made on a “great plan” for overhauling the nation’s health care system, though he provided no details.</p>
<p>“We have a good chance of getting it soon,” Trump said. “I’d like to say next week.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The White House optimism is driven largely by a deal brokered by leaders of the conservative Freedom Caucus and the moderate Tuesday Group aimed at giving states more flexibility to pull out of “Obamacare” provisions. A senior White House official acknowledged that it was unclear how many votes Republicans had, but said House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has told the White House that a vote could come together quickly.</p>
<p>Yet GOP lawmakers and aides to party leaders, conservatives and moderates alike were skeptical that the House would vote next week on the health legislation. They cited the higher priority of passing a spending bill within days to avert a government shutdown, uncertainty over details of the developing health agreement and a need to sell it to lawmakers.</p>
<p>Trump said he planned to get “both” a health care deal and a spending bill.</p>
<p>Many Republicans also expressed doubts that the health care compromise would win over enough lawmakers to put the bill over the top, especially among moderates. The bill would repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law and replace it with less generous subsidies and eased insurance requirements.</p>
<p>“Every time they move the scrimmage line, you risk losing other people who were ‘yes’ but this changes them to a ‘no,'” Rep. Dan Donovan, R-N.Y., said Thursday of attempts to win over one end of the GOP spectrum without losing votes from the other side. The Staten Island centrist said he remained a no vote, partly because the legislation would increase Medicaid costs for New York City’s five boroughs.</p>
<p>The White House official and most lawmakers and GOP congressional aides who spoke were not authorized to discuss the internal process publicly and insisted on anonymity.</p>
<p>An outline of a deal has been crafted by Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, who heads the hard-line Freedom Caucus, and New Jersey Rep. Tom MacArthur, a Tuesday Group leader. Vice President Mike Pence also played a role in shaping that plan, Republicans say.</p>
<p>It would deliver a win to moderates by amending the GOP bill to restore Obama’s requirement that insurers cover specified services like maternity care. But in a bid for conservative support, states would be allowed to obtain federal waivers to abandon that obligation.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In addition, states could obtain waivers to an Obama prohibition against insurers charging sick customers higher premiums than consumers who are healthy — a change critics argue would make insurance unaffordable for many. To get those waivers, states would need to have high-risk pools — government-backed insurance for the most seriously ill people, a mechanism that has often failed for lack of sufficient financing.</p>
<p>“It looks to me like we’re headed in the right direction,” Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., a Freedom Caucus member, said Thursday. He said that assuming the outline is translated into legislative text he backs and is added to the health care bill, he would now support the legislation and believes most of Freedom Caucus’ three dozen members would also back it.</p>
<p>The Tuesday Group has roughly 50 members. They don’t necessarily vote as a bloc, and it is unclear how many colleagues MacArthur would bring with him to such an agreement.</p>
<p>The White House is anxious to pass legislation quickly, partly because Trump will likely hit his 100th day in office without a having signed a major piece of legislation.</p>
<p>In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press, budget chief Mick Mulvaney said he was surprised at “the toxicity levels” that have divided the GOP over health care and hoped lawmakers’ two-week break would prove “healing.”</p>
<p>But House GOP leaders face the same problem that’s plagued them for seven years of trying to concoct a plan for repealing Obama’s 2010 law: The party’s conservatives and moderates are at odds over how to do it. With Democrats solidly opposed, Republicans can lose no more than 21 House votes to prevail, and Ryan short-circuited a planned vote last month because more than that would have defected.</p>
<p>That was a major embarrassment to Ryan and Trump, and House leaders are loath to bring a revised health care bill to the House floor unless they are convinced it would pass.</p>
<p>Ryan sent a mixed message about the bill’s prospects in remarks Wednesday to reporters in London.</p>
<p>“It’s difficult to do. We’re very close,” he said, adding, “It’s just going to take us a little time.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writers Julie Bykowicz, Catherine Lucey, Andrew Taylor and Erica Werner contributed to this report.</p>
| false | 2 |
washington eager victory white house expressed confidence thursday breakthrough mired republican health care bill could achieved house next week chambers gop leaders burned march debacle measure dubious signs scant emerging plan gaining enough votes succeed white house news conference trump said progress made great plan overhauling nations health care system though provided details good chance getting soon trump said id like say next week advertisement white house optimism driven largely deal brokered leaders conservative freedom caucus moderate tuesday group aimed giving states flexibility pull obamacare provisions senior white house official acknowledged unclear many votes republicans said house speaker paul ryan rwis told white house vote could come together quickly yet gop lawmakers aides party leaders conservatives moderates alike skeptical house would vote next week health legislation cited higher priority passing spending bill within days avert government shutdown uncertainty details developing health agreement need sell lawmakers trump said planned get health care deal spending bill many republicans also expressed doubts health care compromise would win enough lawmakers put bill top especially among moderates bill would repeal president barack obamas health care law replace less generous subsidies eased insurance requirements every time move scrimmage line risk losing people yes changes rep dan donovan rny said thursday attempts win one end gop spectrum without losing votes side staten island centrist said remained vote partly legislation would increase medicaid costs new york citys five boroughs white house official lawmakers gop congressional aides spoke authorized discuss internal process publicly insisted anonymity outline deal crafted rep mark meadows north carolina heads hardline freedom caucus new jersey rep tom macarthur tuesday group leader vice president mike pence also played role shaping plan republicans say would deliver win moderates amending gop bill restore obamas requirement insurers cover specified services like maternity care bid conservative support states would allowed obtain federal waivers abandon obligation advertisement addition states could obtain waivers obama prohibition insurers charging sick customers higher premiums consumers healthy change critics argue would make insurance unaffordable many get waivers states would need highrisk pools governmentbacked insurance seriously ill people mechanism often failed lack sufficient financing looks like headed right direction rep dave brat rva freedom caucus member said thursday said assuming outline translated legislative text backs added health care bill would support legislation believes freedom caucus three dozen members would also back tuesday group roughly 50 members dont necessarily vote bloc unclear many colleagues macarthur would bring agreement white house anxious pass legislation quickly partly trump likely hit 100th day office without signed major piece legislation interview thursday associated press budget chief mick mulvaney said surprised toxicity levels divided gop health care hoped lawmakers twoweek break would prove healing house gop leaders face problem thats plagued seven years trying concoct plan repealing obamas 2010 law partys conservatives moderates odds democrats solidly opposed republicans lose 21 house votes prevail ryan shortcircuited planned vote last month would defected major embarrassment ryan trump house leaders loath bring revised health care bill house floor unless convinced would pass ryan sent mixed message bills prospects remarks wednesday reporters london difficult close said adding going take us little time ___ associated press writers julie bykowicz catherine lucey andrew taylor erica werner contributed report
| 529 |
<p>It was one of the great Super Bowls ever, a dramatic comeback win that cemented forever the legacies of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.</p>
<p>No one could have predicted February’s game could very well have been the NFL’s last great defining moment.</p>
<p>A league that once seemed untouchable is under siege as the turbulent 2017 regular season draws to a close. A tsunami of troubles — some self-inflicted — have been washing over the NFL, and for the first time in a half century or so the league’s warts are on prominent display.</p>
<p>The national anthem controversy has hurt far more than the league is willing to admit, reaching all the way into the White House. And despite measures taken to protect player brains, it’s increasingly clear that there is little anyone can really do about concussions in a very violent sport.</p>
<p>Turn on the TV on any given Sunday and there are wide swatches of empty seats in stadiums in some cities. The television audience itself is down, though commissioner Roger Goodell says it is only off about 1 percent for the year.</p>
<p>There’s infighting among owners that spilled out in a very public way over Goodell’s new contract extension. And there’s a good chance players won’t be so docile when their 10-year deal expires after the 2020 season and demand guaranteed contracts like players get in almost every other sport.</p>
<p>Even the official pizza of the NFL appears to be in trouble. Papa John’s founder John Schnatter blamed “poor leadership” by the NFL in dealing with the anthem controversy for a drop in recent quarterly profits, only to have the company apologize later on Twitter for saying the protests should have been stopped.</p>
<p>That the NFL is having issues isn’t anything new. The league has had to deal with other controversies in recent years, ranging from Deflategate to the way it deals with domestic violence accusations against players.</p>
<p>But this seems different. These, for the most part, are systemic issues that seem immune to easy solutions.</p>
<p>Basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was thinking along those lines recently when he wrote an op-ed piece predicting that the NBA would one day supplant the NFL as America’s favorite sports league.</p>
<p>That might be a stretch, but the argument could be made that the very violence that made the league so attractive over the years may end up being part of its eventual undoing.</p>
<p>“A broken arm or cracked rib is one thing, the scars that prompt bragging rights, but widespread permanent brain damage that affects players for the rest of their lives is beyond entertainment,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote in the Guardian. “There is nothing sexy about depression and dementia.”</p>
<p>No there isn’t, and because we’re now more enlightened about that it’s no longer entertaining to watch players slam head-on into each other. The conundrum facing the league, though, is that without the very violence that is the core of the game football loses much of its appeal.</p>
<p>That same violence is also to blame for short career spans, which makes it hard for fans to identify with individual players. While the NBA is built on its superstars, NFL teams for the most part consist of interchangeable players that the average fan wouldn’t recognize if they saw them on the street.</p>
<p>The game itself is also unwatchable at times, with way too many stoppages to look at plays in ways never imagined when instant replay first came into existence. No one seems to know just what a catch is anymore, or what causes replay officials in New York to micromanage things not seen by the naked eye.</p>
<p>Still, the NFL continues to draw TV audiences other leagues can only dream of. The Super Bowl gets 100 million viewers, a Sunday night prime-time game might draw 20 million, and even the Thursday night games are for the most part competitive in the national ratings.</p>
<p>And while there are plenty of empty seats in some markets, there are still sign-up lists for season tickets in others.</p>
<p>Americans still like to get their fix of football, but for how long?</p>
<p>A year that began on a high note with Brady and the Patriots overcoming a 25-point deficit to win the first overtime Super Bowl comes to an end with the NFL at a crossroads. There are perilous times ahead as the league tries to find a new balance and retain its appeal while at the same time court a new generation of fans.</p>
<p>The NFL hasn’t killed the golden goose, far from it. That showed when city leaders in Las Vegas agreed to raise $750 million in tourist taxes to bring the Raiders to town beginning with the 2020 season.</p>
<p>But the league can no longer afford to take fans for granted. It can no longer afford to alienate entire cities like San Diego, St. Louis and Oakland simply because there’s more money to be made elsewhere.</p>
<p>There’s a long way to go from the top of the mountain to wherever the NFL may end up 50 years from now.</p>
<p>But it sure seems like the downhill part of the journey has begun.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at [email protected] or <a href="http://twitter.com/timdahlberg" type="external" /> <a href="http://twitter.com/timdahlberg" type="external">http://twitter.com/timdahlberg</a></p>
<p>It was one of the great Super Bowls ever, a dramatic comeback win that cemented forever the legacies of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.</p>
<p>No one could have predicted February’s game could very well have been the NFL’s last great defining moment.</p>
<p>A league that once seemed untouchable is under siege as the turbulent 2017 regular season draws to a close. A tsunami of troubles — some self-inflicted — have been washing over the NFL, and for the first time in a half century or so the league’s warts are on prominent display.</p>
<p>The national anthem controversy has hurt far more than the league is willing to admit, reaching all the way into the White House. And despite measures taken to protect player brains, it’s increasingly clear that there is little anyone can really do about concussions in a very violent sport.</p>
<p>Turn on the TV on any given Sunday and there are wide swatches of empty seats in stadiums in some cities. The television audience itself is down, though commissioner Roger Goodell says it is only off about 1 percent for the year.</p>
<p>There’s infighting among owners that spilled out in a very public way over Goodell’s new contract extension. And there’s a good chance players won’t be so docile when their 10-year deal expires after the 2020 season and demand guaranteed contracts like players get in almost every other sport.</p>
<p>Even the official pizza of the NFL appears to be in trouble. Papa John’s founder John Schnatter blamed “poor leadership” by the NFL in dealing with the anthem controversy for a drop in recent quarterly profits, only to have the company apologize later on Twitter for saying the protests should have been stopped.</p>
<p>That the NFL is having issues isn’t anything new. The league has had to deal with other controversies in recent years, ranging from Deflategate to the way it deals with domestic violence accusations against players.</p>
<p>But this seems different. These, for the most part, are systemic issues that seem immune to easy solutions.</p>
<p>Basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was thinking along those lines recently when he wrote an op-ed piece predicting that the NBA would one day supplant the NFL as America’s favorite sports league.</p>
<p>That might be a stretch, but the argument could be made that the very violence that made the league so attractive over the years may end up being part of its eventual undoing.</p>
<p>“A broken arm or cracked rib is one thing, the scars that prompt bragging rights, but widespread permanent brain damage that affects players for the rest of their lives is beyond entertainment,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote in the Guardian. “There is nothing sexy about depression and dementia.”</p>
<p>No there isn’t, and because we’re now more enlightened about that it’s no longer entertaining to watch players slam head-on into each other. The conundrum facing the league, though, is that without the very violence that is the core of the game football loses much of its appeal.</p>
<p>That same violence is also to blame for short career spans, which makes it hard for fans to identify with individual players. While the NBA is built on its superstars, NFL teams for the most part consist of interchangeable players that the average fan wouldn’t recognize if they saw them on the street.</p>
<p>The game itself is also unwatchable at times, with way too many stoppages to look at plays in ways never imagined when instant replay first came into existence. No one seems to know just what a catch is anymore, or what causes replay officials in New York to micromanage things not seen by the naked eye.</p>
<p>Still, the NFL continues to draw TV audiences other leagues can only dream of. The Super Bowl gets 100 million viewers, a Sunday night prime-time game might draw 20 million, and even the Thursday night games are for the most part competitive in the national ratings.</p>
<p>And while there are plenty of empty seats in some markets, there are still sign-up lists for season tickets in others.</p>
<p>Americans still like to get their fix of football, but for how long?</p>
<p>A year that began on a high note with Brady and the Patriots overcoming a 25-point deficit to win the first overtime Super Bowl comes to an end with the NFL at a crossroads. There are perilous times ahead as the league tries to find a new balance and retain its appeal while at the same time court a new generation of fans.</p>
<p>The NFL hasn’t killed the golden goose, far from it. That showed when city leaders in Las Vegas agreed to raise $750 million in tourist taxes to bring the Raiders to town beginning with the 2020 season.</p>
<p>But the league can no longer afford to take fans for granted. It can no longer afford to alienate entire cities like San Diego, St. Louis and Oakland simply because there’s more money to be made elsewhere.</p>
<p>There’s a long way to go from the top of the mountain to wherever the NFL may end up 50 years from now.</p>
<p>But it sure seems like the downhill part of the journey has begun.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at [email protected] or <a href="http://twitter.com/timdahlberg" type="external" /> <a href="http://twitter.com/timdahlberg" type="external">http://twitter.com/timdahlberg</a></p>
| false | 2 |
one great super bowls ever dramatic comeback win cemented forever legacies tom brady new england patriots one could predicted februarys game could well nfls last great defining moment league seemed untouchable siege turbulent 2017 regular season draws close tsunami troubles selfinflicted washing nfl first time half century leagues warts prominent display national anthem controversy hurt far league willing admit reaching way white house despite measures taken protect player brains increasingly clear little anyone really concussions violent sport turn tv given sunday wide swatches empty seats stadiums cities television audience though commissioner roger goodell says 1 percent year theres infighting among owners spilled public way goodells new contract extension theres good chance players wont docile 10year deal expires 2020 season demand guaranteed contracts like players get almost every sport even official pizza nfl appears trouble papa johns founder john schnatter blamed poor leadership nfl dealing anthem controversy drop recent quarterly profits company apologize later twitter saying protests stopped nfl issues isnt anything new league deal controversies recent years ranging deflategate way deals domestic violence accusations players seems different part systemic issues seem immune easy solutions basketball great kareem abduljabbar thinking along lines recently wrote oped piece predicting nba would one day supplant nfl americas favorite sports league might stretch argument could made violence made league attractive years may end part eventual undoing broken arm cracked rib one thing scars prompt bragging rights widespread permanent brain damage affects players rest lives beyond entertainment abduljabbar wrote guardian nothing sexy depression dementia isnt enlightened longer entertaining watch players slam headon conundrum facing league though without violence core game football loses much appeal violence also blame short career spans makes hard fans identify individual players nba built superstars nfl teams part consist interchangeable players average fan wouldnt recognize saw street game also unwatchable times way many stoppages look plays ways never imagined instant replay first came existence one seems know catch anymore causes replay officials new york micromanage things seen naked eye still nfl continues draw tv audiences leagues dream super bowl gets 100 million viewers sunday night primetime game might draw 20 million even thursday night games part competitive national ratings plenty empty seats markets still signup lists season tickets others americans still like get fix football long year began high note brady patriots overcoming 25point deficit win first overtime super bowl comes end nfl crossroads perilous times ahead league tries find new balance retain appeal time court new generation fans nfl hasnt killed golden goose far showed city leaders las vegas agreed raise 750 million tourist taxes bring raiders town beginning 2020 season league longer afford take fans granted longer afford alienate entire cities like san diego st louis oakland simply theres money made elsewhere theres long way go top mountain wherever nfl may end 50 years sure seems like downhill part journey begun ____ tim dahlberg national sports columnist associated press write tdahlbergaporg httptwittercomtimdahlberg one great super bowls ever dramatic comeback win cemented forever legacies tom brady new england patriots one could predicted februarys game could well nfls last great defining moment league seemed untouchable siege turbulent 2017 regular season draws close tsunami troubles selfinflicted washing nfl first time half century leagues warts prominent display national anthem controversy hurt far league willing admit reaching way white house despite measures taken protect player brains increasingly clear little anyone really concussions violent sport turn tv given sunday wide swatches empty seats stadiums cities television audience though commissioner roger goodell says 1 percent year theres infighting among owners spilled public way goodells new contract extension theres good chance players wont docile 10year deal expires 2020 season demand guaranteed contracts like players get almost every sport even official pizza nfl appears trouble papa johns founder john schnatter blamed poor leadership nfl dealing anthem controversy drop recent quarterly profits company apologize later twitter saying protests stopped nfl issues isnt anything new league deal controversies recent years ranging deflategate way deals domestic violence accusations players seems different part systemic issues seem immune easy solutions basketball great kareem abduljabbar thinking along lines recently wrote oped piece predicting nba would one day supplant nfl americas favorite sports league might stretch argument could made violence made league attractive years may end part eventual undoing broken arm cracked rib one thing scars prompt bragging rights widespread permanent brain damage affects players rest lives beyond entertainment abduljabbar wrote guardian nothing sexy depression dementia isnt enlightened longer entertaining watch players slam headon conundrum facing league though without violence core game football loses much appeal violence also blame short career spans makes hard fans identify individual players nba built superstars nfl teams part consist interchangeable players average fan wouldnt recognize saw street game also unwatchable times way many stoppages look plays ways never imagined instant replay first came existence one seems know catch anymore causes replay officials new york micromanage things seen naked eye still nfl continues draw tv audiences leagues dream super bowl gets 100 million viewers sunday night primetime game might draw 20 million even thursday night games part competitive national ratings plenty empty seats markets still signup lists season tickets others americans still like get fix football long year began high note brady patriots overcoming 25point deficit win first overtime super bowl comes end nfl crossroads perilous times ahead league tries find new balance retain appeal time court new generation fans nfl hasnt killed golden goose far showed city leaders las vegas agreed raise 750 million tourist taxes bring raiders town beginning 2020 season league longer afford take fans granted longer afford alienate entire cities like san diego st louis oakland simply theres money made elsewhere theres long way go top mountain wherever nfl may end 50 years sure seems like downhill part journey begun ____ tim dahlberg national sports columnist associated press write tdahlbergaporg httptwittercomtimdahlberg
| 964 |
<p>ISTANBUL, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Turkish police arrested 42 people including a pro-Kurdish politician overnight for “spreading terrorist propaganda” on social media about Turkey’s military operation against a Kurdish militia in Syria, state media reported on Tuesday.</p>
<p>The police raids, which state-run Anadolu news agency said were focused on the Western province of Izmir, brought the number of such detentions to around 70 since “Operation Olive Branch” was launched at the weekend.</p>
<p>The incursion into the Afrin region targets the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish YPG, viewed by Ankara as a terrorist group and an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought an insurgency in Turkey’s largely Kurdish southeast since 1984.</p>
<p>Counter-terrorism squads launched simultaneous raids in various parts of Izmir and the nearby provinces of Denizli and Manisa, Anadolu said.</p>
<p>It said among those detained was the Izmir head of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the second biggest opposition party in parliament and also accused by Ankara of being an extension of the PKK. It denies the accusation.</p>
<p>Among those arrested were also six suspects accused of spreading propaganda on the streets, which amounted to “harassing people”, the agency said, adding that they were planning to hold a protest in a park.</p>
<p>Police carried out similar arrests related to social media posts across the country, detaining 14 suspects in the eastern provinces of Van, Igdir and Mus, and another five in the Mediterranean province of Mersin.</p>
<p>Ankara has enforced a crackdown since a failed coup in 2016 that critics say has unjustly targeted pro-Kurdish politicians. HDP lawmakers are in jail on terrorism charges, which they deny.</p>
<p>More than 50,000 people have been jailed and face trial since the attempted putsch and 150,000 have been sacked or suspended from their jobs. The government says the moves were necessary given the security threats Turkey faces.</p>
<p>On Monday, authorities in Ankara banned all rallies, protests, meetings and concerts across the capital, for as long as the Afrin operation continues. (Writing by Daren Butler; editing by Ralph Boulton; Editing by Dominic Evans and Ralph Boulton)</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - Top Trump administration officials are asking China to cut tariffs on imported cars, allow foreign majority ownership of financial services firms and buy more U.S.-made semiconductors in negotiations to avoid plans to slap tariffs on a host of Chinese goods and a potential trade war.</p> FILE PHOTO - U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo
<p>A person familiar with the discussions said these were among the asks from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer as they pursue talks with Beijing.</p>
<p>The Wall Street Journal first reported the demands from U.S. officials, saying they came in a letter sent to Beijing last week.</p>
<p>White House trade adviser Peter Navarro confirmed that President Donald Trump asked Mnuchin and Lighthizer to try to resolve trade differences with China.</p>
<p>“We’re hopeful there that China will work with us to basically address some of these practices,” Navarro told CNBC television.</p>
<p>U.S. stocks surged on Monday on the news that the two sides were talking, after a massive rout last week when Trump announced plans to impose tariffs on up to $60 billion of Chinese imports over alleged misappropriation of U.S. intellectual property.</p>
<p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.DJI" type="external">.DJI</a> posted its third biggest point gain ever, rising 669.4 points, or 2.8 percent, to close at 24,202.6 while the broader S&amp;P 500 <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.SPX" type="external">.SPX</a> rose 2.7 percent after a nearly 6 percent drop last week.</p>
<p>Chinese Premier Li Keqiang earlier on Monday said that China and the United States should maintain negotiations and repeated pledges to ease access for American businesses to China’s markets.</p>
<p>Li told a conference that included global chief executives that China would treat foreign and domestic firms equally, would not force foreign firms to transfer technology and would strengthen intellectual property rights, repeating promises that have failed to placate Washington.</p>
<p>Despite a steady stream of fierce rhetoric from Chinese state media lambasting the United States for being a “bully” and warning of retaliation, Chinese and U.S. officials are busy negotiating behind the scenes.</p> TARIFFS TO PROCEED WITHOUT AGREEMENT
<p>In an interview aired on Sunday, Mnuchin told Fox News that he was pursuing an agreement with the Chinese “for them to open up their markets, reduce their tariffs, stop forced technology transfer. These are all the things we want to do.”</p>
<p>“We are proceeding with these tariffs, we’re not putting them on hold unless we have an acceptable agreement that the president signs off on,” Mnuchin added.</p> Slideshow (2 Images)
<p>China has offered to buy more U.S. semiconductors by diverting some purchases from South Korea and Taiwan, the Financial Times reported, citing people briefed on the negotiations. China imported $2.6 billion of semiconductors from the United States last year.</p>
<p>Chinese officials are also working to finalize rules by May - instead of the end of June - to allow foreign financial groups to take majority stakes in Chinese securities firms, the Financial Times said.</p>
<p>“I anticipate that for political reasons it would be logical for China to respond, because countries do,” Blackstone Group ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=BX.N" type="external">BX.N</a>) Chief Executive Stephen Schwarzman told Reuters on Monday on the sidelines of the Beijing conference where Li spoke.</p>
<p>“That’s why I view this more as a skirmish, and I think the interests of both countries are served by resolving some of these matters.”</p>
<p>China called on World Trade Organization members on Monday to unite to oppose Trump’s proposed tariffs targeting alleged intellectual property theft, saying they should “lock this beast back into the cage of WTO rules.”</p>
<a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.DJI" type="external">Dow Jones &amp; Company Inc</a> 24202.6 .DJI Dow Jones Indexes +669.40 (+2.84%) .DJI .SPX BX.N AAPL.O MSFT.O
<p>On Friday, China responded to the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum by declaring plans to levy additional duties on up to $3 billion of U.S. imports, including fruit, nuts and wine.</p>
<p>China could also inflict pain on U.S. multinationals that rely on China for a substantial - and growing - portion of their total revenues, said Alex Wolf, senior emerging markets economist at Aberdeen Standard Investments.</p>
<p>“This could put U.S. companies such as Apple ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AAPL.O" type="external">AAPL.O</a>), Microsoft ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=MSFT.O" type="external">MSFT.O</a>), Starbucks ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=SBUX.O" type="external">SBUX.O</a>), GM ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GM.N" type="external">GM.N</a>), Nike ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=NKE.N" type="external">NKE.N</a>), etc in the firing line,” Wolf said in a note.</p>
<p>China can increase the regulatory burden on U.S companies through new inspections and rules; ban travel; stop providing export licenses of key intermediate goods; raise the tax burden on U.S. multinationals in China; or block U.S. companies from the government procurement market, he said.</p> CAR TARIFF DIFFERENTIAL
<p>The Trump administration has demanded that China immediately cut its $375 billion trade surplus with the United States by $100 billion.</p>
<p>China has a 25 percent tariff on U.S. cars and has talked recently of lowering it, while Trump has often complained that the U.S. import tariff on passenger vehicles is only 2.5 percent. China’s imports of U.S.-built motor vehicles totaled $10.6 billion in 2017, about 8 percent of the country’s overall U.S. imports by value, according to U.S. government data.</p>
<p>On the reported offer to increase U.S. semiconductor imports, it is unclear how U.S. chips would replace South Korean and Taiwanese chips, since there is minimal overlap between U.S. chips and those of the two Asian producers.</p>
<p>China is heavily dependent on foreign semiconductors, one of its biggest import categories by value. That said, the United States accounted for just 1 percent of China’s total semiconductor imports last year by value, according to Reuters calculations based on Chinese customs data.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Matthew Miller, Ben Blanchard, Elias Glenn and Stella Qiu in Beijing and Eric Beech in Washington; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Leslie Adler</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SEOUL (Reuters) - General Motors said its loss-making South Korean operations would file for bankruptcy if its union did not make concessions by April 20, the union said on Tuesday.</p> The logo of GM Korea is seen at its Bupyeong plant in Incheon, South Korea March 12, 2018. Picture taken March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
<p>The comments were made by Barry Engle, President of GM International, during a meeting with GM Korea’s union leader on Monday, the union said in a document reviewed by Reuters.</p>
<p>The U.S. automaker announced in February it would shut down a factory in Gunsan, southwest of Seoul, and that it was mulling the fate of its three remaining plants in South Korea.</p>
<p>Engle said the South Korean government should also promise to provide support for GM Korea by April 20.</p>
<p>GM Korea, which needs $600 million in operational funds by the end of April, may consider more voluntary redundancies for the remaining 680 workers at the Gunsan factory, Engle said according to the union, adding that layoffs were the last option.</p>
<p>A GM Korea spokesman was not immediately available for comment.</p>
<p>The union said earlier this month that it will not demand a pay rise and bonuses this year, but instead wants the U.S. automaker to provide a future production plan and job security.</p>
<p>GM Korea still wants the union to agree to cut benefits, a union official said.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, GM Korea’s second-largest shareholder, state-funded South Korean Development Bank ,began a due-diligence review of GM’s South Korean unit as part of its decision whether to inject more capital into the money-losing operation.</p>
<p>GM Korea, which employs nearly 16,000 people, has previously said that without new funding from its major shareholders it would have a first-quarter “cash crisis”.</p>
<p>Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Lincoln Feast</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Stormy Daniels sued Donald Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen on Monday for defamation, according to court documents, escalating a legal battle between the American president and the porn star that the White House was struggling to contain.</p>
<p>Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, made the claim a day after her widely watched TV interview on “60 Minutes” on CBS. Daniels said she was threatened with violence to keep quiet about her alleged 2006 tryst with Trump.</p>
<p>At the White House, a spokesman in a briefing with reporters cast aspersions on her account. The White House has denied allegations that Trump had a sexual relationship with Daniels.</p>
<p>CBS Corp said the show drew its biggest audience in more than eight years, with 21.3 million Americans tuning in, more than double the previous week’s edition of “60 Minutes.”</p>
<p>Presidential spokesman Raj Shah told the briefing, “The president doesn’t believe any of the claims Ms. Daniels made in the interview last night were accurate.”</p>
<p>Asked if Trump believed Daniels was threatened, Shah said, “No, he does not. ... There’s nothing to corroborate her claim.”</p>
<p>Daniels’ “60 Minutes” appearance also drew a denial from the president’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, that he was involved in the alleged threat of violence against her.</p>
<p>Daniels originally sued Trump on March 6, saying he never signed an agreement for her to stay silent about what she called their “intimate” relationship. Monday’s filing in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles amended the original lawsuit to say Daniels was defamed.</p>
<p>Her attorney, Michael Avenatti, said Cohen “meant to convey that Ms. Clifford is a liar, someone who should not be trusted, and that her claims about her relationship with Mr. Trump” were not true.</p>
<p>Daniels’ defamation allegation was based on a Feb. 13 statement by Cohen that she said hurt her reputation.</p> Stormy Daniels is interviewed by Anderson Cooper. CBSNews/60 MINUTES/via REUTERS
<p>The latest filing also said $130,000 Cohen paid Daniels in October 2016 just before the presidential election to secure her silence amounted to an illegal campaign contribution, and that the agreement should be declared void.</p>
<p>Cohen has said he paid Daniels out of his own pocket, but has not explained why or if Trump was aware of the payment.</p>
<p>In filings with the Justice Department and Federal Election Commission, watchdog groups have said the $130,000 may have exceeded campaign contribution limits, violating U.S. law. Cohen has denied this.</p>
<p>California attorney Michael Overing, who specializes in defamation law, said it would be difficult for Daniels to prevail on her defamation claim because she is a public figure.</p> Slideshow (2 Images)
<p>To prove libel, she would have to show that a false statement was made with either reckless or purposeful disregard for the truth, Overing said.</p>
<p>Trump attorney Cohen’s denial of involvement in the alleged threat against Daniels came in a “cease-and-desist” letter sent to Avenatti shortly after “60 Minutes” aired that demanded a retraction and an apology. A copy of the letter was seen by Reuters on Monday.</p>
<p>The letter said, “Mr. Cohen had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with any such person or incident, and does not even believe that any such person exists, or that such incident ever occurred.”</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-usa-trump-daniels-defamation/stormy-daniels-suing-trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-for-defamation-idUSKBN1H22QN" type="external">Stormy Daniels suing Trump lawyer Michael Cohen for defamation</a>
<p>Daniels said the threat of harm was made by a stranger in a Las Vegas parking lot in 2011.</p>
<p>Avenatti said on NBC on Monday that the man who threatened her while she was with her infant daughter was not Cohen, but “had to be someone that is related to Mr. Trump or Mr. Cohen.”</p>
<p>Last week CNN interviewed former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who described a 10-month affair with Trump starting in 2006.</p>
<p>Trump was married to his wife, Melania, during both alleged relationships. In addition to denying Trump had sex with Daniels, the White House has said he denies having an affair with McDougal.</p>
<p>Reporting by Lisa Lambert and Makini Brice; Additional reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Jonathan Oatis</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - America’s most sweeping expulsion of Russian diplomats since the Cold War may have seemed like a dramatic escalation in Washington’s response to Moscow, but the groundwork for a more confrontational U.S. posture had been taking shape for months — in plain sight.</p> U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam November 11, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
<p>While President Donald Trump’s conciliatory rhetoric toward Moscow has dominated headlines, officials at the U.S. State Department, Pentagon and White House made a series of lower-profile decisions over the past year to counter Russia around the world - from Afghanistan to North Korea to Syria.</p>
<p>The State Department earlier in March announced plans to provide anti-tank missiles to Ukraine to defend against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Trump’s predecessor as president, Barack Obama, had declined to do so over fears of provoking Moscow.</p>
<p>In Syria last month, the U.S. military killed or injured as many as 300 men working for a Kremlin-linked private military firm after they attacked U.S. and U.S.-backed forces. The White House, meanwhile, firmly tied Russia to deadly strikes on civilians in Syria’s eastern Ghouta region.</p>
<p>Both the White House and Pentagon’s top policy documents unveiled in January portrayed Russia as an adversary that had returned to the center of U.S. national security planning.</p>
<p>That was all before the United States said on Monday it would expel 60 Russian diplomats, joining governments across Europe in punishing the Kremlin for a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain that they have blamed on Moscow.</p>
<p>Russia has denied any involvement.</p>
<p>With Monday’s announcement, however, it was unclear whether Trump is promoting - or just acquiescing to - the tougher U.S. stance developed by his advisers and generals.</p>
<p>Trump’s critics sought to portray him as a reluctant actor in any get-tough approach to Russia, even though one senior administration official described him as involved “from the beginning” in the expulsions of Russian diplomats.</p>
<p>“It is disturbing how grudgingly he came to this decision,” said U.S. Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.</p>
<p>Still, the Trump administration’s actions run counter to widespread perception, fueled by the president’s own statements, that Trump has softened America’s stance toward Russian President Vladimir Putin amid a U.S. investigation into Moscow’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election.</p> A sign is seen on the exterior of the Consulate-General of the Russian Federation in Manhattan. REUTERS/Mike Segar
<p>Regardless of the tough actions, the inconsistent messaging may undermine Washington’s strategy to deter Moscow’s aggressive behavior, experts warn.</p>
<p>“U.S. signaling is all undercut by Trump’s lack of seriousness about Russia,” said Andrew Weiss, a Russia expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.</p>
<p>Just last Tuesday, Trump congratulated Putin on his re-election, drawing sharp criticism from fellow Republicans.</p>
<p>But in another sign of mixed messaging, Trump two days later named John Bolton, a strident Russia hawk, to become his national security adviser.</p> DOWNWARD SPIRAL
<p>Although the nerve agent attack was the official trigger for the U.S. expulsions, Trump administration officials warned that the attack should not be viewed in isolation, citing a series of destabilizing and aggressive actions by Moscow.</p>
<p>In Afghanistan, Trump’s top commander on the ground accused Russia again last week of arming Taliban militants.</p>
<p>On North Korea, Trump himself told Reuters in January that Russia was helping Pyongyang evade United Nations sanctions.</p>
<p>And less than two weeks ago, the Trump administration imposed the first sanctions against Russia for election meddling and cyber attacks, though it held off on punishing business magnates close to Putin.</p>
<p>U.S. officials and experts widely expect ties to further deteriorate, at least in the near term, and caution that Russia’s next steps could extend far beyond retaliation against American diplomats.</p>
<p>“The risk of escalation doesn’t just come from tit-for-tat punishments,” said Matthew Rojansky, a Russia expert at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington, citing the potential for more aggressive moves from the Middle East to the cyber realm.</p>
<p>U.S. officials have said the Trump administration still seeks to avoid a complete rupture in bilateral relations. One official said Russian cooperation was still sought to address thorny diplomatic issues like North Korea and Iran.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by John Walcott; editing by Mary Milliken and G Crosse</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
istanbul jan 23 reuters turkish police arrested 42 people including prokurdish politician overnight spreading terrorist propaganda social media turkeys military operation kurdish militia syria state media reported tuesday police raids staterun anadolu news agency said focused western province izmir brought number detentions around 70 since operation olive branch launched weekend incursion afrin region targets usbacked syrian kurdish ypg viewed ankara terrorist group extension kurdistan workers party pkk fought insurgency turkeys largely kurdish southeast since 1984 counterterrorism squads launched simultaneous raids various parts izmir nearby provinces denizli manisa anadolu said said among detained izmir head prokurdish peoples democratic party hdp second biggest opposition party parliament also accused ankara extension pkk denies accusation among arrested also six suspects accused spreading propaganda streets amounted harassing people agency said adding planning hold protest park police carried similar arrests related social media posts across country detaining 14 suspects eastern provinces van igdir mus another five mediterranean province mersin ankara enforced crackdown since failed coup 2016 critics say unjustly targeted prokurdish politicians hdp lawmakers jail terrorism charges deny 50000 people jailed face trial since attempted putsch 150000 sacked suspended jobs government says moves necessary given security threats turkey faces monday authorities ankara banned rallies protests meetings concerts across capital long afrin operation continues writing daren butler editing ralph boulton editing dominic evans ralph boulton standards thomson reuters trust principles washingtonbeijing reuters top trump administration officials asking china cut tariffs imported cars allow foreign majority ownership financial services firms buy usmade semiconductors negotiations avoid plans slap tariffs host chinese goods potential trade war file photo us president donald trump chinas president xi jinping shake hands making joint statements great hall people beijing china november 9 2017 reutersdamir sagoljfile photo person familiar discussions said among asks treasury secretary steven mnuchin us trade representative robert lighthizer pursue talks beijing wall street journal first reported demands us officials saying came letter sent beijing last week white house trade adviser peter navarro confirmed president donald trump asked mnuchin lighthizer try resolve trade differences china hopeful china work us basically address practices navarro told cnbc television us stocks surged monday news two sides talking massive rout last week trump announced plans impose tariffs 60 billion chinese imports alleged misappropriation us intellectual property dow jones industrial average dji posted third biggest point gain ever rising 6694 points 28 percent close 242026 broader sampp 500 spx rose 27 percent nearly 6 percent drop last week chinese premier li keqiang earlier monday said china united states maintain negotiations repeated pledges ease access american businesses chinas markets li told conference included global chief executives china would treat foreign domestic firms equally would force foreign firms transfer technology would strengthen intellectual property rights repeating promises failed placate washington despite steady stream fierce rhetoric chinese state media lambasting united states bully warning retaliation chinese us officials busy negotiating behind scenes tariffs proceed without agreement interview aired sunday mnuchin told fox news pursuing agreement chinese open markets reduce tariffs stop forced technology transfer things want proceeding tariffs putting hold unless acceptable agreement president signs mnuchin added slideshow 2 images china offered buy us semiconductors diverting purchases south korea taiwan financial times reported citing people briefed negotiations china imported 26 billion semiconductors united states last year chinese officials also working finalize rules may instead end june allow foreign financial groups take majority stakes chinese securities firms financial times said anticipate political reasons would logical china respond countries blackstone group bxn chief executive stephen schwarzman told reuters monday sidelines beijing conference li spoke thats view skirmish think interests countries served resolving matters china called world trade organization members monday unite oppose trumps proposed tariffs targeting alleged intellectual property theft saying lock beast back cage wto rules dow jones amp company inc 242026 dji dow jones indexes 66940 284 dji spx bxn aaplo msfto friday china responded us tariffs steel aluminum declaring plans levy additional duties 3 billion us imports including fruit nuts wine china could also inflict pain us multinationals rely china substantial growing portion total revenues said alex wolf senior emerging markets economist aberdeen standard investments could put us companies apple aaplo microsoft msfto starbucks sbuxo gm gmn nike nken etc firing line wolf said note china increase regulatory burden us companies new inspections rules ban travel stop providing export licenses key intermediate goods raise tax burden us multinationals china block us companies government procurement market said car tariff differential trump administration demanded china immediately cut 375 billion trade surplus united states 100 billion china 25 percent tariff us cars talked recently lowering trump often complained us import tariff passenger vehicles 25 percent chinas imports usbuilt motor vehicles totaled 106 billion 2017 8 percent countrys overall us imports value according us government data reported offer increase us semiconductor imports unclear us chips would replace south korean taiwanese chips since minimal overlap us chips two asian producers china heavily dependent foreign semiconductors one biggest import categories value said united states accounted 1 percent chinas total semiconductor imports last year value according reuters calculations based chinese customs data additional reporting matthew miller ben blanchard elias glenn stella qiu beijing eric beech washington editing cynthia osterman leslie adler standards thomson reuters trust principles seoul reuters general motors said lossmaking south korean operations would file bankruptcy union make concessions april 20 union said tuesday logo gm korea seen bupyeong plant incheon south korea march 12 2018 picture taken march 12 2018 reuterskim hongji comments made barry engle president gm international meeting gm koreas union leader monday union said document reviewed reuters us automaker announced february would shut factory gunsan southwest seoul mulling fate three remaining plants south korea engle said south korean government also promise provide support gm korea april 20 gm korea needs 600 million operational funds end april may consider voluntary redundancies remaining 680 workers gunsan factory engle said according union adding layoffs last option gm korea spokesman immediately available comment union said earlier month demand pay rise bonuses year instead wants us automaker provide future production plan job security gm korea still wants union agree cut benefits union official said earlier month gm koreas secondlargest shareholder statefunded south korean development bank began duediligence review gms south korean unit part decision whether inject capital moneylosing operation gm korea employs nearly 16000 people previously said without new funding major shareholders would firstquarter cash crisis reporting hyunjoo jin editing lincoln feast standards thomson reuters trust principles washington reuters stormy daniels sued donald trumps lawyer michael cohen monday defamation according court documents escalating legal battle american president porn star white house struggling contain daniels whose real name stephanie clifford made claim day widely watched tv interview 60 minutes cbs daniels said threatened violence keep quiet alleged 2006 tryst trump white house spokesman briefing reporters cast aspersions account white house denied allegations trump sexual relationship daniels cbs corp said show drew biggest audience eight years 213 million americans tuning double previous weeks edition 60 minutes presidential spokesman raj shah told briefing president doesnt believe claims ms daniels made interview last night accurate asked trump believed daniels threatened shah said theres nothing corroborate claim daniels 60 minutes appearance also drew denial presidents personal lawyer michael cohen involved alleged threat violence daniels originally sued trump march 6 saying never signed agreement stay silent called intimate relationship mondays filing us district court los angeles amended original lawsuit say daniels defamed attorney michael avenatti said cohen meant convey ms clifford liar someone trusted claims relationship mr trump true daniels defamation allegation based feb 13 statement cohen said hurt reputation stormy daniels interviewed anderson cooper cbsnews60 minutesvia reuters latest filing also said 130000 cohen paid daniels october 2016 presidential election secure silence amounted illegal campaign contribution agreement declared void cohen said paid daniels pocket explained trump aware payment filings justice department federal election commission watchdog groups said 130000 may exceeded campaign contribution limits violating us law cohen denied california attorney michael overing specializes defamation law said would difficult daniels prevail defamation claim public figure slideshow 2 images prove libel would show false statement made either reckless purposeful disregard truth overing said trump attorney cohens denial involvement alleged threat daniels came ceaseanddesist letter sent avenatti shortly 60 minutes aired demanded retraction apology copy letter seen reuters monday letter said mr cohen absolutely nothing whatsoever person incident even believe person exists incident ever occurred related coverage stormy daniels suing trump lawyer michael cohen defamation daniels said threat harm made stranger las vegas parking lot 2011 avenatti said nbc monday man threatened infant daughter cohen someone related mr trump mr cohen last week cnn interviewed former playboy model karen mcdougal described 10month affair trump starting 2006 trump married wife melania alleged relationships addition denying trump sex daniels white house said denies affair mcdougal reporting lisa lambert makini brice additional reporting jan wolfe editing jonathan oatis standards thomson reuters trust principles washington reuters americas sweeping expulsion russian diplomats since cold war may seemed like dramatic escalation washingtons response moscow groundwork confrontational us posture taking shape months plain sight us president donald trump russias president vladimir putin talk family photo session apec summit danang vietnam november 11 2017 reutersjorge silva president donald trumps conciliatory rhetoric toward moscow dominated headlines officials us state department pentagon white house made series lowerprofile decisions past year counter russia around world afghanistan north korea syria state department earlier march announced plans provide antitank missiles ukraine defend russiabacked separatists eastern ukraine trumps predecessor president barack obama declined fears provoking moscow syria last month us military killed injured many 300 men working kremlinlinked private military firm attacked us usbacked forces white house meanwhile firmly tied russia deadly strikes civilians syrias eastern ghouta region white house pentagons top policy documents unveiled january portrayed russia adversary returned center us national security planning united states said monday would expel 60 russian diplomats joining governments across europe punishing kremlin nerve agent attack former russian spy britain blamed moscow russia denied involvement mondays announcement however unclear whether trump promoting acquiescing tougher us stance developed advisers generals trumps critics sought portray reluctant actor gettough approach russia even though one senior administration official described involved beginning expulsions russian diplomats disturbing grudgingly came decision said us representative adam smith top democrat house armed services committee still trump administrations actions run counter widespread perception fueled presidents statements trump softened americas stance toward russian president vladimir putin amid us investigation moscows meddling 2016 presidential election sign seen exterior consulategeneral russian federation manhattan reutersmike segar regardless tough actions inconsistent messaging may undermine washingtons strategy deter moscows aggressive behavior experts warn us signaling undercut trumps lack seriousness russia said andrew weiss russia expert carnegie endowment international peace last tuesday trump congratulated putin reelection drawing sharp criticism fellow republicans another sign mixed messaging trump two days later named john bolton strident russia hawk become national security adviser downward spiral although nerve agent attack official trigger us expulsions trump administration officials warned attack viewed isolation citing series destabilizing aggressive actions moscow afghanistan trumps top commander ground accused russia last week arming taliban militants north korea trump told reuters january russia helping pyongyang evade united nations sanctions less two weeks ago trump administration imposed first sanctions russia election meddling cyber attacks though held punishing business magnates close putin us officials experts widely expect ties deteriorate least near term caution russias next steps could extend far beyond retaliation american diplomats risk escalation doesnt come titfortat punishments said matthew rojansky russia expert wilson center think tank washington citing potential aggressive moves middle east cyber realm us officials said trump administration still seeks avoid complete rupture bilateral relations one official said russian cooperation still sought address thorny diplomatic issues like north korea iran additional reporting john walcott editing mary milliken g crosse standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,946 |
<p>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - As protests over Iran's faltering economy rapidly spread across the country, a channel on a mobile messaging app run by an exiled journalist helped fan the passions of some of those who took to the street.</p>
<p>The Telegram app closed a channel run by Roohallah Zam after Iranian authorities complained that it was inciting violence, just hours before the government shut down the app entirely on Sunday. Zam, who denies the allegations, meanwhile launched new channels to spread messages about upcoming protests and share videos from demonstrations.</p>
<p>What happens next could influence the future course of the largest protests Iran has seen since 2009.</p>
<p>It's hard to overstate the power of Telegram in Iran. Of its 80 million people, an estimated 40 million use the free app created by Russian national Pavel Durov. Its clients share videos and photos, subscribing to groups where everyone from politicians to poets broadcast to fellow users.</p>
<p>While authorities ban social media websites like Facebook and Twitter and censor others, Telegram users can say nearly anything. In the last presidential election, the app played a big role in motivating turnout and spreading political screeds.</p>
<p>Telegram touts itself as being highly encrypted and allows users to set their messages to "self-destruct" after a certain period, making it a favorite among activists and others concerned about their privacy. That too has made it a worry of Iranian authorities.</p>
<p>Zam has used the app to share news and information published by his AmadNews website. Posts included times and locations for protests, as well as videos of demonstrators shouting inflammatory chants, including those targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate in Iran's clerically overseen government.</p>
<p>Thousands have taken to the streets of several cities over the past three days to vent anger at high unemployment and rising prices, in the largest demonstrations since those that followed a disputed election nine years ago.</p>
<p>Officials have meanwhile targeted Telegram in recent remarks, with prosecutors going as far as filing criminal charges against Durov.</p>
<p>On Saturday, Iran's Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi wrote to Durov on Twitter, complaining AmadNews was "encouraging hateful conduct, use (of) Molotov cocktails, armed uprising and social unrest."</p>
<p>Durov responded by saying Telegram suspended the account.</p>
<p>"A Telegram channel (Amadnews) started to instruct their subscribers to use Molotov cocktails against police and got suspended due to our 'no calls for violence' rule. Be careful - there are lines one shouldn't cross." Durov tweeted.</p>
<p>Zam, who has said he fled Iran after being falsely accused of working with foreign intelligence services, denied inciting violence on Telegram.</p>
<p>Telegram's decision drew criticism from free internet advocates and Iranians. Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who exposed U.S. government surveillance programs in 2013, said Telegram should instead be working on how to make the service accessible after a potential government ban.</p>
<p>"Telegram will face increasing pressure over time to collaborate with the Iranian government's demands for this or that," Snowden wrote on Twitter. He added: "You can't keep an independent, destabilizing service from being blocked in authoritarian regimes, you can only delay it."</p>
<p>Those words proved prophetic Sunday, as Durov himself wrote on Twitter that Iran blocked the app "for the majority of Iranians after our public refusal to shut down ... peacefully protesting channels." Iranian state television later quoted an anonymous official as saying the app would be temporarily limited as a safety measure.</p>
<p>It also marks a setback for Zam, the son of Shiite cleric Mohammad Ali Zam, a reformist who once served in a government policy position in the early 1980s. The cleric wrote a letter published by Iranian media in July in which he said he wouldn't support his son over AmadNews' reporting and messages on its Telegram channel.</p>
<p>"I found that you crossed the red line," the cleric wrote, referring to comments the channel circulated about Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Our red line is the supreme leader, but you passed the red line."</p>
<p>Zam did not respond to a request for comment Sunday from The Associated Press, though he published a video late Saturday on the channel being blocked.</p>
<p>"Unfortunately the Amadnews was blocked," Zam said in a message to his followers. A new channel "will continue its work as hard as before and with the help of God, we will become millions again."</p>
<p>At least 1.7 million people have viewed the first message on the new channel, according to Telegram. It called for protests Sunday at sites across Iran before the government ordered the app shut down.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jongambrellap" type="external">www.twitter.com/jongambrellap</a> . His work can be found at <a href="http://apne.ws/2galNpz" type="external">http://apne.ws/2galNpz</a> .</p>
<p>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - As protests over Iran's faltering economy rapidly spread across the country, a channel on a mobile messaging app run by an exiled journalist helped fan the passions of some of those who took to the street.</p>
<p>The Telegram app closed a channel run by Roohallah Zam after Iranian authorities complained that it was inciting violence, just hours before the government shut down the app entirely on Sunday. Zam, who denies the allegations, meanwhile launched new channels to spread messages about upcoming protests and share videos from demonstrations.</p>
<p>What happens next could influence the future course of the largest protests Iran has seen since 2009.</p>
<p>It's hard to overstate the power of Telegram in Iran. Of its 80 million people, an estimated 40 million use the free app created by Russian national Pavel Durov. Its clients share videos and photos, subscribing to groups where everyone from politicians to poets broadcast to fellow users.</p>
<p>While authorities ban social media websites like Facebook and Twitter and censor others, Telegram users can say nearly anything. In the last presidential election, the app played a big role in motivating turnout and spreading political screeds.</p>
<p>Telegram touts itself as being highly encrypted and allows users to set their messages to "self-destruct" after a certain period, making it a favorite among activists and others concerned about their privacy. That too has made it a worry of Iranian authorities.</p>
<p>Zam has used the app to share news and information published by his AmadNews website. Posts included times and locations for protests, as well as videos of demonstrators shouting inflammatory chants, including those targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate in Iran's clerically overseen government.</p>
<p>Thousands have taken to the streets of several cities over the past three days to vent anger at high unemployment and rising prices, in the largest demonstrations since those that followed a disputed election nine years ago.</p>
<p>Officials have meanwhile targeted Telegram in recent remarks, with prosecutors going as far as filing criminal charges against Durov.</p>
<p>On Saturday, Iran's Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi wrote to Durov on Twitter, complaining AmadNews was "encouraging hateful conduct, use (of) Molotov cocktails, armed uprising and social unrest."</p>
<p>Durov responded by saying Telegram suspended the account.</p>
<p>"A Telegram channel (Amadnews) started to instruct their subscribers to use Molotov cocktails against police and got suspended due to our 'no calls for violence' rule. Be careful - there are lines one shouldn't cross." Durov tweeted.</p>
<p>Zam, who has said he fled Iran after being falsely accused of working with foreign intelligence services, denied inciting violence on Telegram.</p>
<p>Telegram's decision drew criticism from free internet advocates and Iranians. Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who exposed U.S. government surveillance programs in 2013, said Telegram should instead be working on how to make the service accessible after a potential government ban.</p>
<p>"Telegram will face increasing pressure over time to collaborate with the Iranian government's demands for this or that," Snowden wrote on Twitter. He added: "You can't keep an independent, destabilizing service from being blocked in authoritarian regimes, you can only delay it."</p>
<p>Those words proved prophetic Sunday, as Durov himself wrote on Twitter that Iran blocked the app "for the majority of Iranians after our public refusal to shut down ... peacefully protesting channels." Iranian state television later quoted an anonymous official as saying the app would be temporarily limited as a safety measure.</p>
<p>It also marks a setback for Zam, the son of Shiite cleric Mohammad Ali Zam, a reformist who once served in a government policy position in the early 1980s. The cleric wrote a letter published by Iranian media in July in which he said he wouldn't support his son over AmadNews' reporting and messages on its Telegram channel.</p>
<p>"I found that you crossed the red line," the cleric wrote, referring to comments the channel circulated about Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Our red line is the supreme leader, but you passed the red line."</p>
<p>Zam did not respond to a request for comment Sunday from The Associated Press, though he published a video late Saturday on the channel being blocked.</p>
<p>"Unfortunately the Amadnews was blocked," Zam said in a message to his followers. A new channel "will continue its work as hard as before and with the help of God, we will become millions again."</p>
<p>At least 1.7 million people have viewed the first message on the new channel, according to Telegram. It called for protests Sunday at sites across Iran before the government ordered the app shut down.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jongambrellap" type="external">www.twitter.com/jongambrellap</a> . His work can be found at <a href="http://apne.ws/2galNpz" type="external">http://apne.ws/2galNpz</a> .</p>
| false | 2 |
dubai united arab emirates ap protests irans faltering economy rapidly spread across country channel mobile messaging app run exiled journalist helped fan passions took street telegram app closed channel run roohallah zam iranian authorities complained inciting violence hours government shut app entirely sunday zam denies allegations meanwhile launched new channels spread messages upcoming protests share videos demonstrations happens next could influence future course largest protests iran seen since 2009 hard overstate power telegram iran 80 million people estimated 40 million use free app created russian national pavel durov clients share videos photos subscribing groups everyone politicians poets broadcast fellow users authorities ban social media websites like facebook twitter censor others telegram users say nearly anything last presidential election app played big role motivating turnout spreading political screeds telegram touts highly encrypted allows users set messages selfdestruct certain period making favorite among activists others concerned privacy made worry iranian authorities zam used app share news information published amadnews website posts included times locations protests well videos demonstrators shouting inflammatory chants including targeting supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei president hassan rouhani relative moderate irans clerically overseen government thousands taken streets several cities past three days vent anger high unemployment rising prices largest demonstrations since followed disputed election nine years ago officials meanwhile targeted telegram recent remarks prosecutors going far filing criminal charges durov saturday irans telecommunications minister mohammad javad azari jahromi wrote durov twitter complaining amadnews encouraging hateful conduct use molotov cocktails armed uprising social unrest durov responded saying telegram suspended account telegram channel amadnews started instruct subscribers use molotov cocktails police got suspended due calls violence rule careful lines one shouldnt cross durov tweeted zam said fled iran falsely accused working foreign intelligence services denied inciting violence telegram telegrams decision drew criticism free internet advocates iranians edward snowden former national security agency contractor exposed us government surveillance programs 2013 said telegram instead working make service accessible potential government ban telegram face increasing pressure time collaborate iranian governments demands snowden wrote twitter added cant keep independent destabilizing service blocked authoritarian regimes delay words proved prophetic sunday durov wrote twitter iran blocked app majority iranians public refusal shut peacefully protesting channels iranian state television later quoted anonymous official saying app would temporarily limited safety measure also marks setback zam son shiite cleric mohammad ali zam reformist served government policy position early 1980s cleric wrote letter published iranian media july said wouldnt support son amadnews reporting messages telegram channel found crossed red line cleric wrote referring comments channel circulated supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei red line supreme leader passed red line zam respond request comment sunday associated press though published video late saturday channel blocked unfortunately amadnews blocked zam said message followers new channel continue work hard help god become millions least 17 million people viewed first message new channel according telegram called protests sunday sites across iran government ordered app shut ___ associated press writer amir vahdat tehran iran contributed report ___ follow jon gambrell twitter wwwtwittercomjongambrellap work found httpapnews2galnpz dubai united arab emirates ap protests irans faltering economy rapidly spread across country channel mobile messaging app run exiled journalist helped fan passions took street telegram app closed channel run roohallah zam iranian authorities complained inciting violence hours government shut app entirely sunday zam denies allegations meanwhile launched new channels spread messages upcoming protests share videos demonstrations happens next could influence future course largest protests iran seen since 2009 hard overstate power telegram iran 80 million people estimated 40 million use free app created russian national pavel durov clients share videos photos subscribing groups everyone politicians poets broadcast fellow users authorities ban social media websites like facebook twitter censor others telegram users say nearly anything last presidential election app played big role motivating turnout spreading political screeds telegram touts highly encrypted allows users set messages selfdestruct certain period making favorite among activists others concerned privacy made worry iranian authorities zam used app share news information published amadnews website posts included times locations protests well videos demonstrators shouting inflammatory chants including targeting supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei president hassan rouhani relative moderate irans clerically overseen government thousands taken streets several cities past three days vent anger high unemployment rising prices largest demonstrations since followed disputed election nine years ago officials meanwhile targeted telegram recent remarks prosecutors going far filing criminal charges durov saturday irans telecommunications minister mohammad javad azari jahromi wrote durov twitter complaining amadnews encouraging hateful conduct use molotov cocktails armed uprising social unrest durov responded saying telegram suspended account telegram channel amadnews started instruct subscribers use molotov cocktails police got suspended due calls violence rule careful lines one shouldnt cross durov tweeted zam said fled iran falsely accused working foreign intelligence services denied inciting violence telegram telegrams decision drew criticism free internet advocates iranians edward snowden former national security agency contractor exposed us government surveillance programs 2013 said telegram instead working make service accessible potential government ban telegram face increasing pressure time collaborate iranian governments demands snowden wrote twitter added cant keep independent destabilizing service blocked authoritarian regimes delay words proved prophetic sunday durov wrote twitter iran blocked app majority iranians public refusal shut peacefully protesting channels iranian state television later quoted anonymous official saying app would temporarily limited safety measure also marks setback zam son shiite cleric mohammad ali zam reformist served government policy position early 1980s cleric wrote letter published iranian media july said wouldnt support son amadnews reporting messages telegram channel found crossed red line cleric wrote referring comments channel circulated supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei red line supreme leader passed red line zam respond request comment sunday associated press though published video late saturday channel blocked unfortunately amadnews blocked zam said message followers new channel continue work hard help god become millions least 17 million people viewed first message new channel according telegram called protests sunday sites across iran government ordered app shut ___ associated press writer amir vahdat tehran iran contributed report ___ follow jon gambrell twitter wwwtwittercomjongambrellap work found httpapnews2galnpz
| 994 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>WASHINGTON — While Democrats may trot out any number of demands or maneuvers to influence the selection of the next director of the FBI, here’s a reality check: Republican President Donald Trump fired James Comey, and he and his party will decide who’s next.</p>
<p>And they’re not wasting time. Trump said Monday the selection process for a nominee for FBI director was “moving rapidly.”</p>
<p>Democrats irate over Comey’s abrupt ouster, and concerned by the inclusion of politicians on the list of possible replacements, are demanding Trump not select a partisan leader. Although they’re likely to mount considerable pressure before and during the confirmation process, they don’t control enough votes to influence the outcome since Republicans hold a 52-seat majority in the Senate.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“If they can keep all 52 together, then it won’t matter,” said Michael Gerhardt, a constitutional law professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. If Republicans “start to lose a couple, or two or three look like they’re not on board, that could create more pressure on the majority leader and the president to perhaps do something other than what they were planning on doing.”</p>
<p>The next director will immediately be confronted with oversight of an FBI investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign, an inquiry the bureau’s acting head, Andrew McCabe, has called “highly significant.”</p>
<p>The person also will have to win the support of rank-and-file agents angered by the ouster of Comey, who was broadly supported within the FBI. And the new director will almost certainly have to work to maintain the bureau’s credibility by asserting political independence in the face of a president known for demanding loyalty from the people he appoints.</p>
<p>Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein interviewed eight candidates Saturday, including some who were not among the names distributed a day earlier by the White House. The list includes current and former FBI and Justice Department leaders, federal judges and Republicans who have served in Congress.</p>
<p>Among those interviewed was McCabe, though it’s not clear how seriously he’s being considered.</p>
<p>It’d be unusual for the White House to elevate an FBI agent to the role of director, and McCabe during a Senate hearing last week broke with the White House’s explanations for Comey’s firing and its dismissive characterization of the Russia investigation.</p>
<p>FBI directors have predominantly been drawn from the ranks of prosecutors and judges. Comey, for instance, was a former United States Attorney in Manhattan before being appointed deputy attorney general by George W. Bush. His predecessor, Robert Mueller, was a U.S. attorney in San Francisco.</p>
<p>One contender who could prove politically palatable is Michael Garcia, a former U.S. attorney in Manhattan with significant experience in terrorism and public corruption investigations. He was appointed by FIFA in 2012 to investigate World Cup bidding contests. He later resigned after he said the global soccer organization had mischaracterized a lengthy investigative report he had produced.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The FBI Agents Association has endorsed former Republican congressman Mike Rogers, an ex-FBI agent and former chair of the House intelligence committee who had collegial relationships with his Democratic counterparts.</p>
<p>Senate Democrats have insisted that Trump should not pick a politician as the next FBI director. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the choice should be “certainly somebody not of a partisan background, certainly somebody of great experience and certainly somebody of courage.”</p>
<p>One Republican whose name had been mentioned as a possible candidate, Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, said Monday that he had taken himself out of the running.</p>
<p>Given the partisan uproar over Comey’s firing, Democrats seem unlikely to support any FBI candidate put forward by Trump. But the nominee will require only a simple majority vote in the 100-member Senate, meaning Republicans can use their 52-48 majority to confirm the next director without needing Democratic votes.</p>
<p>Democrats are demanding appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election and ties to Trump’s campaign, and have discussed trying to slow down the confirmation process or other business of the Senate as a way of drawing attention to the demand.</p>
<p>Senate rules requiring unanimous consent or 60-vote thresholds on various procedural or legislative steps give Democrats the ability to slow the Senate to a crawl and delay committee hearings.</p>
<p>Given the Republicans’ narrow Senate majority, the larger consideration for the White House is that some GOP senators also insist on a non-partisan choice as the next FBI director.</p>
<p>GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said on “Meet the Press” that Trump has is obligated “to pick somebody beyond reproach outside the political lane.” Graham said under the circumstances he wouldn’t be able to support his colleague Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Senate Republican, who is under consideration.</p>
<p>Some House Republicans, who technically have no role in the pick, have spoken out about the need for non-partisanship and independence.</p>
<p>“The FBI is America’s pre-eminent law enforcement agency. As such, it needs to be led by a person of unquestioned character and completely divorced from partisan politics,” GOP Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma wrote in an opinion column circulated Monday.</p>
<p>House Democrats are weighing their own steps related to the firing. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is asking House Speaker Paul Ryan to join in a call for Rosenstein to brief House members, as he will do for senators Thursday. Democrats will also try to use a procedural maneuver to force a vote on legislation calling for an independent commission to investigate Russian election interference, although they’re unlikely to prevail.</p>
| false | 2 |
washington democrats may trot number demands maneuvers influence selection next director fbi heres reality check republican president donald trump fired james comey party decide whos next theyre wasting time trump said monday selection process nominee fbi director moving rapidly democrats irate comeys abrupt ouster concerned inclusion politicians list possible replacements demanding trump select partisan leader although theyre likely mount considerable pressure confirmation process dont control enough votes influence outcome since republicans hold 52seat majority senate advertisement keep 52 together wont matter said michael gerhardt constitutional law professor university north carolinachapel hill republicans start lose couple two three look like theyre board could create pressure majority leader president perhaps something planning next director immediately confronted oversight fbi investigation possible coordination russia trump campaign inquiry bureaus acting head andrew mccabe called highly significant person also win support rankandfile agents angered ouster comey broadly supported within fbi new director almost certainly work maintain bureaus credibility asserting political independence face president known demanding loyalty people appoints attorney general jeff sessions deputy attorney general rod rosenstein interviewed eight candidates saturday including among names distributed day earlier white house list includes current former fbi justice department leaders federal judges republicans served congress among interviewed mccabe though clear seriously hes considered itd unusual white house elevate fbi agent role director mccabe senate hearing last week broke white houses explanations comeys firing dismissive characterization russia investigation fbi directors predominantly drawn ranks prosecutors judges comey instance former united states attorney manhattan appointed deputy attorney general george w bush predecessor robert mueller us attorney san francisco one contender could prove politically palatable michael garcia former us attorney manhattan significant experience terrorism public corruption investigations appointed fifa 2012 investigate world cup bidding contests later resigned said global soccer organization mischaracterized lengthy investigative report produced advertisement fbi agents association endorsed former republican congressman mike rogers exfbi agent former chair house intelligence committee collegial relationships democratic counterparts senate democrats insisted trump pick politician next fbi director minority leader chuck schumer new york said nbcs meet press sunday choice certainly somebody partisan background certainly somebody great experience certainly somebody courage one republican whose name mentioned possible candidate rep trey gowdy south carolina said monday taken running given partisan uproar comeys firing democrats seem unlikely support fbi candidate put forward trump nominee require simple majority vote 100member senate meaning republicans use 5248 majority confirm next director without needing democratic votes democrats demanding appointment special prosecutor investigate russias involvement 2016 election ties trumps campaign discussed trying slow confirmation process business senate way drawing attention demand senate rules requiring unanimous consent 60vote thresholds various procedural legislative steps give democrats ability slow senate crawl delay committee hearings given republicans narrow senate majority larger consideration white house gop senators also insist nonpartisan choice next fbi director gop sen lindsey graham south carolina said meet press trump obligated pick somebody beyond reproach outside political lane graham said circumstances wouldnt able support colleague sen john cornyn texas 2 senate republican consideration house republicans technically role pick spoken need nonpartisanship independence fbi americas preeminent law enforcement agency needs led person unquestioned character completely divorced partisan politics gop rep tom cole oklahoma wrote opinion column circulated monday house democrats weighing steps related firing minority leader nancy pelosi asking house speaker paul ryan join call rosenstein brief house members senators thursday democrats also try use procedural maneuver force vote legislation calling independent commission investigate russian election interference although theyre unlikely prevail
| 567 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>CLASS 6A</p>
<p>1&#160;&#160; &#160;Rio Rancho (10)&#160;&#160; &#160;149&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>2&#160;&#160; &#160;Las Cruces (5)&#160;&#160; &#160;134&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>3&#160;&#160; &#160;Cleveland (1)&#160;&#160; &#160;123&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>4&#160;&#160; &#160;Manzano&#160;&#160; &#160;110&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>5&#160;&#160; &#160;La Cueva&#160;&#160; &#160;88&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>6&#160;&#160; &#160;Clovis&#160;&#160; &#160;74&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>7&#160;&#160; &#160;Mayfield&#160;&#160; &#160;51&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>8&#160;&#160; &#160;Centennial&#160;&#160; &#160;48&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>9&#160;&#160; &#160;Eldorado&#160;&#160; &#160;31&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>10&#160;&#160; &#160;Hobbs&#160;&#160; &#160;25&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Others receiving votes: Volcano Vista 24, Sandia 10, Piedra Vista 4, Atrisco Heritage 3, Cibola 2, Carlsbad 2, Rio Grande 1, Valley 1</p>
<p>CLASS 5A</p>
<p>1&#160;&#160; &#160;Artesia (10)&#160;&#160; &#160;117&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>2&#160;&#160; &#160;Roswell&#160;&#160; &#160;86&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>3&#160;&#160; &#160;Belen (1)&#160;&#160; &#160;83&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>4&#160;&#160; &#160;Farmington&#160;&#160; &#160;69&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>5&#160;&#160; &#160;Goddard&#160;&#160; &#160;65&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>6&#160;&#160; &#160;Los Lunas&#160;&#160; &#160;52&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>7&#160;&#160; &#160;Aztec&#160;&#160; &#160;49&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>8&#160;&#160; &#160;St. Pius (1)&#160;&#160; &#160;48&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>9&#160;&#160; &#160;Alamogordo&#160;&#160; &#160;32&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>10&#160;&#160; &#160;Del Norte&#160;&#160; &#160;17&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>Others receiving votes: Lovington 14, Kirtland Central 10, Miyamura 9, Bloomfield 6, Capital 2, Grants 1</p>
<p>CLASS 4A</p>
<p>1&#160;&#160; &#160;Portales (8)&#160;&#160; &#160;106&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>2&#160;&#160; &#160;Robertson (3)&#160;&#160; &#160;102&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>3&#160;&#160; &#160;Moriarty&#160;&#160; &#160;74&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>St. Michaels&#160;&#160; &#160;74&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>5&#160;&#160; &#160;Ruidoso&#160;&#160; &#160;59&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>6&#160;&#160; &#160;Hatch Valley&#160;&#160; &#160;52&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>7&#160;&#160; &#160;Silver&#160;&#160; &#160;39&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>8&#160;&#160; &#160;Cobre&#160;&#160; &#160;29&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>9&#160;&#160; &#160;Taos&#160;&#160; &#160;25&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>10&#160;&#160; &#160;West Las Vegas&#160;&#160; &#160;22&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>Others receiving votes: NMMI 6, Pojoaque 3, Socorro 5, Hope Christian 7, Hot Springs 2</p>
<p>CLASS 3A</p>
<p>1&#160;&#160; &#160;Capitan(12)&#160;&#160; &#160;127&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>2&#160;&#160; &#160;Eunice (1)&#160;&#160; &#160;118&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>3&#160;&#160; &#160;Dexter&#160;&#160; &#160;88&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>4&#160;&#160; &#160;Estancia&#160;&#160; &#160;87&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>5&#160;&#160; &#160;Santa Rosa&#160;&#160; &#160;73&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>6&#160;&#160; &#160;Texico&#160;&#160; &#160;68&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>7&#160;&#160; &#160;Raton&#160;&#160; &#160;42&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>8&#160;&#160; &#160;Tularosa&#160;&#160; &#160;33&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>9&#160;&#160; &#160;Tucumcari&#160;&#160; &#160;19&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>10&#160;&#160; &#160;Loving&#160;&#160; &#160;17&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>Others receiving votes: McCurdy 14, Laguna Acoma 12, Clayton 8, Newcomb 4</p>
<p>CLASS 2A</p>
<p>1&#160;&#160; &#160;Lordsburg (2)&#160;&#160; &#160;29&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>2&#160;&#160; &#160;Ft Sumner/House (1)&#160;&#160; &#160;28&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>3&#160;&#160; &#160;Jal&#160;&#160; &#160;23&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>4&#160;&#160; &#160;Hagerman&#160;&#160; &#160;13&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>5&#160;&#160; &#160;Questa&#160;&#160; &#160;12&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>CLASS 8-MAN</p>
<p>1&#160;&#160; &#160;Melrose (5)&#160;&#160; &#160;59&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>2&#160;&#160; &#160;Gateway Christian&#160;&#160; &#160;49&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>3&#160;&#160; &#160;Mesilla Valley (1)&#160;&#160; &#160;46&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>4&#160;&#160; &#160;Mountainair&#160;&#160; &#160;33&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>5&#160;&#160; &#160;Magdalena&#160;&#160; &#160;31&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>6&#160;&#160; &#160;Dora/Elida&#160;&#160; &#160;30&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>7&#160;&#160; &#160;Cloudcroft&#160;&#160; &#160;21&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>8&#160;&#160; &#160;Logan&#160;&#160; &#160;18&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>9&#160;&#160; &#160;Carrizozo&#160;&#160; &#160;17&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>10&#160;&#160; &#160;Mescalero Apache&#160;&#160; &#160;9&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>Others receiving votes: Tatum 8, Menaul 8, Springer 1, Alamo Navajo 1, Foothill 1</p>
<p>CLASS 6-MAN</p>
<p>1&#160;&#160; &#160;San Jon (2)&#160;&#160; &#160;28&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>2&#160;&#160; &#160;Lake Arthur (1)&#160;&#160; &#160;27&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>3&#160;&#160; &#160;Animas&#160;&#160; &#160;26&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>4&#160;&#160; &#160;Vaughn&#160;&#160; &#160;21&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>5&#160;&#160; &#160;Floyd&#160;&#160; &#160;18&#160;&#160; &#160;0-0</p>
<p>WEEK 1 SCHEDULE</p>
<p>(Source: New Mexico Activities Association. Stadiums: C—Community; M—Milne; W—Wilson; FOD—Field of Dreams)</p>
<p>Kickoffs at 7 p.m. unless noted.</p>
<p>Wednesday</p>
<p>Atrisco Heritage at Manzano (C)</p>
<p>Thursday</p>
<p>Del Norte at West Mesa,(C)</p>
<p>Grants at Miyamura</p>
<p>Friday</p>
<p>Carlsbad JV at Loving, 6 p.m.</p>
<p>Tse Yi Gai at Alamo Navajo</p>
<p>Valencia at Alamogordo</p>
<p>Belen at Bloomfield</p>
<p>Wingate at Crownpoint</p>
<p>Mesilla Valley at Dora/Elida</p>
<p>Clayton at Española Valley</p>
<p>Hondo Valley at Roy/Mosquero, 6 p.m.</p>
<p>Laguna-Acoma at Zuni</p>
<p>Hagerman at Capitan</p>
<p>Artesia at Carlsbad</p>
<p>Hobbs at Clovis</p>
<p>Sandia at Rio Grande, Community, 5 p.m.</p>
<p>Cibola at La Cueva, Community, 8 p.m.</p>
<p>Santa Fe Indian at Cuba</p>
<p>Gadsden at Deming</p>
<p>Santa Rosa at Dexter</p>
<p>Robertson at Estancia</p>
<p>Eldorado at Las Cruces, FOD</p>
<p>N.M. Military Institute at Fort Sumner</p>
<p>Bernalillo at Gallup</p>
<p>Tularosa at Hot Springs</p>
<p>Wilcox, Ariz., at Lordsburg</p>
<p>Aztec at Los Lunas</p>
<p>Chaparral at Lovington</p>
<p>Mountainair at Magdalena</p>
<p>Ramah at Foothill, Milne, 1 p.m.</p>
<p>Highland at St. Pius, Milne</p>
<p>Newcomb at Navajo Prep</p>
<p>Farmington at Piedra Vista, Hutchison Stadium</p>
<p>Los Alamos at Pojoaque Valley</p>
<p>Mayfield at Rio Rancho</p>
<p>Capital at Goddard</p>
<p>Socorro at Ruidoso</p>
<p>St. Michael’s at Santa Fe</p>
<p>Cobre at Santa Teresa</p>
<p>Red Mesa, Ariz., at Shiprock</p>
<p>Round Valley, Ariz., at Silver</p>
<p>Hatch Valley at Taos</p>
<p>Logan at Tatum</p>
<p>Portales at Texico</p>
<p>Thoreau at Tohatchi</p>
<p>Escalante at Tucumcari</p>
<p>Oñate at Cleveland</p>
<p>San Jon/Grady at Vaughn, 5 p.m.</p>
<p>Moriarty at West Las Vegas</p>
<p>Saturday</p>
<p>Hope Christian at Albuquerque Academy, 11 a.m.</p>
<p>Volcano Vista at Valley, Community, 1 p.m.</p>
<p>Albuquerque High at Centennial, FOD, 1 p.m.</p>
<p>Raton at McCurdy, 1 p.m.</p>
<p>Jemez Valley at Mescalero Apache, 2 p.m.</p>
<p>Questa at Jal, 2 p.m. (at Moriarty HS)</p>
<p>Cloudcroft at Springer, 4 p.m.</p>
| false | 2 |
class 6a 1160160 160rio rancho 10160160 160149160160 16000 2160160 160las cruces 5160160 160134160160 16000 advertisement 3160160 160cleveland 1160160 160123160160 16000 4160160 160manzano160160 160110160160 16000 5160160 160la cueva160160 16088160160 16000 6160160 160clovis160160 16074160160 16000 7160160 160mayfield160160 16051160160 16000 8160160 160centennial160160 16048160160 16000 9160160 160eldorado160160 16031160160 16000 10160160 160hobbs160160 16025160160 16000 advertisement others receiving votes volcano vista 24 sandia 10 piedra vista 4 atrisco heritage 3 cibola 2 carlsbad 2 rio grande 1 valley 1 class 5a 1160160 160artesia 10160160 160117160160 16000 2160160 160roswell160160 16086160160 16000 3160160 160belen 1160160 16083160160 16000 4160160 160farmington160160 16069160160 16000 5160160 160goddard160160 16065160160 16000 6160160 160los lunas160160 16052160160 16000 7160160 160aztec160160 16049160160 16000 8160160 160st pius 1160160 16048160160 16000 9160160 160alamogordo160160 16032160160 16000 10160160 160del norte160160 16017160160 16000 others receiving votes lovington 14 kirtland central 10 miyamura 9 bloomfield 6 capital 2 grants 1 class 4a 1160160 160portales 8160160 160106160160 16000 2160160 160robertson 3160160 160102160160 16000 3160160 160moriarty160160 16074160160 16000 st michaels160160 16074160160 16000 5160160 160ruidoso160160 16059160160 16000 6160160 160hatch valley160160 16052160160 16000 7160160 160silver160160 16039160160 16000 8160160 160cobre160160 16029160160 16000 9160160 160taos160160 16025160160 16000 10160160 160west las vegas160160 16022160160 16000 others receiving votes nmmi 6 pojoaque 3 socorro 5 hope christian 7 hot springs 2 class 3a 1160160 160capitan12160160 160127160160 16000 2160160 160eunice 1160160 160118160160 16000 3160160 160dexter160160 16088160160 16000 4160160 160estancia160160 16087160160 16000 5160160 160santa rosa160160 16073160160 16000 6160160 160texico160160 16068160160 16000 7160160 160raton160160 16042160160 16000 8160160 160tularosa160160 16033160160 16000 9160160 160tucumcari160160 16019160160 16000 10160160 160loving160160 16017160160 16000 others receiving votes mccurdy 14 laguna acoma 12 clayton 8 newcomb 4 class 2a 1160160 160lordsburg 2160160 16029160160 16000 2160160 160ft sumnerhouse 1160160 16028160160 16000 3160160 160jal160160 16023160160 16000 4160160 160hagerman160160 16013160160 16000 5160160 160questa160160 16012160160 16000 class 8man 1160160 160melrose 5160160 16059160160 16000 2160160 160gateway christian160160 16049160160 16000 3160160 160mesilla valley 1160160 16046160160 16000 4160160 160mountainair160160 16033160160 16000 5160160 160magdalena160160 16031160160 16000 6160160 160doraelida160160 16030160160 16000 7160160 160cloudcroft160160 16021160160 16000 8160160 160logan160160 16018160160 16000 9160160 160carrizozo160160 16017160160 16000 10160160 160mescalero apache160160 1609160160 16000 others receiving votes tatum 8 menaul 8 springer 1 alamo navajo 1 foothill 1 class 6man 1160160 160san jon 2160160 16028160160 16000 2160160 160lake arthur 1160160 16027160160 16000 3160160 160animas160160 16026160160 16000 4160160 160vaughn160160 16021160160 16000 5160160 160floyd160160 16018160160 16000 week 1 schedule source new mexico activities association stadiums ccommunity mmilne wwilson fodfield dreams kickoffs 7 pm unless noted wednesday atrisco heritage manzano c thursday del norte west mesac grants miyamura friday carlsbad jv loving 6 pm tse yi gai alamo navajo valencia alamogordo belen bloomfield wingate crownpoint mesilla valley doraelida clayton española valley hondo valley roymosquero 6 pm lagunaacoma zuni hagerman capitan artesia carlsbad hobbs clovis sandia rio grande community 5 pm cibola la cueva community 8 pm santa fe indian cuba gadsden deming santa rosa dexter robertson estancia eldorado las cruces fod nm military institute fort sumner bernalillo gallup tularosa hot springs wilcox ariz lordsburg aztec los lunas chaparral lovington mountainair magdalena ramah foothill milne 1 pm highland st pius milne newcomb navajo prep farmington piedra vista hutchison stadium los alamos pojoaque valley mayfield rio rancho capital goddard socorro ruidoso st michaels santa fe cobre santa teresa red mesa ariz shiprock round valley ariz silver hatch valley taos logan tatum portales texico thoreau tohatchi escalante tucumcari oñate cleveland san jongrady vaughn 5 pm moriarty west las vegas saturday hope christian albuquerque academy 11 volcano vista valley community 1 pm albuquerque high centennial fod 1 pm raton mccurdy 1 pm jemez valley mescalero apache 2 pm questa jal 2 pm moriarty hs cloudcroft springer 4 pm
| 584 |
<p>MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 8, 2018-- <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2F&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Graceland&amp;index=1&amp;md5=1abf21945fbd44bf027e276d2a2f971d" type="external">Graceland</a> ® guests from around the world gathered on the front lawn of Elvis Presley’s™ iconic home this morning to celebrate Elvis’ birthday, joining city officials and Graceland executives as Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, Jr. read the official proclamation for “Elvis Presley Day” in Memphis and Shelby County. The specially-prepared birthday cake was a tribute to Elvis’ 1968 Comeback Special, as Graceland kicks off its year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary year of this milestone TV event.</p>
<p>This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en/" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en/" type="external">http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en/</a></p>
<p>The specially-prepared birthday cake was a tribute to Elvis’ 1968 Comeback Special, as Graceland kicks off its year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary year of this milestone TV event. (Photo: Business Wire)</p>
<p>Weekend birthday festivities included The Auction at Graceland, which saw over a half-million dollars in winning bids for unique Elvis memorabilia, a concert featuring the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, panel discussions at <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2Flodging%2Fguesthouse%2F&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=The+Guest+House+At+Graceland&amp;index=2&amp;md5=1a05b5688b6c0d669d67b3c1ef22bcba" type="external">The Guest House At Graceland</a> ® resort featuring Elvis’ movie co-stars and those who knew Elvis in his early years, and evening tours of the Mansion and the new <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2Fvisit%2Fexperience%2Felvis_presleys_memphis.aspx&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Elvis+Presley%27s+Memphis&amp;index=3&amp;md5=3b0c75f19ae73369acbb2561346ca863" type="external">Elvis Presley’s Memphis</a> ™ exhibit and entertainment complex.</p>
<p>Graceland also marked the occasion by officially opening its newest exhibit at Elvis Presley’s Memphis. The “Hollywood Backlot” exhibit features production sets and artifacts from the acclaimed television series “Sun Records,” produced by ThinkFactory Media and executive produced by Leslie Greif. Filmed in Memphis and aired on CMT network in 2017, the eight-episode series chronicled the meteoric rise to fame of pioneering musicians Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. Guided by Sun Records founder and producer Sam Phillips, these young musicians combined the styles of “hillbilly country” with the 1950s R&amp;B sound created by artists like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Fats Domino and Ike Turner, and changed the course of music forever.</p>
<p>Included in this one-of-a-kind exhibit are iconic set pieces that will transport guests back to the historic Memphis Recording Service studio and WHBQ Radio – exactly as these legendary locations appeared in the series, set in the late 1950’s during the birth of rock ‘n’ roll.</p>
<p>Musician Will Tucker, who portrayed Elvis’ guitarist Scotty Moore in the series, joined the ceremony as the ribbon was cut to officially open this one-of-a-kind exhibit.</p>
<p>About Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.</p>
<p>Elvis Presley’s Graceland, in Memphis, is music’s most important and beloved landmark, with hundreds of thousands of fans from around the world visiting the historic home each year. Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) manages the operations of Graceland and its related properties, including Elvis Presley’s Memphis, Graceland’s new entertainment and exhibition complex over 200,000 square feet in size; the AAA Four-Diamond Guest House at Graceland 450-room hotel; and the Graceland Archives, featuring thousands of artifacts from Elvis’ home and career. EPE also produces and licenses Elvis-themed live events, tours and attractions worldwide. Graceland Holdings LLC, led by managing partner Joel Weinshanker, is the majority owner of EPE. In 2015, Graceland was named the world’s “Best Musical Attraction” and “Best Historic Southern Attraction” in the USA Today 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards and in 2013, voted the #1 “Iconic American Attraction” in the same poll. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=www.graceland.com&amp;index=4&amp;md5=4b9913a1926e8f27e5bda2a2f3d0ac34" type="external">www.graceland.com</a></p>
<p>Stay connected to Elvis Presley’s Graceland:</p>
<p>Website: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2F&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2F&amp;index=5&amp;md5=1b0155a42afc131d235e277f8031ad0f" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.graceland.com/" type="external">http://www.graceland.com/</a> Facebook: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FElvisPresleysGraceland&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FElvisPresleysGraceland&amp;index=6&amp;md5=593223dc2c52ca4cd7f6ee8d31109a85" type="external" /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ElvisPresleysGraceland" type="external">https://www.facebook.com/ElvisPresleysGraceland</a>@VisitGraceland on Twitter, Instagram and Periscope Graceland Blog: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.graceland.com%2F&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.graceland.com%2F&amp;index=7&amp;md5=c48630b1b112acfae7d5408785de8445" type="external" /> <a href="http://blog.graceland.com/" type="external">http://blog.graceland.com/</a> Graceland Podcast: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2Fconnect%2Fpodcast.aspx&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2Fconnect%2Fpodcast.aspx&amp;index=8&amp;md5=57ecff29fe0823fd0e6c06d403b7c282" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.graceland.com/connect/podcast.aspx" type="external">http://www.graceland.com/connect/podcast.aspx</a> YouTube: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2FOfficialGraceland&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2FOfficialGraceland&amp;index=9&amp;md5=2f38f87afe2055fb0c85fdeba91dfc97" type="external" /> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialGraceland" type="external">https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialGraceland</a> Livestream events: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Flivestream.com%2FElvisPresleyGraceland&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=https%3A%2F%2Flivestream.com%2FElvisPresleyGraceland&amp;index=10&amp;md5=6edf58090e4dae42376a298ec081172f" type="external" /> <a href="https://livestream.com/ElvisPresleyGraceland" type="external">https://livestream.com/ElvisPresleyGraceland</a> SiriusXM’s Elvis Radio, Channel 19: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.siriusxm.com%2FElvisradio&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.siriusxm.com%2FElvisradio&amp;index=11&amp;md5=94fe9e5f2c3d90310e1600c7bb53d1b7" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.siriusxm.com/Elvisradio" type="external">http://www.siriusxm.com/Elvisradio</a></p>
<p />
<p />
<p>View source version on businesswire.com: <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en/" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en/" type="external">http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en/</a></p>
<p>CONTACT: for Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.</p>
<p>David Beckwith, 323-632-3277</p>
<p>[email protected]</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>Mark Riddell, 901-332-3322</p>
<p>[email protected]</p>
<p>KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA TENNESSEE</p>
<p>INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC OTHER ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY</p>
<p>SOURCE: Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.</p>
<p>Copyright Business Wire 2018.</p>
<p>PUB: 01/08/2018 02:05 PM/DISC: 01/08/2018 02:13 PM</p>
<p><a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en" type="external">http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en</a></p>
<p>MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 8, 2018-- <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2F&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Graceland&amp;index=1&amp;md5=1abf21945fbd44bf027e276d2a2f971d" type="external">Graceland</a> ® guests from around the world gathered on the front lawn of Elvis Presley’s™ iconic home this morning to celebrate Elvis’ birthday, joining city officials and Graceland executives as Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, Jr. read the official proclamation for “Elvis Presley Day” in Memphis and Shelby County. The specially-prepared birthday cake was a tribute to Elvis’ 1968 Comeback Special, as Graceland kicks off its year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary year of this milestone TV event.</p>
<p>This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en/" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en/" type="external">http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en/</a></p>
<p>The specially-prepared birthday cake was a tribute to Elvis’ 1968 Comeback Special, as Graceland kicks off its year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary year of this milestone TV event. (Photo: Business Wire)</p>
<p>Weekend birthday festivities included The Auction at Graceland, which saw over a half-million dollars in winning bids for unique Elvis memorabilia, a concert featuring the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, panel discussions at <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2Flodging%2Fguesthouse%2F&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=The+Guest+House+At+Graceland&amp;index=2&amp;md5=1a05b5688b6c0d669d67b3c1ef22bcba" type="external">The Guest House At Graceland</a> ® resort featuring Elvis’ movie co-stars and those who knew Elvis in his early years, and evening tours of the Mansion and the new <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2Fvisit%2Fexperience%2Felvis_presleys_memphis.aspx&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Elvis+Presley%27s+Memphis&amp;index=3&amp;md5=3b0c75f19ae73369acbb2561346ca863" type="external">Elvis Presley’s Memphis</a> ™ exhibit and entertainment complex.</p>
<p>Graceland also marked the occasion by officially opening its newest exhibit at Elvis Presley’s Memphis. The “Hollywood Backlot” exhibit features production sets and artifacts from the acclaimed television series “Sun Records,” produced by ThinkFactory Media and executive produced by Leslie Greif. Filmed in Memphis and aired on CMT network in 2017, the eight-episode series chronicled the meteoric rise to fame of pioneering musicians Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. Guided by Sun Records founder and producer Sam Phillips, these young musicians combined the styles of “hillbilly country” with the 1950s R&amp;B sound created by artists like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Fats Domino and Ike Turner, and changed the course of music forever.</p>
<p>Included in this one-of-a-kind exhibit are iconic set pieces that will transport guests back to the historic Memphis Recording Service studio and WHBQ Radio – exactly as these legendary locations appeared in the series, set in the late 1950’s during the birth of rock ‘n’ roll.</p>
<p>Musician Will Tucker, who portrayed Elvis’ guitarist Scotty Moore in the series, joined the ceremony as the ribbon was cut to officially open this one-of-a-kind exhibit.</p>
<p>About Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.</p>
<p>Elvis Presley’s Graceland, in Memphis, is music’s most important and beloved landmark, with hundreds of thousands of fans from around the world visiting the historic home each year. Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) manages the operations of Graceland and its related properties, including Elvis Presley’s Memphis, Graceland’s new entertainment and exhibition complex over 200,000 square feet in size; the AAA Four-Diamond Guest House at Graceland 450-room hotel; and the Graceland Archives, featuring thousands of artifacts from Elvis’ home and career. EPE also produces and licenses Elvis-themed live events, tours and attractions worldwide. Graceland Holdings LLC, led by managing partner Joel Weinshanker, is the majority owner of EPE. In 2015, Graceland was named the world’s “Best Musical Attraction” and “Best Historic Southern Attraction” in the USA Today 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards and in 2013, voted the #1 “Iconic American Attraction” in the same poll. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=www.graceland.com&amp;index=4&amp;md5=4b9913a1926e8f27e5bda2a2f3d0ac34" type="external">www.graceland.com</a></p>
<p>Stay connected to Elvis Presley’s Graceland:</p>
<p>Website: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2F&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2F&amp;index=5&amp;md5=1b0155a42afc131d235e277f8031ad0f" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.graceland.com/" type="external">http://www.graceland.com/</a> Facebook: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FElvisPresleysGraceland&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FElvisPresleysGraceland&amp;index=6&amp;md5=593223dc2c52ca4cd7f6ee8d31109a85" type="external" /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ElvisPresleysGraceland" type="external">https://www.facebook.com/ElvisPresleysGraceland</a>@VisitGraceland on Twitter, Instagram and Periscope Graceland Blog: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.graceland.com%2F&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.graceland.com%2F&amp;index=7&amp;md5=c48630b1b112acfae7d5408785de8445" type="external" /> <a href="http://blog.graceland.com/" type="external">http://blog.graceland.com/</a> Graceland Podcast: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2Fconnect%2Fpodcast.aspx&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graceland.com%2Fconnect%2Fpodcast.aspx&amp;index=8&amp;md5=57ecff29fe0823fd0e6c06d403b7c282" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.graceland.com/connect/podcast.aspx" type="external">http://www.graceland.com/connect/podcast.aspx</a> YouTube: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2FOfficialGraceland&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2FOfficialGraceland&amp;index=9&amp;md5=2f38f87afe2055fb0c85fdeba91dfc97" type="external" /> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialGraceland" type="external">https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialGraceland</a> Livestream events: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Flivestream.com%2FElvisPresleyGraceland&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=https%3A%2F%2Flivestream.com%2FElvisPresleyGraceland&amp;index=10&amp;md5=6edf58090e4dae42376a298ec081172f" type="external" /> <a href="https://livestream.com/ElvisPresleyGraceland" type="external">https://livestream.com/ElvisPresleyGraceland</a> SiriusXM’s Elvis Radio, Channel 19: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.siriusxm.com%2FElvisradio&amp;esheet=51739824&amp;newsitemid=20180108006695&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.siriusxm.com%2FElvisradio&amp;index=11&amp;md5=94fe9e5f2c3d90310e1600c7bb53d1b7" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.siriusxm.com/Elvisradio" type="external">http://www.siriusxm.com/Elvisradio</a></p>
<p />
<p />
<p>View source version on businesswire.com: <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en/" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en/" type="external">http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en/</a></p>
<p>CONTACT: for Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.</p>
<p>David Beckwith, 323-632-3277</p>
<p>[email protected]</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>Mark Riddell, 901-332-3322</p>
<p>[email protected]</p>
<p>KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA TENNESSEE</p>
<p>INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC OTHER ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY</p>
<p>SOURCE: Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.</p>
<p>Copyright Business Wire 2018.</p>
<p>PUB: 01/08/2018 02:05 PM/DISC: 01/08/2018 02:13 PM</p>
<p><a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en" type="external">http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006695/en</a></p>
| false | 2 |
memphis tennbusiness wirejan 8 2018 graceland guests around world gathered front lawn elvis presleys iconic home morning celebrate elvis birthday joining city officials graceland executives shelby county mayor mark luttrell jr read official proclamation elvis presley day memphis shelby county speciallyprepared birthday cake tribute elvis 1968 comeback special graceland kicks yearlong celebration 50th anniversary year milestone tv event press release features multimedia view full release httpwwwbusinesswirecomnewshome20180108006695en speciallyprepared birthday cake tribute elvis 1968 comeback special graceland kicks yearlong celebration 50th anniversary year milestone tv event photo business wire weekend birthday festivities included auction graceland saw halfmillion dollars winning bids unique elvis memorabilia concert featuring memphis symphony orchestra panel discussions guest house graceland resort featuring elvis movie costars knew elvis early years evening tours mansion new elvis presleys memphis exhibit entertainment complex graceland also marked occasion officially opening newest exhibit elvis presleys memphis hollywood backlot exhibit features production sets artifacts acclaimed television series sun records produced thinkfactory media executive produced leslie greif filmed memphis aired cmt network 2017 eightepisode series chronicled meteoric rise fame pioneering musicians elvis presley johnny cash carl perkins jerry lee lewis guided sun records founder producer sam phillips young musicians combined styles hillbilly country 1950s rampb sound created artists like muddy waters bb king fats domino ike turner changed course music forever included oneofakind exhibit iconic set pieces transport guests back historic memphis recording service studio whbq radio exactly legendary locations appeared series set late 1950s birth rock n roll musician tucker portrayed elvis guitarist scotty moore series joined ceremony ribbon cut officially open oneofakind exhibit graceland elvis presley enterprises inc elvis presleys graceland memphis musics important beloved landmark hundreds thousands fans around world visiting historic home year elvis presley enterprises inc epe manages operations graceland related properties including elvis presleys memphis gracelands new entertainment exhibition complex 200000 square feet size aaa fourdiamond guest house graceland 450room hotel graceland archives featuring thousands artifacts elvis home career epe also produces licenses elvisthemed live events tours attractions worldwide graceland holdings llc led managing partner joel weinshanker majority owner epe 2015 graceland named worlds best musical attraction best historic southern attraction usa today 10 best readers choice awards 2013 voted 1 iconic american attraction poll information epe graceland visit wwwgracelandcom stay connected elvis presleys graceland website httpwwwgracelandcom facebook httpswwwfacebookcomelvispresleysgracelandvisitgraceland twitter instagram periscope graceland blog httpbloggracelandcom graceland podcast httpwwwgracelandcomconnectpodcastaspx youtube httpswwwyoutubecomuserofficialgraceland livestream events httpslivestreamcomelvispresleygraceland siriusxms elvis radio channel 19 httpwwwsiriusxmcomelvisradio view source version businesswirecom httpwwwbusinesswirecomnewshome20180108006695en contact elvis presley enterprises inc david beckwith 3236323277 davidthebeckwithcompanycom mark riddell 9013323322 mriddellgracelandcom keyword united states north america tennessee industry keyword entertainment music entertainment celebrity source elvis presley enterprises inc copyright business wire 2018 pub 01082018 0205 pmdisc 01082018 0213 pm httpwwwbusinesswirecomnewshome20180108006695en memphis tennbusiness wirejan 8 2018 graceland guests around world gathered front lawn elvis presleys iconic home morning celebrate elvis birthday joining city officials graceland executives shelby county mayor mark luttrell jr read official proclamation elvis presley day memphis shelby county speciallyprepared birthday cake tribute elvis 1968 comeback special graceland kicks yearlong celebration 50th anniversary year milestone tv event press release features multimedia view full release httpwwwbusinesswirecomnewshome20180108006695en speciallyprepared birthday cake tribute elvis 1968 comeback special graceland kicks yearlong celebration 50th anniversary year milestone tv event photo business wire weekend birthday festivities included auction graceland saw halfmillion dollars winning bids unique elvis memorabilia concert featuring memphis symphony orchestra panel discussions guest house graceland resort featuring elvis movie costars knew elvis early years evening tours mansion new elvis presleys memphis exhibit entertainment complex graceland also marked occasion officially opening newest exhibit elvis presleys memphis hollywood backlot exhibit features production sets artifacts acclaimed television series sun records produced thinkfactory media executive produced leslie greif filmed memphis aired cmt network 2017 eightepisode series chronicled meteoric rise fame pioneering musicians elvis presley johnny cash carl perkins jerry lee lewis guided sun records founder producer sam phillips young musicians combined styles hillbilly country 1950s rampb sound created artists like muddy waters bb king fats domino ike turner changed course music forever included oneofakind exhibit iconic set pieces transport guests back historic memphis recording service studio whbq radio exactly legendary locations appeared series set late 1950s birth rock n roll musician tucker portrayed elvis guitarist scotty moore series joined ceremony ribbon cut officially open oneofakind exhibit graceland elvis presley enterprises inc elvis presleys graceland memphis musics important beloved landmark hundreds thousands fans around world visiting historic home year elvis presley enterprises inc epe manages operations graceland related properties including elvis presleys memphis gracelands new entertainment exhibition complex 200000 square feet size aaa fourdiamond guest house graceland 450room hotel graceland archives featuring thousands artifacts elvis home career epe also produces licenses elvisthemed live events tours attractions worldwide graceland holdings llc led managing partner joel weinshanker majority owner epe 2015 graceland named worlds best musical attraction best historic southern attraction usa today 10 best readers choice awards 2013 voted 1 iconic american attraction poll information epe graceland visit wwwgracelandcom stay connected elvis presleys graceland website httpwwwgracelandcom facebook httpswwwfacebookcomelvispresleysgracelandvisitgraceland twitter instagram periscope graceland blog httpbloggracelandcom graceland podcast httpwwwgracelandcomconnectpodcastaspx youtube httpswwwyoutubecomuserofficialgraceland livestream events httpslivestreamcomelvispresleygraceland siriusxms elvis radio channel 19 httpwwwsiriusxmcomelvisradio view source version businesswirecom httpwwwbusinesswirecomnewshome20180108006695en contact elvis presley enterprises inc david beckwith 3236323277 davidthebeckwithcompanycom mark riddell 9013323322 mriddellgracelandcom keyword united states north america tennessee industry keyword entertainment music entertainment celebrity source elvis presley enterprises inc copyright business wire 2018 pub 01082018 0205 pmdisc 01082018 0213 pm httpwwwbusinesswirecomnewshome20180108006695en
| 890 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Zoe spent her last days sprawled at the feet of the woman who loved her.</p>
<p>Zoe was a border collie, nearly 18, quite old for a dog. Sprawling at the woman’s feet was about all she could do anymore. Her left leg hung contorted and lifeless, weighed down at the elbow by a bulbous tumor.</p>
<p>Her back legs were so weak the woman had to lift up her haunches with a leash slung under her soft abdomen, allowing her to hop awkwardly on her one good leg down the two steps from the RV they lived in to a grassy patch outdoors to do her business.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Zoe never complained.</p>
<p>“She’s been a really good dog,” said Kitty Lee, the woman.</p>
<p>For months, Lee knew it was time to say goodbye to Zoe, her constant companion since 1999. The tumor had gotten so big, and Zoe had gotten so weak. Her gentle brown eyes were clouding over. She couldn’t hear. It wasn’t fair to force her to live this way just for Lee’s sake.</p>
<p>“She deserves better than this,” said Lee, 75. “She deserves to die with dignity.”</p>
<p>Zoe the border collie was nearly 18, nearly blind and deaf, could not use her back legs and had a tumor the size of a cantaloupe on her left elbow. She died peacefully Monday. (Joline Gutierrez Krueger/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>But dignity is hard to pay for.</p>
<p>“I don’t have that kind of money to put her down,” Lee said. “I couldn’t even afford to take her to a vet to see about the tumor. Now it’s too late.”</p>
<p>Lee took Zoe home for the first time back when there was a home, a job, money.</p>
<p>Today, Lee lives on a monthly $800 Social Security check, just enough to pay for groceries, bills and rent for the broken-down RV parked in a West Central trailer court. She is diabetic, has a bad back and injured a shoulder in a fall. She has no family nearby.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Zoe, along with a dog named Jasmine and four cats, are her family.</p>
<p>Neighbor Sally Smith started helping Lee look for a veterinary clinic willing to euthanize Zoe economically and with Lee present.</p>
<p>They found nothing.</p>
<p>“What is she supposed to do?” an exasperated Smith asked. “We found places that would spay this old sick dog for free. But none of them would put her down for free.”</p>
<p>Costs for euthanasia range from about $200, which includes an exam and tests, if performed in a veterinary office, to as much as $800 for a veterinary home visit. Some clinics provide free euthanasia for established patients.</p>
<p>Vetco, which operates low-cost clinics in Albuquerque and Los Lunas, charges about $85 for a 40-pound dog. The cost includes the anesthesia and sedative, plus transportation of the body for cremation.</p>
<p>Albuquerque’s Animal Welfare Department does not provide euthanasia on request but may euthanize if the owner surrenders the animal.</p>
<p>“We evaluate the pets in our custody and make our own decisions about whether the animals should be euthanized,” spokesman James Ludwick said. “When euthanasia takes place, former owners are not present.”</p>
<p>Animal Humane New Mexico operates a clinic providing services, including euthanasia, to pets, with reduced fees based on the owner’s income. In extreme cases of provable financial hardship, euthanasia can be paid in full by Animal Humane’s charitable Angel Fund.</p>
<p>Lee likely would have qualified for that, agency Executive Director Peggy Weigle said.</p>
<p>But Smith said that when she called Animal Humane she was told Zoe would have to be surrendered to be euthanized and Lee could not be present.</p>
<p>“I explained how Zoe’s owner was on Social Security and how sick Zoe was,” Smith said. “They didn’t care.”</p>
<p>What Smith was told, Weigle said, was incorrect. She said she suspects a volunteer manning the phones misunderstood or misdirected Smith’s call.</p>
<p>Owners who qualify for the Angel Fund could still be on the hook for the cost of examinations and tests a veterinarian may require before a pet is put down. Those tests are sometimes needed to ensure there is good reason for the euthanasia, Weigle said.</p>
<p>“We don’t euthanize for convenience,” she said.</p>
<p>Other angels did step in to help Lee send Zoe off with compassion.</p>
<p>Those angels were you readers.</p>
<p>Last week, I asked those of you who follow me on Facebook to tell me about your experiences with the painful – and pricey – decision to put down a beloved pet. Many of you did; many of you offered more than that. Before I had written a single word of this column, you offered to help with donations. Several of you offered to pay for the entire procedure.</p>
<p>One reader called veterinary clinics to plead the case for a dog and a woman she had never met. That reader, Lori DeAnda, found a veterinarian who felt compassion for Zoe and agreed to perform the euthanasia gratis.</p>
<p>That is where Zoe was on Monday afternoon. She died peacefully and with dignity in her woman’s arms.</p>
<p>Something about a dog brings out the best in us, and maybe that’s because we learn a little about the unconditional love they give us.</p>
<p>We grow old together, one faster than the other, and then we must say goodbye. What a shame that sometimes that goodbye is so hard to afford.</p>
<p>A friend of mine reminded me of a saying on a T-shirt that read: “I wish I was the person my dog thinks I am.”</p>
<p>To you readers and the vet who stepped up to help an ailing woman and her ailing dog, you are that person.</p>
<p>UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a> or follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jolinegkg" type="external">@jolinegkg</a>. Go to <a href="" type="internal">ABQjournal.com/letters/new</a> to submit a letter to the editor.</p>
<p />
<p />
| false | 2 |
albuquerque nm zoe spent last days sprawled feet woman loved zoe border collie nearly 18 quite old dog sprawling womans feet could anymore left leg hung contorted lifeless weighed elbow bulbous tumor back legs weak woman lift haunches leash slung soft abdomen allowing hop awkwardly one good leg two steps rv lived grassy patch outdoors business advertisement zoe never complained shes really good dog said kitty lee woman months lee knew time say goodbye zoe constant companion since 1999 tumor gotten big zoe gotten weak gentle brown eyes clouding couldnt hear wasnt fair force live way lees sake deserves better said lee 75 deserves die dignity zoe border collie nearly 18 nearly blind deaf could use back legs tumor size cantaloupe left elbow died peacefully monday joline gutierrez kruegeralbuquerque journal dignity hard pay dont kind money put lee said couldnt even afford take vet see tumor late lee took zoe home first time back home job money today lee lives monthly 800 social security check enough pay groceries bills rent brokendown rv parked west central trailer court diabetic bad back injured shoulder fall family nearby advertisement zoe along dog named jasmine four cats family neighbor sally smith started helping lee look veterinary clinic willing euthanize zoe economically lee present found nothing supposed exasperated smith asked found places would spay old sick dog free none would put free costs euthanasia range 200 includes exam tests performed veterinary office much 800 veterinary home visit clinics provide free euthanasia established patients vetco operates lowcost clinics albuquerque los lunas charges 85 40pound dog cost includes anesthesia sedative plus transportation body cremation albuquerques animal welfare department provide euthanasia request may euthanize owner surrenders animal evaluate pets custody make decisions whether animals euthanized spokesman james ludwick said euthanasia takes place former owners present animal humane new mexico operates clinic providing services including euthanasia pets reduced fees based owners income extreme cases provable financial hardship euthanasia paid full animal humanes charitable angel fund lee likely would qualified agency executive director peggy weigle said smith said called animal humane told zoe would surrendered euthanized lee could present explained zoes owner social security sick zoe smith said didnt care smith told weigle said incorrect said suspects volunteer manning phones misunderstood misdirected smiths call owners qualify angel fund could still hook cost examinations tests veterinarian may require pet put tests sometimes needed ensure good reason euthanasia weigle said dont euthanize convenience said angels step help lee send zoe compassion angels readers last week asked follow facebook tell experiences painful pricey decision put beloved pet many many offered written single word column offered help donations several offered pay entire procedure one reader called veterinary clinics plead case dog woman never met reader lori deanda found veterinarian felt compassion zoe agreed perform euthanasia gratis zoe monday afternoon died peacefully dignity womans arms something dog brings best us maybe thats learn little unconditional love give us grow old together one faster must say goodbye shame sometimes goodbye hard afford friend mine reminded saying tshirt read wish person dog thinks readers vet stepped help ailing woman ailing dog person upfront daily frontpage news opinion column comment directly joline 8233603 jkruegerabqjournalcom follow twitter jolinegkg go abqjournalcomlettersnew submit letter editor
| 534 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — Parents of children slain in the Connecticut school massacre called for a national dialogue to help prevent similar tragedies as New York moved to become the first to state to pass stricter gun control laws and politicians worked to confront gun violence.</p>
<p>Members of the newly formed group Sandy Hook Promise spoke out Monday, saying they want to have open-minded discussions about a range of issues, including guns, mental health and safety in schools and other public places.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I do not want to be someone sharing my experience and consoling another parent next time. I do not want there to be a next time,” said Nicole Hockley, whose son Dylan was among the 20 first-graders and six adults killed by a gunman Dec. 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School.</p>
<p>The parents held photos of their sons and daughters as they cried, hugged and spoke in quavering voices. Some speakers said they did not believe there was a single solution.</p>
<p>“We want the Sandy Hook school shootings to be recalled as the turning point where we brought our community and communities across the nation together and set a real course for change,” said group co-founder Tom Bittman.</p>
<p>While the Sandy Hook group did not offer specific remedies, mayors and governors in favor of tighter gun restrictions lobbied for a series of them on Monday, one month since the shooting.</p>
<p>In New York, lawmakers agreed to pass the toughest gun control law in the nation. Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed the proposal called for a tougher assault weapons ban and restrictions on ammunition and the sale of guns, as well as a mandatory police registry of assault weapons, grandfathering in assault weapons already in private hands.</p>
<p>The measure passed the Senate on Monday and is expected to pass in the Assembly on Tuesday.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Earlier, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg addressed a summit on gun violence at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and argued for greater federal gun control, including background checks for all purchases and a federal crackdown on trafficking.</p>
<p>“Every state in the union has citizens killed by guns coming from another state and every state is powerless to stop the mayhem,” Bloomberg said.</p>
<p>Bloomberg is co-chairman of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, whose members spoke out Monday in cities including Portland, Maine; Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Santa Fe, N.M.</p>
<p>In Cranford, N.J., a group of mayors backing new restrictions were joined by a man whose 23-year-old son was shot to death in the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>“I’m just one member of a Virginia Tech family, Newtown has theirs, Aurora has theirs, Tucson has theirs, and now we’re starting to come together,” Michael Pohle said. “This coalition is growing, and it’s going to become more powerful, and we’re going to have the ability to influence elections as well.”</p>
<p>Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he has ordered an analysis of city employee pension funds to see if they hold companies that make or sell assault weapons.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The gun control debate heated up after 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14 and killed 26 people before committing suicide as police arrived. He also killed his mother at their Newtown home before driving to the school and carrying out the massacre.</p>
<p>President Barack Obama is reviewing proposals from Vice President Joe Biden, who is leading a task force on ways to reduce gun violence. Obama told reporters Monday he is looking at actions he can take on his own to confront gun violence amid resistance from the National Rifle Association and wariness among lawmakers from both parties.</p>
<p>The NRA has fiercely opposed new gun control laws and has called for “a meaningful conversation” about school safety, mental health issues and marketing violence to children.</p>
<p>A number of governors were already moving ahead with proposals to toughen state laws.</p>
<p>In Delaware, Gov. Jack Markell on Monday proposed background checks for private gun sales and a ban on military-style weapons. A package of gun control proposals also included a ban on magazines holding more than five rounds for rifles and 10 rounds for handguns, and a ban on guns within 1,000 feet of schools.</p>
<p>Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, speaking at the same Baltimore summit as Bloomberg, said he will be advocating a broad array of proposals this legislative session, including a ban on combat-style weapons, stricter licensing requirements, school safety and mental health concerns.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“This will be a comprehensive legislative package to prevent gun violence, and it addresses not only the guns but also mental health and school safety,” O’Malley said.</p>
<p>Jeremy Richman, whose daughter Avielle was killed at Sandy Hook, said a deeper understanding of mental health issues is essential. He and his wife, Jennifer Hensel, started a foundation to explore issues such as risk factors and successful interventions.</p>
<p>Richman spoke at the same news conference as Hockley, who said she still finds herself reaching for her son Dylan’s hand or expecting him to crawl into bed with her for a hug before school.</p>
<p>“It’s so hard to believe he’s gone,” she said.</p>
<p>In Stratford, Conn., where Victoria Soto had lived, the town council Monday decided to rename HoneySpot Elementary School after her. Soto, 27, was a teacher at Sandy Hook when she died trying to shield her students from the gunman.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Contributing were Associated Press writers Brian Witte in Baltimore; Randall Chase in Wilmington, Del.; Samantha Henry in Cranford, N.J.; and Michael Gormley and Michael Hill in Albany, N.Y.</p>
| false | 2 |
newtown conn ap parents children slain connecticut school massacre called national dialogue help prevent similar tragedies new york moved become first state pass stricter gun control laws politicians worked confront gun violence members newly formed group sandy hook promise spoke monday saying want openminded discussions range issues including guns mental health safety schools public places advertisement want someone sharing experience consoling another parent next time want next time said nicole hockley whose son dylan among 20 firstgraders six adults killed gunman dec 14 sandy hook elementary school parents held photos sons daughters cried hugged spoke quavering voices speakers said believe single solution want sandy hook school shootings recalled turning point brought community communities across nation together set real course change said group cofounder tom bittman sandy hook group offer specific remedies mayors governors favor tighter gun restrictions lobbied series monday one month since shooting new york lawmakers agreed pass toughest gun control law nation gov andrew cuomo confirmed proposal called tougher assault weapons ban restrictions ammunition sale guns well mandatory police registry assault weapons grandfathering assault weapons already private hands measure passed senate monday expected pass assembly tuesday advertisement earlier new york mayor michael bloomberg addressed summit gun violence johns hopkins university baltimore argued greater federal gun control including background checks purchases federal crackdown trafficking every state union citizens killed guns coming another state every state powerless stop mayhem bloomberg said bloomberg cochairman mayors illegal guns whose members spoke monday cities including portland maine fort wayne ind santa fe nm cranford nj group mayors backing new restrictions joined man whose 23yearold son shot death 2007 massacre virginia tech im one member virginia tech family newtown aurora tucson starting come together michael pohle said coalition growing going become powerful going ability influence elections well chicago mayor rahm emanuel said ordered analysis city employee pension funds see hold companies make sell assault weapons advertisement gun control debate heated 20yearold adam lanza shot way sandy hook elementary school dec 14 killed 26 people committing suicide police arrived also killed mother newtown home driving school carrying massacre president barack obama reviewing proposals vice president joe biden leading task force ways reduce gun violence obama told reporters monday looking actions take confront gun violence amid resistance national rifle association wariness among lawmakers parties nra fiercely opposed new gun control laws called meaningful conversation school safety mental health issues marketing violence children number governors already moving ahead proposals toughen state laws delaware gov jack markell monday proposed background checks private gun sales ban militarystyle weapons package gun control proposals also included ban magazines holding five rounds rifles 10 rounds handguns ban guns within 1000 feet schools maryland gov martin omalley speaking baltimore summit bloomberg said advocating broad array proposals legislative session including ban combatstyle weapons stricter licensing requirements school safety mental health concerns advertisement comprehensive legislative package prevent gun violence addresses guns also mental health school safety omalley said jeremy richman whose daughter avielle killed sandy hook said deeper understanding mental health issues essential wife jennifer hensel started foundation explore issues risk factors successful interventions richman spoke news conference hockley said still finds reaching son dylans hand expecting crawl bed hug school hard believe hes gone said stratford conn victoria soto lived town council monday decided rename honeyspot elementary school soto 27 teacher sandy hook died trying shield students gunman ___ contributing associated press writers brian witte baltimore randall chase wilmington del samantha henry cranford nj michael gormley michael hill albany ny
| 576 |
<p>MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Kyle Edmund is helping British tennis fans forget that Andy Murray was an injury no-show at the Australian Open.</p>
<p>Edmund advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time — his best Grand Slam singles result — with a 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 win Sunday over 33-year-old Andreas Seppi, a player 10 years his senior.</p>
<p>In mentioning Edmund, the statistics sheets at Melbourne Park were full of references to Murray, the five-time losing finalist here and three-time Grand Slam champion who pulled out of the season-opening major to have hip surgery.</p>
<p>The Johannesburg-born Edmund is the first British man other than Murray to reach the quarterfinals here since John Lloyd was beaten in the quarters in 1985.</p>
<p>He is the eighth British man to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era, but he has a ways to go to catch Murray's 30 appearances.</p>
<p>Pretty good for Brit not named Murray to get this far, and he's noticing the extra attention.</p>
<p>"I guess maybe more messages on social media and stuff or whatever ... there's obviously a bit more attention the more matches you win," he said. "That's obviously encouraging."</p>
<p>With a current ATP ranking of 49, Edmund is clearly a work in progress, but heading in the right direction. He's already notched five-set wins over U.S. Open finalist Kevin Anderson in the first round here and Nikoloz Basilashvili in the third. His win against No. 12-ranked Anderson was a career-best performance.</p>
<p>He can't pinpoint any major physical changes he's made to his game, so perhaps it's all mental.</p>
<p>"I'm making better decisions in the moments I need to, or playing smarter tennis," Edmund said. "It's a very small margin and balance between winning and losing. It's always been like that."</p>
<p>Seppi was impressed.</p>
<p>"He played very well, really picked up the pace in the third and fourth sets," said Seppi, who received treatment in the final set for a right shoulder ailment. "It was an impressive performance."</p>
<p>Edmond's quarterfinal opponent will be third-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Nick Kyrgios in four sets later Sunday. Dimitrov beat Edmond at the Brisbane International in three sets to start the year.</p>
<p>"I just played Kyle two weeks ago," Dimitrov said. "I switched it on today, and hopefully next match I can do better."</p>
<p>Edmund said he'll take some confidence from his tight loss in Brisbane, where Kyrgios beat Dimitrov in the semifinals en route to the title.</p>
<p>"I played well ... of course, we can take things from that," he said. "Maybe a few things I could do better, and I will try and do that."</p>
<p>MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Kyle Edmund is helping British tennis fans forget that Andy Murray was an injury no-show at the Australian Open.</p>
<p>Edmund advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time — his best Grand Slam singles result — with a 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 win Sunday over 33-year-old Andreas Seppi, a player 10 years his senior.</p>
<p>In mentioning Edmund, the statistics sheets at Melbourne Park were full of references to Murray, the five-time losing finalist here and three-time Grand Slam champion who pulled out of the season-opening major to have hip surgery.</p>
<p>The Johannesburg-born Edmund is the first British man other than Murray to reach the quarterfinals here since John Lloyd was beaten in the quarters in 1985.</p>
<p>He is the eighth British man to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era, but he has a ways to go to catch Murray's 30 appearances.</p>
<p>Pretty good for Brit not named Murray to get this far, and he's noticing the extra attention.</p>
<p>"I guess maybe more messages on social media and stuff or whatever ... there's obviously a bit more attention the more matches you win," he said. "That's obviously encouraging."</p>
<p>With a current ATP ranking of 49, Edmund is clearly a work in progress, but heading in the right direction. He's already notched five-set wins over U.S. Open finalist Kevin Anderson in the first round here and Nikoloz Basilashvili in the third. His win against No. 12-ranked Anderson was a career-best performance.</p>
<p>He can't pinpoint any major physical changes he's made to his game, so perhaps it's all mental.</p>
<p>"I'm making better decisions in the moments I need to, or playing smarter tennis," Edmund said. "It's a very small margin and balance between winning and losing. It's always been like that."</p>
<p>Seppi was impressed.</p>
<p>"He played very well, really picked up the pace in the third and fourth sets," said Seppi, who received treatment in the final set for a right shoulder ailment. "It was an impressive performance."</p>
<p>Edmond's quarterfinal opponent will be third-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Nick Kyrgios in four sets later Sunday. Dimitrov beat Edmond at the Brisbane International in three sets to start the year.</p>
<p>"I just played Kyle two weeks ago," Dimitrov said. "I switched it on today, and hopefully next match I can do better."</p>
<p>Edmund said he'll take some confidence from his tight loss in Brisbane, where Kyrgios beat Dimitrov in the semifinals en route to the title.</p>
<p>"I played well ... of course, we can take things from that," he said. "Maybe a few things I could do better, and I will try and do that."</p>
| false | 2 |
melbourne australia ap kyle edmund helping british tennis fans forget andy murray injury noshow australian open edmund advanced quarterfinals first time best grand slam singles result 67 4 75 62 63 win sunday 33yearold andreas seppi player 10 years senior mentioning edmund statistics sheets melbourne park full references murray fivetime losing finalist threetime grand slam champion pulled seasonopening major hip surgery johannesburgborn edmund first british man murray reach quarterfinals since john lloyd beaten quarters 1985 eighth british man reach quarterfinals grand slam tournament open era ways go catch murrays 30 appearances pretty good brit named murray get far hes noticing extra attention guess maybe messages social media stuff whatever theres obviously bit attention matches win said thats obviously encouraging current atp ranking 49 edmund clearly work progress heading right direction hes already notched fiveset wins us open finalist kevin anderson first round nikoloz basilashvili third win 12ranked anderson careerbest performance cant pinpoint major physical changes hes made game perhaps mental im making better decisions moments need playing smarter tennis edmund said small margin balance winning losing always like seppi impressed played well really picked pace third fourth sets said seppi received treatment final set right shoulder ailment impressive performance edmonds quarterfinal opponent thirdseeded grigor dimitrov beat nick kyrgios four sets later sunday dimitrov beat edmond brisbane international three sets start year played kyle two weeks ago dimitrov said switched today hopefully next match better edmund said hell take confidence tight loss brisbane kyrgios beat dimitrov semifinals en route title played well course take things said maybe things could better try melbourne australia ap kyle edmund helping british tennis fans forget andy murray injury noshow australian open edmund advanced quarterfinals first time best grand slam singles result 67 4 75 62 63 win sunday 33yearold andreas seppi player 10 years senior mentioning edmund statistics sheets melbourne park full references murray fivetime losing finalist threetime grand slam champion pulled seasonopening major hip surgery johannesburgborn edmund first british man murray reach quarterfinals since john lloyd beaten quarters 1985 eighth british man reach quarterfinals grand slam tournament open era ways go catch murrays 30 appearances pretty good brit named murray get far hes noticing extra attention guess maybe messages social media stuff whatever theres obviously bit attention matches win said thats obviously encouraging current atp ranking 49 edmund clearly work progress heading right direction hes already notched fiveset wins us open finalist kevin anderson first round nikoloz basilashvili third win 12ranked anderson careerbest performance cant pinpoint major physical changes hes made game perhaps mental im making better decisions moments need playing smarter tennis edmund said small margin balance winning losing always like seppi impressed played well really picked pace third fourth sets said seppi received treatment final set right shoulder ailment impressive performance edmonds quarterfinal opponent thirdseeded grigor dimitrov beat nick kyrgios four sets later sunday dimitrov beat edmond brisbane international three sets start year played kyle two weeks ago dimitrov said switched today hopefully next match better edmund said hell take confidence tight loss brisbane kyrgios beat dimitrov semifinals en route title played well course take things said maybe things could better try
| 520 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office is participating in the 2013 national “Click It or Ticket” seatbelt enforcement mobilization through June 2.</p>
<p>Deputies will have extra focus on writing citations for motorists who don’t use their seatbelts during the campaign, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.</p>
<p>“The Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind people that seatbelts save lives,” the release said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>City zoning meeting canceled</p>
<p>The Tuesday, May 28, meeting of the city of Rio Rancho’s Planning and Zoning Board has been canceled due to lack of agenda items.</p>
<p>Regular board meetings are held at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle. Meetings are streamed on the city’s Web site, ci.rio-rancho.nm.us, and broadcast on the city’s RioVision government cable channel 15, which is available to Rio Rancho Cable One subscribers.</p>
<p>Lane restrictions on Unser Blvd.</p>
<p>Lane restrictions will occur on Unser Boulevard from Abrazo Road to Cherry Road for traffic signal communication-related work.</p>
<p>Restrictions will be in place daily between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.</p>
<p>Statewide road conditions are available through the New Mexico Department of Transportation web site, nmroads.com.</p>
<p>County supports teen court</p>
<p>The Sandoval County Commission has voiced its support for a program that diverts first-time juvenile offenders from the criminal justice system by having them serve sentences meted out by a jury of their peers.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The Metro Teen Court has operated in Bernalillo County since 2009. In that time, more than 400 youths charged with misdemeanor offenses such as shoplifting, traffic infractions or violating school rules have successfully completed peer-imposed sentences. Most sentences include some form of community service.</p>
<p>Commissioner Glenn Walters said he would like to see this nationally recognized program implemented in Sandoval County. The commission also supported the program and proclaimed Saturday Metro Teen Court Day in Sandoval County.</p>
<p>An event to celebrate teen courts will will take place that day 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Target parking lot at Paseo del Norte and I-25 in Albuquerque.</p>
<p>The Sandoval County Commission voiced its support of Metro Teen Court at its regular meeting on May 16, 2013, when Timothy Lopez, a 13-year-old Rio Rancho resident representing Boy Scout Troop 741, read a proclamation outlining the value of program.</p>
<p>For additional information, go to the Sandoval County web page, .sandovalcounty.com.</p>
<p>Free meals begin</p>
<p>Free summer meals will be provided for children age 1 to 18 from May 28 and ending Aug. 9. Breakfast will be served from 8 to 9 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for the Fourth of July holiday.</p>
<p>Breakfast and lunch will be served at the Boys and Girls Club of Rio Rancho, 4600 Sundt Road; Haynes Community Center, 2006 Grande Blvd.; and Star Heights Recreation Center, 800 Polaris Blvd. Lunch only will be served at Leon Grande Park, 4501 Leon Grande Blvd.; North Hills Park, 1901 Strawberry Drive; and Rainbow Pool facility, 301 Southern Blvd.</p>
<p>Meals are provided on a first-come, first-served basis and must be consumed on-site.</p>
<p>Last year, 8,297 breakfasts and 34,553 lunches were provided to local residents. The Summer Food Service Program is a U.S. Department of Agriculture program and administered by the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department. As a program sponsor, the City of Rio Rancho administers the funding to purchase the lunches and breakfasts and distribute them to children.</p>
<p>For additional information, call the Rio Rancho Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department at 891-5015 or go to ci.rio-rancho.nm.us.</p>
<p>Learn emotional freedom technique</p>
<p>Esther Bone Memorial Library will present a workshop on the Emotional Freedom Technique on Tuesday, June 11, at 6:30 p.m.</p>
<p>We all have negative emotions that can get the best of us. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) states that the cause of all negative emotion is a disruption in the body’s energy system. The purpose of EFT is to rebalance our energy system.</p>
<p>Emotional Freedom Technique melds acupuncture and modern day psychology. EFT is a simple and effective method for easing emotional pain and distress.</p>
<p>Join Marti Murphy, certified EFT practitioner and abundance coach, to learn more about this fascinating hands-on practice that can help ease your pain. No sign-ups or prior registration are necessary.</p>
<p>Donate to vets</p>
<p>The New Mexico VA Health Care System now offers E-Donate, which provides a simple and safe way to pledge support to the fund of their choice.</p>
<p>“Donated money at our medical center provides for many programs to include recreational activities for both inpatient and outpatient veterans, comfort items to newly admitted inpatients, and emergency funding for veterans needing assistance,” said Sonja Brown, Chief, Voluntary Service and Public Affairs Operations.</p>
<p>A minimum of $5 is required for online donation. To donate or for more information, go to albuquerque.va.gov.</p>
<p>Donors can find the E-Donate button at albuquerque.va.gov.&#160; The actual donation is made through a secure site at the Department of Treasury’s pay.gov.&#160; A minimum of $5 is required for online donation.</p>
<p>Local leadership</p>
<p>The Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce is offering a 10-month program of topics and current issues that impact Sandoval County. The sessions are open to individuals interested in personal and professional growth, community service and the development of leadership skills.</p>
<p>For more information, go to rrrcc.org.</p>
<p>ReadWest needs veteran tutors</p>
<p>ReadWest is beginning an outreach to veterans and their families with tutor training at VFW Post 5890, 76 20th St., on June 6-7.</p>
<p>ReadWest matches volunteer tutors with adult students who need to learn to read and write, or need to learn English as a second language.</p>
<p>The two-day training prepares the volunteer.</p>
<p>In addition to providing basic literacy skills, ReadWest also provides computer literacy classes, citizenship classes and help preparing for the GED exam.</p>
<p>This tutor training class is open to anyone.</p>
<p>For information and to register, call 892-1131 or email [email protected].</p>
| false | 2 |
sandoval county sheriffs office participating 2013 national click ticket seatbelt enforcement mobilization june 2 deputies extra focus writing citations motorists dont use seatbelts campaign according news release sheriffs office sandoval county sheriffs office would like remind people seatbelts save lives release said advertisement city zoning meeting canceled tuesday may 28 meeting city rio ranchos planning zoning board canceled due lack agenda items regular board meetings held 6 pm second fourth tuesdays month rio rancho city hall 3200 civic center circle meetings streamed citys web site cirioranchonmus broadcast citys riovision government cable channel 15 available rio rancho cable one subscribers lane restrictions unser blvd lane restrictions occur unser boulevard abrazo road cherry road traffic signal communicationrelated work restrictions place daily 9 3 pm statewide road conditions available new mexico department transportation web site nmroadscom county supports teen court sandoval county commission voiced support program diverts firsttime juvenile offenders criminal justice system serve sentences meted jury peers advertisement metro teen court operated bernalillo county since 2009 time 400 youths charged misdemeanor offenses shoplifting traffic infractions violating school rules successfully completed peerimposed sentences sentences include form community service commissioner glenn walters said would like see nationally recognized program implemented sandoval county commission also supported program proclaimed saturday metro teen court day sandoval county event celebrate teen courts take place day 10 3 pm target parking lot paseo del norte i25 albuquerque sandoval county commission voiced support metro teen court regular meeting may 16 2013 timothy lopez 13yearold rio rancho resident representing boy scout troop 741 read proclamation outlining value program additional information go sandoval county web page sandovalcountycom free meals begin free summer meals provided children age 1 18 may 28 ending aug 9 breakfast served 8 9 lunch served 1130 1 pm monday friday except fourth july holiday breakfast lunch served boys girls club rio rancho 4600 sundt road haynes community center 2006 grande blvd star heights recreation center 800 polaris blvd lunch served leon grande park 4501 leon grande blvd north hills park 1901 strawberry drive rainbow pool facility 301 southern blvd meals provided firstcome firstserved basis must consumed onsite last year 8297 breakfasts 34553 lunches provided local residents summer food service program us department agriculture program administered new mexico children youth families department program sponsor city rio rancho administers funding purchase lunches breakfasts distribute children additional information call rio rancho parks recreation community services department 8915015 go cirioranchonmus learn emotional freedom technique esther bone memorial library present workshop emotional freedom technique tuesday june 11 630 pm negative emotions get best us emotional freedom technique eft states cause negative emotion disruption bodys energy system purpose eft rebalance energy system emotional freedom technique melds acupuncture modern day psychology eft simple effective method easing emotional pain distress join marti murphy certified eft practitioner abundance coach learn fascinating handson practice help ease pain signups prior registration necessary donate vets new mexico va health care system offers edonate provides simple safe way pledge support fund choice donated money medical center provides many programs include recreational activities inpatient outpatient veterans comfort items newly admitted inpatients emergency funding veterans needing assistance said sonja brown chief voluntary service public affairs operations minimum 5 required online donation donate information go albuquerquevagov donors find edonate button albuquerquevagov160 actual donation made secure site department treasurys paygov160 minimum 5 required online donation local leadership rio rancho regional chamber commerce offering 10month program topics current issues impact sandoval county sessions open individuals interested personal professional growth community service development leadership skills information go rrrccorg readwest needs veteran tutors readwest beginning outreach veterans families tutor training vfw post 5890 76 20th st june 67 readwest matches volunteer tutors adult students need learn read write need learn english second language twoday training prepares volunteer addition providing basic literacy skills readwest also provides computer literacy classes citizenship classes help preparing ged exam tutor training class open anyone information register call 8921131 email readwestreadwestorg
| 647 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Spokane artist Ric Gendron is shown in his studio. His show, “Rattlebone,” opens Aug. 22 at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. (Courtesy of the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts)</p>
<p>SANTA FE, N.M. — “Here’s where we go off the map</p>
<p>Out past the power lines</p>
<p>“Chief Wolf” by Ric Gendron.</p>
<p>Up that little side road without a sign</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Hidden from the mainstream</p>
<p>The keepers of the ancient future</p>
<p>Keepers of the drum they don’t preserve it</p>
<p>They live it.” – “Rattlebone” by Robbie Robertson</p>
<p>The work of Ric Gendron corrals the vibrancy of Fritz Scholder with a sense of honesty at once Salish and Spokane.</p>
<p>“Rattlebone,” a traveling exhibition spanning 30 years of the artist’s work, will open at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe on Aug. 22. That weekend also will mark his 18th appearance at the Santa Fe Indian Market.</p>
<p>“Ric is very under-recognized,” independent curator and author Ben Mitchell said in a telephone interview. “Ric is someone who paints every single day. He is a terrible business person and he’s never had a good feeling for the energy and organization it takes to be successful.</p>
<p>“And I think that kind of recognition is not important to Ric,” Mitchell added. “He’s a very soulful person.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Gendron is a dually enrolled member of the Arrow Lakes Band of Confederated Tribes of the Colville and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla falling under the Salish linguistics umbrella. He paints with a vivid expression and lyricism, owing as much to the Fauvists (think Henri Mattise and André Derain) and the tortured figures of Francis Bacon as he does to Scholder.</p>
<p>“Nobody was painting the Indian the way the Indian actually lived,” Gendron said in a telephone interview from his Spokane studio, ” – reservation life and things that go on in Indian culture. (Scholder) painted the Indian with a beer can. His use of color and his expressive brush strokes were so strong to me.”</p>
<p>“On the Way Home” is a painting by Ric Gendron.</p>
<p>Gendron’s paintings differ from Scholder’s in two significant aspects, MOCNA curator Candice Hopkins said. He uses Technicolor paints, often daubed directly from the tube without alteration. He incorporates pop-culture motifs such as jazz musicians and comic-book characters into his compositions.</p>
<p>“But then he’s painted things that are not comforting, like the boarding-school experience of his family,” she added.</p>
<p>Gendron’s 25-year canon is overwhelmingly figurative, taking inspiration from the artist R. Crumb (“Fritz the Cat”), the cartoons of Rocky and Bullwinkle, the music of T-Bone Walker and John Coltrane, as well as The Band’s Robbie Robertson (Mohawk), who penned the song that became the exhibition title.</p>
<p>“I’ve been playing that CD (1998’s ‘Contact From the Underworld of Redboy’) ever since,” he said. “I wear one out and I get another one. Listening to the words and lyrics of Robbie Robertson, I felt like I’ve lived that – just having one foot on the traditional ceremonial part of life and another in the every day, paying the bills. And diving deep into tradition and ceremony, which I have done. It’s like jumping back and forth and back and forth. One day I’m doing an opening at a museum; dressing up and actually combing my hair and going back home and participating in ceremonial things. So the body of work takes all that in, too.”</p>
<p>Gendron’s joy in color is unabashed; the richly saturated hues in his 2008 acrylic painting “On the Way Home” nearly glow. The artist’s humor surfaces in the quietly subversive line of headdress-topped Native horsemen hoisting umbrellas over their impeccable traditional dress.</p>
<p>“We don’t really know where they’ve been,” Gendron said. “Maybe they were visiting another camp. Or maybe they were picking huckleberries. It’s like a family portrait.</p>
<p>“The parasols – there are historic photographs (showing) that Native people did use parasols they acquired by trade. It’s a juxtaposition against photographs of those very strong, chiseled warriors.”</p>
<p>“Chief Wolf” sits glumly in a suit and tie, a bouquet of paintbrushes sprouting from his headdress.</p>
<p>“Two Leggings” by Ric Gendron.</p>
<p>“It’s supposed to represent a war bonnet,” Gendron said. “In a more traditional sense, each feather is earned by something that person had done in his life. My war bonnet was I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I can’t throw away paintbrushes. Each one of these brushes could probably tell a story in the creation of the work.”</p>
<p>The image both appropriates and mocks the 19th-century photograph of the noble Indian.</p>
<p>The artist lifted the face from the old “Archie” comic books.</p>
<p>“I kind of designed the guy after Mr. Weatherbee, who was the principal at the Riverdale High School,” he said.</p>
<p>“Ice Cream Indian” is an homage to Scholder, who painted his own version in 1971.</p>
<p>“His was with a big buffalo headdress,” Gendron said. “You know, artists are the biggest plagiarists I know.”</p>
<p>Poetry and music are central to Gendron’s life. He returns regularly to the Beat poets he read in high school and college, as well as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Lou Reed, Tom Waits and Robertson.</p>
<p>“I listen to everything,” he said. “I’ll come in and put on Patti Smith or the Ramones and later in the day I’ll listen to Yo-Yo Ma and everything in between. So the body of work has all that in it, too.”</p>
<p>“Ice Cream Indian” by Ric Gendron.</p>
<p>As a boy, Mitchell was constantly drawing and looking out the window when he was supposed to be paying attention in school. He played guitar in garage bands, absorbing the rebellious spirit of the ’60s and ’70s, including the demonstrations and sit-ins of the American Indian Movement.</p>
<p>“He didn’t get pushed through the academic sieve of post-modernism in academic painting,” Mitchell said. “He had his own vision.”</p>
<p>Gendron takes most of the blame for his lack of public recognition. He remains in Spokane to be with his family. He watches eight grandchildren.</p>
<p>“I really don’t go too much out of my way,” he said. “I watch artists promote themselves with websites and that’s great.</p>
<p>“I’ve kicked myself in the butt, too,” he added. “The only way I can answer is I don’t know; I’m just me.”</p>
<p>Gendron has exhibited at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, the Blue Sage Gallery in Scottsdale, Ariz., at Purdue University and at Seattle’s Center on Contemporary Art.</p>
<p />
| false | 2 |
spokane artist ric gendron shown studio show rattlebone opens aug 22 museum contemporary native arts courtesy museum contemporary native arts santa fe nm heres go map past power lines chief wolf ric gendron little side road without sign advertisement hidden mainstream keepers ancient future keepers drum dont preserve live rattlebone robbie robertson work ric gendron corrals vibrancy fritz scholder sense honesty salish spokane rattlebone traveling exhibition spanning 30 years artists work open museum contemporary native arts santa fe aug 22 weekend also mark 18th appearance santa fe indian market ric underrecognized independent curator author ben mitchell said telephone interview ric someone paints every single day terrible business person hes never good feeling energy organization takes successful think kind recognition important ric mitchell added hes soulful person advertisement gendron dually enrolled member arrow lakes band confederated tribes colville confederated tribes umatilla falling salish linguistics umbrella paints vivid expression lyricism owing much fauvists think henri mattise andré derain tortured figures francis bacon scholder nobody painting indian way indian actually lived gendron said telephone interview spokane studio reservation life things go indian culture scholder painted indian beer use color expressive brush strokes strong way home painting ric gendron gendrons paintings differ scholders two significant aspects mocna curator candice hopkins said uses technicolor paints often daubed directly tube without alteration incorporates popculture motifs jazz musicians comicbook characters compositions hes painted things comforting like boardingschool experience family added gendrons 25year canon overwhelmingly figurative taking inspiration artist r crumb fritz cat cartoons rocky bullwinkle music tbone walker john coltrane well bands robbie robertson mohawk penned song became exhibition title ive playing cd 1998s contact underworld redboy ever since said wear one get another one listening words lyrics robbie robertson felt like ive lived one foot traditional ceremonial part life another every day paying bills diving deep tradition ceremony done like jumping back forth back forth one day im opening museum dressing actually combing hair going back home participating ceremonial things body work takes gendrons joy color unabashed richly saturated hues 2008 acrylic painting way home nearly glow artists humor surfaces quietly subversive line headdresstopped native horsemen hoisting umbrellas impeccable traditional dress dont really know theyve gendron said maybe visiting another camp maybe picking huckleberries like family portrait parasols historic photographs showing native people use parasols acquired trade juxtaposition photographs strong chiseled warriors chief wolf sits glumly suit tie bouquet paintbrushes sprouting headdress two leggings ric gendron supposed represent war bonnet gendron said traditional sense feather earned something person done life war bonnet ive 30 years cant throw away paintbrushes one brushes could probably tell story creation work image appropriates mocks 19thcentury photograph noble indian artist lifted face old archie comic books kind designed guy mr weatherbee principal riverdale high school said ice cream indian homage scholder painted version 1971 big buffalo headdress gendron said know artists biggest plagiarists know poetry music central gendrons life returns regularly beat poets read high school college well bob dylan leonard cohen joni mitchell neil young lou reed tom waits robertson listen everything said ill come put patti smith ramones later day ill listen yoyo everything body work ice cream indian ric gendron boy mitchell constantly drawing looking window supposed paying attention school played guitar garage bands absorbing rebellious spirit 60s 70s including demonstrations sitins american indian movement didnt get pushed academic sieve postmodernism academic painting mitchell said vision gendron takes blame lack public recognition remains spokane family watches eight grandchildren really dont go much way said watch artists promote websites thats great ive kicked butt added way answer dont know im gendron exhibited eiteljorg museum indianapolis blue sage gallery scottsdale ariz purdue university seattles center contemporary art
| 607 |
<p>KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee will try to extend an improbable streak Saturday when the Volunteers attempt to beat Kentucky at home for a third straight season.</p>
<p>Only this time, they're competing on more equal footing.</p>
<p>Each of the last two years, an unranked Tennessee team has beaten a visiting Kentucky squad that was in the Top 25. This season, Tennessee (9-4, 0-2 SEC) is <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/poll" type="external">ranked 23rd</a> and Kentucky 17th as they prepare to meet again in front of a sellout crowd at Thompson-Boling Arena.</p>
<p>"They have a good crowd (and) the atmosphere is strong, but they also have a really good team," Kentucky sophomore forward Wenyen Gabriel said. "You're battling against a good team there. You've got to be able to compete and fight there. Every single rebound, every loose ball's going to matter."</p>
<p>Kentucky (12-2, 2-0) has learned that the hard way in its last two trips to Knoxville.</p>
<p>Tennessee rallied from 21 points down to <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/tennessee-rallies-21-down-stun-no-20-kentucky-84-77" type="external">beat a 20th-ranked Kentucky team 84-77 at Thompson-Boling Arena in 2016</a> and <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/hubbs-helps-tennessee-stun-no-4-kentucky-82-80" type="external">won 82-80 when a fourth-ranked Kentucky team visited Knoxville last season</a> .</p>
<p>Tennessee hasn't had nearly as much success at Rupp Arena, where Kentucky has won its last 10 meetings with the Vols by an average margin of 14.5 points. The Wildcats own a commanding 153-69 lead in the series, though no team can match Tennessee's 69 victories over Kentucky.</p>
<p>"We've had two good wins against them, but on the other hand, we turn around and go up there and we haven't even given them a game a Rupp Arena," Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. "I can't explain it. I wish I could."</p>
<p>Both teams are dealing with flu bugs as they head into this game.</p>
<p>Kentucky coach John Calipari said guard Hamidou Diallo and forwards Sacha Killeya-Jones and Nick Richards were dealing with the flu Wednesday in a <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/washington-lifts-no-17-kentucky-past-lsu-74-71" type="external">74-71 victory at LSU</a> . Barnes said Jordan Bone also has the flu and that it limited the point guard's effectiveness Tuesday in a <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/auburn-beats-no-23-tennessee-94-84-11th-straight-win" type="external">94-84 home loss to Auburn</a> .</p>
<p>Although Tennessee remains in the Top 25 for now, the Vols could badly use a victory after blowing double-digit leads in each of their first two conference games. Kentucky is in much better shape after <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/no-16-kentucky-rallies-past-georgia-66-61-sec-opener" type="external">beating Georgia</a> and LSU in its first two SEC games.</p>
<p>Tennessee led for over 38 minutes in <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/macon-barford-lead-arkansas-past-no-19-tennessee-ot" type="external">a 95-93 overtime loss at Arkansas</a> and squandered an early 14-point advantage against Auburn. The Vols have been ahead by at least nine points in each of their four losses.</p>
<p>"They could be 13-0 right now," Calipari said.</p>
<p>Barnes said after the Auburn game that he had an immature team that played too casually and got outworked. Tennessee was outrebounded 46-38 in the Auburn game.</p>
<p>The improved defense that helped Tennessee get to the Top 25 has tailed off significantly. The Vols have allowed 94.5 points per game in SEC competition after yielding 65.8 points per game in nonconference play.</p>
<p>"I think we've gotten away from what got us to where we were defensively," Tennessee forward Kyle Alexander said. "I think we definitely put more work in (Thursday) and recently to try and get back to that. That needs to be our focal point again."</p>
<p>Tennessee needs its defense in peak form to win Saturday.</p>
<p>A Kentucky program that typically relies on newcomers has even less experience than usual this season, but its all-freshman starting lineup has shown plenty of resilience.</p>
<p>Kentucky has trailed at the half six times this year but has rallied to win four of those games. The Wildcats have come from behind in the second half to win each of their first two SEC matchups.</p>
<p>"This is what it's about," Calipari said. "It's going to be sold out. They're desperate. They've got to have it. We've got to have it. Let's see what happens."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP Sports Writer Gary Graves in Lexington, Kentucky, contributed to this report.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP College Basketball: <a href="http://collegebasketball.ap.org" type="external">http://collegebasketball.ap.org</a></p>
<p>KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee will try to extend an improbable streak Saturday when the Volunteers attempt to beat Kentucky at home for a third straight season.</p>
<p>Only this time, they're competing on more equal footing.</p>
<p>Each of the last two years, an unranked Tennessee team has beaten a visiting Kentucky squad that was in the Top 25. This season, Tennessee (9-4, 0-2 SEC) is <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/poll" type="external">ranked 23rd</a> and Kentucky 17th as they prepare to meet again in front of a sellout crowd at Thompson-Boling Arena.</p>
<p>"They have a good crowd (and) the atmosphere is strong, but they also have a really good team," Kentucky sophomore forward Wenyen Gabriel said. "You're battling against a good team there. You've got to be able to compete and fight there. Every single rebound, every loose ball's going to matter."</p>
<p>Kentucky (12-2, 2-0) has learned that the hard way in its last two trips to Knoxville.</p>
<p>Tennessee rallied from 21 points down to <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/tennessee-rallies-21-down-stun-no-20-kentucky-84-77" type="external">beat a 20th-ranked Kentucky team 84-77 at Thompson-Boling Arena in 2016</a> and <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/hubbs-helps-tennessee-stun-no-4-kentucky-82-80" type="external">won 82-80 when a fourth-ranked Kentucky team visited Knoxville last season</a> .</p>
<p>Tennessee hasn't had nearly as much success at Rupp Arena, where Kentucky has won its last 10 meetings with the Vols by an average margin of 14.5 points. The Wildcats own a commanding 153-69 lead in the series, though no team can match Tennessee's 69 victories over Kentucky.</p>
<p>"We've had two good wins against them, but on the other hand, we turn around and go up there and we haven't even given them a game a Rupp Arena," Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. "I can't explain it. I wish I could."</p>
<p>Both teams are dealing with flu bugs as they head into this game.</p>
<p>Kentucky coach John Calipari said guard Hamidou Diallo and forwards Sacha Killeya-Jones and Nick Richards were dealing with the flu Wednesday in a <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/washington-lifts-no-17-kentucky-past-lsu-74-71" type="external">74-71 victory at LSU</a> . Barnes said Jordan Bone also has the flu and that it limited the point guard's effectiveness Tuesday in a <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/auburn-beats-no-23-tennessee-94-84-11th-straight-win" type="external">94-84 home loss to Auburn</a> .</p>
<p>Although Tennessee remains in the Top 25 for now, the Vols could badly use a victory after blowing double-digit leads in each of their first two conference games. Kentucky is in much better shape after <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/no-16-kentucky-rallies-past-georgia-66-61-sec-opener" type="external">beating Georgia</a> and LSU in its first two SEC games.</p>
<p>Tennessee led for over 38 minutes in <a href="https://collegebasketball.ap.org/article/macon-barford-lead-arkansas-past-no-19-tennessee-ot" type="external">a 95-93 overtime loss at Arkansas</a> and squandered an early 14-point advantage against Auburn. The Vols have been ahead by at least nine points in each of their four losses.</p>
<p>"They could be 13-0 right now," Calipari said.</p>
<p>Barnes said after the Auburn game that he had an immature team that played too casually and got outworked. Tennessee was outrebounded 46-38 in the Auburn game.</p>
<p>The improved defense that helped Tennessee get to the Top 25 has tailed off significantly. The Vols have allowed 94.5 points per game in SEC competition after yielding 65.8 points per game in nonconference play.</p>
<p>"I think we've gotten away from what got us to where we were defensively," Tennessee forward Kyle Alexander said. "I think we definitely put more work in (Thursday) and recently to try and get back to that. That needs to be our focal point again."</p>
<p>Tennessee needs its defense in peak form to win Saturday.</p>
<p>A Kentucky program that typically relies on newcomers has even less experience than usual this season, but its all-freshman starting lineup has shown plenty of resilience.</p>
<p>Kentucky has trailed at the half six times this year but has rallied to win four of those games. The Wildcats have come from behind in the second half to win each of their first two SEC matchups.</p>
<p>"This is what it's about," Calipari said. "It's going to be sold out. They're desperate. They've got to have it. We've got to have it. Let's see what happens."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP Sports Writer Gary Graves in Lexington, Kentucky, contributed to this report.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP College Basketball: <a href="http://collegebasketball.ap.org" type="external">http://collegebasketball.ap.org</a></p>
| false | 2 |
knoxville tenn ap tennessee try extend improbable streak saturday volunteers attempt beat kentucky home third straight season time theyre competing equal footing last two years unranked tennessee team beaten visiting kentucky squad top 25 season tennessee 94 02 sec ranked 23rd kentucky 17th prepare meet front sellout crowd thompsonboling arena good crowd atmosphere strong also really good team kentucky sophomore forward wenyen gabriel said youre battling good team youve got able compete fight every single rebound every loose balls going matter kentucky 122 20 learned hard way last two trips knoxville tennessee rallied 21 points beat 20thranked kentucky team 8477 thompsonboling arena 2016 8280 fourthranked kentucky team visited knoxville last season tennessee hasnt nearly much success rupp arena kentucky last 10 meetings vols average margin 145 points wildcats commanding 15369 lead series though team match tennessees 69 victories kentucky weve two good wins hand turn around go havent even given game rupp arena tennessee coach rick barnes said cant explain wish could teams dealing flu bugs head game kentucky coach john calipari said guard hamidou diallo forwards sacha killeyajones nick richards dealing flu wednesday 7471 victory lsu barnes said jordan bone also flu limited point guards effectiveness tuesday 9484 home loss auburn although tennessee remains top 25 vols could badly use victory blowing doubledigit leads first two conference games kentucky much better shape beating georgia lsu first two sec games tennessee led 38 minutes 9593 overtime loss arkansas squandered early 14point advantage auburn vols ahead least nine points four losses could 130 right calipari said barnes said auburn game immature team played casually got outworked tennessee outrebounded 4638 auburn game improved defense helped tennessee get top 25 tailed significantly vols allowed 945 points per game sec competition yielding 658 points per game nonconference play think weve gotten away got us defensively tennessee forward kyle alexander said think definitely put work thursday recently try get back needs focal point tennessee needs defense peak form win saturday kentucky program typically relies newcomers even less experience usual season allfreshman starting lineup shown plenty resilience kentucky trailed half six times year rallied win four games wildcats come behind second half win first two sec matchups calipari said going sold theyre desperate theyve got weve got lets see happens ___ ap sports writer gary graves lexington kentucky contributed report ___ ap college basketball httpcollegebasketballaporg knoxville tenn ap tennessee try extend improbable streak saturday volunteers attempt beat kentucky home third straight season time theyre competing equal footing last two years unranked tennessee team beaten visiting kentucky squad top 25 season tennessee 94 02 sec ranked 23rd kentucky 17th prepare meet front sellout crowd thompsonboling arena good crowd atmosphere strong also really good team kentucky sophomore forward wenyen gabriel said youre battling good team youve got able compete fight every single rebound every loose balls going matter kentucky 122 20 learned hard way last two trips knoxville tennessee rallied 21 points beat 20thranked kentucky team 8477 thompsonboling arena 2016 8280 fourthranked kentucky team visited knoxville last season tennessee hasnt nearly much success rupp arena kentucky last 10 meetings vols average margin 145 points wildcats commanding 15369 lead series though team match tennessees 69 victories kentucky weve two good wins hand turn around go havent even given game rupp arena tennessee coach rick barnes said cant explain wish could teams dealing flu bugs head game kentucky coach john calipari said guard hamidou diallo forwards sacha killeyajones nick richards dealing flu wednesday 7471 victory lsu barnes said jordan bone also flu limited point guards effectiveness tuesday 9484 home loss auburn although tennessee remains top 25 vols could badly use victory blowing doubledigit leads first two conference games kentucky much better shape beating georgia lsu first two sec games tennessee led 38 minutes 9593 overtime loss arkansas squandered early 14point advantage auburn vols ahead least nine points four losses could 130 right calipari said barnes said auburn game immature team played casually got outworked tennessee outrebounded 4638 auburn game improved defense helped tennessee get top 25 tailed significantly vols allowed 945 points per game sec competition yielding 658 points per game nonconference play think weve gotten away got us defensively tennessee forward kyle alexander said think definitely put work thursday recently try get back needs focal point tennessee needs defense peak form win saturday kentucky program typically relies newcomers even less experience usual season allfreshman starting lineup shown plenty resilience kentucky trailed half six times year rallied win four games wildcats come behind second half win first two sec matchups calipari said going sold theyre desperate theyve got weve got lets see happens ___ ap sports writer gary graves lexington kentucky contributed report ___ ap college basketball httpcollegebasketballaporg
| 778 |
<p>Sen. Zell Miller, the Georgia Democrat&#160;who delivered the Republican National Convention’s keynote address Sept. 1,&#160;said&#160;Kerry “opposed” weapons including the B-1, B-2, F-14, F-15, and Apache helicopters.&#160;“This is the man who wants to be the Commander in Chief of our US Armed Forces?” Miller exclaimed.&#160;“Armed with what? Spitballs?”</p>
<p>Miller said “Americans need to know the facts” about Kerry’s record, but his&#160;applause-getting recital is a decade or so out of date. Kerry did oppose all the weapons Miller cited when he was a candidate for the Senate in 1984, and did vote against the B-2 bomber, Trident nuclear subs and “star wars” anti-missile system more than a decade ago. Kerry also voted&#160;in three different years&#160;against&#160;the entire Pentagon budget.</p>
<p>But&#160;in his nearly 20 years in office Kerry’s record has evolved. Kerry hasn’t opposed an annual Pentagon appropriation since 1996. And he’s voted for them far more often than against them.</p>
<p>This is a Republican line of attack that we first took on back in February. Nothing much has changed. Miller was a bit more careful in his wording than some previous Republican critics, and avoided saying anything factually incorrect.</p>
<p>Zell Miller’s Spitball (excerpt from keynote speech to Republican National Convention)</p>
<p>Miller: But Americans need to know the facts. The B-1 bomber, that Senator Kerry opposed, dropped 40 percent of the bombs in the first six months of Enduring Freedom.</p>
<p>The B-2 bomber, that Senator Kerry opposed, delivered air strikes against the Taliban in Afghanistan and Hussein’s command post in Iraq. The F-14A Tomcats, that Senator Kerry opposed, shot down Gadhafi’s Libyan MiGs over the Gulf of Sidra.</p>
<p>The modernized F-14D, that Senator Kerry opposed, delivered missile strikes against Tora Bora.</p>
<p>The Apache helicopter, that Senator Kerry opposed, took out those Republican Guard tanks in Kuwait in the Gulf War.</p>
<p>The F-15 Eagles, that Senator Kerry opposed, flew cover over our Nation’s capital and this very city after 9/11.</p>
<p>I could go on and on and on — against the Patriot Missile that shot down Saddam Hussein’s scud missiles over Israel; against the Aegis air-defense cruiser; against the Strategic Defense Initiative; against the Trident missile, against, against, against.</p>
<p>This is the man who wants to be the Commander in Chief of our U.S. Armed Forces? U.S. forces armed with what? Spit balls?</p>
<p>Miller didn’t say that Kerry voted against the weapons on the list he rattled off, only that he opposed them. And indeed&#160;Kerry did, in 1984, as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Senate from Massachusetts.</p>
<p>All the weapons cited by Miller are listed in a memo from the 1984 Kerry campaign, which we posted along with our&#160;Feb. 26&#160; <a href="article147.html" type="external">article</a> on Republican distortions of Kerry’s defense record. In&#160;that 1984 memo&#160;Kerry called for “cancellation” of the very weapons Miller cited.</p>
<p>Once elected, however, Kerry’s voting record evolved. He did cast votes more than a decade ago against the B-2 Stealth Bomber in 1989, 1991 and 1992. But by 1992 even President Bush (the current incumbent’s father) was calling for cancellation of the B-2 and promising to cut military spending by 30% in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union.&#160;It was no secret — Bush did that in his 1992&#160; <a href="http://www.c-span.org/executive/transcript.asp?cat=current_event&amp;code=bush_admin&amp;year=1992" type="external">State of the Union</a> address.&#160;But Miller left out that little detail.</p>
<p>Miller did avoid some earlier Republican excesses, as when Miller’s fellow Georgia senator, Republican Saxby Chambliss, told reporters on Feb. 21 in a Bush campaign conference call with reporters that Kerry had a “a 32-year history of voting to cut defense programs and cut defense systems.” Since Kerry has only been in Congress for just under 20 years, the Chambliss statement was an impossibility. Republicans have also accused Kerry of voting against more mainstream weapons including the M-1 Abrams tank and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, but have been unable to cite any specific votes against those weapons. The best they can do is point to occasional votes Kerry cast against the entire Pentagon budget, which hardly constitutes opposition to any specific weapon.</p>
<p>Kerry voted against the entire Pentagon&#160;appropriations bills&#160;in&#160; <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm@congress=101&amp;session=2&amp;vote=00319" type="external">1990</a>&#160;and&#160; <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm@congress=104&amp;session=1&amp;vote=00579" type="external">1995</a>. Kerry also voted against the Pentagon authorization bills (which provide authority to spend but not the actual money) in those years and also in&#160; <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm@congress=104&amp;session=2&amp;vote=00279" type="external">1996</a>. However, he hasn’t opposed an annual Pentagon appropriation since then, nor did he do so in 16 of his 19 years in office. So by the Republicans’ own measuring stick, Kerry voted for the weapons they list far more often than he voted against them.</p>
<p>Kerry himself conceded that some of the positions he took 20 years ago were “ill-advised, and I think some of them are stupid in the context of the world we find ourselves in right now and the things that I’ve learned since then.” That was in an interview published in&#160;June, 2003 in the Boston Globe. “I mean, you learn as you go in life,” Kerry was quoted as saying. He added that his subsequent Senate voting record on defense has been “pretty responsible.”</p>
<p>Note: This isn’t the only&#160;misleading claim made at the Republican convention. Miller falsely claimed “Kerry has made it clear that he would use military force only if approved by the United Nations,” when in fact Kerry has said no such thing.</p>
<p>(Update, Sept. 10: It has been pointed out to us that Kerry DID once say such a thing — more than 30 years ago. He was running in 1970 for the House of Representatives as an anti-war candidate. He was quoted&#160;in the Harvard Crimson as saying, “I’m an internationalist. I’d like to see our troops dispersed through the world only at the directive of the United Nations.” He lost that election.)</p>
<p>And&#160;New York Gov. George Pataki made a similarly misleading statement Sept. 2&#160;when he implied that Kerry would “just wait for the next attack” before using military force to defend the US.</p>
<p>What&#160;Kerry really said — in his own acceptance speech — is this: “I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response. I will never give any nation or international institution a veto over our national security.” That’s the opposite of what Miller said Kerry “made clear.”</p>
<p>But we’ll leave those other distortions for another day.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Zell Miller, “US Sen. Zell Miller delivers remarks at the Republican National Convention,” Federal Document Clearing House, FDCH Political Transcripts, 1 Sep 2004.</p>
<p>Samuel Z. Goldhaber, Harvard Crimson, “ <a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=352185" type="external">John Kerry: A Navy Dove Runs for Congress</a>,” 18 Feb. 1970.</p>
<p>(For other sources see our Feb. 26 article)</p>
| false | 2 |
sen zell miller georgia democrat160who delivered republican national conventions keynote address sept 1160said160kerry opposed weapons including b1 b2 f14 f15 apache helicopters160this man wants commander chief us armed forces miller exclaimed160armed spitballs miller said americans need know facts kerrys record his160applausegetting recital decade date kerry oppose weapons miller cited candidate senate 1984 vote b2 bomber trident nuclear subs star wars antimissile system decade ago kerry also voted160in three different years160against160the entire pentagon budget but160in nearly 20 years office kerrys record evolved kerry hasnt opposed annual pentagon appropriation since 1996 hes voted far often republican line attack first took back february nothing much changed miller bit careful wording previous republican critics avoided saying anything factually incorrect zell millers spitball excerpt keynote speech republican national convention miller americans need know facts b1 bomber senator kerry opposed dropped 40 percent bombs first six months enduring freedom b2 bomber senator kerry opposed delivered air strikes taliban afghanistan husseins command post iraq f14a tomcats senator kerry opposed shot gadhafis libyan migs gulf sidra modernized f14d senator kerry opposed delivered missile strikes tora bora apache helicopter senator kerry opposed took republican guard tanks kuwait gulf war f15 eagles senator kerry opposed flew cover nations capital city 911 could go patriot missile shot saddam husseins scud missiles israel aegis airdefense cruiser strategic defense initiative trident missile man wants commander chief us armed forces us forces armed spit balls miller didnt say kerry voted weapons list rattled opposed indeed160kerry 1984 candidate democratic nomination senate massachusetts weapons cited miller listed memo 1984 kerry campaign posted along our160feb 26160 article republican distortions kerrys defense record in160that 1984 memo160kerry called cancellation weapons miller cited elected however kerrys voting record evolved cast votes decade ago b2 stealth bomber 1989 1991 1992 1992 even president bush current incumbents father calling cancellation b2 promising cut military spending 30 wake collapse soviet union160it secret bush 1992160 state union address160but miller left little detail miller avoid earlier republican excesses millers fellow georgia senator republican saxby chambliss told reporters feb 21 bush campaign conference call reporters kerry 32year history voting cut defense programs cut defense systems since kerry congress 20 years chambliss statement impossibility republicans also accused kerry voting mainstream weapons including m1 abrams tank bradley fighting vehicle unable cite specific votes weapons best point occasional votes kerry cast entire pentagon budget hardly constitutes opposition specific weapon kerry voted entire pentagon160appropriations bills160in160 1990160and160 1995 kerry also voted pentagon authorization bills provide authority spend actual money years also in160 1996 however hasnt opposed annual pentagon appropriation since 16 19 years office republicans measuring stick kerry voted weapons list far often voted kerry conceded positions took 20 years ago illadvised think stupid context world find right things ive learned since interview published in160june 2003 boston globe mean learn go life kerry quoted saying added subsequent senate voting record defense pretty responsible note isnt only160misleading claim made republican convention miller falsely claimed kerry made clear would use military force approved united nations fact kerry said thing update sept 10 pointed us kerry say thing 30 years ago running 1970 house representatives antiwar candidate quoted160in harvard crimson saying im internationalist id like see troops dispersed world directive united nations lost election and160new york gov george pataki made similarly misleading statement sept 2160when implied kerry would wait next attack using military force defend us what160kerry really said acceptance speech never hesitate use force required attack met swift certain response never give nation international institution veto national security thats opposite miller said kerry made clear well leave distortions another day 160 zell miller us sen zell miller delivers remarks republican national convention federal document clearing house fdch political transcripts 1 sep 2004 samuel z goldhaber harvard crimson john kerry navy dove runs congress 18 feb 1970 sources see feb 26 article
| 628 |
<p>(Adds details)</p>
<p>Jan 25 (Reuters) - Spreadbetting firm CMC Markets Plc said on Thursday its revenue per client surged 33 percent in the third quarter, as its focus on high-value clients helped offset challenges from a sector-wide regulatory clampdown and lower levels of volatility.</p>
<p>Active clients, however, fell 6 percent in the quarter ended Dec. 31 from a year earlier to 38,859, CMC said in a statement.</p>
<p>“The regulatory uncertainty continues and the group remains cautious around the impact any potential changes could have on group performance in the short-term,” it said.</p>
<p>However, the longer-term outlook remained positive, with its strategy of targeting high-value, experienced clients helping it manage regulatory change, CMC added.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, the European Union’s markets watchdog started a public consultation on its anticipated plans to restrict the sale of contracts for differences (CFDs) and binary options by spreadbetting companies.</p>
<p>CFDs allow people to bet on moves in share prices without having to buy the underlying stock.</p>
<p>The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) flagged the plans last month, sending shares of spreadbetting firms tumbling.</p>
<p>Britain’s markets regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, also warned earlier this month about the serious risk of harm from CFDs.</p>
<p>Chief Executive Peter Cruddas set up CMC Markets as a foreign exchange broker with a 10,000 pound investment in 1989. Its rivals include IG Group Plc, Denmark’s Saxo Bank and Global Brokerage Inc, formerly FXCM Inc. (Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri and Sunil Nair)</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>(This version of the March 14 story corrects 11th paragraph to reflect that the coalition had agreed to consider summoning Sagawa for questioning, not that they had agreed to summon him)</p> Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tells reporters at his office in Tokyo on March 12, 2018, that he deeply apologizes to the public over the Finance Ministry's alternations of documents over a state land sale. Mandatory credit Kyodo/viaREUTERS
<p>By Kaori Kaneko</p>
<p>TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday remained steadfast that he and his wife were not involved in a discount land-sale deal that has seen the opposition call for the resignation of his ally, Finance Minister Taro Aso.</p>
<p>Abe and Aso have come under fresh pressure over the ministry’s admission this week that it had altered documents related to the sale of state-owned land at a steep discount to a school operator with ties to Abe’s wife, Akie.</p>
<p>Suspicion of a cover-up could slash Abe’s ratings and dash his hopes for a third term as leader of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Victory in the LDP September leadership vote would put him on track to become Japan’s longest-serving premier.</p>
<p>Copies of documents released by the finance ministry on Monday showed that references to Abe, his wife and Aso were removed from the ministry’s records of the sale to school operator Moritomo Gakuen.</p>
<p>“When you look at the documents even before they were altered, it is clear that my wife and I were not involved,” Abe told an upper house budget committee, a statement echoed by chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga.</p> Protesters shout slogans and hold placards during a rally denouncing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Finance Minister Taro Aso over a suspected cover-up of a cronyism scandal in front of Abe's official residence in Tokyo, Japan March 14, 2018. REUTERS/Issei Kato
<p>Abe has said he would resign if evidence were found that they had.</p>
<p>According to the ministry documents, a comment from Moritomo Gakuen citing Akie Abe as telling him, “This is good land so please proceed”, was removed. Yasunori Kagoike, the former head of Moritomo Gakuen, and his wife remain in custody after being arrested last July over the deal.</p>
<p>Asked about the reference on Wednesday, Abe said: “I checked with my wife and she says she said no such thing. My wife was neither the person in charge of establishing the school nor Mr Kagoike’s boss, so naturally she would not have made such a remark.”</p> Slideshow (3 Images)
<p>Abe and Aso told parliament they had never instructed officials at the finance ministry to alter the documents.</p>
<p>The scandal has caused a stalemate in parliament, with opposition parties boycotting debate on the next fiscal year’s budget, potentially delaying reforms to boost long-term economic growth.</p> Related Video
<p>On Wednesday, Tetsuro Fukuyama, secretary-general of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party told reporters the ruling LDP-Komeito coalition had agreed to consider summoning former National Tax Agency chief Nobuhisa Sagawa to testify in parliament.</p>
<p>Sagawa headed the ministry division that submitted the documents before he became tax agency chief in July, an appointment critics saw as a reward for his efforts to smooth over the issue with his statements to parliament last year.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, Kiyomi Tsujimoto, a prominent Constitutional Democratic Party lawmaker, asked for Abe’s wife to appear for questioning, a senior LDP politician said earlier. She did not receive a reply.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Yoshifumi Takemoto and Elaine Lies,; Writing by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May’s response to Russia after a nerve agent attack on British soil is unlikely to trouble Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin unduly, despite the expression of outrage that greeted it in Moscow.</p> Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street, in London, March 13, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville
<p>After the first known use of a military-grade nerve toxin on British soil since World War Two, May expelled 23 Russian spies using diplomatic cover and promised to freeze Russian State assets if they were used to threaten British interests.</p>
<p>May also said Britain would work on new powers to defend against hostile state activity, beef up counter espionage powers and cut back official participation in the soccer World Cup. Other measures may be considered, she said.</p>
<p>But her announcement, just days before an election in which Putin, a former KGB officer, is expected to coast to a fourth term, gave no examples of Russian officials or companies that would be targeted or barred from London’s financial center.</p>
<p>London remains open to Russian investment, albeit with a political chill. Other than the expulsions, May went no further than current EU sanctions which include travel restrictions and asset freezes against 150 people and 38 companies.</p>
<p>“The Kremlin will understand this as a very mild response,” said Mathieu Boulègue, a Russia expert at Chatham House think-tank in London. “Putin is unlikely to be worried by this.”</p>
<p>A senior British government official said further options remained on the table: “Economic, diplomatic, legislative, and our security capabilities can all be brought to bear if needed.”</p>
<p>But after days of full-volume rhetoric from London about the suspected Russian attack and a midnight deadline that Moscow scorned, May has shown just how little appetite Britain has for a fight on the eve of Brexit.</p>
<p>While the United States and European Union joined criticism of Moscow - albeit with a delayed response from U.S. President Donald Trump - there was little evidence of appetite in Paris, Berlin or Washington for anything beyond a scolding.</p> Russian president Vladimir Putin addresses the audience during a rally marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol, Crimea, March 14, 2018. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
<p>Russia denied any involvement in the attack and simply declined to say anything about how a Soviet-era nerve toxin ended up striking down a former double agent on the normally genteel streets of the English city of Salisbury.</p>
<p>The foreign ministry described May’s measures as a flagrant provocation and promised a speedy response.</p>
<p>If Russia - or Russians - were behind the nerve attack, some of their aims may have been achieved: Britain has shown just how little power it is willing to exercise while every Kremlin opponent will be more nervous about retribution.</p>
<p>For many Russian experts, the attack on Sergei Skripal, a former GRU military intelligence officer who betrayed dozens of Russian agents to MI6, was a test for Britain after years of turning a blind eye to the reality of modern Russia.</p>
<p>Part of that policy is due to money.</p>
<p>One of the biggest exports since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union was money and London, as one of the top two financial capitals in the world, is a major beneficiary.</p> Related Video
<p>London, or Londongrad as it is sometimes dubbed, is the Western capital of choice for the oligarchs and Russian officials who flaunt their wealth across Europe’s most luxurious destinations.</p>
<p>France, with its own business ties to Russia, has been more muted on the issue of Russian involvement in the attack on Skripal than Germany or the United States.</p>
<p>“Britain has tied itself up in knots,” said a French official who spoke on condition of anonymity.</p>
<p>“It’s had a very open policy on Russian private investment and émigrés for years and now it wants Europe to offer support in taking steps against Moscow. This is for them (Britain) to respond to. It’s shocking that it happened, but ultimately it’s up to Britain.”</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Luke Baker in Paris and Elizabeth Piper in London; editing by Philippa Fletcher</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>(Reuters) - Toys ‘R’ Us Inc, the iconic toy retailer, is shuttering its 735 U.S. stores after failing to find a buyer or reach a deal to restructure billions in debt, putting about 30,000 people out of jobs.</p>
<p>The closure is a blow to generations of consumers and hundreds of toy makers that sold their products at the chain’s U.S. stores, including Barbie maker Mattel Inc, board game company Hasbro Inc and other vendors like Lego.</p>
<p>“This is a profoundly sad day for us as well as the millions of kids and families who we have served for the past 70 years,” Chief Executive Officer Dave Brandon said.</p>
<p>With shoppers flocking to Amazon.com Inc and children choosing electronic gadgets over toys, Toys ‘R’ Us has struggled to boost sales and service debt following a $6.6 billion leveraged buyout by private equity firms in 2005.</p>
<p>Toys ‘R’ Us said on Thursday it is seeking approval to liquidate inventory in its U.S. stores, which debtors anticipate will close by the end of this year.</p> FILE PHOTO: People pass by the Toys R Us store at Times Square in New York, U.S., March 9, 2018. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
<p>The company also said it is in discussions with some interested parties for a deal to combine up to 200 of its top performing U.S. stores with its Canadian operations.</p>
<p>For its operations in Asia and Central Europe, including Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the company will pursue a reorganization and a sale process. The already announced administration of its UK business will continue, the company said.</p> Slideshow (2 Images)
<p>Wayne, New Jersey-based Toys ‘R’ Us was already in the process of closing one fifth of its stores as part of an attempt to emerge from one of the largest ever bankruptcies by a speciality retailer.</p>
<p>Efforts collapsed this month after lenders decided, absent a clear reorganization plan, they could recover more in a liquidation, closing stores and raising money from merchandise sales, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.</p>
<p>The disappearance of Toys ‘R’ Us leaves a void for hundreds of toy makers that relied on the chain as a top customer alongside WalMart Inc and Target Corp.</p>
<p>Shares of Mattel and Hasbro tumbled last week on Toys ‘R’ Us’ liquidation reports. Both rely on Toys ‘R’ Us for roughly 10 percent of their revenues, according to their 2016 annual reports.</p>
<p>Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago and Abinaya Vijayaraghavan in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>(Reuters) - IHeartMedia Inc filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Thursday as the largest U.S. radio station owner reached an in-principle agreement with creditors to restructure its overwhelming debt load.</p>
<p>The company, which filed for bankruptcy along with some of its units, said it ‍reached the agreement with holders of more than $10 billion of its outstanding debt for a balance sheet restructuring, which would reduce its debt by more than $10 billion.</p>
<p>IHeartMedia, which has struggled with $20 billion of debt and falling revenue at its 858 radio stations, said cash on hand and cash generated from ongoing operations will be sufficient to fund the business during the bankruptcy process.</p>
<p>“The agreement ... is a significant accomplishment, as it allows us to definitively address the more than $20 billion in debt that has burdened our capital structure,” Chief Executive Bob Pittman said.</p>
<p>The filing comes after John Malone’s Liberty Media Corp proposed on Feb. 26 a deal to buy a 40 percent stake in a restructured iHeartMedia for $1.16 billion, uniting the company with Liberty’s Sirius XM Holdings Inc satellite radio service.</p>
<p>Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia and one of the world’s largest billboard companies, and its units did not commence Chapter 11 proceedings.</p>
<p>IHeartMedia skipped a $106 million interest payment on Feb. 1, triggering a 30-day grace period during which the company has tried to hammer out a deal with it bondholders.</p>
<p>The company disclosed on Monday it was still exchanging proposals with its creditors, but had yet to reach an agreement.</p>
<p>Its most recent proposal would have given holders of secured loans, who are owed nearly $13 billion, about $5.6 billion in new debt and 94 percent of the equity in a reorganized iHeartMedia. These creditors also would have received iHeartMedia’s 89.5 percent stake in Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings.</p>
<p>Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP control 68 percent of the voting stock of iHeartMedia, according to the company’s most recent annual report.</p>
<p>The private equity firms led a $17.9 billion leveraged buyout of what was then Clear Channel Communications Inc in 2008, just as the buyout boom was fading and as the signs of the financial crisis began to emerge.</p>
<p>Shares of iHeartMedia lost three-quarters of their value in the second half of 2015 and have never recovered since then. On Monday, the pink sheet stock closed at 48 cents.</p>
<p>IHeartMedia traces its roots to the 1972 purchase of KEEZ-FM in San Antonio, Texas, where it is currently headquartered. It also produces syndicated radio programs that feature “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest and political personalities Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.</p>
<p>The company had 14,300 employees at the end of 2016, according to its most recent annual report.</p>
<p>Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware and Mekhla Raina in Bengaluru; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
adds details jan 25 reuters spreadbetting firm cmc markets plc said thursday revenue per client surged 33 percent third quarter focus highvalue clients helped offset challenges sectorwide regulatory clampdown lower levels volatility active clients however fell 6 percent quarter ended dec 31 year earlier 38859 cmc said statement regulatory uncertainty continues group remains cautious around impact potential changes could group performance shortterm said however longerterm outlook remained positive strategy targeting highvalue experienced clients helping manage regulatory change cmc added earlier month european unions markets watchdog started public consultation anticipated plans restrict sale contracts differences cfds binary options spreadbetting companies cfds allow people bet moves share prices without buy underlying stock european securities markets authority esma flagged plans last month sending shares spreadbetting firms tumbling britains markets regulator financial conduct authority also warned earlier month serious risk harm cfds chief executive peter cruddas set cmc markets foreign exchange broker 10000 pound investment 1989 rivals include ig group plc denmarks saxo bank global brokerage inc formerly fxcm inc reporting noor zainab hussain bengaluru editing amrutha gayathri sunil nair standards thomson reuters trust principles version march 14 story corrects 11th paragraph reflect coalition agreed consider summoning sagawa questioning agreed summon japanese prime minister shinzo abe tells reporters office tokyo march 12 2018 deeply apologizes public finance ministrys alternations documents state land sale mandatory credit kyodoviareuters kaori kaneko tokyo reuters japanese prime minister shinzo abe wednesday remained steadfast wife involved discount landsale deal seen opposition call resignation ally finance minister taro aso abe aso come fresh pressure ministrys admission week altered documents related sale stateowned land steep discount school operator ties abes wife akie suspicion coverup could slash abes ratings dash hopes third term leader liberal democratic party ldp victory ldp september leadership vote would put track become japans longestserving premier copies documents released finance ministry monday showed references abe wife aso removed ministrys records sale school operator moritomo gakuen look documents even altered clear wife involved abe told upper house budget committee statement echoed chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga protesters shout slogans hold placards rally denouncing japanese prime minister shinzo abe finance minister taro aso suspected coverup cronyism scandal front abes official residence tokyo japan march 14 2018 reutersissei kato abe said would resign evidence found according ministry documents comment moritomo gakuen citing akie abe telling good land please proceed removed yasunori kagoike former head moritomo gakuen wife remain custody arrested last july deal asked reference wednesday abe said checked wife says said thing wife neither person charge establishing school mr kagoikes boss naturally would made remark slideshow 3 images abe aso told parliament never instructed officials finance ministry alter documents scandal caused stalemate parliament opposition parties boycotting debate next fiscal years budget potentially delaying reforms boost longterm economic growth related video wednesday tetsuro fukuyama secretarygeneral main opposition constitutional democratic party told reporters ruling ldpkomeito coalition agreed consider summoning former national tax agency chief nobuhisa sagawa testify parliament sagawa headed ministry division submitted documents became tax agency chief july appointment critics saw reward efforts smooth issue statements parliament last year wednesday kiyomi tsujimoto prominent constitutional democratic party lawmaker asked abes wife appear questioning senior ldp politician said earlier receive reply additional reporting yoshifumi takemoto elaine lies writing changran kim editing michael perry robert birsel standards thomson reuters trust principles london reuters prime minister theresa mays response russia nerve agent attack british soil unlikely trouble kremlin chief vladimir putin unduly despite expression outrage greeted moscow britains prime minister theresa may leaves 10 downing street london march 13 2018 reuterstoby melville first known use militarygrade nerve toxin british soil since world war two may expelled 23 russian spies using diplomatic cover promised freeze russian state assets used threaten british interests may also said britain would work new powers defend hostile state activity beef counter espionage powers cut back official participation soccer world cup measures may considered said announcement days election putin former kgb officer expected coast fourth term gave examples russian officials companies would targeted barred londons financial center london remains open russian investment albeit political chill expulsions may went current eu sanctions include travel restrictions asset freezes 150 people 38 companies kremlin understand mild response said mathieu boulègue russia expert chatham house thinktank london putin unlikely worried senior british government official said options remained table economic diplomatic legislative security capabilities brought bear needed days fullvolume rhetoric london suspected russian attack midnight deadline moscow scorned may shown little appetite britain fight eve brexit united states european union joined criticism moscow albeit delayed response us president donald trump little evidence appetite paris berlin washington anything beyond scolding russian president vladimir putin addresses audience rally marking fourth anniversary russias annexation ukraines crimea region black sea port sevastopol crimea march 14 2018 reutersmaxim shemetov russia denied involvement attack simply declined say anything sovietera nerve toxin ended striking former double agent normally genteel streets english city salisbury foreign ministry described mays measures flagrant provocation promised speedy response russia russians behind nerve attack aims may achieved britain shown little power willing exercise every kremlin opponent nervous retribution many russian experts attack sergei skripal former gru military intelligence officer betrayed dozens russian agents mi6 test britain years turning blind eye reality modern russia part policy due money one biggest exports since 1991 fall soviet union money london one top two financial capitals world major beneficiary related video london londongrad sometimes dubbed western capital choice oligarchs russian officials flaunt wealth across europes luxurious destinations france business ties russia muted issue russian involvement attack skripal germany united states britain tied knots said french official spoke condition anonymity open policy russian private investment émigrés years wants europe offer support taking steps moscow britain respond shocking happened ultimately britain additional reporting luke baker paris elizabeth piper london editing philippa fletcher standards thomson reuters trust principles reuters toys r us inc iconic toy retailer shuttering 735 us stores failing find buyer reach deal restructure billions debt putting 30000 people jobs closure blow generations consumers hundreds toy makers sold products chains us stores including barbie maker mattel inc board game company hasbro inc vendors like lego profoundly sad day us well millions kids families served past 70 years chief executive officer dave brandon said shoppers flocking amazoncom inc children choosing electronic gadgets toys toys r us struggled boost sales service debt following 66 billion leveraged buyout private equity firms 2005 toys r us said thursday seeking approval liquidate inventory us stores debtors anticipate close end year file photo people pass toys r us store times square new york us march 9 2018 reuterseduardo munoz company also said discussions interested parties deal combine 200 top performing us stores canadian operations operations asia central europe including germany austria switzerland company pursue reorganization sale process already announced administration uk business continue company said slideshow 2 images wayne new jerseybased toys r us already process closing one fifth stores part attempt emerge one largest ever bankruptcies speciality retailer efforts collapsed month lenders decided absent clear reorganization plan could recover liquidation closing stores raising money merchandise sales sources knowledge matter told reuters disappearance toys r us leaves void hundreds toy makers relied chain top customer alongside walmart inc target corp shares mattel hasbro tumbled last week toys r us liquidation reports rely toys r us roughly 10 percent revenues according 2016 annual reports reporting tracy rucinski chicago abinaya vijayaraghavan bengaluru editing saumyadeb chakrabarty standards thomson reuters trust principles reuters iheartmedia inc filed chapter 11 bankruptcy thursday largest us radio station owner reached inprinciple agreement creditors restructure overwhelming debt load company filed bankruptcy along units said reached agreement holders 10 billion outstanding debt balance sheet restructuring would reduce debt 10 billion iheartmedia struggled 20 billion debt falling revenue 858 radio stations said cash hand cash generated ongoing operations sufficient fund business bankruptcy process agreement significant accomplishment allows us definitively address 20 billion debt burdened capital structure chief executive bob pittman said filing comes john malones liberty media corp proposed feb 26 deal buy 40 percent stake restructured iheartmedia 116 billion uniting company libertys sirius xm holdings inc satellite radio service clear channel outdoor holdings inc subsidiary iheartmedia one worlds largest billboard companies units commence chapter 11 proceedings iheartmedia skipped 106 million interest payment feb 1 triggering 30day grace period company tried hammer deal bondholders company disclosed monday still exchanging proposals creditors yet reach agreement recent proposal would given holders secured loans owed nearly 13 billion 56 billion new debt 94 percent equity reorganized iheartmedia creditors also would received iheartmedias 895 percent stake clear channel outdoor holdings bain capital llc thomas h lee partners lp control 68 percent voting stock iheartmedia according companys recent annual report private equity firms led 179 billion leveraged buyout clear channel communications inc 2008 buyout boom fading signs financial crisis began emerge shares iheartmedia lost threequarters value second half 2015 never recovered since monday pink sheet stock closed 48 cents iheartmedia traces roots 1972 purchase keezfm san antonio texas currently headquartered also produces syndicated radio programs feature american idol host ryan seacrest political personalities rush limbaugh sean hannity company 14300 employees end 2016 according recent annual report reporting tom hals wilmington delaware mekhla raina bengaluru editing gopakumar warrier standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,524 |
<p>CHICAGO (AP) — A day after Little League International stripped Chicago's Jackie Robinson West of its national championship, team officials announced they've hired a high-profile attorney to conduct an investigation they hope will end with the return of their title.</p>
<p>The sport's governing body announced Wednesday that team officials had violated regulations by including players who didn't qualify because they lived outside the team's boundaries, then scrambled to get adjacent leagues to go along with the scheme. But attorney Victor Henderson said Thursday he will try to determine not only whether the team broke any rules but whether — as supporters in Chicago have suggested — Little League International unfairly singled them out.</p>
<p>"I want to make sure that whatever rules and regulations are being applied to Jackie Robinson West are being applied to any other team," Henderson said during a news conference, flanked by members of the family that runs the league on the city's South Side and the team's manager, who has been suspended.</p>
<p>Henderson said it is too early to say if Jackie Robinson West will file a lawsuit against Little League International.</p>
<p>"Clearly, we have one more battle," said Bill Haley, the director of the team, whose father was the founder. "You were not wrong for sticking with our boys then (during the Little League World Series), and you are not wrong for sticking with our boys now."</p>
<p>The announcement that the title the team won at last summer's Little League World Series triggered an emotional response from parents and supporters in Chicago and around the country, some of whom suggested that the race of the all-black team may have been a factor in the stunning decision to remove the title. On Thursday, Henderson tried to tamp down those criticisms.</p>
<p>"We aren't raising the race card," he said. He also addressed threats made against the life of the suburban baseball league official whose allegations triggered the investigation.</p>
<p>"The Haley family, they want no part of that," he said.</p>
<p>The family members who attended the press conference and Darold Butler, the team's suspended manager, did not take questions. Henderson said he could not answer any questions until he receives paperwork from Little League International, which he said he will request.</p>
<p>In the meantime, he said he is telling the boys that, as far as he is concerned, they remain the national champions.</p>
<p>"I'm saying to them, 'You do not give up your championship yet,'" he said.</p>
<p>Whether the investigation could prompt Little League International to reverse its decision remains to be seen. On Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the organization to ask that the title be given back to the team because the boys did nothing wrong.</p>
<p>But the president and CEO of Little League International, who on Wednesday said there was no indication the boys were complicit in the scheme of the adults, told the mayor that the decision was final.</p>
<p>CHICAGO (AP) — A day after Little League International stripped Chicago's Jackie Robinson West of its national championship, team officials announced they've hired a high-profile attorney to conduct an investigation they hope will end with the return of their title.</p>
<p>The sport's governing body announced Wednesday that team officials had violated regulations by including players who didn't qualify because they lived outside the team's boundaries, then scrambled to get adjacent leagues to go along with the scheme. But attorney Victor Henderson said Thursday he will try to determine not only whether the team broke any rules but whether — as supporters in Chicago have suggested — Little League International unfairly singled them out.</p>
<p>"I want to make sure that whatever rules and regulations are being applied to Jackie Robinson West are being applied to any other team," Henderson said during a news conference, flanked by members of the family that runs the league on the city's South Side and the team's manager, who has been suspended.</p>
<p>Henderson said it is too early to say if Jackie Robinson West will file a lawsuit against Little League International.</p>
<p>"Clearly, we have one more battle," said Bill Haley, the director of the team, whose father was the founder. "You were not wrong for sticking with our boys then (during the Little League World Series), and you are not wrong for sticking with our boys now."</p>
<p>The announcement that the title the team won at last summer's Little League World Series triggered an emotional response from parents and supporters in Chicago and around the country, some of whom suggested that the race of the all-black team may have been a factor in the stunning decision to remove the title. On Thursday, Henderson tried to tamp down those criticisms.</p>
<p>"We aren't raising the race card," he said. He also addressed threats made against the life of the suburban baseball league official whose allegations triggered the investigation.</p>
<p>"The Haley family, they want no part of that," he said.</p>
<p>The family members who attended the press conference and Darold Butler, the team's suspended manager, did not take questions. Henderson said he could not answer any questions until he receives paperwork from Little League International, which he said he will request.</p>
<p>In the meantime, he said he is telling the boys that, as far as he is concerned, they remain the national champions.</p>
<p>"I'm saying to them, 'You do not give up your championship yet,'" he said.</p>
<p>Whether the investigation could prompt Little League International to reverse its decision remains to be seen. On Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the organization to ask that the title be given back to the team because the boys did nothing wrong.</p>
<p>But the president and CEO of Little League International, who on Wednesday said there was no indication the boys were complicit in the scheme of the adults, told the mayor that the decision was final.</p>
| false | 2 |
chicago ap day little league international stripped chicagos jackie robinson west national championship team officials announced theyve hired highprofile attorney conduct investigation hope end return title sports governing body announced wednesday team officials violated regulations including players didnt qualify lived outside teams boundaries scrambled get adjacent leagues go along scheme attorney victor henderson said thursday try determine whether team broke rules whether supporters chicago suggested little league international unfairly singled want make sure whatever rules regulations applied jackie robinson west applied team henderson said news conference flanked members family runs league citys south side teams manager suspended henderson said early say jackie robinson west file lawsuit little league international clearly one battle said bill haley director team whose father founder wrong sticking boys little league world series wrong sticking boys announcement title team last summers little league world series triggered emotional response parents supporters chicago around country suggested race allblack team may factor stunning decision remove title thursday henderson tried tamp criticisms arent raising race card said also addressed threats made life suburban baseball league official whose allegations triggered investigation haley family want part said family members attended press conference darold butler teams suspended manager take questions henderson said could answer questions receives paperwork little league international said request meantime said telling boys far concerned remain national champions im saying give championship yet said whether investigation could prompt little league international reverse decision remains seen wednesday chicago mayor rahm emanuel called organization ask title given back team boys nothing wrong president ceo little league international wednesday said indication boys complicit scheme adults told mayor decision final chicago ap day little league international stripped chicagos jackie robinson west national championship team officials announced theyve hired highprofile attorney conduct investigation hope end return title sports governing body announced wednesday team officials violated regulations including players didnt qualify lived outside teams boundaries scrambled get adjacent leagues go along scheme attorney victor henderson said thursday try determine whether team broke rules whether supporters chicago suggested little league international unfairly singled want make sure whatever rules regulations applied jackie robinson west applied team henderson said news conference flanked members family runs league citys south side teams manager suspended henderson said early say jackie robinson west file lawsuit little league international clearly one battle said bill haley director team whose father founder wrong sticking boys little league world series wrong sticking boys announcement title team last summers little league world series triggered emotional response parents supporters chicago around country suggested race allblack team may factor stunning decision remove title thursday henderson tried tamp criticisms arent raising race card said also addressed threats made life suburban baseball league official whose allegations triggered investigation haley family want part said family members attended press conference darold butler teams suspended manager take questions henderson said could answer questions receives paperwork little league international said request meantime said telling boys far concerned remain national champions im saying give championship yet said whether investigation could prompt little league international reverse decision remains seen wednesday chicago mayor rahm emanuel called organization ask title given back team boys nothing wrong president ceo little league international wednesday said indication boys complicit scheme adults told mayor decision final
| 532 |
<p>Jan 24 (Reuters) - Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd :</p>
<p>* SEES HY‍ NET PROFIT AFTER TAX OF $26.5 MILLION, DOWN 9 PERCENT</p>
<p>* “‍FORECASTS FULL YEAR PROFIT SHOULD BE MARGINALLY AHEAD OF THAT DELIVERED IN 2017 FINANCIAL YEAR”​ Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China unveiled plans on Friday to impose tariffs on up to $3 billion of U.S. imports in retaliation against U.S. tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum products, as the world’s two largest economies stood on the brink of a trade war.</p>
<p>China was considering a 15 percent tariff on U.S. products including dried fruit, wine and steel pipes and a 25 percent tariff on pork products and recycled aluminum, the commerce ministry said in a statement on it website.</p>
<p>China has assembled a list of 128 U.S. products in total that could be targeted if the two countries are unable to reach an agreement on trade issues, the ministry added.</p>
<p>U.S. President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Thursday targeting up to $60 billion in Chinese goods with tariffs, but only after a 30-day consultation period that starts once a list is published.</p> FILE PHOTO - A worker checks steel wires at a warehouse in Dalian, Liaoning province, China May 15, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer
<p>Beijing’s disclosure of its planned retaliation to proposed tariffs on Chinese metal exports to the United States, served as a warning to Washington as both sides brandished their weapons while holding off from starting a full-blown trade war.</p>
<p>The commerce ministry said China would implement the measures in two stages: first the 15 percent tariff on 120 products including steel pipes and wine worth $977 million and later the higher 25 percent tariff on $1.99 billion of pork and aluminum.</p>
<p>“We intend to impose tariffs on certain U.S. imports to balance out the losses caused to Chinese interests by the U.S. tariffs on imported steel and aluminum,” the ministry said.</p>
<p>The ministry added it would take legal action under the framework of the World Trade Organization to maintain the stability of global trading rules. It added, however, it hoped it could resolve issues with the U.S. through dialogue.</p>
<p>Reporting by Adam Jourdan and Wang Jing; Editing By Simon Cameron-Moore</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders gave a cautious welcome on Thursday to news that U.S. President Donald Trump had decided not to apply tariffs to European steel and aluminum but said they were waiting for Washington to confirm that decision.</p>
<p>U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer had earlier told a Senate committee hearing that Trump had chosen to “pause” the imposition of metals tariffs for Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico South Korea and “Europe”.</p>
<p>His comments prompted EU leaders arriving in Brussels for a summit to postpone a discussion about transatlantic trade tensions until later in the evening.</p>
<p>The United States is set to begin charging import duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum from Friday.</p>
<p>One senior EU official described Lighthizer’s announcement as “welcome, in line with our expectations”, adding: “But we’ll see whether this is officially confirmed.”</p>
<p>The exemption from tariffs, if it is confirmed, followed EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom’s trip to Washington for talks with Lighthizer and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.</p>
<p>Briefing EU ambassadors and the European Parliament on Thursday morning, she had indicated there was a greater willingness to find a solution to avert a trade war.</p>
<p>German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that Europe had shown itself united in its support of free trade and rejection of protectionism.</p> Slideshow (3 Images)
<p>French President Emmanuel Macron said he expected a final announcement on U.S. tariffs late evening Brussels time.</p>
<p>“My wish is that we can continue to preserve international trade rules that are good for all and that the powers that have contributed to putting them in place will assure that they are respected,” he said.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GOOGL.O" type="external">Alphabet Inc</a> 1094.0 GOOGL.O Nasdaq -1.80 (-0.16%) GOOGL.O FB.O AMZN.O TECH TAX
<p>The European Commission has proposed that, if tariffs are imposed, the bloc should challenge them at the World Trade Organization, consider measures to prevent metal flooding into Europe and impose import duties on U.S. products to “rebalance” EU-U.S. trade.</p>
<p>The EU leaders’ second topic on Thursday, taxation, also threatens to expose transatlantic strains.</p>
<p>The European Commission on Wednesday proposed rules to make digital companies pay more tax, with U.S. tech giants such as Google ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GOOGL.O" type="external">GOOGL.O</a>), Facebook ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=FB.O" type="external">FB.O</a>) and Amazon ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AMZN.O" type="external">AMZN.O</a>) set to foot a large chunk of a potential 5 billion euro ($6.1 billion) bill.</p>
<p>EU Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici brushed off accusations that he was going after rich American tech companies to enrich EU coffers and France, Germany, Italy, Britain and Spain welcomed the proposals in a joint statement.</p>
<p>However, some smaller countries fear the proposed tax would undermine their ability to attract multinationals and see the measure as more likely to shift tax revenue to bigger EU countries rather than raising more money.</p>
<p>($1 = 0.8143 euros)</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Gabriela Baczynska, Alastair Macdonald and Richard Lough</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump shook up his foreign policy team again on Thursday, replacing H.R. McMaster as national security adviser with John Bolton, a hawk who has advocated using military force against North Korea and Iran.</p>
<p>The move, announced in a tweet and a White House statement, came little more than a week after Trump fired Rex Tillerson as secretary of state and nominated Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo to replace him.</p>
<p>The shake-up shows Trump, in office for 14 months, surrounding himself with advisers more likely to agree with his views and taking his foreign policy in a more hawkish direction.</p>
<p>What it means for a prospective summit meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is unclear. The meeting is supposed to happen by the end of May, but an exact time and place have yet to be settled on.</p>
<p>Bolton’s appointment could doom the already endangered Iran nuclear deal. It could also lead to friction with Trump on how tough to be on Russia, with the president still holding out hope for improved ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.</p>
<p>The news of Bolton’s appointment followed a meeting he had with Trump in the Oval Office. Even Bolton was caught by surprise. “I didn’t really expect an announcement this afternoon, but it’s obviously a great honor,” he told Fox News after the announcement. “I’m still getting used to it.”</p>
<p>Bolton, 69, is a Fox News analyst who contemplated a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. He is a familiar figure in Washington, with a walrus-like moustache and hard-charging views on many global challenges.</p>
<p>Some members of Congress immediately questioned his selection for the critical position in the White House.</p>
<p>“This is not a wise choice. Mr. Bolton does not have the temperament or judgment to be an effective national security adviser,” Democratic Senator Jack Reed said in a statement.</p>
<p>Bolton tweeted on Jan. 11 that time was running out on stopping North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. He said: “We’ve got to look at the very unattractive choice of using military force to deny them that capability.”</p>
<p>At a time when Trump has threatened to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, unless Europe agrees to change it, Bolton has tweeted that the deal “needs to be abrogated.”</p>
<p>He has also called for “effective countermeasures to the cyber war that Russia is engaging.”</p> ‘STRONG SIGNAL’
<p>Elliott Abrams, a senior foreign policy aide to former Republican President George W. Bush, praised Trump’s choice, saying Bolton “proved when we were both in the Bush administration that he is an excellent and forceful bureaucrat.”</p> FILE PHOTO -- Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton (L) speaks in Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S. February 24, 2017, and White House National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster joins the daily briefing in Washington, U.S. July 31, 2017, in this combination photograph. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts, Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
<p>Whether Bolton, who was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for Bush, will be able to swallow his own views has been debated by foreign policy experts since he appeared on Trump’s radar. His hiring does not require U.S. Senate confirmation.</p>
<p>Bolton said in the Fox News interview that his past statements on various issues were behind him and he would be an honest broker ensuring the president sees all the options available to him.</p>
<p>“The important thing is what the president says and the advice I give him,” he said.</p>
<p>Still, analysts said Bolton’s views would be influential.</p>
<p>“Bolton has long been an advocate for pre-emptive military action against North Korea, and his appointment as National Security Adviser is a strong signal that President Trump remains open to these options,” said Abraham Denmark, deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia under former President Barack Obama.</p> Slideshow (7 Images)
<p>“We should also expect an even more confrontational approach to China - a trade war may just be the beginning of a broader geopolitical competition,” he said.</p>
<p>Bonnie Glaser, Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, said: “Bolton has long supported regime change in North Korea and closer ties with Taiwan. Fasten your seat belts.”</p>
<p>As the State Department’s top arms control official under Bush, Bolton was a leading advocate of the 2003 invasion of Iraq - which was later found to have been based on bogus and exaggerated intelligence about President Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction and ties to terrorism.</p> ‘MUTUALLY AGREED’
<p>McMaster, hired early in Trump’s presidency to replace scandal-tarred Michael Flynn as national security adviser, had widely been expected to leave soon. Trump found McMaster’s style grating. The two had frequently clashed in meetings and Trump had been looking for a replacement, advisers said.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-usa-trump-bolton-tweets-factbox/factbox-want-to-know-how-bolton-will-advise-trump-read-his-tweets-idUSKBN1GY3E3" type="external">Factbox: Want to know how Bolton will advise Trump? Read his tweets</a>
<a href="/article/us-usa-trump-bolton-role/trumps-new-security-adviser-pick-sees-honest-broker-role-fox-news-idUSKBN1GY3DR" type="external">Trump's new security adviser pick sees 'honest broker' role: Fox News</a>
<a href="/article/us-usa-trump-staffing-factbox/factbox-mcmaster-is-latest-in-parade-of-white-house-departees-idUSKBN1GY3BW" type="external">Factbox: McMaster is latest in parade of White House departees</a>
<p>The White House said Trump and McMaster had “mutually agreed” that he would leave. “I am very thankful for the service of General H.R. McMaster who has done an outstanding job &amp; will always remain my friend,” Trump’s tweet said.</p>
<p>“The two have been discussing this for some time. The timeline was expedited as they both felt it was important to have the new team in place, instead of constant speculation. This was not related to any one moment or incident, rather it was the result of ongoing conversations between the two,” a senior White House official said.</p>
<p>The announcement came a day after Trump was angered by a leak of information from his presidential briefing papers that said he was advised specifically not to congratulate Putin on his disputed election victory. Trump told reporters he had congratulated Putin.</p>
<p>McMaster, 55, is to stay on until mid-April. He said in a statement he was also requesting retirement from the U.S. Army, in which he holds the rank of three-star general.</p>
<p>White House Chief of Staff John Kelly had been hoping to entice McMaster into another military assignment in order to qualify as a four-star general.</p>
<p>Reporting by Steve Holland; Additional reporting by by Warren Strobel, Yara Bayoumy and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Peter Cooney</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>BEIJING (Reuters) - China urged the United States on Friday to avoid taking bilateral trade relations to a “dangerous place”, the Chinese commerce ministry said in a statement on Friday, responding to planned U.S. tariffs following an intellectual property probe.</p> FILE PHOTO - A U.S. flag is tweaked ahead of a news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016. REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool
<p>The commerce ministry said in a statement that China hopes the United States will pull back “from the brink”, and be prudent in its decisions, adding that it resolutely opposes U.S. unilateralism and protectionism.</p>
<p>China has made full preparations to defend its legitimate interests and it is not afraid of a trade war, although it doesn’t want one, the ministry said.</p>
<p>Reporting by Ryan Woo and Lusha Zhang; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
jan 24 reuters australian pharmaceutical industries ltd sees hy net profit tax 265 million 9 percent forecasts full year profit marginally ahead delivered 2017 financial year source text eikon company coverage standards thomson reuters trust principles shanghai reuters china unveiled plans friday impose tariffs 3 billion us imports retaliation us tariffs chinese steel aluminum products worlds two largest economies stood brink trade war china considering 15 percent tariff us products including dried fruit wine steel pipes 25 percent tariff pork products recycled aluminum commerce ministry said statement website china assembled list 128 us products total could targeted two countries unable reach agreement trade issues ministry added us president donald trump signed presidential memorandum thursday targeting 60 billion chinese goods tariffs 30day consultation period starts list published file photo worker checks steel wires warehouse dalian liaoning province china may 15 2017 reutersstringer beijings disclosure planned retaliation proposed tariffs chinese metal exports united states served warning washington sides brandished weapons holding starting fullblown trade war commerce ministry said china would implement measures two stages first 15 percent tariff 120 products including steel pipes wine worth 977 million later higher 25 percent tariff 199 billion pork aluminum intend impose tariffs certain us imports balance losses caused chinese interests us tariffs imported steel aluminum ministry said ministry added would take legal action framework world trade organization maintain stability global trading rules added however hoped could resolve issues us dialogue reporting adam jourdan wang jing editing simon cameronmoore standards thomson reuters trust principles brussels reuters european union leaders gave cautious welcome thursday news us president donald trump decided apply tariffs european steel aluminum said waiting washington confirm decision us trade representative robert lighthizer earlier told senate committee hearing trump chosen pause imposition metals tariffs argentina australia brazil canada mexico south korea europe comments prompted eu leaders arriving brussels summit postpone discussion transatlantic trade tensions later evening united states set begin charging import duties 25 percent steel 10 percent aluminum friday one senior eu official described lighthizers announcement welcome line expectations adding well see whether officially confirmed exemption tariffs confirmed followed eu trade commissioner cecilia malmstroms trip washington talks lighthizer us commerce secretary wilbur ross briefing eu ambassadors european parliament thursday morning indicated greater willingness find solution avert trade war german chancellor angela merkel told reporters europe shown united support free trade rejection protectionism slideshow 3 images french president emmanuel macron said expected final announcement us tariffs late evening brussels time wish continue preserve international trade rules good powers contributed putting place assure respected said alphabet inc 10940 googlo nasdaq 180 016 googlo fbo amzno tech tax european commission proposed tariffs imposed bloc challenge world trade organization consider measures prevent metal flooding europe impose import duties us products rebalance euus trade eu leaders second topic thursday taxation also threatens expose transatlantic strains european commission wednesday proposed rules make digital companies pay tax us tech giants google googlo facebook fbo amazon amzno set foot large chunk potential 5 billion euro 61 billion bill eu economics commissioner pierre moscovici brushed accusations going rich american tech companies enrich eu coffers france germany italy britain spain welcomed proposals joint statement however smaller countries fear proposed tax would undermine ability attract multinationals see measure likely shift tax revenue bigger eu countries rather raising money 1 08143 euros additional reporting gabriela baczynska alastair macdonald richard lough standards thomson reuters trust principles washington reuters us president donald trump shook foreign policy team thursday replacing hr mcmaster national security adviser john bolton hawk advocated using military force north korea iran move announced tweet white house statement came little week trump fired rex tillerson secretary state nominated central intelligence agency director mike pompeo replace shakeup shows trump office 14 months surrounding advisers likely agree views taking foreign policy hawkish direction means prospective summit meeting trump north korean leader kim jong un unclear meeting supposed happen end may exact time place yet settled boltons appointment could doom already endangered iran nuclear deal could also lead friction trump tough russia president still holding hope improved ties russian president vladimir putin news boltons appointment followed meeting trump oval office even bolton caught surprise didnt really expect announcement afternoon obviously great honor told fox news announcement im still getting used bolton 69 fox news analyst contemplated run republican presidential nomination 2016 familiar figure washington walruslike moustache hardcharging views many global challenges members congress immediately questioned selection critical position white house wise choice mr bolton temperament judgment effective national security adviser democratic senator jack reed said statement bolton tweeted jan 11 time running stopping north koreas nuclear weapons program said weve got look unattractive choice using military force deny capability time trump threatened withdraw united states 2015 iran nuclear deal unless europe agrees change bolton tweeted deal needs abrogated also called effective countermeasures cyber war russia engaging strong signal elliott abrams senior foreign policy aide former republican president george w bush praised trumps choice saying bolton proved bush administration excellent forceful bureaucrat file photo former us ambassador united nations john bolton l speaks oxon hill maryland us february 24 2017 white house national security advisor hr mcmaster joins daily briefing washington us july 31 2017 combination photograph reutersjoshua roberts jonathan ernstfile photo whether bolton us ambassador united nations bush able swallow views debated foreign policy experts since appeared trumps radar hiring require us senate confirmation bolton said fox news interview past statements various issues behind would honest broker ensuring president sees options available important thing president says advice give said still analysts said boltons views would influential bolton long advocate preemptive military action north korea appointment national security adviser strong signal president trump remains open options said abraham denmark deputy assistant secretary defense east asia former president barack obama slideshow 7 images also expect even confrontational approach china trade war may beginning broader geopolitical competition said bonnie glaser asia expert center strategic international studies think tank washington said bolton long supported regime change north korea closer ties taiwan fasten seat belts state departments top arms control official bush bolton leading advocate 2003 invasion iraq later found based bogus exaggerated intelligence president saddam husseins weapons mass destruction ties terrorism mutually agreed mcmaster hired early trumps presidency replace scandaltarred michael flynn national security adviser widely expected leave soon trump found mcmasters style grating two frequently clashed meetings trump looking replacement advisers said related coverage factbox want know bolton advise trump read tweets trumps new security adviser pick sees honest broker role fox news factbox mcmaster latest parade white house departees white house said trump mcmaster mutually agreed would leave thankful service general hr mcmaster done outstanding job amp always remain friend trumps tweet said two discussing time timeline expedited felt important new team place instead constant speculation related one moment incident rather result ongoing conversations two senior white house official said announcement came day trump angered leak information presidential briefing papers said advised specifically congratulate putin disputed election victory trump told reporters congratulated putin mcmaster 55 stay midapril said statement also requesting retirement us army holds rank threestar general white house chief staff john kelly hoping entice mcmaster another military assignment order qualify fourstar general reporting steve holland additional reporting warren strobel yara bayoumy david brunnstrom editing kevin drawbaugh peter cooney standards thomson reuters trust principles beijing reuters china urged united states friday avoid taking bilateral trade relations dangerous place chinese commerce ministry said statement friday responding planned us tariffs following intellectual property probe file photo us flag tweaked ahead news conference ministry foreign affairs beijing wednesday jan 27 2016 reutersjacquelyn martinpool commerce ministry said statement china hopes united states pull back brink prudent decisions adding resolutely opposes us unilateralism protectionism china made full preparations defend legitimate interests afraid trade war although doesnt want one ministry said reporting ryan woo lusha zhang editing simon cameronmoore standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,298 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>DHAKA, Bangladesh — The gradual repatriation of more than 680,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees back to Myanmar from Bangladesh, scheduled to begin Tuesday, has been delayed amid widespread fears that they are being forced to return, Bangladesh said Monday. There was no immediate confirmation from Myanmar.</p>
<p>The refugees began pouring across the border into Bangladesh in August, fleeing waves of attacks by Myanmar security forces and Buddhist mobs.</p>
<p>While the two countries have signed an agreement to begin sending people home in “safety, security and dignity,” the process has been chaotic and opaque, leaving international aid workers and many Rohingya afraid they would be coerced into going back to villages that they fled only months ago.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Abul Kalam, Bangladesh’s refugee and repatriation commissioner, said a number of issues remain unresolved.</p>
<p>“The main thing is that the process has to be voluntary,” said Kalam, adding that paperwork for returning refugees had not yet been finalized and transit camps had yet to be built in Bangladesh. It was not immediately clear when the process would start.</p>
<p>Myanmar officials could not be reached for comment.</p>
<p>“If they send us back forcefully we will not go,” Sayed Noor, who fled his village in Myanmar in August, said over the weekend, adding that Myanmar authorities “have to give us our rights and give us justice.”</p>
<p>“They will have to return all our wealth that they have looted and hold people accountable. They will have to compensate us. We came here because we are fighting for those things,” he said. “If we don’t get all of this, then what was the point of coming here?”</p>
<p>Eventually, all the Rohingya who have fled Myanmar since August were to leave Bangladesh, according to the agreement signed late last year. Over the weekend, the U.N.’s migration agency increased the total estimate of those refugees to 688,000.</p>
<p>David Mathieson, a longtime human rights researcher who has spent years working on Rohingya issues, heaped scorn on the agreement ahead of the latest announcement.</p>
<p>“It’s a fantasyland, make-believe world that both governments are in,” he said in an interview in Yangon, Myanmar’s main city, noting that security forces there had just forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya across the border. “Now you’re expecting them to come back, as if they’re in a conga line of joy after what you did to them?”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The Rohingya Muslims have long been treated as outsiders in largely Buddhist Myanmar, derided as “Bengalis” who entered illegally from Bangladesh, even though generations of Rohingya have lived in Myanmar. Nearly all have been denied citizenship since 1982, effectively rendering them stateless. They are denied freedom of movement and other basic rights.</p>
<p>Many of the people who fled earlier violence and moved into displacement camps inside Myanmar have been unable to leave those settlements for years.</p>
<p>Most Rohingya lived in poverty in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, near the Bangladesh border. Marked by their religion and their language — most Rohingya speak a dialect of Bengali, while most of their neighbors speak Rakhine — they are easy to target.</p>
<p>The recent surge of violence erupted after an underground insurgent group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, attacked at least 30 security outposts in Myanmar in late August. The military and Buddhist mobs then launched retaliatory attacks on Rohingya across Rakhine in a frenzy of killings, rapes and burned villages. The U.N. has described the violence as “textbook ethnic cleansing.”</p>
<p>The attacks, which Doctors Without Borders believes have left at least 6,700 Rohingya dead, sowed terror across Rohingya communities. Most refugees came in the first month or so after the violence began, but some continue to trickle into Bangladesh, complaining of ill-treatment by authorities.</p>
<p>In early January, following up on their November agreement, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a deal to begin sending back the refugees starting Tuesday. Officials have said they expect some 1,500 refugees to go back each week, though only refugees with identity documents — which most Rohingya lack — will be allowed into Myanmar.</p>
<p>Bangladesh and Myanmar are both eager to have the repatriations begin. Bangladesh has grown weary of hosting Rohingya who’ve spilled across the border for decades. More than a million Rohingya are now believed to live in Bangladesh. Myanmar, meanwhile, wants the repatriations to lessen the international condemnation it has faced for the violence.</p>
<p>In Myanmar, officials have started building sprawling camps for returning refugees. Forty buildings have been finished already in the Hla Po Kaung transit camp, enough for more than 3,000 refugees, state media have reported. Eventually, the camp will have 625 buildings, enough for 30,000 refugees. In theory the returnees will stay only temporarily in the camp before going home, though many Rohingya villages were burned to the ground during the violence.</p>
<p>In Bangladesh, there have been almost no signs of preparations. A Bangladesh official who oversees the area where most of the camps are located said last week that “we have not finalized anything yet.”</p>
<p>Aid workers say some refugees may want to return — perhaps the 500 or so Bengali-speaking Hindus who also fled the Rakhine state violence, and the handful of Rohingya who have managed to acquire citizenship documents.</p>
<p>But how many more?</p>
<p>Not many, experts say.</p>
<p>“I think that the (Myanmar) government knows very well that only a few people will go back,” said Chris Lewa, the director of the human rights research group the Arakan Project. But officials want the good publicity that could come with repatriations, she said.</p>
<p>“When the majority of Rohingya refuse to come back, the Myanmar government will say ‘See, we have done what we can for them to return, but they refuse to come back and prefer to stay in Bangladesh, which was their own country,'” she said.</p>
<p>Inside Rakhine, there are few signs that people want their former Rohingya neighbors to return.</p>
<p>“International pressure, because of human rights and humanitarianism, means we have to accept them back, even though we don’t want to,” Than Tun, a Buddhist leader in Sittwe, the Rakhine state capital, said in a telephone interview.</p>
<p>He dismissed the idea that the Rohingya had fled their homes. “We think that these Bengalis have gone back to their original land — Bangladesh.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP journalists Rishabh Jain in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, and Tim Sullivan in New Delhi contributed to this report.</p>
| false | 2 |
dhaka bangladesh gradual repatriation 680000 rohingya muslim refugees back myanmar bangladesh scheduled begin tuesday delayed amid widespread fears forced return bangladesh said monday immediate confirmation myanmar refugees began pouring across border bangladesh august fleeing waves attacks myanmar security forces buddhist mobs two countries signed agreement begin sending people home safety security dignity process chaotic opaque leaving international aid workers many rohingya afraid would coerced going back villages fled months ago advertisement abul kalam bangladeshs refugee repatriation commissioner said number issues remain unresolved main thing process voluntary said kalam adding paperwork returning refugees yet finalized transit camps yet built bangladesh immediately clear process would start myanmar officials could reached comment send us back forcefully go sayed noor fled village myanmar august said weekend adding myanmar authorities give us rights give us justice return wealth looted hold people accountable compensate us came fighting things said dont get point coming eventually rohingya fled myanmar since august leave bangladesh according agreement signed late last year weekend uns migration agency increased total estimate refugees 688000 david mathieson longtime human rights researcher spent years working rohingya issues heaped scorn agreement ahead latest announcement fantasyland makebelieve world governments said interview yangon myanmars main city noting security forces forced hundreds thousands rohingya across border youre expecting come back theyre conga line joy advertisement rohingya muslims long treated outsiders largely buddhist myanmar derided bengalis entered illegally bangladesh even though generations rohingya lived myanmar nearly denied citizenship since 1982 effectively rendering stateless denied freedom movement basic rights many people fled earlier violence moved displacement camps inside myanmar unable leave settlements years rohingya lived poverty myanmars rakhine state near bangladesh border marked religion language rohingya speak dialect bengali neighbors speak rakhine easy target recent surge violence erupted underground insurgent group arakan rohingya salvation army attacked least 30 security outposts myanmar late august military buddhist mobs launched retaliatory attacks rohingya across rakhine frenzy killings rapes burned villages un described violence textbook ethnic cleansing attacks doctors without borders believes left least 6700 rohingya dead sowed terror across rohingya communities refugees came first month violence began continue trickle bangladesh complaining illtreatment authorities early january following november agreement bangladesh myanmar signed deal begin sending back refugees starting tuesday officials said expect 1500 refugees go back week though refugees identity documents rohingya lack allowed myanmar bangladesh myanmar eager repatriations begin bangladesh grown weary hosting rohingya whove spilled across border decades million rohingya believed live bangladesh myanmar meanwhile wants repatriations lessen international condemnation faced violence myanmar officials started building sprawling camps returning refugees forty buildings finished already hla po kaung transit camp enough 3000 refugees state media reported eventually camp 625 buildings enough 30000 refugees theory returnees stay temporarily camp going home though many rohingya villages burned ground violence bangladesh almost signs preparations bangladesh official oversees area camps located said last week finalized anything yet aid workers say refugees may want return perhaps 500 bengalispeaking hindus also fled rakhine state violence handful rohingya managed acquire citizenship documents many many experts say think myanmar government knows well people go back said chris lewa director human rights research group arakan project officials want good publicity could come repatriations said majority rohingya refuse come back myanmar government say see done return refuse come back prefer stay bangladesh country said inside rakhine signs people want former rohingya neighbors return international pressure human rights humanitarianism means accept back even though dont want tun buddhist leader sittwe rakhine state capital said telephone interview dismissed idea rohingya fled homes think bengalis gone back original land bangladesh ___ ap journalists rishabh jain coxs bazar bangladesh tim sullivan new delhi contributed report
| 596 |
<p>Commerce Bancshares Inc:</p>
<p>* COMMERCE BANCSHARES, INC. REPORTS RECORD FOURTH QUARTER EARNINGS OF $94 MILLION</p> * Q4 EARNINGS PER SHARE $0.86
<p>* Q4 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $0.72 — THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S</p>
<p>* - ‍NET INTEREST INCOME (TAX EQUIVALENT) IN Q4 AMOUNTED TO $197.9 MILLION COMPARED WITH $190.5 MILLION IN PREVIOUS QUARTER Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>GAZA (Reuters) - The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group said four of its members were killed in an apparent accidental blast in the Gaza Strip on Saturday.</p> A Palestinian man looks at the scene of an explosion in the southern Gaza Strip, April 14, 2018. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
<p>The group said in a statement that it was “mourning its fighters who were martyred during preparations”.</p>
<p>It usually employs those terms to refer to casualties caused by the accidental detonation of weapons or explosives used in attacks against Israel.</p> Palestinians react at a hospital following an explosion in the southern Gaza Strip, April 14, 2018. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
<p>The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed four fatalities in the incident. Medics at the scene in the Rafah area said the explosion was caused by Israel. But an Israeli military spokesman said the army was not involved.</p>
<p>“Contrary to reports currently circulating I can tell you that the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) is not aware of any IDF fire in the area surrounding Rafah,” the spokesman said.</p>
<p>Violence has flared in the Gaza Strip since March 30, when Palestinians began protests along the border area with Israel.</p> Slideshow (2 Images)
<p>Israeli troops have shot dead 31 Gaza Palestinians and wounded hundreds since the protests began, drawing international criticism of their lethal tactics.</p>
<p>The border area remained largely quiet on Saturday.</p>
<p>Protesters have set up tented camps near the frontier as a protest dubbed “The Great March of Return” - evoking a longtime call for refugees to regain ancestral homes in what is now Israel - moved into its third week.</p>
<p>Israel has declared a no-go zone close to the Gaza border fence.</p>
<p>Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005. The Palestinian enclave is ruled by the Islamist Hamas movement, designated by Israel and the West as a terrorist group.</p>
<p>Citing security concerns, Israel maintains a naval blockade of the coastal territory, keeping tight restrictions on the movement of Palestinians and goods across the frontier.</p>
<p>Egypt, battling an Islamist insurgency in neighboring Sinai, keeps its border with Gaza largely closed.</p>
<p>Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; writing by Maayan Lubell; editing by Angus MacSwan</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON/GENEVA (Reuters) - Britain’s foreign minister and United Nations human rights rapporteurs separately called on Thursday for the release of two Reuters reporters detained in Myanmar, after a judge rejected a request for their case to be dismissed.</p> Detained Reuters journalist Wa Lone gestures to the media as he is escorted by police after a court hearing in Yangon, Myanmar April 11, 2018. REUTERS/Ann Wang
<p>Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Twitter that Myanmar must show its “commitment to media freedom” while the U.N. special rapporteurs said in a joint statement that the pursuit of the case against Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, gave rise to “grave concern for investigative journalism”.</p>
<p>A Myanmar government spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.</p>
<p>A court in Yangon has been holding preliminary hearings since January to decide whether the journalists will be charged for possessing secret government papers under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.</p>
<p>Judge Ye Lwin rejected on Wednesday a defence request to dismiss the case against the two reporters, who have been held since December, for lack of evidence. The judge said he wanted to hear the eight remaining prosecution witnesses out of the 25 listed, according to defence lawyer Khin Maung Zaw.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, seven Myanmar soldiers were sentenced to 10 years “with hard labor in a remote area” for participating in a massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in northwestern Rakhine state last September, the army said.</p>
<p>Yanghee Lee, U.N. special rapporteur on Myanmar, and David Kaye, U.N. special rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, noted the journalists could be sentenced to longer terms if found guilty.</p>
<p>“The perpetrators of a massacre that was, in part, the subject of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo’s reporting have been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. And yet these two reporters face a possible 14 years imprisonment. The absurdity of this trial and the wrongfulness of their detention and prosecution are clear,” they said in a joint statement.</p>
<p>Special rapporteurs are independent experts appointed by the U.N..</p>
<p>The country’s ambassador to the U.N., Hau Do Suan, said last month that the journalists were not arrested for reporting a story, but were accused of “illegally possessing confidential government documents”.</p> Detained Reuters journalist Kyaw Soe Oo is escorted by police before a court hearing in Yangon, Myanmar April 11, 2018. REUTERS/Ann Wang ARMY CRACKDOWN
<p>An army crackdown, unleashed in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces in August, has been beset by allegations of murder, rape, arson and looting. The U.N. and United States described it as ethnic cleansing - an accusation which Myanmar denies.</p>
<p>Nearly 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled Rakhine state and crossed into southern Bangladesh since then.</p>
<p>After the U.N. experts made their comments, Johnson took to Twitter on the case. “Very disappointed to hear Burmese @Reuters journalists Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone are now to face trial,” he said. “Reiterate my calls for their release: Burmese authorities must show their commitment to media freedom.”</p>
<p>At this stage the prosecutor is trying to persuade the court to file charges. The preliminary proceedings are still underway and only after they are completed is the court expected to decide whether to send the two reporters to trial.</p>
<p>Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay and William James; editing by David Stamp</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Western powers said on Saturday their missile attacks struck at the heart of Syria’s chemical weapons program, but the restrained assault appeared unlikely to halt Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s progress in the 7-year-old civil war.</p>
<p>The United States, France and Britain launched 105 missiles overnight in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack in Syria a week ago, targeting what the Pentagon said were three chemical weapons facilities, including a research and development center in Damascus’ Barzeh district and two installations near Homs.</p>
<p>The bombing was the biggest intervention by Western countries against Assad and his superpower ally Russia, but the three countries said the strikes were limited to Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities and not aimed at toppling Assad or intervening in the civil war.</p>
<p>The air attack, denounced by Damascus and its allies as an illegal act of aggression, was unlikely to alter the course of a multisided war that has killed at least half a million people.</p>
<p>U.S. President Donald Trump called the operation a success.</p>
<p>He proclaimed on Twitter: “Mission accomplished,” echoing former President George W. Bush, whose use of the same phrase in 2003 to describe the U.S. invasion of Iraq was widely ridiculed as violence there dragged on for years.</p>
<p>“We believe that by hitting Barzeh in particular we’ve attacked the heart of the Syrian chemicals weapon program,” U.S. Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie said at the Pentagon.</p>
<p>However, McKenzie acknowledged elements of the program remain and he could not guarantee that Syria would be unable to conduct a chemical attack in the future.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-sarin/u-s-official-says-information-points-to-sarin-chlorine-use-in-syria-attack-idUSKBN1HL172" type="external">U.S. official says 'information' points to sarin, chlorine use in Syria attack</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idlib/france-warns-of-humanitarian-disaster-in-syrian-city-idlib-idUSKBN1HL1C2" type="external">France warns of humanitarian disaster in Syrian city Idlib</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-un/russia-fails-in-u-n-bid-to-condemn-u-s-led-strikes-on-syria-idUSKBN1HL0S9" type="external">Russia fails in U.N. bid to condemn U.S.-led strikes on Syria</a>
<p>The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that Trump told her that if Syria uses poisonous gas again, “The United States is locked and loaded.”</p>
<p>The Western countries said the strikes were aimed at preventing more Syrian chemical weapons attacks after a suspected poison gas attack in Douma on April 7 killed up to 75 people. They blame Assad’s government for the attack.</p>
<p>In Washington, a senior administration official said on Saturday that “while the available information is much greater on the chlorine use, we do have significant information that also points to sarin use” in the attack.</p>
<p>Speaking at a summit in Peru, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence seemed less sure of the use of sarin, saying that Washington may well determine that it was used along with chlorine.</p> ASSAD ‘RESILIENCE’
<p>Ten hours after the missiles hit, smoke was still rising from the remains of five destroyed buildings of the Syrian Scientific Research Center in Barzeh, where a Syrian employee said medical components were developed.</p>
<p>There were no immediate reports of casualties.</p>
<p>Syria released video of the wreckage of a bombed-out research lab, but also of Assad arriving at work as usual, with the caption “Morning of resilience”.</p>
<p>Late on Saturday Syria time, a large explosion was heard in a Syrian government-controlled area in a rural region south of Aleppo, according to the Britain-based war monitor The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Observatory said the cause of the explosion was unknown, as well as its target.</p>
<p>Russian and Iranian military help over the past three years has allowed Assad to crush the rebel threat to topple him.</p>
<p>The United States, Britain and France have all participated in the Syrian conflict for years, arming rebels, bombing Islamic State fighters and deploying troops on the ground to fight that group. But they have refrained from targeting Assad’s government, apart from a volley of U.S. missiles last year.</p>
<p>Although the Western countries have all said for seven years that Assad must leave power, they held back in the past from striking his government, lacking a wider strategy to defeat him.</p>
<p>Syria and its allies also made clear that they considered the attack a one-off, unlikely to do meaningful harm to Assad.</p>
<p>A senior official in a regional alliance that backs Damascus told Reuters the sites that were targeted had been evacuated days ago thanks to a warning from Russia.</p>
<p>Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the strikes were “unacceptable and lawless.”</p>
<p>Syrian state media called them a “flagrant violation of international law,” while Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called it a crime and the Western leaders criminals.</p>
<p>Russia had promised to respond to any attack on its ally, but the Pentagon said no Russian air defense systems were used. Syria fired 40 unguided surface-to-air missiles - but only after the Western strikes had ended, the Pentagon said.</p>
<p>“We are confident that all of our missiles reached their targets,” McKenzie said.</p>
<p>British Prime Minister Theresa May described the strike as “limited and targeted,” with no intention of toppling Assad or intervening more widely in the war.</p>
<p>Washington described the strike targets as a center near Damascus for the research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological weapons; a chemical weapons storage site near the city of Homs; and another site near Homs that stored chemical weapons equipment and housed a command post.</p>
<p>The Pentagon said there had been chemical weapons agents at one of the targets, and that the strikes had significantly crippled Syria’s ability to produce such weapons.</p>
<p>Trump spoke to May and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss results of the strikes, the leaders’ offices said.</p> A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer, deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, launches a strike as part of the multinational response to Syria's use of chemical weapons is seen in this image from Al Udeid Air Base, Doha, Qatar released on April 14, 2018. U.S. Air Force/Handout via REUTERS
<p>U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all Security Council members to exercise restraint and avoid escalation in Syria, but said allegations of chemical weapons use demand an investigation.</p> WEAPONS INSPECTIONS
<p>Inspectors from the global chemical weapons watchdog OPCW were due to try to visit Douma on Saturday to inspect the site of the suspected gas attack. Moscow condemned the Western states for refusing to wait for their findings.</p>
<p>Russia, whose relations with the West have deteriorated to levels of Cold War-era hostility, has denied any gas attack took place in Douma and even accused Britain of staging it to whip up anti-Russian hysteria.</p>
<p>The Western countries took precautions to avoid unexpected conflict with Russia. French Defence Minister Florence Parly said Russians was warned beforehand to avert conflict.</p>
<p>Dmitry Belik, a Russian member of parliament who was in Damascus and witnessed the strikes, told Reuters: “The attack was more of a psychological nature rather than practical. Luckily there are no substantial losses or damages.”</p>
<p>In Douma, site of the suspected gas attack, the last buses were due on Saturday to transport out rebels and their families who agreed to surrender the town, state TV reported. That effectively ends all resistance in the suburbs of Damascus known as eastern Ghouta, marking one of the biggest victories for Assad’s government of the war.</p>
<p>The Western assault involved more missiles than a U.S. attack last year but struck targets limited to Syria’s chemical weapons facilities. The U.S. intervention last year had effectively no impact on the war.</p> Slideshow (18 Images)
<p>Syria agreed in 2013 to give up its chemical weapons after a nerve gas attack killed hundreds of people in Douma. Damascus is still permitted to have chlorine for civilian use, although its use as a weapon is banned. Allegations of Assad’s chlorine use have been frequent during the war although, unlike nerve agents, chlorine did not produce mass casualties as seen last week.</p>
<p>Reporting by Phil Stewart and Tom Perry; additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Idrees Ali, Yara Bayoumy, Matt Spetalnick and Joel Schectman in Washington; Michelle Nichols in New York; Samia Nakhoul, Tom Perry, Laila Bassam, Ellen Francis and Angus McDowall in Beirut; Kinda Makieh in Barzeh; Michael Holden and Guy Faulconbridge in London; and Jean-Baptiste Vey, Geert de Clerq and Matthias Blamont in Paris; Polina Ivanova in Moscow; writing by Doina Chiacu; editing by Yara Bayoumy, Alistair Bell and Jonathan Oatis</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA, Okla. (Reuters) - High school physics teacher Craig Hoxie filed to run for Oklahoma’s House of Representatives on Friday, a day after the end of a two-week teacher walkout that had pressed lawmakers for school funding.</p> FILE PHOTO: Teachers rally outside the state Capitol on the second day of a teacher walkout to demand higher pay and more funding for education in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., April 3, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo
<p>“A week ago, I would have told you I wasn’t going to do it,” said the 48-year-old Army veteran who has worked in public schools for 18 years, as he drove to the state election board office to submit his paperwork to become a Democratic candidate in this fall’s election. “There is a funding crisis with all public services in our state.”</p>
<p>Teachers and parents in Oklahoma, West Virginia, Kentucky and Arizona have staged collective actions in recent weeks, seeking higher wages and education spending. They say years of budget reductions have decimated public school systems in favor of tax cuts.</p>
<p>Protests in those Republican-dominated states have encouraged teachers unions and Democratic candidates who will try to capitalize on the outrage to score electoral victories. In November’s mid-term elections, 36 governorships and thousands of state legislative seats will be up for grabs.</p>
<p>“This transcends what has traditionally been viewed as blue states and red states,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, which boasts 1.7 million members. “The deprivation has gotten so great that people are taking the risk to escalate their activism.”</p>
<p>The union, typically aligned with the Democratic Party, has targeted a number of key states with plans to mobilize in statehouse, gubernatorial and congressional elections this fall.</p>
<p>Nationwide, progressive causes have seen a surge of enthusiasm since Republican President Donald Trump’s election. Protesters have rallied on issues as wide ranging as gun control, gender equality, science and immigrants’ rights.</p>
<p>The Oklahoma walkout demonstrated the power of collective action to influence Republican lawmakers, as well as its limits. The legislature boosted annual education funding by about $450 million and raised teacher pay by an average of about $6,100, yet those figures remained short of the teachers’ demands.</p>
<p>The state’s largest union, the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA), declared victory and turned its attention to the fall elections to continue the fight for more funding. At least a dozen Oklahoma teachers are seeking office.</p>
<p>In remarks to the Tulsa County Democratic Party on Friday, OEA President Alicia Priest said local union chapters would form election committees to support pro-education candidates, while members will go door-to-door.</p>
<p>“We have to change and try something different,” she said of teachers choosing to run for office themselves.</p>
<p>Several Republican incumbents facing challenges from teacher candidates did not respond to calls for comment.</p>
<p>Sheri Guyse, 42, a parent with two children in Oklahoma public schools who participated in the walkout, pledged that come November, she would remember whose side lawmakers were on.</p> FILE PHOTO: Teachers pack the state Capitol rotunda to capacity on the second day of a teacher walkout to demand higher pay and more funding for education in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., April 3, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo
<p>“A few of their demands were met, and of course that’s a step in the right direction, but the only thing I’m feeling really good about today is that there’s a big election in November where a lot of these legislators will lose their jobs,” she said.</p>
<p>A number of teachers have already won special legislative elections as Democrats in the last two years. Karen Gaddis, a retired teacher who ran on a largely pro-education platform, captured a seat near Tulsa that had been in Republican hands for more than 20 years.</p>
<p>“Things have gotten so bad out here, we’re like a third-world country,”” Gaddis said in a phone interview. She first ran and lost in 2016, but said she has sensed a shift this year as people have grown fed up with budget cuts.</p>
<p>“Education in particular was just being flushed down the toilet,” she said.</p>
<p>The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which focuses on statehouse races nationwide, said more than 50 educators are running in other states. The group said the 26 states in which Republicans control both the legislature and the governorship have seen an average 5 percent cut in education spending over the last decade.</p>
<p>In response, David James, a spokesman for the Republican State Leadership Committee, which supports that party in statehouse races, said, “It is sad and appalling for the Democrats to be coordinating a national protest effort with their longtime faculty room friends in the teachers unions to push a political agenda in the classroom, at the expense of the nation’s students.”</p>
<p>John Waldron, a social studies teacher, ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in Oklahoma in 2016. He is running again as a Democrat in 2018, this time for the state House of Representatives, and said the walkout gives him confidence this campaign will unfold differently.</p>
<p>“We’ve turned a whole generation of Oklahomans into political activists now,” he said.</p>
<p>Reporting by Heide Brandes in Oklahoma City and Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton in Tulsa; Writing and additional reporting by Joseph Ax in New York; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and David Gregorio</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
commerce bancshares inc commerce bancshares inc reports record fourth quarter earnings 94 million q4 earnings per share 086 q4 earnings per share view 072 thomson reuters ibes net interest income tax equivalent q4 amounted 1979 million compared 1905 million previous quarter source text eikon company coverage standards thomson reuters trust principles gaza reuters palestinian islamic jihad militant group said four members killed apparent accidental blast gaza strip saturday palestinian man looks scene explosion southern gaza strip april 14 2018 reutersibraheem abu mustafa group said statement mourning fighters martyred preparations usually employs terms refer casualties caused accidental detonation weapons explosives used attacks israel palestinians react hospital following explosion southern gaza strip april 14 2018 reutersibraheem abu mustafa gaza health ministry confirmed four fatalities incident medics scene rafah area said explosion caused israel israeli military spokesman said army involved contrary reports currently circulating tell idf israel defence forces aware idf fire area surrounding rafah spokesman said violence flared gaza strip since march 30 palestinians began protests along border area israel slideshow 2 images israeli troops shot dead 31 gaza palestinians wounded hundreds since protests began drawing international criticism lethal tactics border area remained largely quiet saturday protesters set tented camps near frontier protest dubbed great march return evoking longtime call refugees regain ancestral homes israel moved third week israel declared nogo zone close gaza border fence israel withdrew troops settlers gaza 2005 palestinian enclave ruled islamist hamas movement designated israel west terrorist group citing security concerns israel maintains naval blockade coastal territory keeping tight restrictions movement palestinians goods across frontier egypt battling islamist insurgency neighboring sinai keeps border gaza largely closed reporting nidal almughrabi writing maayan lubell editing angus macswan standards thomson reuters trust principles londongeneva reuters britains foreign minister united nations human rights rapporteurs separately called thursday release two reuters reporters detained myanmar judge rejected request case dismissed detained reuters journalist wa lone gestures media escorted police court hearing yangon myanmar april 11 2018 reutersann wang foreign secretary boris johnson said twitter myanmar must show commitment media freedom un special rapporteurs said joint statement pursuit case wa lone 32 kyaw soe oo 28 gave rise grave concern investigative journalism myanmar government spokesman could immediately reached comment court yangon holding preliminary hearings since january decide whether journalists charged possessing secret government papers colonialera official secrets act carries maximum penalty 14 years prison judge ye lwin rejected wednesday defence request dismiss case two reporters held since december lack evidence judge said wanted hear eight remaining prosecution witnesses 25 listed according defence lawyer khin maung zaw tuesday seven myanmar soldiers sentenced 10 years hard labor remote area participating massacre 10 rohingya muslim men northwestern rakhine state last september army said yanghee lee un special rapporteur myanmar david kaye un special rapporteur right freedom opinion expression noted journalists could sentenced longer terms found guilty perpetrators massacre part subject wa lone kyaw soe oos reporting sentenced 10 years imprisonment yet two reporters face possible 14 years imprisonment absurdity trial wrongfulness detention prosecution clear said joint statement special rapporteurs independent experts appointed un countrys ambassador un hau suan said last month journalists arrested reporting story accused illegally possessing confidential government documents detained reuters journalist kyaw soe oo escorted police court hearing yangon myanmar april 11 2018 reutersann wang army crackdown army crackdown unleashed response rohingya militant attacks security forces august beset allegations murder rape arson looting un united states described ethnic cleansing accusation myanmar denies nearly 700000 muslim rohingya fled rakhine state crossed southern bangladesh since un experts made comments johnson took twitter case disappointed hear burmese reuters journalists kyaw soe oo wa lone face trial said reiterate calls release burmese authorities must show commitment media freedom stage prosecutor trying persuade court file charges preliminary proceedings still underway completed court expected decide whether send two reporters trial reporting stephanie nebehay william james editing david stamp standards thomson reuters trust principles washingtonbeirut reuters western powers said saturday missile attacks struck heart syrias chemical weapons program restrained assault appeared unlikely halt syrian president bashar alassads progress 7yearold civil war united states france britain launched 105 missiles overnight retaliation suspected poison gas attack syria week ago targeting pentagon said three chemical weapons facilities including research development center damascus barzeh district two installations near homs bombing biggest intervention western countries assad superpower ally russia three countries said strikes limited syrias chemical weapons capabilities aimed toppling assad intervening civil war air attack denounced damascus allies illegal act aggression unlikely alter course multisided war killed least half million people us president donald trump called operation success proclaimed twitter mission accomplished echoing former president george w bush whose use phrase 2003 describe us invasion iraq widely ridiculed violence dragged years believe hitting barzeh particular weve attacked heart syrian chemicals weapon program us lieutenant general kenneth mckenzie said pentagon however mckenzie acknowledged elements program remain could guarantee syria would unable conduct chemical attack future related coverage us official says information points sarin chlorine use syria attack france warns humanitarian disaster syrian city idlib russia fails un bid condemn usled strikes syria us ambassador united nations nikki haley said emergency meeting un security council trump told syria uses poisonous gas united states locked loaded western countries said strikes aimed preventing syrian chemical weapons attacks suspected poison gas attack douma april 7 killed 75 people blame assads government attack washington senior administration official said saturday available information much greater chlorine use significant information also points sarin use attack speaking summit peru us vice president mike pence seemed less sure use sarin saying washington may well determine used along chlorine assad resilience ten hours missiles hit smoke still rising remains five destroyed buildings syrian scientific research center barzeh syrian employee said medical components developed immediate reports casualties syria released video wreckage bombedout research lab also assad arriving work usual caption morning resilience late saturday syria time large explosion heard syrian governmentcontrolled area rural region south aleppo according britainbased war monitor syrian observatory human rights observatory said cause explosion unknown well target russian iranian military help past three years allowed assad crush rebel threat topple united states britain france participated syrian conflict years arming rebels bombing islamic state fighters deploying troops ground fight group refrained targeting assads government apart volley us missiles last year although western countries said seven years assad must leave power held back past striking government lacking wider strategy defeat syria allies also made clear considered attack oneoff unlikely meaningful harm assad senior official regional alliance backs damascus told reuters sites targeted evacuated days ago thanks warning russia russian foreign minister sergei lavrov said strikes unacceptable lawless syrian state media called flagrant violation international law iranian supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei called crime western leaders criminals russia promised respond attack ally pentagon said russian air defense systems used syria fired 40 unguided surfacetoair missiles western strikes ended pentagon said confident missiles reached targets mckenzie said british prime minister theresa may described strike limited targeted intention toppling assad intervening widely war washington described strike targets center near damascus research development production testing chemical biological weapons chemical weapons storage site near city homs another site near homs stored chemical weapons equipment housed command post pentagon said chemical weapons agents one targets strikes significantly crippled syrias ability produce weapons trump spoke may french president emmanuel macron discuss results strikes leaders offices said us air force b1b lancer deployed al udeid air base launches strike part multinational response syrias use chemical weapons seen image al udeid air base doha qatar released april 14 2018 us air forcehandout via reuters un secretarygeneral antonio guterres urged security council members exercise restraint avoid escalation syria said allegations chemical weapons use demand investigation weapons inspections inspectors global chemical weapons watchdog opcw due try visit douma saturday inspect site suspected gas attack moscow condemned western states refusing wait findings russia whose relations west deteriorated levels cold warera hostility denied gas attack took place douma even accused britain staging whip antirussian hysteria western countries took precautions avoid unexpected conflict russia french defence minister florence parly said russians warned beforehand avert conflict dmitry belik russian member parliament damascus witnessed strikes told reuters attack psychological nature rather practical luckily substantial losses damages douma site suspected gas attack last buses due saturday transport rebels families agreed surrender town state tv reported effectively ends resistance suburbs damascus known eastern ghouta marking one biggest victories assads government war western assault involved missiles us attack last year struck targets limited syrias chemical weapons facilities us intervention last year effectively impact war slideshow 18 images syria agreed 2013 give chemical weapons nerve gas attack killed hundreds people douma damascus still permitted chlorine civilian use although use weapon banned allegations assads chlorine use frequent war although unlike nerve agents chlorine produce mass casualties seen last week reporting phil stewart tom perry additional reporting jeff mason steve holland idrees ali yara bayoumy matt spetalnick joel schectman washington michelle nichols new york samia nakhoul tom perry laila bassam ellen francis angus mcdowall beirut kinda makieh barzeh michael holden guy faulconbridge london jeanbaptiste vey geert de clerq matthias blamont paris polina ivanova moscow writing doina chiacu editing yara bayoumy alistair bell jonathan oatis standards thomson reuters trust principles oklahoma citytulsa okla reuters high school physics teacher craig hoxie filed run oklahomas house representatives friday day end twoweek teacher walkout pressed lawmakers school funding file photo teachers rally outside state capitol second day teacher walkout demand higher pay funding education oklahoma city oklahoma us april 3 2018 reutersnick oxfordfile photo week ago would told wasnt going said 48yearold army veteran worked public schools 18 years drove state election board office submit paperwork become democratic candidate falls election funding crisis public services state teachers parents oklahoma west virginia kentucky arizona staged collective actions recent weeks seeking higher wages education spending say years budget reductions decimated public school systems favor tax cuts protests republicandominated states encouraged teachers unions democratic candidates try capitalize outrage score electoral victories novembers midterm elections 36 governorships thousands state legislative seats grabs transcends traditionally viewed blue states red states said randi weingarten president american federation teachers boasts 17 million members deprivation gotten great people taking risk escalate activism union typically aligned democratic party targeted number key states plans mobilize statehouse gubernatorial congressional elections fall nationwide progressive causes seen surge enthusiasm since republican president donald trumps election protesters rallied issues wide ranging gun control gender equality science immigrants rights oklahoma walkout demonstrated power collective action influence republican lawmakers well limits legislature boosted annual education funding 450 million raised teacher pay average 6100 yet figures remained short teachers demands states largest union oklahoma education association oea declared victory turned attention fall elections continue fight funding least dozen oklahoma teachers seeking office remarks tulsa county democratic party friday oea president alicia priest said local union chapters would form election committees support proeducation candidates members go doortodoor change try something different said teachers choosing run office several republican incumbents facing challenges teacher candidates respond calls comment sheri guyse 42 parent two children oklahoma public schools participated walkout pledged come november would remember whose side lawmakers file photo teachers pack state capitol rotunda capacity second day teacher walkout demand higher pay funding education oklahoma city oklahoma us april 3 2018 reutersnick oxfordfile photo demands met course thats step right direction thing im feeling really good today theres big election november lot legislators lose jobs said number teachers already special legislative elections democrats last two years karen gaddis retired teacher ran largely proeducation platform captured seat near tulsa republican hands 20 years things gotten bad like thirdworld country gaddis said phone interview first ran lost 2016 said sensed shift year people grown fed budget cuts education particular flushed toilet said democratic legislative campaign committee focuses statehouse races nationwide said 50 educators running states group said 26 states republicans control legislature governorship seen average 5 percent cut education spending last decade response david james spokesman republican state leadership committee supports party statehouse races said sad appalling democrats coordinating national protest effort longtime faculty room friends teachers unions push political agenda classroom expense nations students john waldron social studies teacher ran unsuccessfully state senate oklahoma 2016 running democrat 2018 time state house representatives said walkout gives confidence campaign unfold differently weve turned whole generation oklahomans political activists said reporting heide brandes oklahoma city lenzy krehbielburton tulsa writing additional reporting joseph ax new york editing colleen jenkins david gregorio standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 2,059 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Martinez, who spoke about her plans at an education reform panel, also said she will continue to push for mandatory retention of students who cannot read at grade level by third grade. The bill also would require interventions and remediation for those who aren’t on track to read proficiently.</p>
<p>Martinez promised such a law during her campaign and has repeatedly been stymied in her efforts to pass it. She has made headway on her two other main education priorities – A-F grades for schools and an overhaul of the teacher evaluation system.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The Legislature has twice denied the governor a teacher evaluation bill, so education chief Hanna Skandera has set new teacher evaluation policy through administrative rule. The new rules are being piloted in select districts around the state and will be fully adopted next school year.</p>
<p>The new system will evaluate teachers partly on the basis of how much their students’ test scores improve and also will include other factors like classroom observations.</p>
<p>Martinez said Tuesday she will support a bill to align teacher pay to the evaluation system. Currently, the administrative rules assign teachers a rating, ranging from “ineffective” to “exemplary,” and provide for consistently ineffective teachers to be removed from teaching.</p>
<p>But without new legislation, New Mexico’s current three-tier licensure system will continue to set teacher pay. Teachers advance through the three-tier system based on experience, earning advanced degrees and showing their effectiveness through student work samples and essays.</p>
<p>Martinez said she will ask lawmakers for about $11 million to reward good teachers.</p>
<p>“I also propose aligning the system in which our teachers advance and get paid to standards that measure effectiveness, so that teachers are not elevated based on the number of credentials they possess, but promoted based on their ability to shape the minds of tomorrow,” she said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>However, Rep. Rick Miera, incoming House majority leader, said he plans to sponsor a bill that would replace Skandera’s system with one that puts less emphasis on test scores.</p>
<p>Possible funding battle</p>
<p>Miera, D-Albuquerque, has been an outspoken critic of some of the governor’s education initiatives. He said he expects the upcoming session will be heavily focused on deciding how new money will be spent, particularly on whether it should flow to districts through the state funding formula or go “below the line,” meaning it flows directly to the Public Education Department to support the governor’s reform agenda.</p>
<p>Martinez’s “below the line” plans include $13.5 million to be focused on early reading initiatives, like hiring reading coaches and providing assessments to identify struggling readers early.</p>
<p>She will also ask for $4.7 million to help schools that received “D” or “F” grades under the A-F system and will support proposals that emphasize college and career readiness for graduating high school students. Specifically, she said that means expanding access to Advanced Placement classes and replicating programs that let students earn college credits or technical certificates while in high school.</p>
<p>Martinez also said she will propose a warning system that tracks factors known to predict whether students will drop out, such as truancy, failing classes and low reading test scores. Martinez said the state already collects this data, and she backs a proposal to aggregate that information and intervene.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Miera said he has not seen results from the past two years of below-the-line funding, and would rather see funding flow through the formula, which is based on district size and factors like how many students have severe special needs.</p>
<p>Ellen Bernstein, president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, said she will also advocate for funding to flow through the formula because that is the only way it can reduce class sizes and pay for raises for teachers. Teachers in Albuquerque have not seen raises in five years and are paying more for their health insurance.</p>
<p>“The first thing on teachers’ minds right now is a raise,” she said.</p>
<p>APS priorities</p>
<p>Albuquerque Public Schools also will advocate for more funding to flow through the formula. The district’s legislative priorities include expanding pre-school and the K-3 plus program, which extends the school year for young children in high-poverty areas. A recent study by the Legislative Finance Committee found evidence both programs boost student achievement.</p>
<p>APS will also lobby for the ability to certify its own police department. Currently, school police are certified through the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, and APS is seeking to create an independent police force that specializes in working with children.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>APS Superintendent Winston Brooks previously opposed much of Skandera’s agenda, such as third-grade retention and last year’s teacher evaluation bill. He did not say Tuesday whether he would support mandatory retention this year, saying he would have to talk to state officials and see a bill before deciding.</p>
<p>He did say he supports additional pay to reward excellent teachers and would like to see incentive pay for highly effective teachers who transfer to struggling schools.</p>
<p>Other detractors have not budged on the issue. Bernstein said she will continue her stance against mandatory third-grade retention, which she said takes discretion from teachers and parents.</p>
<p>“As long as there’s a hard line, ‘You read by this moment in your life or you’re retained,’ and as long as the bill overrides parent choice, then I could not support it,” Bernstein said. “I’ve seen too many kids bloom after third grade in terms of getting on level, and I believe the parent has the ultimate right, ultimately they have the right to make decisions for their own kid, not the state.”</p>
<p>While mandatory retention has been opposed by numerous superintendents, it also has some fervent supporters. Adan Delgado, superintendent of Pojoaque Valley Schools, has publicly supported the bill.</p>
<p>Delgado said he supports an increased focus on reading in the early grades, and that having mandatory retention in the bill is an important way to intensify that focus.</p>
<p>“This is kind of a line in the sand where we are going to gather our forces and focus on something we really think is critical,” he said. “And one of the ways we’ll emphasize it is, if everyone doesn’t get together, teachers, administrators, parents, then something drastic has to happen. It can’t just be that they go on as if there wasn’t that deficit.”</p>
| false | 2 |
martinez spoke plans education reform panel also said continue push mandatory retention students read grade level third grade bill also would require interventions remediation arent track read proficiently martinez promised law campaign repeatedly stymied efforts pass made headway two main education priorities af grades schools overhaul teacher evaluation system advertisement legislature twice denied governor teacher evaluation bill education chief hanna skandera set new teacher evaluation policy administrative rule new rules piloted select districts around state fully adopted next school year new system evaluate teachers partly basis much students test scores improve also include factors like classroom observations martinez said tuesday support bill align teacher pay evaluation system currently administrative rules assign teachers rating ranging ineffective exemplary provide consistently ineffective teachers removed teaching without new legislation new mexicos current threetier licensure system continue set teacher pay teachers advance threetier system based experience earning advanced degrees showing effectiveness student work samples essays martinez said ask lawmakers 11 million reward good teachers also propose aligning system teachers advance get paid standards measure effectiveness teachers elevated based number credentials possess promoted based ability shape minds tomorrow said advertisement however rep rick miera incoming house majority leader said plans sponsor bill would replace skanderas system one puts less emphasis test scores possible funding battle miera dalbuquerque outspoken critic governors education initiatives said expects upcoming session heavily focused deciding new money spent particularly whether flow districts state funding formula go line meaning flows directly public education department support governors reform agenda martinezs line plans include 135 million focused early reading initiatives like hiring reading coaches providing assessments identify struggling readers early also ask 47 million help schools received f grades af system support proposals emphasize college career readiness graduating high school students specifically said means expanding access advanced placement classes replicating programs let students earn college credits technical certificates high school martinez also said propose warning system tracks factors known predict whether students drop truancy failing classes low reading test scores martinez said state already collects data backs proposal aggregate information intervene advertisement miera said seen results past two years belowtheline funding would rather see funding flow formula based district size factors like many students severe special needs ellen bernstein president albuquerque teachers federation said also advocate funding flow formula way reduce class sizes pay raises teachers teachers albuquerque seen raises five years paying health insurance first thing teachers minds right raise said aps priorities albuquerque public schools also advocate funding flow formula districts legislative priorities include expanding preschool k3 plus program extends school year young children highpoverty areas recent study legislative finance committee found evidence programs boost student achievement aps also lobby ability certify police department currently school police certified bernalillo county sheriffs department aps seeking create independent police force specializes working children advertisement aps superintendent winston brooks previously opposed much skanderas agenda thirdgrade retention last years teacher evaluation bill say tuesday whether would support mandatory retention year saying would talk state officials see bill deciding say supports additional pay reward excellent teachers would like see incentive pay highly effective teachers transfer struggling schools detractors budged issue bernstein said continue stance mandatory thirdgrade retention said takes discretion teachers parents long theres hard line read moment life youre retained long bill overrides parent choice could support bernstein said ive seen many kids bloom third grade terms getting level believe parent ultimate right ultimately right make decisions kid state mandatory retention opposed numerous superintendents also fervent supporters adan delgado superintendent pojoaque valley schools publicly supported bill delgado said supports increased focus reading early grades mandatory retention bill important way intensify focus kind line sand going gather forces focus something really think critical said one ways well emphasize everyone doesnt get together teachers administrators parents something drastic happen cant go wasnt deficit
| 624 |
<p>ATLANTA (AP) - Atlanta's mayor is promising a "safe, smooth and secure" college football championship game on Monday, despite the traffic caused by President Donald Trump's motorcade, but none of the many agencies involved are taking any chances.</p>
<p>The stadium will be secured by legions of undercover and uniformed officers, overhead air traffic including drones will be prohibited and the police chief implored the more than 100,000 participants in events related to the big game to leave their guns at home.</p>
<p>"Please, please execute the highest regard and greatest level of common sense. We CANNOT have folks continuing to bring guns and leaving them in their cars," Chief Erika Shields said at a multi-agency news conference Thursday on preparations.</p>
<p>Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said the Secret Service and other agencies have prepared for this for months, so the addition of a presidential visit to the mix won't disrupt the fun.</p>
<p>"Enjoy the game, enjoy the city, and let us handle the details," the mayor said.</p>
<p>Special Agent David LeValley, who runs the FBI's Atlanta office, said although "there aren't any specific threats against this event, we are actively assessing intelligence that comes in." Precautions include the Federal Aviation Administration prohibiting aircraft over Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including drones.</p>
<p>Both LeValley and Shields urged people attending the game and surrounding events, including a concert in nearby Centennial Olympic Park, to call 911 if they see anything suspicious.</p>
<p>"We encourage and ask that everyone be aware of their surroundings while they're in the city, and immediately report any suspicious activity, no matter how trivial it may seem to be," LeValley said.</p>
<p>Monday evening's College Football Playoff Championship game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama was already being treated as a high-level security event, so the president's visit won't imply much additional security, LeValley said.</p>
<p>College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock said the stadium already requires fans to comply with stringent security. He said he hadn't heard from the White House about any additional measures as of Thursday afternoon.</p>
<p>The contest will be held in downtown Atlanta, in the congressional district of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat and a civil rights icon.</p>
<p>Trump tweeted last year that Lewis' district was "in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested)" -- a claim hard to match with the facts. Atlanta's economy is growing rapidly, and while crime and poverty remain higher-than-average, the district is home to several Fortune 500 headquarters, prestigious universities and the nation's busiest airport.</p>
<p>Trump's tweet came after Lewis announced he would skip Trump's inauguration, saying he didn't consider him to be a "legitimate president" due to Russian interference in the election.</p>
<p>Trump's visit comes almost a half-century after President Richard Nixon attended the 1969 showdown between No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. After Texas won 15-14, Nixon visited with players in the locker room and presented Texas coach Darrell Royal with a plaque declaring Texas the national champion.</p>
<p>For Georgia, a president's attendance could bode well: With President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn in the stands at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Georgia won a national championship by defeating Notre Dame on Jan. 1, 1981.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press news researcher Jennifer Farrar contributed.</p>
<p>ATLANTA (AP) - Atlanta's mayor is promising a "safe, smooth and secure" college football championship game on Monday, despite the traffic caused by President Donald Trump's motorcade, but none of the many agencies involved are taking any chances.</p>
<p>The stadium will be secured by legions of undercover and uniformed officers, overhead air traffic including drones will be prohibited and the police chief implored the more than 100,000 participants in events related to the big game to leave their guns at home.</p>
<p>"Please, please execute the highest regard and greatest level of common sense. We CANNOT have folks continuing to bring guns and leaving them in their cars," Chief Erika Shields said at a multi-agency news conference Thursday on preparations.</p>
<p>Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said the Secret Service and other agencies have prepared for this for months, so the addition of a presidential visit to the mix won't disrupt the fun.</p>
<p>"Enjoy the game, enjoy the city, and let us handle the details," the mayor said.</p>
<p>Special Agent David LeValley, who runs the FBI's Atlanta office, said although "there aren't any specific threats against this event, we are actively assessing intelligence that comes in." Precautions include the Federal Aviation Administration prohibiting aircraft over Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including drones.</p>
<p>Both LeValley and Shields urged people attending the game and surrounding events, including a concert in nearby Centennial Olympic Park, to call 911 if they see anything suspicious.</p>
<p>"We encourage and ask that everyone be aware of their surroundings while they're in the city, and immediately report any suspicious activity, no matter how trivial it may seem to be," LeValley said.</p>
<p>Monday evening's College Football Playoff Championship game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama was already being treated as a high-level security event, so the president's visit won't imply much additional security, LeValley said.</p>
<p>College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock said the stadium already requires fans to comply with stringent security. He said he hadn't heard from the White House about any additional measures as of Thursday afternoon.</p>
<p>The contest will be held in downtown Atlanta, in the congressional district of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat and a civil rights icon.</p>
<p>Trump tweeted last year that Lewis' district was "in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested)" -- a claim hard to match with the facts. Atlanta's economy is growing rapidly, and while crime and poverty remain higher-than-average, the district is home to several Fortune 500 headquarters, prestigious universities and the nation's busiest airport.</p>
<p>Trump's tweet came after Lewis announced he would skip Trump's inauguration, saying he didn't consider him to be a "legitimate president" due to Russian interference in the election.</p>
<p>Trump's visit comes almost a half-century after President Richard Nixon attended the 1969 showdown between No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. After Texas won 15-14, Nixon visited with players in the locker room and presented Texas coach Darrell Royal with a plaque declaring Texas the national champion.</p>
<p>For Georgia, a president's attendance could bode well: With President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn in the stands at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Georgia won a national championship by defeating Notre Dame on Jan. 1, 1981.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press news researcher Jennifer Farrar contributed.</p>
| false | 2 |
atlanta ap atlantas mayor promising safe smooth secure college football championship game monday despite traffic caused president donald trumps motorcade none many agencies involved taking chances stadium secured legions undercover uniformed officers overhead air traffic including drones prohibited police chief implored 100000 participants events related big game leave guns home please please execute highest regard greatest level common sense folks continuing bring guns leaving cars chief erika shields said multiagency news conference thursday preparations mayor keisha lance bottoms said secret service agencies prepared months addition presidential visit mix wont disrupt fun enjoy game enjoy city let us handle details mayor said special agent david levalley runs fbis atlanta office said although arent specific threats event actively assessing intelligence comes precautions include federal aviation administration prohibiting aircraft mercedesbenz stadium including drones levalley shields urged people attending game surrounding events including concert nearby centennial olympic park call 911 see anything suspicious encourage ask everyone aware surroundings theyre city immediately report suspicious activity matter trivial may seem levalley said monday evenings college football playoff championship game university georgia university alabama already treated highlevel security event presidents visit wont imply much additional security levalley said college football playoff executive director bill hancock said stadium already requires fans comply stringent security said hadnt heard white house additional measures thursday afternoon contest held downtown atlanta congressional district us rep john lewis democrat civil rights icon trump tweeted last year lewis district horrible shape falling apart mention crime infested claim hard match facts atlantas economy growing rapidly crime poverty remain higherthanaverage district home several fortune 500 headquarters prestigious universities nations busiest airport trumps tweet came lewis announced would skip trumps inauguration saying didnt consider legitimate president due russian interference election trumps visit comes almost halfcentury president richard nixon attended 1969 showdown 1 texas 2 arkansas fayetteville arkansas texas 1514 nixon visited players locker room presented texas coach darrell royal plaque declaring texas national champion georgia presidents attendance could bode well president jimmy carter wife rosalynn stands sugar bowl new orleans georgia national championship defeating notre dame jan 1 1981 ___ associated press news researcher jennifer farrar contributed atlanta ap atlantas mayor promising safe smooth secure college football championship game monday despite traffic caused president donald trumps motorcade none many agencies involved taking chances stadium secured legions undercover uniformed officers overhead air traffic including drones prohibited police chief implored 100000 participants events related big game leave guns home please please execute highest regard greatest level common sense folks continuing bring guns leaving cars chief erika shields said multiagency news conference thursday preparations mayor keisha lance bottoms said secret service agencies prepared months addition presidential visit mix wont disrupt fun enjoy game enjoy city let us handle details mayor said special agent david levalley runs fbis atlanta office said although arent specific threats event actively assessing intelligence comes precautions include federal aviation administration prohibiting aircraft mercedesbenz stadium including drones levalley shields urged people attending game surrounding events including concert nearby centennial olympic park call 911 see anything suspicious encourage ask everyone aware surroundings theyre city immediately report suspicious activity matter trivial may seem levalley said monday evenings college football playoff championship game university georgia university alabama already treated highlevel security event presidents visit wont imply much additional security levalley said college football playoff executive director bill hancock said stadium already requires fans comply stringent security said hadnt heard white house additional measures thursday afternoon contest held downtown atlanta congressional district us rep john lewis democrat civil rights icon trump tweeted last year lewis district horrible shape falling apart mention crime infested claim hard match facts atlantas economy growing rapidly crime poverty remain higherthanaverage district home several fortune 500 headquarters prestigious universities nations busiest airport trumps tweet came lewis announced would skip trumps inauguration saying didnt consider legitimate president due russian interference election trumps visit comes almost halfcentury president richard nixon attended 1969 showdown 1 texas 2 arkansas fayetteville arkansas texas 1514 nixon visited players locker room presented texas coach darrell royal plaque declaring texas national champion georgia presidents attendance could bode well president jimmy carter wife rosalynn stands sugar bowl new orleans georgia national championship defeating notre dame jan 1 1981 ___ associated press news researcher jennifer farrar contributed
| 700 |
<p>BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police said Monday they discovered bomb-making materials during a raid of a second apartment on the outskirts of the capital, as authorities widened their search for suspects behind Bangkok's deadly bombing.</p>
<p>National police spokesman Prawuth Thavornsiri said that police found fertilizer, gun powder, digital clocks and remote-controlled cars whose parts can be used for detonation, among other items, during a raid over the weekend at an apartment in Bangkok's Min Buri district.</p>
<p>"These are bomb-making materials," Prawuth said. "Nobody would keep urea fertilizer and gunpowder unless they wanted to make a bomb."</p>
<p>Min Buri is near the neighborhood where police on Saturday arrested an unnamed foreigner and seized a trove of bomb-making equipment that included detonators, ball bearings and a metal pipe they believe was intended to hold a bomb.</p>
<p>Prawuth said police were looking to issue three or four more arrest warrants but declined to give more details.</p>
<p>Saturday's arrest was the first possible breakthrough in the investigation into the Aug. 17 blast at the Erawan Shrine, which killed 20 people, more than half of whom were foreigners, and injured more than 120 others.</p>
<p>Much remains unknown about the suspect, including his nationality, his motive, his relationship to the alleged bombing network or if he was plotting an attack, Prawuth said, adding that another attack was "possible" because police found 10 detonators.</p>
<p>"We still have to work out the details," he said. "But we are very certain he's part of the network" that carried out the bombing.</p>
<p>On Sunday, Prawuth said that that the interrogation was proceeding slowly.</p>
<p>"He is not cooperating much. From our preliminary investigation, we think he isn't telling us the truth," Prawuth said, declining to elaborate. "He told us how he entered Thailand but we don't believe everything he says."</p>
<p>He said police were working with "a number of embassies" and interpreters to try to establish the man's nationality, adding that he did not speak Thai but spoke some English.</p>
<p>Authorities have dodged questions about whether the suspect is believed to be Turkish, saying that he was traveling on a fake passport. Images circulated online after his arrest of a fake Turkish passport with the apparent suspect's picture.</p>
<p>"We don't know if he is Turkish or not," Prawuth said Saturday.</p>
<p>The Turkish Embassy in Bangkok could not immediately be reached for comment. A Turkish government spokesman contacted over the weekend in Istanbul said he had no information on the suspect or any possible Turkish link to the attack.</p>
<p>The blast at the Erawan Shrine was unprecedented in the Thai capital, where smaller bombs have been employed in domestic political violence over the past decade, but not in an effort to cause large-scale casualties.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>Corrects Prawuth's title to national police spokesman, not police chief.</p>
<p>BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police said Monday they discovered bomb-making materials during a raid of a second apartment on the outskirts of the capital, as authorities widened their search for suspects behind Bangkok's deadly bombing.</p>
<p>National police spokesman Prawuth Thavornsiri said that police found fertilizer, gun powder, digital clocks and remote-controlled cars whose parts can be used for detonation, among other items, during a raid over the weekend at an apartment in Bangkok's Min Buri district.</p>
<p>"These are bomb-making materials," Prawuth said. "Nobody would keep urea fertilizer and gunpowder unless they wanted to make a bomb."</p>
<p>Min Buri is near the neighborhood where police on Saturday arrested an unnamed foreigner and seized a trove of bomb-making equipment that included detonators, ball bearings and a metal pipe they believe was intended to hold a bomb.</p>
<p>Prawuth said police were looking to issue three or four more arrest warrants but declined to give more details.</p>
<p>Saturday's arrest was the first possible breakthrough in the investigation into the Aug. 17 blast at the Erawan Shrine, which killed 20 people, more than half of whom were foreigners, and injured more than 120 others.</p>
<p>Much remains unknown about the suspect, including his nationality, his motive, his relationship to the alleged bombing network or if he was plotting an attack, Prawuth said, adding that another attack was "possible" because police found 10 detonators.</p>
<p>"We still have to work out the details," he said. "But we are very certain he's part of the network" that carried out the bombing.</p>
<p>On Sunday, Prawuth said that that the interrogation was proceeding slowly.</p>
<p>"He is not cooperating much. From our preliminary investigation, we think he isn't telling us the truth," Prawuth said, declining to elaborate. "He told us how he entered Thailand but we don't believe everything he says."</p>
<p>He said police were working with "a number of embassies" and interpreters to try to establish the man's nationality, adding that he did not speak Thai but spoke some English.</p>
<p>Authorities have dodged questions about whether the suspect is believed to be Turkish, saying that he was traveling on a fake passport. Images circulated online after his arrest of a fake Turkish passport with the apparent suspect's picture.</p>
<p>"We don't know if he is Turkish or not," Prawuth said Saturday.</p>
<p>The Turkish Embassy in Bangkok could not immediately be reached for comment. A Turkish government spokesman contacted over the weekend in Istanbul said he had no information on the suspect or any possible Turkish link to the attack.</p>
<p>The blast at the Erawan Shrine was unprecedented in the Thai capital, where smaller bombs have been employed in domestic political violence over the past decade, but not in an effort to cause large-scale casualties.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>Corrects Prawuth's title to national police spokesman, not police chief.</p>
| false | 2 |
bangkok ap thai police said monday discovered bombmaking materials raid second apartment outskirts capital authorities widened search suspects behind bangkoks deadly bombing national police spokesman prawuth thavornsiri said police found fertilizer gun powder digital clocks remotecontrolled cars whose parts used detonation among items raid weekend apartment bangkoks min buri district bombmaking materials prawuth said nobody would keep urea fertilizer gunpowder unless wanted make bomb min buri near neighborhood police saturday arrested unnamed foreigner seized trove bombmaking equipment included detonators ball bearings metal pipe believe intended hold bomb prawuth said police looking issue three four arrest warrants declined give details saturdays arrest first possible breakthrough investigation aug 17 blast erawan shrine killed 20 people half foreigners injured 120 others much remains unknown suspect including nationality motive relationship alleged bombing network plotting attack prawuth said adding another attack possible police found 10 detonators still work details said certain hes part network carried bombing sunday prawuth said interrogation proceeding slowly cooperating much preliminary investigation think isnt telling us truth prawuth said declining elaborate told us entered thailand dont believe everything says said police working number embassies interpreters try establish mans nationality adding speak thai spoke english authorities dodged questions whether suspect believed turkish saying traveling fake passport images circulated online arrest fake turkish passport apparent suspects picture dont know turkish prawuth said saturday turkish embassy bangkok could immediately reached comment turkish government spokesman contacted weekend istanbul said information suspect possible turkish link attack blast erawan shrine unprecedented thai capital smaller bombs employed domestic political violence past decade effort cause largescale casualties __ corrects prawuths title national police spokesman police chief bangkok ap thai police said monday discovered bombmaking materials raid second apartment outskirts capital authorities widened search suspects behind bangkoks deadly bombing national police spokesman prawuth thavornsiri said police found fertilizer gun powder digital clocks remotecontrolled cars whose parts used detonation among items raid weekend apartment bangkoks min buri district bombmaking materials prawuth said nobody would keep urea fertilizer gunpowder unless wanted make bomb min buri near neighborhood police saturday arrested unnamed foreigner seized trove bombmaking equipment included detonators ball bearings metal pipe believe intended hold bomb prawuth said police looking issue three four arrest warrants declined give details saturdays arrest first possible breakthrough investigation aug 17 blast erawan shrine killed 20 people half foreigners injured 120 others much remains unknown suspect including nationality motive relationship alleged bombing network plotting attack prawuth said adding another attack possible police found 10 detonators still work details said certain hes part network carried bombing sunday prawuth said interrogation proceeding slowly cooperating much preliminary investigation think isnt telling us truth prawuth said declining elaborate told us entered thailand dont believe everything says said police working number embassies interpreters try establish mans nationality adding speak thai spoke english authorities dodged questions whether suspect believed turkish saying traveling fake passport images circulated online arrest fake turkish passport apparent suspects picture dont know turkish prawuth said saturday turkish embassy bangkok could immediately reached comment turkish government spokesman contacted weekend istanbul said information suspect possible turkish link attack blast erawan shrine unprecedented thai capital smaller bombs employed domestic political violence past decade effort cause largescale casualties __ corrects prawuths title national police spokesman police chief
| 534 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>The Regal Cinemas at Winrock Center is helping draw traffic to new retail at the reviving mall. (Greg Sorber/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The past year has been brutal for many brick-and-mortar retailers.</p>
<p>According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the retail trade has declined by 89,000 jobs since a recent high in October of 2016. In March 2017 alone, 30,000 retail jobs were lost nationwide.</p>
<p>Albuquerque has shared in the pain, with national retailers like Macy’s, Sears, JC Penny, Sports Authority and Gordmans closing or scaling back their presence here, along with the shuttering of some longtime mom-and-pop stores.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>What that means going forward depends on whom you ask. At a minimum, landlords are rethinking the types of retail that might work for a particular location. But in some cases, industry insiders say, it’s time to consider entirely different uses.</p>
<p>Albuquerque developer Scott Throckmorton, whose company recently built the new Lovelace Medical Group clinic at Jefferson and Osuna NE, said new kinds of users could bring more foot traffic to local malls. Some may be ripe for medical and educational uses, a grocery store, a climbing gym, call center operations, government clients, even apartments. Value retailers, like the dollar stores, are also good candidates to fill space.</p>
<p>But he added it may be too late to fix some of Albuquerque’s retail white elephants. “You can’t assume that because it’s a mall or strip center, it always has to be that development type,” said Throckmorton. “Sometimes, it’s not a case of a retail market being overbuilt, but one that is underdemolished.”</p>
<p>At least part of the problem has been pegged to the rise of e-commerce. According to the U.S. Commerce Department, online retail sales made up 11.7 percent of total retail sales nationally last year, but that is up from roughly 6.7 percent in 2012. Online retail also represented 42 percent of total retail growth in 2016.</p>
<p>But even with that growth and the well-documented retail troubles of the past year, some say it’s way too soon to declare physical retail dead.</p>
<p>“In that context, online is seeing huge growth but still a comparatively small piece of the whole pie. Retailers can’t ignore it, but bricks-and-mortar aren’t going anywhere anytime soon,” said Ben Perich, a senior commercial broker at Collier’s International.</p>
<p>Albuquerque’s landscape</p>
<p>In Albuquerque, CBRE New Mexico crunches data for a dozen submarkets and six development types, with categories ranging from strip centers, power centers and super-regional centers. Car dealers and freestanding movie theaters and restaurants are excluded from the market stats compiled by researchers.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Despite a few success stories such as the arrival of a grocery store, Downtown Albuquerque is the laggard, with 24 percent of its half-million square feet of retail space vacant as of the fourth quarter of 2016. The Uptown area is close behind with 23.8 percent of its 2.6 million retail space vacant as of the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>Looking at the metro region’s universe of 26 million square feet of retail space, the average vacancy rate stands at 10.8 percent, according to preliminary first quarter retail market report from CBRE New Mexico. Ten years ago, the figure was 23 million square feet.</p>
<p>The West Side’s Cottonwood Mall has been hard hit, having lost two anchors – Macy’s and Sports Authority – and a number of smaller retailers. A walk-through earlier this spring showed 19 vacant retail suites.</p>
<p>On the other side of town, La Mirada Square, a once-bustling strip center on the southwest corner of Montgomery and Wyoming NE, features three vacant big boxes. Its most recent anchors included a Hobby Lobby, a Hastings and a furniture store. Perich, the leasing agent for the property, said owners are discussing various options for the space.</p>
<p>For the year just ended, the 1.1 million square feet of space left vacant in Albuquerque was a staggering 31 percent more than that of 2015 and the highest since 2008. That mirrors a growing national trend. More than 8,600 U.S. retail stores could close this year, well above the peak of 6,200 in 2008, according to Bloomberg News.</p>
<p>Albuquerque, like much of the U.S., may indeed be “over-stored,” a subject that has caught the eye of at least one academic researcher. According to Ellen Dunham-Jones, an architect and professor at George Tech, there are about 1,200 enclosed malls in the U.S. and about one-third of them are dead or dying.</p>
<p>Real-estate research firm Cushman and Wakefield says mall visits have declined 50 percent between 2010 and 2013.</p>
<p>Local commercial real-estate brokers and analysts say data suggest the brick-and-mortar retail market will remain lackluster and is unlikely to see dramatic improvements in the coming year.</p>
<p>Changing the mix</p>
<p>Brokers and developers agree that a gear has moved in the retail universe, with a future that looks more interactive, digital and discounted. Mall owners, they say, would be wise to rethink their core identities, as they transform from retail meccas to mixed-use real estate with alternative tenants.</p>
<p>According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, trends since 2008 show a fundamental shift in national purchasing habits. Travel and dining are up, while retail is down. And while retail in general is losing jobs at a high rate, according to the bureau, department stores, the traditional anchors of large enclosed malls, are dropping jobs much faster than any other type of retailer.</p>
<p>Perich said the enclosed malls that are surviving are either discount or luxury malls. Retailers like Macy’s aimed at the middle of the spectrum are losing business to specialty retailers with a specific target demographic, like millenials or tweens.</p>
<p>“I think you are going to see a focus on experience and amenities,” said Perich. “We are seeing now a trend where restaurants are serving as the new anchors.”</p>
<p>New developments coming on line have high-traffic retail stars increasingly at the center of the shopping experience, like Nordstrom Rack at Winrock, and, later this year, Cabela’s in the Legacy Journal Center, which now is under construction and with a tenant mix that will include an apartment development.</p>
<p>A Cabela’s will anchor a mix of retail and apartment development underway at Legacy Journal Center. (Greg Sorber/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>“Retailer developments aren’t so much getting larger or smaller, they are getting smarter,” said Perich.</p>
<p>He said the problem is not necessarily that there are too many retailers to survive, but that the profitable spots for development are decreasing. Incoming retailers want to invest in a few premium quality locations, rather than a large number of secondary locations.</p>
<p>While the enclosed mall model is in transition, longtime Albuquerque industry analyst Ken Schaefer wonders how many owners are actually up to the task of energizing or repurposing stale properties</p>
<p>Call centers, the silent giants in Albuquerque’s and Rio Rancho’s economies, are particularly well suited for malls needing to backfill empty storefronts, said Throckmorton, president of Argus Investment Realty, who said he’s seen malls in Phoenix and Tucson eager to accommodate this category of office tenant. “Mall operators like the foot traffic they bring,” he said, adding economic development agencies and brokers would be wise to talk up the potential of these spaces when they recruit new companies or help existing ones expand.</p>
<p>As to what’s next for Cottonwood Mall, where nearly one-fifth of its retail space currently is on offer, it’s too soon to say, but Schaefer is confident it will not sit idle for long.</p>
<p>“It’s too much real estate” not to be put to good use, he said. “I think the Macy’s and Sports Authority spaces will be reabsorbed in the next year,” he added. “It’ll be a successful retailer, or someone new to the market,” he predicted.</p>
<p>“They could probably put a Target in there, a Container Store or a Trader Joe’s, which grocery shoppers on the West Side would dearly love,” he said.</p>
<p />
| false | 2 |
regal cinemas winrock center helping draw traffic new retail reviving mall greg sorberalbuquerque journal albuquerque nm past year brutal many brickandmortar retailers according bureau labor statistics employment retail trade declined 89000 jobs since recent high october 2016 march 2017 alone 30000 retail jobs lost nationwide albuquerque shared pain national retailers like macys sears jc penny sports authority gordmans closing scaling back presence along shuttering longtime momandpop stores advertisement means going forward depends ask minimum landlords rethinking types retail might work particular location cases industry insiders say time consider entirely different uses albuquerque developer scott throckmorton whose company recently built new lovelace medical group clinic jefferson osuna ne said new kinds users could bring foot traffic local malls may ripe medical educational uses grocery store climbing gym call center operations government clients even apartments value retailers like dollar stores also good candidates fill space added may late fix albuquerques retail white elephants cant assume mall strip center always development type said throckmorton sometimes case retail market overbuilt one underdemolished least part problem pegged rise ecommerce according us commerce department online retail sales made 117 percent total retail sales nationally last year roughly 67 percent 2012 online retail also represented 42 percent total retail growth 2016 even growth welldocumented retail troubles past year say way soon declare physical retail dead context online seeing huge growth still comparatively small piece whole pie retailers cant ignore bricksandmortar arent going anywhere anytime soon said ben perich senior commercial broker colliers international albuquerques landscape albuquerque cbre new mexico crunches data dozen submarkets six development types categories ranging strip centers power centers superregional centers car dealers freestanding movie theaters restaurants excluded market stats compiled researchers advertisement despite success stories arrival grocery store downtown albuquerque laggard 24 percent halfmillion square feet retail space vacant fourth quarter 2016 uptown area close behind 238 percent 26 million retail space vacant fourth quarter looking metro regions universe 26 million square feet retail space average vacancy rate stands 108 percent according preliminary first quarter retail market report cbre new mexico ten years ago figure 23 million square feet west sides cottonwood mall hard hit lost two anchors macys sports authority number smaller retailers walkthrough earlier spring showed 19 vacant retail suites side town la mirada square oncebustling strip center southwest corner montgomery wyoming ne features three vacant big boxes recent anchors included hobby lobby hastings furniture store perich leasing agent property said owners discussing various options space year ended 11 million square feet space left vacant albuquerque staggering 31 percent 2015 highest since 2008 mirrors growing national trend 8600 us retail stores could close year well peak 6200 2008 according bloomberg news albuquerque like much us may indeed overstored subject caught eye least one academic researcher according ellen dunhamjones architect professor george tech 1200 enclosed malls us onethird dead dying realestate research firm cushman wakefield says mall visits declined 50 percent 2010 2013 local commercial realestate brokers analysts say data suggest brickandmortar retail market remain lackluster unlikely see dramatic improvements coming year changing mix brokers developers agree gear moved retail universe future looks interactive digital discounted mall owners say would wise rethink core identities transform retail meccas mixeduse real estate alternative tenants according bureau labor statistics trends since 2008 show fundamental shift national purchasing habits travel dining retail retail general losing jobs high rate according bureau department stores traditional anchors large enclosed malls dropping jobs much faster type retailer perich said enclosed malls surviving either discount luxury malls retailers like macys aimed middle spectrum losing business specialty retailers specific target demographic like millenials tweens think going see focus experience amenities said perich seeing trend restaurants serving new anchors new developments coming line hightraffic retail stars increasingly center shopping experience like nordstrom rack winrock later year cabelas legacy journal center construction tenant mix include apartment development cabelas anchor mix retail apartment development underway legacy journal center greg sorberalbuquerque journal retailer developments arent much getting larger smaller getting smarter said perich said problem necessarily many retailers survive profitable spots development decreasing incoming retailers want invest premium quality locations rather large number secondary locations enclosed mall model transition longtime albuquerque industry analyst ken schaefer wonders many owners actually task energizing repurposing stale properties call centers silent giants albuquerques rio ranchos economies particularly well suited malls needing backfill empty storefronts said throckmorton president argus investment realty said hes seen malls phoenix tucson eager accommodate category office tenant mall operators like foot traffic bring said adding economic development agencies brokers would wise talk potential spaces recruit new companies help existing ones expand whats next cottonwood mall nearly onefifth retail space currently offer soon say schaefer confident sit idle long much real estate put good use said think macys sports authority spaces reabsorbed next year added itll successful retailer someone new market predicted could probably put target container store trader joes grocery shoppers west side would dearly love said
| 811 |
<p>Jan 18 (Reuters) - Innovative Industrial Properties Inc :</p>
<p>* INNOVATIVE INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES PRICES PUBLIC OFFERING OF 2,800,000 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK</p>
<p>* INNOVATIVE INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES - PRICED PUBLIC OFFERING OF 2.8 MILLION COMMON SHARES AT $26.00 PER SHARE Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>PARIS (Reuters) - France has concluded after analyzing “reliable intelligence” and open sources that a chemical attack on Douma on April 7 was carried out by Syrian government forces, a declassified intelligence report showed on Saturday.</p> FILE PHOTO: A man walks with his bicycle at a damaged site in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, in Damascus, Syria March 30, 2018. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh
<p>“On the intelligence collected by our services, and in the absence to date of chemical samples analyzed by our own laboratories, France considers, beyond possible doubt, a chemical attack was carried out against civilians at Douma ... and that there is no plausible scenario other than that of an attack by Syrian armed forces,” the report said.</p>
<p>It was released after coordinated air strikes by Britain, France and the United States on Syrian government targets overnight.</p>
<p>“After examining the videos and images of victims published online, they (intelligence services) were able to conclude with a high degree of confidence that the vast majority are recent and not fabricated,” the report said.</p>
<p>It said no deaths from mechanical injuries were visible and all symptoms were characteristic of a chemical weapons attack, particularly choking agents and organophosphorus agents or hydrocyanic acid.</p>
<p>“Reliable intelligence indicates that Syrian military officials have coordinated what appears to be the use of chemical weapons containing chlorine on Douma, on April 7,” it said. It gave no other details on the intelligence.</p>
<p>The report, which provided a broad outline of the Syrian government-backed offensive supported by Russia on the eastern Ghouta region over recent months, also said French services had assessed that not all Syrian government chemical stockpiles and capacities had been declared to the U.N.</p>
<p>Syria had omitted to declare many of the activities of its Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC), the report said.</p>
<p>It said Syria had not answered questions on matters including possible remaining stocks of yperite (mustard gas) and DF (a sarin precursor), undeclared chemical weapons of small caliber and signs VX and sarin on production and loading sites.</p>
<p>Reporting by John Irish; editing by Ingrid Melander and Jason Neely</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SOWETO, South Africa (Reuters) - Thousands of mourners gathered in South Africa’s Soweto township on Saturday to bid farewell to anti-apartheid heroine Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in a funeral ceremony that united the nation as people from various political divides celebrated her life.</p> The coffin of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela arrives at the Orlando stadium in Soweto, South Africa April 14, 2018. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo
<p>Madikizela-Mandela’s death on April 2 at the age of 81 after a long illness was met by an outpouring of emotion across the country, with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and opposition parties holding memorials in remembrance of her courage in the struggle to end white-minority rule.</p>
<p>The official funeral service for the ex-wife of the late Nelson Mandela was taking place on Saturday morning in Soweto — a Johannesburg township at the forefront of the battle against apartheid where she lived.</p>
<p>The burial ceremony will take place later in the day, ending a nearly 2-week mourning period declared by the government.</p> A woman holds a banner and cheers during eulogies at Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's funeral in Orlando stadium in Soweto, South Africa, April 14, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings
<p>Mourners sang and cheered as Madikizela-Mandela’s body was brought into the Orlando stadium where the funeral service was taking place.</p>
<p>The 40,000-seater stadium was full to capacity, with many mourners clad in the green and yellow colors of the ANC. Member of the leftist party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), also attended in large numbers.</p>
<p>“I appreciate many things about her. Even though I didn’t know her in person, we love our mother. She represents a fighting spirit because even though she lived through the apartheid era, she never gave up,” 20-year old college student Gift Mokale said. “I’m very grateful to be here today.”</p>
<p>Also present at the service were South Africa’s former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, as well as foreign dignitaries from Kenya, Namibia and Lesotho.</p>
<p>During Mandela’s 27-year incarceration for his fight against apartheid, Madikizela-Mandela campaigned for his release and for the rights of black South Africans undergoing detention, banishment and arrest.</p>
<p>For many South Africans, the most memorable image of Madikizela-Mandela is her punching the air in a clenched-fist salute as she walked hand-in-hand with Mandela out of Victor Verster prison, near Cape Town, on Feb. 11, 1990.</p> Slideshow (8 Images)
<p>For husband and wife, it was a crowning moment that led four years later to the end of centuries of white domination when Mandela became South Africa’s first black president.</p>
<p>“Mama Winnie and her spirit must be with us all the time. She means a lot to everyone, old and young,” 72-year old pensioner and ANC member David Mantambo said.</p>
<p>Madikizela-Mandela’s legacy, however, was later tarnished.</p>
<p>As evidence emerged in the dying years of apartheid of the brutality of her Soweto enforcers, known as the “Mandela United Football Club”, some South Africans questioned her ‘Mother of the Nation’ soubriquet.</p>
<p>In 1991, Madikizela-Mandela was convicted of kidnapping and being an accessory to assault, but her six-year jail sentence was reduced to a fine and a 2 year suspended sentence on appeal.</p>
<p>Writing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Editing by Clelia Oziel</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON (Reuters) - Britain struck Syria with air-launched cruise missiles on Saturday to cripple President Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons facilities and prevent what Prime Minister Theresa May cast as a global slide towards their greater use.</p>
<p>Four Royal Air Force Tornado jets from the Akrotiri base in Cyprus fired Storm Shadow missiles at a military facility near Homs where it was assessed that Syria had stockpiled chemicals, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said.</p>
<p>May said the strike was “limited and targeted” and came after intelligence indicated that Syrian military officials had co-ordinated a chlorine attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma on April 7.</p>
<p>Missile attacks by the United States, France and Britain had been aimed at deterring Assad’s further use of chemical weapons and was not an attempt to topple the Syrian government, May said. The mission had been a success, she said.</p>
<p>“This is not about intervening in a civil war. It is not about regime change,” May said in a statement made from her country residence at Chequers just minutes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the strikes from the White House.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-britain-may-lega/western-missile-attack-on-syria-was-right-and-legal-british-pm-may-says-idUSKBN1HL0H9" type="external">Western missile attack on Syria was 'right and legal', British PM May says</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-britain-may-assa/british-pm-may-declines-to-say-whether-assad-can-stay-after-missile-strikes-idUSKBN1HL0IG" type="external">British PM May declines to say whether Assad can stay after missile strikes</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-germany/germanys-merkel-backs-air-strikes-on-syria-as-necessary-and-appropriate-idUSKBN1HL0H6" type="external">Germany's Merkel backs air strikes on Syria as 'necessary and appropriate'</a>
<p>May later told reporters in her Downing Street office that the Western missiles struck a chemical weapons storage and production facility, a chemical weapons research center and a military bunker involved in chemical weapons attacks.</p>
<p>By launching strikes without prior approval from parliament, May dispensed with a non-binding constitutional convention dating back to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. She said speed was essential and that military action was in the national interest.</p>
<p>“It was both right and legal to take military action,” May said, adding that she would update parliament on Monday.</p>
<p>The Western missile strikes demonstrate the volatile nature of the Syrian civil war, which started in March 2011 as an anti-Assad uprising but is now a proxy conflict involving a number of world and regional powers and a myriad of insurgent groups.</p>
<p>Assad, May said, should not doubt the resolve of Britain, France and the United States but made clear that the strike was a specific response to the Douma attack which killed up to 75 people, including children.</p>
<p>May dismissed as “grotesque and absurd” a claim by Russia, which intervened in the war in 2015 to back Assad, that the Douma attack was staged by Britain. But she declined to give any signal about the future of Assad.</p> “RIGHT AND LEGAL”
<p>May referred specifically to last month’s nerve agent attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury that she has blamed on Russia. Moscow has denied any involvement.</p>
<p>“We cannot allow the use of chemical weapons to become normalized – either within Syria, on the streets of the UK or elsewhere,” May told reporters in Downing Street.</p>
<p>She said almost a century of global acceptance about not using chemical weapons had been eroded in Douma and Salisbury.</p>
<p>May said Britain and its allies had sought to use every diplomatic means to stop the use of chemical weapons, but had been repeatedly thwarted, citing a Russian veto of an independent investigation into the Douma attack at the U.N. Security Council this week.</p>
<p>“So there is no practicable alternative to the use of force to degrade and deter the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime,” she said.</p> Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May attends a press conference in 10 Downing Street, London, April 14, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/Pool BOMBS DON’T BRING PEACE
<p>The small Northern Irish political party that props up her government said May was justified in taking such action though it said wider intervention in Syria would be counter-productive.</p>
<p>However, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a fervent anti-war campaigner, called the strikes “legally questionable” and said May should have recalled parliament from a holiday and “not trailed after Donald Trump”.</p>
<p>“Bombs won’t save lives or bring about peace,” he said. “Britain should be playing a leadership role to bring about a ceasefire in the conflict, not taking instructions from Washington and putting British military personnel in harm’s way.”</p>
<p>Many politicians in Britain, including some in May’s own Conservative Party, had backed his call for parliament to give the authority for any military strike.</p>
<p>A YouGov poll for The Times newspaper this week indicated that only a fifth of voters believed that Britain should launch attacks on Syrian military targets and 43 percent opposed action.</p> Slideshow (3 Images)
<p>Former Prime Minister David Cameron lost a parliamentary vote on air strikes against Assad’s forces in 2013 when 30 Conservative lawmakers voted against action, with many Britons wary of entering another conflict after intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya failed to bring stability to the region.</p>
<p>Cameron, though, gave his support of May on Saturday.</p>
<p>“As we have seen in the past, inaction has its consequences,” he said.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Andrew MacAskill and William James; Writing by Michael Holden and Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Angus MacSwan and Peter Graff</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>PARIS (Reuters) - France said on Saturday it would not hesitate to strike Syrian government targets again if the chemical red line was crossed, but that no new strikes were planned at this stage, adding that it would renew a push for peace through dialogue with Russia.</p> French President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting as part of the joint airstrike operation by the British, French and U.S. militaries in this picture obtained on April 14, 2018 via social media. Emmanuel Macron/Twitter/via REUTERS
<p>President Emmanuel Macron ordered the military intervention in Syria alongside the United States and Britain in response to a poison gas attack that killed dozens of people last week.</p>
<p>“Our objectives were met,” Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told BFM TV.</p>
<p>If the red line banning the use of chemical weapons was crossed again, there would be another intervention, he said, while adding: “I think the lesson will have been learnt.”</p>
<p>The French strikes, involving 12 cruise missiles, fighter jets and warships, were Macron’s first major military decision since taking office a year ago and was all but inevitable after the young president repeatedly said France would strike if a fatal chemical attack took place in Syria.</p>
<p>“This action was proportionate and targeted, it was not aimed at (Syrian President Bashar al) Assad’s allies nor at the civilian population,” Le Drian said in a televised statement.</p>
<p>Le Drian said France, which has backed opponents of Assad throughout the civil war, would swiftly take new political initiatives to find a solution to the crisis.</p>
<p>He added that Paris would work with all countries and that there were no changes to Macron’s planned trip to Russia next month.</p>
<p>While there had been general public warnings broadcast by U.S. President Donald Trump, Macron himself and other Western leaders, a French presidency source said Macron did not tell Russian President Vladimir Putin the allies would strike overnight when they talked over the phone on Friday.</p>
<p>However, regular “deconfliction” contacts were made with the Russian military once the operation had been kicked off to make sure that they would not be accidentally hit, the source said.</p>
<p>Defense Minister Florence Parly said this meant Russia had been “warned beforehand” to avoid any confrontation or escalation.</p>
<p>The French presidency issued a video on Twitter showing what it said were war planes taking off as part of the intervention.</p>
<p>Macron said in a written statement that the attack had been limited to Syria’s chemical weapons facilities and said the facts and the responsibility of the Syrian regime were beyond doubt.</p>
<p>Backing up its reasons for the air strikes, the foreign ministry released an intelligence report based largely on open sources which concluded that there was no other plausible explanation than a chemical attacked coordinated by the Syrian military.</p>
<p>The report said that for now France did not have chemical samples from the attack site analyzed by its own laboratories yet.</p>
<p>Macron, who tweeted a picture of himself in a meeting room with military and diplomatic advisers, has not made any address to the nation. He is due to be interviewed by three French media on Sunday night.</p>
<p>The French air force has been active in Syria since 2015 to fight Islamic State, but had not targeted government targets until now.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Geert De Clercq and John Irish; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by John Irish</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
jan 18 reuters innovative industrial properties inc innovative industrial properties prices public offering 2800000 shares common stock innovative industrial properties priced public offering 28 million common shares 2600 per share source text eikon company coverage standards thomson reuters trust principles paris reuters france concluded analyzing reliable intelligence open sources chemical attack douma april 7 carried syrian government forces declassified intelligence report showed saturday file photo man walks bicycle damaged site besieged town douma eastern ghouta damascus syria march 30 2018 reutersbassam khabieh intelligence collected services absence date chemical samples analyzed laboratories france considers beyond possible doubt chemical attack carried civilians douma plausible scenario attack syrian armed forces report said released coordinated air strikes britain france united states syrian government targets overnight examining videos images victims published online intelligence services able conclude high degree confidence vast majority recent fabricated report said said deaths mechanical injuries visible symptoms characteristic chemical weapons attack particularly choking agents organophosphorus agents hydrocyanic acid reliable intelligence indicates syrian military officials coordinated appears use chemical weapons containing chlorine douma april 7 said gave details intelligence report provided broad outline syrian governmentbacked offensive supported russia eastern ghouta region recent months also said french services assessed syrian government chemical stockpiles capacities declared un syria omitted declare many activities scientific studies research centre ssrc report said said syria answered questions matters including possible remaining stocks yperite mustard gas df sarin precursor undeclared chemical weapons small caliber signs vx sarin production loading sites reporting john irish editing ingrid melander jason neely standards thomson reuters trust principles soweto south africa reuters thousands mourners gathered south africas soweto township saturday bid farewell antiapartheid heroine winnie madikizelamandela funeral ceremony united nation people various political divides celebrated life coffin winnie madikizelamandela arrives orlando stadium soweto south africa april 14 2018 reutersphilimon bulawayo madikizelamandelas death april 2 age 81 long illness met outpouring emotion across country ruling african national congress anc opposition parties holding memorials remembrance courage struggle end whiteminority rule official funeral service exwife late nelson mandela taking place saturday morning soweto johannesburg township forefront battle apartheid lived burial ceremony take place later day ending nearly 2week mourning period declared government woman holds banner cheers eulogies winnie madikizelamandelas funeral orlando stadium soweto south africa april 14 2018 reutersmike hutchings mourners sang cheered madikizelamandelas body brought orlando stadium funeral service taking place 40000seater stadium full capacity many mourners clad green yellow colors anc member leftist party economic freedom fighters eff also attended large numbers appreciate many things even though didnt know person love mother represents fighting spirit even though lived apartheid era never gave 20year old college student gift mokale said im grateful today also present service south africas former presidents thabo mbeki jacob zuma well foreign dignitaries kenya namibia lesotho mandelas 27year incarceration fight apartheid madikizelamandela campaigned release rights black south africans undergoing detention banishment arrest many south africans memorable image madikizelamandela punching air clenchedfist salute walked handinhand mandela victor verster prison near cape town feb 11 1990 slideshow 8 images husband wife crowning moment led four years later end centuries white domination mandela became south africas first black president mama winnie spirit must us time means lot everyone old young 72year old pensioner anc member david mantambo said madikizelamandelas legacy however later tarnished evidence emerged dying years apartheid brutality soweto enforcers known mandela united football club south africans questioned mother nation soubriquet 1991 madikizelamandela convicted kidnapping accessory assault sixyear jail sentence reduced fine 2 year suspended sentence appeal writing olivia kumwendamtambo editing clelia oziel standards thomson reuters trust principles london reuters britain struck syria airlaunched cruise missiles saturday cripple president bashar alassads chemical weapons facilities prevent prime minister theresa may cast global slide towards greater use four royal air force tornado jets akrotiri base cyprus fired storm shadow missiles military facility near homs assessed syria stockpiled chemicals britains ministry defense said may said strike limited targeted came intelligence indicated syrian military officials coordinated chlorine attack damascus suburb douma april 7 missile attacks united states france britain aimed deterring assads use chemical weapons attempt topple syrian government may said mission success said intervening civil war regime change may said statement made country residence chequers minutes us president donald trump announced strikes white house related coverage western missile attack syria right legal british pm may says british pm may declines say whether assad stay missile strikes germanys merkel backs air strikes syria necessary appropriate may later told reporters downing street office western missiles struck chemical weapons storage production facility chemical weapons research center military bunker involved chemical weapons attacks launching strikes without prior approval parliament may dispensed nonbinding constitutional convention dating back 2003 invasion iraq said speed essential military action national interest right legal take military action may said adding would update parliament monday western missile strikes demonstrate volatile nature syrian civil war started march 2011 antiassad uprising proxy conflict involving number world regional powers myriad insurgent groups assad may said doubt resolve britain france united states made clear strike specific response douma attack killed 75 people including children may dismissed grotesque absurd claim russia intervened war 2015 back assad douma attack staged britain declined give signal future assad right legal may referred specifically last months nerve agent attack former spy sergei skripal daughter southern english cathedral city salisbury blamed russia moscow denied involvement allow use chemical weapons become normalized either within syria streets uk elsewhere may told reporters downing street said almost century global acceptance using chemical weapons eroded douma salisbury may said britain allies sought use every diplomatic means stop use chemical weapons repeatedly thwarted citing russian veto independent investigation douma attack un security council week practicable alternative use force degrade deter use chemical weapons syrian regime said britains prime minister theresa may attends press conference 10 downing street london april 14 2018 reuterssimon dawsonpool bombs dont bring peace small northern irish political party props government said may justified taking action though said wider intervention syria would counterproductive however opposition labour leader jeremy corbyn fervent antiwar campaigner called strikes legally questionable said may recalled parliament holiday trailed donald trump bombs wont save lives bring peace said britain playing leadership role bring ceasefire conflict taking instructions washington putting british military personnel harms way many politicians britain including mays conservative party backed call parliament give authority military strike yougov poll times newspaper week indicated fifth voters believed britain launch attacks syrian military targets 43 percent opposed action slideshow 3 images former prime minister david cameron lost parliamentary vote air strikes assads forces 2013 30 conservative lawmakers voted action many britons wary entering another conflict intervention iraq afghanistan libya failed bring stability region cameron though gave support may saturday seen past inaction consequences said additional reporting andrew macaskill william james writing michael holden guy faulconbridge editing angus macswan peter graff standards thomson reuters trust principles paris reuters france said saturday would hesitate strike syrian government targets chemical red line crossed new strikes planned stage adding would renew push peace dialogue russia french president emmanuel macron attends meeting part joint airstrike operation british french us militaries picture obtained april 14 2018 via social media emmanuel macrontwittervia reuters president emmanuel macron ordered military intervention syria alongside united states britain response poison gas attack killed dozens people last week objectives met foreign minister jeanyves le drian told bfm tv red line banning use chemical weapons crossed would another intervention said adding think lesson learnt french strikes involving 12 cruise missiles fighter jets warships macrons first major military decision since taking office year ago inevitable young president repeatedly said france would strike fatal chemical attack took place syria action proportionate targeted aimed syrian president bashar al assads allies civilian population le drian said televised statement le drian said france backed opponents assad throughout civil war would swiftly take new political initiatives find solution crisis added paris would work countries changes macrons planned trip russia next month general public warnings broadcast us president donald trump macron western leaders french presidency source said macron tell russian president vladimir putin allies would strike overnight talked phone friday however regular deconfliction contacts made russian military operation kicked make sure would accidentally hit source said defense minister florence parly said meant russia warned beforehand avoid confrontation escalation french presidency issued video twitter showing said war planes taking part intervention macron said written statement attack limited syrias chemical weapons facilities said facts responsibility syrian regime beyond doubt backing reasons air strikes foreign ministry released intelligence report based largely open sources concluded plausible explanation chemical attacked coordinated syrian military report said france chemical samples attack site analyzed laboratories yet macron tweeted picture meeting room military diplomatic advisers made address nation due interviewed three french media sunday night french air force active syria since 2015 fight islamic state targeted government targets additional reporting geert de clercq john irish writing ingrid melander editing john irish standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,469 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>They build homes, make wine and truck goods across the country.</p>
<p>Their missions and operations vary, but the companies on the New Mexico Private 100 all share in bolstering the state’s economy and keeping its people working.</p>
<p>Gov. Susana Martinez addresses the crowd of about 250 during the New Mexico Private 100 luncheon last Wednesday at Embassy Suites. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>Moss Adams LLP, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the Modrall Sperling law firm and the Albuquerque Journal’s Business Outlook have joined to recognize those contributions by sponsoring the 2013 New Mexico Private 100. The program showcases some of the most successful privately owned companies headquartered in our state.</p>
<p>In 2012, these 100 companies had a combined $4.4 billion in gross revenue and employed 10,777 people around New Mexico.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“In our local business community, these great firms deserve recognition for their accomplishments and significance to the state’s continued growth,” said Michael Lawrence, New Mexico president for Bank of America.</p>
<p>Businesses from across New Mexico applied to be part of the Private 100. The list represents the top 100 revenue producers among them.</p>
<p>Honoring entrepreneurs</p>
<p>“Our practice is grounded in the New Mexico business community and this was a tremendous opportunity to honor such an outstanding group of entrepreneurs,” said Lynn Slade, a Modrall Sperling director.</p>
<p>Modrall Sperling has represented more than 30 of this year’s companies at some point, and he said the Private 100 is a way “to honor the people who have been such an important part of our success.”</p>
<p>The Private 100 originated in 1988 – and was revived in 2012 after an eight-year hiatus – but this era of federal spending cuts and political uncertainty makes now an especially apt time to celebrate private business, said Steven Keene of Moss Adams.</p>
<p>“We just want to recognize companies in the private sector because so much in the press in the last six months has been about the government shutdown and what that’s doing to the New Mexico economy,” said Keene, Southwest regional managing partner for Moss Adams.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>This year’s Private 100 companies were honored during a luncheon last Wednesday at Embassy Suites.</p>
<p>WD-40 President and CEO Garry Ridge served as the keynote speaker. Co-author of the book “Helping People Win at Work,” Ridge discussed a leadership philosophy that has worked well for the WD-40 “tribe.”</p>
<p>Gov. Susana Martinez also addressed the crowd of about 250 people, thanking attendees for their contributions and stressing the importance of a diverse economy.</p>
<p>Praising job creators</p>
<p>“I have always said government doesn’t create jobs. I’ll say it again. It can create, though, that environment in which job creators will prosper,” she said. “I’m optimistic that in the weeks and months ahead that we can continue to build an economy that leads in the face of challenges.”</p>
<p>This year’s Private 100 represents an array of industries and communities.</p>
<p>Most of this year’s honorees have headquarters in Albuquerque, but every quadrant of the state is represented. List-makers hail from Hobbs (Pettigrew &amp; Associates P.A.), Deming (Southwest Wines), Farmington (Dugan Production Corp.) and even Cimarron (Russell’s Inc.).</p>
<p>This year’s No. 1 company based on revenue – Akal Security Inc. – comes from Española. Although most of its 7,500 employees are providing security to courthouses and other government facilities outside of New Mexico, Akal co-founder and President Daya Khalsa said having roots in New Mexico has been essential.</p>
<p>“Akal wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the support of New Mexico and the New Mexicans that have been very generous from day one,” he said. “Whether it’s bankers or business partners or employees, that’s really what has made Akal successful. It means everything to be in New Mexico and to be given that kind of support that maybe in another place we might just be another company.”</p>
<p>A diverse lineup</p>
<p>Companies such as Akal that fit into the “professional services/insurance/financial services” category comprise a full quarter of this year’s list. The construction/real estate and the technology/life sciences sectors also have a strong presence.</p>
<p>Slade said the lineup demonstrates that all types of enterprises are flourishing in the state.</p>
<p>“I like the diversity – the diversity across health care, technology, energy, finance, construction,” Slade said. “It’s really a very interesting snapshot of what makes business work in New Mexico.”</p>
<p>Mesilla Valley Transportation President and CEO Royal Jones said he’s honored to have his Las Cruces-based trucking company make a repeat appearance on the Private 100.</p>
<p>“It makes us proud to be among that list of people we all think are really good,” said Jones, whose company is among the top five in revenue.</p>
<p>Several companies have become true fixtures on the list: Bradbury Stamm Construction, Jaynes Corp., Los Alamos Technical Associates, Rio Grande Travel Centers and Sisbarro Dealerships each have been part of every Private 100 since the program began in 1988. FOR THE RECORD – The list of the New Mexico Private 100 in the Monday Business Outlook should have identified Doug Turner as CEO of Agenda. Incorrect information was provided to the Private 100 and the Journal. &#160;</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
| false | 2 |
build homes make wine truck goods across country missions operations vary companies new mexico private 100 share bolstering states economy keeping people working gov susana martinez addresses crowd 250 new mexico private 100 luncheon last wednesday embassy suites adolphe pierrelouisalbuquerque journal moss adams llp bank america merrill lynch modrall sperling law firm albuquerque journals business outlook joined recognize contributions sponsoring 2013 new mexico private 100 program showcases successful privately owned companies headquartered state 2012 100 companies combined 44 billion gross revenue employed 10777 people around new mexico advertisement local business community great firms deserve recognition accomplishments significance states continued growth said michael lawrence new mexico president bank america businesses across new mexico applied part private 100 list represents top 100 revenue producers among honoring entrepreneurs practice grounded new mexico business community tremendous opportunity honor outstanding group entrepreneurs said lynn slade modrall sperling director modrall sperling represented 30 years companies point said private 100 way honor people important part success private 100 originated 1988 revived 2012 eightyear hiatus era federal spending cuts political uncertainty makes especially apt time celebrate private business said steven keene moss adams want recognize companies private sector much press last six months government shutdown thats new mexico economy said keene southwest regional managing partner moss adams advertisement years private 100 companies honored luncheon last wednesday embassy suites wd40 president ceo garry ridge served keynote speaker coauthor book helping people win work ridge discussed leadership philosophy worked well wd40 tribe gov susana martinez also addressed crowd 250 people thanking attendees contributions stressing importance diverse economy praising job creators always said government doesnt create jobs ill say create though environment job creators prosper said im optimistic weeks months ahead continue build economy leads face challenges years private 100 represents array industries communities years honorees headquarters albuquerque every quadrant state represented listmakers hail hobbs pettigrew amp associates pa deming southwest wines farmington dugan production corp even cimarron russells inc years 1 company based revenue akal security inc comes española although 7500 employees providing security courthouses government facilities outside new mexico akal cofounder president daya khalsa said roots new mexico essential akal wouldnt exist wasnt support new mexico new mexicans generous day one said whether bankers business partners employees thats really made akal successful means everything new mexico given kind support maybe another place might another company diverse lineup companies akal fit professional servicesinsurancefinancial services category comprise full quarter years list constructionreal estate technologylife sciences sectors also strong presence slade said lineup demonstrates types enterprises flourishing state like diversity diversity across health care technology energy finance construction slade said really interesting snapshot makes business work new mexico mesilla valley transportation president ceo royal jones said hes honored las crucesbased trucking company make repeat appearance private 100 makes us proud among list people think really good said jones whose company among top five revenue several companies become true fixtures list bradbury stamm construction jaynes corp los alamos technical associates rio grande travel centers sisbarro dealerships part every private 100 since program began 1988 record list new mexico private 100 monday business outlook identified doug turner ceo agenda incorrect information provided private 100 journal 160
| 522 |
<p>Jan 19 (Reuters) - Sanmina Corp:</p>
<p>* SANMINA ANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY FIRST QUARTER FISCAL 2018 RESULTS</p> * SEES Q1 REVENUE ABOUT $1.74 BILLION
<p>* SEES ‍ Q2 GAAP DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE BETWEEN $0.20 TO $0.30​</p>
<p>* - EXPECTS Q1 NON-GAAP DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE OF $0.48</p>
<p>* - SEES ‍REVENUE BETWEEN $1.60 BILLION TO $1.70 BILLION FOR Q2​</p>
<p>* SEES ‍Q2 NON-GAAP DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE BETWEEN $0.40 TO $0.50​</p>
<p>* Q1 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $0.71, REVENUE VIEW $1.77 BILLION — THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S</p>
<p>* Q2 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $0.70, REVENUE VIEW $1.73 BILLION — THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S</p>
<p>* -EXPECTS TO INCUR RESTRUCTURING CHARGES OF ABOUT $25 MILLION-$35 MILLION OVER PERIOD OF CONSOLIDATED RESTRUCTURING PLAN, ALL EXPECTED TO BE CASH​</p>
<p>* - ‍ON JAN 12, COMPANY ADOPTED CONSOLIDATED RESTRUCTURING PLAN IMPACTING THREE OF ITS MANUFACTURING FACILITIES​</p>
<p>* - WITH RESTRUCTURING, CO EXPECTS TO RECORD CHARGES IN ITS Q1 OF FISCAL 2018 OF APPROXIMATELY $15 MILLION TO $25 MILLION</p>
<p>* - EXPECTS TO COMPLETE ACTIONS TAKEN UNDER RESTRUCTURING PLAN THROUGH Q1 OF FISCAL 2020​</p>
<p>* SANMINA - EXPECTS Q1 GAAP INCOME TAX EXPENSE TO INCLUDE NON-CASH CHARGE OF $150 MILLION - $170 MILLION</p>
<p>* SANMINA - $150 MILLION - $170 MILLION NON-CASH CHARGE RELATES TO REDUCTION IN CARRYING VALUE OF NET DEFERRED TAX ASSETS Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON (Reuters) - World stocks edged higher on Thursday as investors responded to signs of an easing of Sino-U.S. trade tensions by dipping back into riskier assets.</p> The DAX (German stock index) logo is seen at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
<p>The MSCI world equity index .MIWD00000PUS, which tracks shares in 47 countries, climbed 0.5 percent, while shares in Europe jumped 1.7 percent to a two-week high.</p>
<p>Cyclical sectors including basic resources .SXPP, autos .SXAP and banks .SX7P, hit particularly hard over the past two sessions in Europe, led gains.</p>
<p>Sentiment was lifted as Washington expressed a willingness to negotiate, after proposed U.S. tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods prompted swift retaliation from Beijing.</p>
<p>U.S. S&amp;P 500 mini futures ESc1 rose 0.4 percent, leaving Wall Street poised to build on Wednesday’s rebound.</p>
<p>The dollar .DXY also drew support, hitting a two-week high of 90.34 against a basket of major currencies and rising against the safe-haven yen to 107.02 yen <a href="/finance/currencies/quote?srcCurr=JPY&amp;destCurr=USD" type="external">JPY=</a>.</p>
<p>The euro <a href="/finance/currencies/quote?srcCurr=EUR&amp;destCurr=USD" type="external">EUR=</a> dipped slightly to $1.2264.</p>
<p>Proposed 25 percent U.S. tariffs on some 1,300 industrial technology, transport and medical products from China will be subject to a consultation period expected to last around two months.</p>
<p>“I think that the substance of trade restrictions and their real impact will be far less than the headlines,” said Jeffery Becker, Chairman and CEO at Jennison Associates in New York.</p>
<p>“U.S. and Chinese cross-border trade has grown significantly over the last decade and economic inter-dependence runs very deep, deeper than the actual trade numbers.”</p>
<p>Asian stocks also benefited, with MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS up 0.6 percent, a day after it hit its lowest in almost two months.</p>
<p>Japan's Nikkei <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.N225" type="external">.N225</a> ended 1.5 percent higher. Markets in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan were closed for the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday on Thursday.</p>
<p>Many suspect Washington will likely back down on some fronts after Beijing threatened tariffs on soybeans, the top U.S. agricultural export to China.</p>
<p>That is considered one of the most powerful weapons in Beijing’s trade arsenal given the potential impact on Iowa and other farming states that backed Donald Trump in the presidential election.</p>
<p>U.S. soybeans Sc1 and corn Cc1 regained ground on Thursday, following losses of around 2 percent the previous day.</p>
<a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.N225" type="external">Nikkei Inc</a> 21645.42 .N225 Nikkei Index +325.87 (+1.53%) .N225 NOT SO RISKY?
<p>Some observers argue that the global economy is currently running so well that it could cope with the impact of the proposed tariffs, which cover a fraction of world trade.</p>
<p>“We’ve had a few months now where markets have really been going sideways and progressively lower, but at the same time has data really rolled over? The answer is no,” Geoffrey Yu, head of the UK investment office at UBS Wealth Management, said.</p>
<p>“The underlying economy is actually chugging along which will increase the scope for upside surprises on the corporate front, on the economic front and at some point markets will have to catch up to that.”</p>
<p>U.S. data on Wednesday underscored the prevailing bullish view on the economy. Private payrolls increased solidly in March as hiring rose across the board, boding well for Friday’s jobs data.</p>
<p>A correction since January has driven share price valuations down from record levels, attracting bargain hunters.</p>
<p>MSCI ACWI .MIWD00000PUS traded at 14.77 times its forward earnings, the lowest in more than two years.</p>
<p>Oil prices gave up earlier gains to trade in negative territory, with U.S. crude futures CLc1 at $63.24 per barrel.</p>
<p>Bond markets were hit by the recovery in equities as demand for safe-haven assets ebbed. The yield on the German 10-year DE10YT=RR touched a one-week high of 0.538 percent, while U.S. treasury yields US10YT=RR were at 2.821 percent.</p>
<p>Reporting by Kit Rees, Additional reporting by Hideyuki Sano in Tokyo; editing by John Stonestreet</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade deficit increased to a near 9-1/2-year high in February as both exports and imports rose to record highs, but the shortfall with China narrowed sharply.</p> Shipping containers are being loaded onto Xin Da Yang Zhou ship from Shanghai, China at Pier J at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, California, U.S., April 4, 2018. REUTERS/Bob Riha Jr.
<p>The Commerce Department said on Thursday the trade gap rose 1.6 percent to $57.6 billion. That was the highest level since October 2008 and followed a slightly downwardly revised $56.7 billion shortfall in January.</p>
<p>The deficit has now risen for six straight months. The goods trade deficit was the highest since July 2008 and the surplus on services was the lowest since December 2012.</p>
<p>Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the trade gap widening to $56.8 billion in February from a previously reported $56.6 billion in the prior month.</p>
<p>Part of the rise in the trade deficit in February reflected commodity price increases. The politically sensitive goods trade deficit with China fell 18.6 percent to $29.3 billion. The deficit with Mexico surged 46.6 percent in February.</p>
<p>News of the worsening trade deficit comes as the United States and China are embroiled in tit-for-tat tariffs which have rattled global financial markets.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday targeted 25 percent tariffs on some 1,300 Chinese industrial technology, transport and medical products, to force changes in Beijing’s intellectual property practices. China swiftly retaliated on Wednesday with a list of similar duties on key American imports including soybeans, planes, cars, beef and chemicals</p>
<p>Trump, who claims the United States is being taken advantage of by its trading partners, has already imposed broad tariffs on imported solar panels and large washing machines. He has also slapped 25 percent import duties on steel and 10 percent on aluminum.</p>
<p>When adjusted for inflation, the trade deficit slipped to $69.11 billion from $69.96 billion in January. The so-called real trade deficit is above the fourth-quarter average of $66.81 billion.</p>
<p>This suggests trade would subtract from first-quarter gross domestic product. Trade sliced 1.16 percentage point from fourth-quarter GDP growth. The economy grew at a 2.9 percent annualized rate during that period.</p>
<p>In February, exports of goods increased 2.3 percent to $137.2 billion, boosted by shipments of industrial materials and supplies as well as sales of motor vehicles and engines. Exports to China were unchanged in February.</p>
<p>Goods imports jumped 1.6 percent to $214.2 billion in February, lifted by imports of food, industrial materials and supplies, and capital goods.</p>
<p>Imports of services rose to a record $47.8 billion from $46.8 billion in January, likely boosted by royalties and broadcast license fees related to the Winter Olympics.</p>
<p>Imports from China declined 14.7 percent in February.</p>
<p>Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci [email protected]; 1 202 898 8315; Reuters Messaging: [email protected]</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>(Reuters) - Facebook ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=FB.O" type="external">FB.O</a>), Amazon ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AMZN.O" type="external">AMZN.O</a>) and industrial stocks helped Wall Street extend its recovery on Thursday as fears over a trade war between the United States and China eased.</p> Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shortly after the opening bell in New York, U.S., April 4, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
<p>Technology stocks, which have taken a beating in the past three weeks, were higher.</p>
<p>Facebook, Amazon, Alphabet ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GOOGL.O" type="external">GOOGL.O</a>), Netflix ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=NFLX.O" type="external">NFLX.O</a>) - collectively known as the “FANG” group - were up between 0.8 percent and 2.6 percent.</p>
<p>Shares of Boeing ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=BA.N" type="external">BA.N</a>), Caterpillar ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=CAT.N" type="external">CAT.N</a>) - hit the most on Wednesday after China retaliated with $50 billion in tariffs on U.S. goods such as soybeans, autos, chemicals and some types of aircraft - also rose more than 1 percent.</p>
<p>At 9:41 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.DJI" type="external">.DJI</a> was up 0.57 percent at 24,403.74. The S&amp;P 500 <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.SPX" type="external">.SPX</a> rose 0.37 percent to 2,654.55 and the Nasdaq Composite <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.IXIC" type="external">.IXIC</a> gained 0.55 percent to 7,080.71.</p>
<p>The Dow bounced back from a 500 point drop on Wednesday after President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the administration was involved in a “negotiation” with China rather than a trade war.</p>
<p>“The bounce on Wednesday was really quite impressive, especially as there was not much of a catalyst for the turnaround given that neither the U.S. or China is backing down on tariffs and negotiations were always going to take place in the background,” Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at Oanda said in a note.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=FB.O" type="external">Facebook Inc</a> 159.405 FB.O Nasdaq +4.30 (+2.78%) FB.O AMZN.O GOOGL.O NFLX.O BA.N
<p>Investors also took comfort from the fact that the effective date of China’s move depended on when the U.S. action took effect, providing room for maneuver.</p>
<p>Economic data on Thursday showed that the U.S. trade deficit increased to a near 9-1/2-year high in February, but the shortfall with China narrowed sharply.</p>
<p>While exports to China were unchanged in February, imports from the country declined 14.7 percent.</p>
<p>Facebook shares were up about 3 percent after Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said the company had not seen “any meaningful impact” on usage or ad sales since the data privacy scandal.</p>
<p>Wells Fargo ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=WFC.N" type="external">WFC.N</a>) rose 1 percent and Citigroup ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=C.N" type="external">C.N</a>) gained 1.5 percent following upgrades by UBS.</p>
<p>Advanced Micro Devices ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AMD.O" type="external">AMD.O</a>) jumped 3.4 percent after Stifel upgraded to “buy”, while Micron Technology ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=MU.O" type="external">MU.O</a>) fell 3.7 percent after UBS started with a “sell” rating.</p>
<p>Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the NYSE for a 2.25-to-1 ratio and for a 2.01-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.</p>
<p>Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street’s three major indexes staged a comeback to close around 1 percent higher on Wednesday as investors turned their focus to earnings and away from a trade conflict between the United States and China that wreaked havoc in earlier trading.</p>
<p>After investors fled equities in the morning due to proposed retaliatory tariffs from China, their concerns about a potential trade war eased by the afternoon after Trump’s top economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the administration was in a “negotiation” with China rather than a trade war.</p>
<p>Investors said they were comforted by the fact that any tariffs would not take effect immediately, if at all. Strategists also cited the S&amp;P’s bounce above a key technical support level and said they expect equities to rise further around the first quarter earnings season, due to start in mid-April.</p>
<p>“We’re starting to feel that while markets hate uncertainty, Trump’s bark is worse than his bite when it comes to trade,” said Robert Phipps, a director at Per Stirling Capital Management in Austin, Texas.</p>
<p>“It’s earnings that’s going to lift us off this bottom. It wouldn’t shock me if we chopped around sideways for a little bit before earnings season ... The trade stuff is really a side show. We’re waiting for real economic data like the jobs report Friday and for earnings. For now it’s going to be all about the technicals,” he said.</p>
<p>The S&amp;P opened below its 200-day moving average, a key technical level, but inched above it as the session progressed, and by afternoon was in positive territory.</p>
<p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.DJI" type="external">.DJI</a> rose 230.94 points, or 0.96 percent, to close at 24,264.30, the S&amp;P 500 <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.SPX" type="external">.SPX</a> gained 30.24 points, or 1.16 percent, to 2,644.69 and the Nasdaq Composite <a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.IXIC" type="external">.IXIC</a> added 100.83 points, or 1.45 percent, to 7,042.11.</p>
<p>The turnaround marked the first time the S&amp;P had showed gains for two consecutive days since early March.</p>
<p>Despite big swings in stocks, trading activity in U.S. equity options was muted as expectations for strong corporate earnings quelled the urge to load up on contracts that benefit from a surge in market volatility. The Cboe Volatility Index .VIX, the most widely followed barometer of expected near-term volatility for the S&amp;P 500, closed down 1.04 points at 20.06.</p>
<p>The technology sector .SPLRCT rose 1.4 percent with only two of its stocks ending the day in negative territory including Facebook Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=FB.O" type="external">FB.O</a>), which was pummeled after news its chief executive would testify in Congress over a data privacy scandal. It too closed well off its session low with a 0.6 percent drop to $155.10.</p> Slideshow (7 Images)
<p>Boeing ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=BA.N" type="external">BA.N</a>) was the biggest drag on the Dow due to its exposure to China, and ended the day well off its session lows with a 1 percent decline to $327.44 after falling as low as $311.88.</p>
<p>Farm machinery company Deere &amp; Co ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=DE.N" type="external">DE.N</a>) ended down 2.9 percent at $148.57 as it could be hurt by China tariffs if its customers’ exports are curbed.</p>
<p>After being a laggard for much of the session, the S&amp;P 500’s industrials sector .SPLRCI turned positive late in the day to close 0.4 percent higher.</p>
<p>Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 2.19-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 2.95-to-1 ratio favored advancers.</p>
<a href="/finance/markets/index?symbol=.DJI" type="external">Dow Jones &amp; Company Inc</a> 24593.7 .DJI Dow Jones Indexes +329.40 (+1.36%) .DJI .SPX .IXIC FB.O BA.N
<p>The S&amp;P 500 posted one new 52-week high and eight new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 40 new highs and 94 new lows.</p>
<p>Volume on U.S. exchanges was 7.04 billion shares, compared with the 7.3 billion average for the last 20 trading days.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Saqib Iqbal Ahmed and Herbert Lash in New York and Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Patrick Graham and James Dalgleish</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
jan 19 reuters sanmina corp sanmina announces preliminary first quarter fiscal 2018 results sees q1 revenue 174 billion sees q2 gaap diluted earnings per share 020 030 expects q1 nongaap diluted earnings per share 048 sees revenue 160 billion 170 billion q2 sees q2 nongaap diluted earnings per share 040 050 q1 earnings per share view 071 revenue view 177 billion thomson reuters ibes q2 earnings per share view 070 revenue view 173 billion thomson reuters ibes expects incur restructuring charges 25 million35 million period consolidated restructuring plan expected cash jan 12 company adopted consolidated restructuring plan impacting three manufacturing facilities restructuring co expects record charges q1 fiscal 2018 approximately 15 million 25 million expects complete actions taken restructuring plan q1 fiscal 2020 sanmina expects q1 gaap income tax expense include noncash charge 150 million 170 million sanmina 150 million 170 million noncash charge relates reduction carrying value net deferred tax assets source text eikon company coverage standards thomson reuters trust principles london reuters world stocks edged higher thursday investors responded signs easing sinous trade tensions dipping back riskier assets dax german stock index logo seen stock exchange frankfurt germany march 23 2018 reuterskai pfaffenbach msci world equity index miwd00000pus tracks shares 47 countries climbed 05 percent shares europe jumped 17 percent twoweek high cyclical sectors including basic resources sxpp autos sxap banks sx7p hit particularly hard past two sessions europe led gains sentiment lifted washington expressed willingness negotiate proposed us tariffs 50 billion chinese goods prompted swift retaliation beijing us sampp 500 mini futures esc1 rose 04 percent leaving wall street poised build wednesdays rebound dollar dxy also drew support hitting twoweek high 9034 basket major currencies rising safehaven yen 10702 yen jpy euro eur dipped slightly 12264 proposed 25 percent us tariffs 1300 industrial technology transport medical products china subject consultation period expected last around two months think substance trade restrictions real impact far less headlines said jeffery becker chairman ceo jennison associates new york us chinese crossborder trade grown significantly last decade economic interdependence runs deep deeper actual trade numbers asian stocks also benefited mscis broadest index asiapacific shares outside japan miapj0000pus 06 percent day hit lowest almost two months japans nikkei n225 ended 15 percent higher markets mainland china hong kong taiwan closed tomb sweeping day holiday thursday many suspect washington likely back fronts beijing threatened tariffs soybeans top us agricultural export china considered one powerful weapons beijings trade arsenal given potential impact iowa farming states backed donald trump presidential election us soybeans sc1 corn cc1 regained ground thursday following losses around 2 percent previous day nikkei inc 2164542 n225 nikkei index 32587 153 n225 risky observers argue global economy currently running well could cope impact proposed tariffs cover fraction world trade weve months markets really going sideways progressively lower time data really rolled answer geoffrey yu head uk investment office ubs wealth management said underlying economy actually chugging along increase scope upside surprises corporate front economic front point markets catch us data wednesday underscored prevailing bullish view economy private payrolls increased solidly march hiring rose across board boding well fridays jobs data correction since january driven share price valuations record levels attracting bargain hunters msci acwi miwd00000pus traded 1477 times forward earnings lowest two years oil prices gave earlier gains trade negative territory us crude futures clc1 6324 per barrel bond markets hit recovery equities demand safehaven assets ebbed yield german 10year de10ytrr touched oneweek high 0538 percent us treasury yields us10ytrr 2821 percent reporting kit rees additional reporting hideyuki sano tokyo editing john stonestreet standards thomson reuters trust principles washington reuters us trade deficit increased near 912year high february exports imports rose record highs shortfall china narrowed sharply shipping containers loaded onto xin da yang zhou ship shanghai china pier j port long beach long beach california us april 4 2018 reutersbob riha jr commerce department said thursday trade gap rose 16 percent 576 billion highest level since october 2008 followed slightly downwardly revised 567 billion shortfall january deficit risen six straight months goods trade deficit highest since july 2008 surplus services lowest since december 2012 economists polled reuters forecast trade gap widening 568 billion february previously reported 566 billion prior month part rise trade deficit february reflected commodity price increases politically sensitive goods trade deficit china fell 186 percent 293 billion deficit mexico surged 466 percent february news worsening trade deficit comes united states china embroiled titfortat tariffs rattled global financial markets president donald trumps administration tuesday targeted 25 percent tariffs 1300 chinese industrial technology transport medical products force changes beijings intellectual property practices china swiftly retaliated wednesday list similar duties key american imports including soybeans planes cars beef chemicals trump claims united states taken advantage trading partners already imposed broad tariffs imported solar panels large washing machines also slapped 25 percent import duties steel 10 percent aluminum adjusted inflation trade deficit slipped 6911 billion 6996 billion january socalled real trade deficit fourthquarter average 6681 billion suggests trade would subtract firstquarter gross domestic product trade sliced 116 percentage point fourthquarter gdp growth economy grew 29 percent annualized rate period february exports goods increased 23 percent 1372 billion boosted shipments industrial materials supplies well sales motor vehicles engines exports china unchanged february goods imports jumped 16 percent 2142 billion february lifted imports food industrial materials supplies capital goods imports services rose record 478 billion 468 billion january likely boosted royalties broadcast license fees related winter olympics imports china declined 147 percent february reporting lucia mutikani editing andrea ricci luciamutikanithomsonreuterscom 1 202 898 8315 reuters messaging luciamutikanithomsonreuterscomreutersnet standards thomson reuters trust principles reuters facebook fbo amazon amzno industrial stocks helped wall street extend recovery thursday fears trade war united states china eased traders work floor new york stock exchange shortly opening bell new york us april 4 2018 reuterslucas jackson technology stocks taken beating past three weeks higher facebook amazon alphabet googlo netflix nflxo collectively known fang group 08 percent 26 percent shares boeing ban caterpillar catn hit wednesday china retaliated 50 billion tariffs us goods soybeans autos chemicals types aircraft also rose 1 percent 941 et dow jones industrial average dji 057 percent 2440374 sampp 500 spx rose 037 percent 265455 nasdaq composite ixic gained 055 percent 708071 dow bounced back 500 point drop wednesday president donald trumps top economic adviser larry kudlow said administration involved negotiation china rather trade war bounce wednesday really quite impressive especially much catalyst turnaround given neither us china backing tariffs negotiations always going take place background craig erlam senior market analyst oanda said note facebook inc 159405 fbo nasdaq 430 278 fbo amzno googlo nflxo ban investors also took comfort fact effective date chinas move depended us action took effect providing room maneuver economic data thursday showed us trade deficit increased near 912year high february shortfall china narrowed sharply exports china unchanged february imports country declined 147 percent facebook shares 3 percent chief executive mark zuckerberg said company seen meaningful impact usage ad sales since data privacy scandal wells fargo wfcn rose 1 percent citigroup cn gained 15 percent following upgrades ubs advanced micro devices amdo jumped 34 percent stifel upgraded buy micron technology muo fell 37 percent ubs started sell rating advancing issues outnumbered decliners nyse 225to1 ratio 201to1 ratio nasdaq reporting sruthi shankar bengaluru editing sriraj kalluvila standards thomson reuters trust principles new york reuters wall streets three major indexes staged comeback close around 1 percent higher wednesday investors turned focus earnings away trade conflict united states china wreaked havoc earlier trading investors fled equities morning due proposed retaliatory tariffs china concerns potential trade war eased afternoon trumps top economic adviser larry kudlow said administration negotiation china rather trade war investors said comforted fact tariffs would take effect immediately strategists also cited sampps bounce key technical support level said expect equities rise around first quarter earnings season due start midapril starting feel markets hate uncertainty trumps bark worse bite comes trade said robert phipps director per stirling capital management austin texas earnings thats going lift us bottom wouldnt shock chopped around sideways little bit earnings season trade stuff really side show waiting real economic data like jobs report friday earnings going technicals said sampp opened 200day moving average key technical level inched session progressed afternoon positive territory dow jones industrial average dji rose 23094 points 096 percent close 2426430 sampp 500 spx gained 3024 points 116 percent 264469 nasdaq composite ixic added 10083 points 145 percent 704211 turnaround marked first time sampp showed gains two consecutive days since early march despite big swings stocks trading activity us equity options muted expectations strong corporate earnings quelled urge load contracts benefit surge market volatility cboe volatility index vix widely followed barometer expected nearterm volatility sampp 500 closed 104 points 2006 technology sector splrct rose 14 percent two stocks ending day negative territory including facebook inc fbo pummeled news chief executive would testify congress data privacy scandal closed well session low 06 percent drop 15510 slideshow 7 images boeing ban biggest drag dow due exposure china ended day well session lows 1 percent decline 32744 falling low 31188 farm machinery company deere amp co den ended 29 percent 14857 could hurt china tariffs customers exports curbed laggard much session sampp 500s industrials sector splrci turned positive late day close 04 percent higher advancing issues outnumbered declining ones nyse 219to1 ratio nasdaq 295to1 ratio favored advancers dow jones amp company inc 245937 dji dow jones indexes 32940 136 dji spx ixic fbo ban sampp 500 posted one new 52week high eight new lows nasdaq composite recorded 40 new highs 94 new lows volume us exchanges 704 billion shares compared 73 billion average last 20 trading days additional reporting saqib iqbal ahmed herbert lash new york sruthi shankar bengaluru editing patrick graham james dalgleish standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,628 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Notah Begay III.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>As a senior at Albuquerque Academy during the 36-hole state golf championships in 1990, Begay had taken an ungodly lead after the opening round.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>I knew there was no way he could lose, but I also knew – despite his remarkable skills – he was still just a high school kid.</p>
<p />
<p>So I tossed him a softball. Something like, “You’re up by double-digits, but you still need to just focus on your game and not worry about anyone else, right? I guess anything can still happen, right?”</p>
<p>Wrong.</p>
<p>Begay said something along the lines of “the only thing that can happen is I’m going to win. The only thing in doubt is if I will break the scoring record.”</p>
<p>Then came a quip for the ages:</p>
<p>“Today I waxed ’em – tomorrow I’m going to buff ’em.”</p>
<p>I didn’t want to bury the kid, so I called his dad, Notah Jr., and asked him what he thought.</p>
<p>“Print it,” Begay Jr., said with a belly laugh. “Print it. I love it.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Sure enough, Begay III got the evil eye from just about every other kid, while they grumbled and stumbled through round 2. Begay III, meanwhile, went on to his second straight state title in record-setting fashion.</p>
<p>As for the tip, it came a few years later while playing a round of golf together. I hit an unlucky shot that bounced off a pole or sign or something, which started my usual whining about my bad luck.</p>
<p>Begay turned to me, held up his index finger and said “The game gives you what you deserve.”</p>
<p>I thought, “How true.”</p>
<p>If you’re playing well, the score almost always reflects it – and vice versa. More importantly, there are as many fortunate bounces in golf as unfortunate ones. They truly do even out in the long run.</p>
<p>That was more than 20 years ago, and I haven’t complained about a bad bounce since.</p>
<p>Home again</p>
<p>Begay, an Albuquerque native who now makes his home in Dallas, has been in town the past few weeks preparing for his inaugural Rio Grande Charity Slam. The event – with a junior golf clinic and banquet on Thursday and a celebrity golf tournament on Friday at Santa Ana Golf Club – is raising money for the Notah Begay III Foundation and the Jewish Community Center. His foundation raises thousands of dollars to launch, sustain and expand programming to combat health issues threatening Native children – more than 20,000 in 13 states of whom have benefited from the programs, and 75 percent of those in New Mexico.</p>
<p>Begay, a four-time PGA Tour winner and a full-blooded Native American, has been in the news a great deal the past year. He became an analyst for Golf Channel, has stayed very active with his foundation and made national headlines with a comment about Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder.</p>
<p>And – despite being just 41 – he suffered a heart attack in April.</p>
<p>On Saturday, after the third round of the 72-hole San Juan Open in Farmington, Begay and I shared a few laughs and a lot of thoughts.</p>
<p>Mark Smith: First off, how is your health?</p>
<p>Notah Begay III: Good. I mean, you wouldn’t be able to tell two months ago that I had a heart attack. I’m a little weak, I lost a little bit of distance in terms of my golf. But I got a lot back in terms of my health. I’ve gotten better, I’ve got more energy. I feel pretty lucky to have gone through it so well.</p>
<p>MS: Not to be too dramatic, but what was going through your mind when you were having the heart attack?</p>
<p>NB: Just shear shock. ‘How did I end up here?’ It was a complete surprise, in terms of, ‘I’m 41-years-old, I exercise on a regular basis, I eat well – and I had a heart attack.’ It wasn’t really until about three or four days after that I really started to ascertain all of the possibilities and outcomes that could have been. There’s been a lot of people in my situation that could have died, because they weren’t close to a hospital, or had more arteries blocked. I’m really lucky that it worked out.</p>
<p>MS: Your father also has serious health issues. (He recently became visually impaired, and last month was hospitalized for a couple weeks after falling down some stairs at home.) How much tougher has that made things?</p>
<p>NB: One of the toughest things with dealing with the heart attack, was my dad took that spill and broke his ribs. It all makes me realize even more so, what we teach (in the NB3F) about eating better, staying healthy, getting exercise. It’s been a tough time for sure. It opens your eyes even more so.</p>
<p>MS: This week you have your event at Santa Ana. Are you ready?</p>
<p>NB: I can’t wait. It looks like (former Lobo and PGA Tour pro) Tim Herron’s going to be here. We have a nice group of celebrities, and people who support what we’re doing. That’s all you can ask for.</p>
<p>MS: In April, you made news by telling USA Today you are against the Washington Redskins keeping their nickname, and you said owner Dan Snyder’s Original Americans Foundation was “more of a gimmick.” Did you have much controversy over your comments?</p>
<p>NB: No, not at all. I think most people would agree that the Washington football team needs to change its mascot name. Some would argue they should keep it. The simplest argument, which is not necessarily the right one, is it’s not an issue of being politically correct. Being politically correct is vastly different than using a dictionary-defined racial slur as a representation of a national franchise. I’m not trying to nit-pick on the political correctness, I just think we’re at a day and age that we should be demonstrating to the younger generations that we’re willing to embrace all the cultures.</p>
<p>MS: You and your brother Clint were raised in a house (on the 14th fairway) at Ladera (Golf Course). Do you ever go look from the backyard and think about old times there?</p>
<p>“My dad (and his wife, Claire) lives on the sixth green now, and I go to that back patio and watch people play the sixth green. And I think of how many times I’ve played the sixth hole. All the skins games, all the calcuttas, all the high school tournaments, the city tournaments – ever since I was 9 years old. Going from a junior playing in the Sun Country, to Stanford, to the PGA Tour to an analyst on the Golf Channel now? You couldn’t have written this script. Ever.</p>
<p>MS: You told me 20 years ago that you’d never forget your roots. This week shows you haven’t.</p>
<p>NB: A lot of that comes from my respect for the culture and tradition I came from, my dad and mom and the Native American heritage. I’ve since transposed that to the respect and admiration for 71 years at the City (Amateur) tournament, or 50 years (at San Juan Open), and how much goes into these events; how much the community and sponsors put into these events. These things don’t just happen by themselves. It’s a reflection of our love for the game. And so much has been given to me through golf, it would be very unappreciative for me not to give back through the game.</p>
<p>MS: Speaking of the San Juan, they listed the (third-round) cut as being the top 26 and ties. Initially, you missed by a shot. But then they decided to let in 33 players, including you, causing some players to call it “The Notah Rule.” But the sponsors enjoyed it.</p>
<p>NB: That’s too funny (laugh). On the PGA Tour, they always talk about “The Tiger Rules.” Now there’s “The Notah Rules.” I guess I’ve arrived.</p>
<p>MS: One last thing. We’ve talked about it before – the greatest quote in the history of sport. You remember it?</p>
<p>NB: (Belly laugh). I was a cocky senior at Albuquerque Academy (laugh). ‘Today I’m going to wax ’em and tomorrow I’m going to ‘buff em (laugh).’ And I backed it up.</p>
<p>MS: And gave them a spit-shine, if I remember.</p>
<p>NB: Those were some good times.</p>
<p />
<p />
| false | 2 |
notah begay iii senior albuquerque academy 36hole state golf championships 1990 begay taken ungodly lead opening round advertisement knew way could lose also knew despite remarkable skills still high school kid tossed softball something like youre doubledigits still need focus game worry anyone else right guess anything still happen right wrong begay said something along lines thing happen im going win thing doubt break scoring record came quip ages today waxed em tomorrow im going buff em didnt want bury kid called dad notah jr asked thought print begay jr said belly laugh print love advertisement sure enough begay iii got evil eye every kid grumbled stumbled round 2 begay iii meanwhile went second straight state title recordsetting fashion tip came years later playing round golf together hit unlucky shot bounced pole sign something started usual whining bad luck begay turned held index finger said game gives deserve thought true youre playing well score almost always reflects vice versa importantly many fortunate bounces golf unfortunate ones truly even long run 20 years ago havent complained bad bounce since home begay albuquerque native makes home dallas town past weeks preparing inaugural rio grande charity slam event junior golf clinic banquet thursday celebrity golf tournament friday santa ana golf club raising money notah begay iii foundation jewish community center foundation raises thousands dollars launch sustain expand programming combat health issues threatening native children 20000 13 states benefited programs 75 percent new mexico begay fourtime pga tour winner fullblooded native american news great deal past year became analyst golf channel stayed active foundation made national headlines comment washington redskins owner dan snyder despite 41 suffered heart attack april saturday third round 72hole san juan open farmington begay shared laughs lot thoughts mark smith first health notah begay iii good mean wouldnt able tell two months ago heart attack im little weak lost little bit distance terms golf got lot back terms health ive gotten better ive got energy feel pretty lucky gone well ms dramatic going mind heart attack nb shear shock end complete surprise terms im 41yearsold exercise regular basis eat well heart attack wasnt really three four days really started ascertain possibilities outcomes could theres lot people situation could died werent close hospital arteries blocked im really lucky worked ms father also serious health issues recently became visually impaired last month hospitalized couple weeks falling stairs home much tougher made things nb one toughest things dealing heart attack dad took spill broke ribs makes realize even teach nb3f eating better staying healthy getting exercise tough time sure opens eyes even ms week event santa ana ready nb cant wait looks like former lobo pga tour pro tim herrons going nice group celebrities people support thats ask ms april made news telling usa today washington redskins keeping nickname said owner dan snyders original americans foundation gimmick much controversy comments nb think people would agree washington football team needs change mascot name would argue keep simplest argument necessarily right one issue politically correct politically correct vastly different using dictionarydefined racial slur representation national franchise im trying nitpick political correctness think day age demonstrating younger generations willing embrace cultures ms brother clint raised house 14th fairway ladera golf course ever go look backyard think old times dad wife claire lives sixth green go back patio watch people play sixth green think many times ive played sixth hole skins games calcuttas high school tournaments city tournaments ever since 9 years old going junior playing sun country stanford pga tour analyst golf channel couldnt written script ever ms told 20 years ago youd never forget roots week shows havent nb lot comes respect culture tradition came dad mom native american heritage ive since transposed respect admiration 71 years city amateur tournament 50 years san juan open much goes events much community sponsors put events things dont happen reflection love game much given golf would unappreciative give back game ms speaking san juan listed thirdround cut top 26 ties initially missed shot decided let 33 players including causing players call notah rule sponsors enjoyed nb thats funny laugh pga tour always talk tiger rules theres notah rules guess ive arrived ms one last thing weve talked greatest quote history sport remember nb belly laugh cocky senior albuquerque academy laugh today im going wax em tomorrow im going buff em laugh backed ms gave spitshine remember nb good times
| 731 |
<p>The following is an e-mail interview with Michigan Libertarian Senate Candidate Scotty Boman that&#160;occurred&#160;over a period of several weeks. If you wish to learn more about him, visit his <a href="http://www.boman12.org/" type="external">official website</a>.</p>
<p>Ryan: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me Mr. Boman. Your name is not as well known in Michigan as Debbie Stabenow’s, yet. What is the main thing you are trying to do to change that?</p>
<p>Boman: I have done some common things such as creating a website and sending out press releases, but I have also had to think outside of the box at times. The key is to be flexible and view every failure as an opportunity.</p>
<p>Switching parties and running as a Republican raised the profile of my campaign, got me into more forums, and got me more interviews. I was finally included in state-wide polls and, I also had a chance to reach out to people who had not heard the Libertarian message presented in terms they could relate to. On the other hand it was disappointing not to qualify for the primary ballot. This failure became another opportunity. Backing an opponent for the primary and changing party again, turned some heads and gave journalists something to write about, again.</p>
<p>Having done all of the above has translated into some lasting benefits. I have been included in two more candidate forums (one of which was cancelled due to my opponents backing out). The forum that was held was attended by everyone except Pete Hoekstra. Hoekstra backed out because I was included, and WJR AM Radio host Frank Beckmann made sure listeners knew this.</p>
<p>I have also kept journalists awake by challenging conventional wisdom and proceeding with a recall against Senator Carl Levin (For his roll in the detainee provisions of the NDAA). Michigan law explicitly allows us to recall our Senators, but there is an unofficial dogma among the political class that says otherwise. This has resulted in Levin’s cronies doing everything in there power to avoid complying with the law.</p>
<p>You seem to hold traditional Libertarian views, then. Much different than the incumbent Sen. Stabenow, who has repeatedly supported many positions opposite the traditional Libertarian’s; health reform and “Obamacare” being the most recently spotlighted. What is your thoughts on the Supreme Court upholding The Affordable Care Act?</p>
<p>Boman: Most of the attention is on the law itself. It is a bad law as are all Federal laws that seek to run health insurance; it replaces the voluntary market with systemic violence, and is an exercise of un-enumerated powers by Congress.</p>
<p>This court ruling sets a much more sinister precedent. By relabeling the unconstitutional fine a “tax,” in order to make an unconstitutional law appear more constitutional. In other-words he literally legislated from the bench by re-writing a law without being in the legislature.</p>
<p>The door is now open for every law, no matter how unconstitutional, to be called constitutional and to be given an entirely new meaning without the approval of anyone other than a single justice who happens to vote with the wrong-headed majority. If a law banning use of the word “ice cream” on Sunday made it to the Supreme Court, the judge could rule that it is Constitutional because it actually means that the Salaries of Supreme Court Jesters are to be paid in gold bullion (1 OZ per dollar).</p>
<p>As a Senator, I would only confirm justices who read the Constitution using an understanding of basic English, through the lens of original intent.</p>
<p>Interesting point. These will be my final two questions. Recently, I did a piece on the <a href="" type="internal">failure of the Senate to pass a bill causing the labeling of GMOs</a>. What do you believe should be the role of government concerning GMOs and with food in general?</p>
<p>Boman: “If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.” ~Thomas Jefferson</p>
<p>Truth in labeling is important.&#160; To misrepresent the contents of an item is fraud.&#160; If an organism contains human and carrot genes, it is fraud to call it a carrot.&#160; Food that is exchanged within state lines is not subject to the commerce clause, so it is up to the states and the people to establish truth in labeling standards.&#160; The Boxer Sanders amendment to allow states to require GMO labels was redundant since states don’t require the Federal governments permission to do so.&#160; My opponent Debbie Stabenow made a rather stupid remark in defense of her “no” vote:</p>
<p>“Consumers certainly need to have available information. We need to make sure it’s accurate according to the FDA after they determine that and I would make one other point,” said Stabenow. “You know American farmers are feeding the world with 7 billion mouths to feed this is harder every day. Science innovation is very important to that.”</p>
<p>The implication seems to be that the way to ensure sufficient crops is to keep people ignorant.&#160; Perhaps this is also why she supports continued Federal involvement in education.&#160; Either way states don’t require the Federal government’s permission to exercise their tenth amendment powers.</p>
<p>Many food producers are willing to go beyond minimum government requirements to accurately describe the food being sold.&#160; They have a natural right to educate their consumers as much as they want.&#160; This right is protected under the first amendment.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the voluntary choice by producers to label their food as “GMO free” provides an idea alternative to label mandates since consumers who disapprove of GMO food can simply select food bases on positive labeling (GMO free) rather than having to reject food that has a label indicating the presence of Genetic Modifications.</p>
<p>There is a related matter which I must address here.&#160; Certain agri-businesses, such as Monsanto, routinely abuse the courts and copyright law to deprive unwitting third-world farmers of their property.&#160; There is a great deal of graft involved in many of these cases. We must be careful to ensure that patent laws, which are good in principal, are not used as a legal tool to separate poor farmers from their birthright.&#160; Here, farmers are sued into poverty, because patented seeds sprout on a Farmer’s property.&#160;&#160;Often seeds are planted and traded in good faith by farmers who have no idea their crops have been contaminated by patented genes.&#160;&#160;Federal subsidies for GMO corn is destroying traditional farming in Mexico (in conjunction with NAFTA) further tightening Monsanto’s monopoly. This also shines some light on the difference between Laissez Faire Capitalism and graft (Sometimes called “crony capitalism,” “corporatism” or “crapitalism”).&#160;&#160;Older terms that describe systemically similar configurations include “mixed economy” and “fascism.”</p>
<p>One of the most blatant distinctions between crony capitalism and Laissez Faire can be found in S 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act; it would remove the right to clean, store and thus own seed in the US, putting control of seeds in the hands of Monsanto and other multinationals, threatening US security.&#160;&#160;This is the exact opposite of the free market.&#160;&#160;It was signed into law in 2011, making many gardeners and farmers into criminals.&#160;&#160;In the name of protecting the common citizen, their rights are taken away.</p>
<p>The reason some corporations can pose a threat to liberty, is that they get privileges or favors from the government.&#160;&#160;If the Federal government were as limited as it was designed to be, the capacity to dispense favors, and the adverse consequences for the common people would be limited to the same degree.&#160;&#160;Monsanto is one corporation that has exploited extra-Constitutional Federal power embodied by the Food and Drug Administration.&#160;&#160;For instance, former deputy commissioner of the FDA, Michael Taylor, previously worked as an attorney for Monsanto.&#160;&#160;He was able to push through approval of GMO crops with little prior testing and a lack of accurate labeling, in spite of warnings from FDA scientists. Other people to move between Monsanto (or subsidiaries) and critical positions in the Federal government include Donald Rumsfeld, Clarence Thomas, and&#160;&#160;Mickey Kantor.</p>
<p>The FDA seal gives consumers a false sense of security since their decisions are often influenced by political cronyism rather than sound science.&#160;&#160;In many cases, FDA regulations kill people.&#160;&#160;For instance, Propranolol was found to be helpful for the treatment of angina and hypertension, but 10,000 people died needlessly for the first three years of the FDA approval process while it’s use remained illegal. The alternative is to let people consume the food and drugs of their choice, while having independent consumer protection organizations offer their seal of approval to products they deem safe.&#160;&#160;Precedents for this type of private regulation include Underwriters Laboratories, JD Power and Associates, Consumer Reports, or other organizations.&#160;&#160;If they fail to screen their products properly, consumers will not have confidence in products approved by them.&#160;&#160;Without the FDA monopoly, other organizations can step up to replace those that fail to protect consumers.</p>
<p>Farmers hurt by crop contamination or land poisoned by herbicides An appropriate legal remedy for people damaged by harmful products, are lawsuits, but graft results in rulings that are biased.&#160;&#160;Keeping government limited limits the consequence and attractiveness of graft.</p>
<p>Finally, President Obama recently signed a bill that will keep student loan interest rates at the same level. What is your position on student loans and federal involvement with higher education?</p>
<p>Boman: Subsidizing tuition or otherwise manipulating education is not among the enumerated powers of Congress, thus laws that do this are unconstitutional.&#160;&#160;In the Michigan Presidential debate, Ron Paul correctly noted that as the government subsidizes products, the quality goes down, and the prices go up.&#160;&#160;The results are tragic. In the 1950s my father was able to pay for a year at University of Michigan by delivering mail and working in the school cafeteria.&#160;&#160;Now, after decades of subsidies, it is almost impossible to pay for a college education out-of-pocket.&#160;&#160;Colleges keep increasing tuition rates, because they know most of their consumers won’t have to pay for it, or payment is delayed so much that it plays no roll in a young persons decision making.&#160;&#160;In the later case students find themselves to be debtors for years, without the huge boost in income that education propagandists promise them.</p>
| false | 2 |
following email interview michigan libertarian senate candidate scotty boman that160occurred160over period several weeks wish learn visit official website ryan thank taking time speak mr boman name well known michigan debbie stabenows yet main thing trying change boman done common things creating website sending press releases also think outside box times key flexible view every failure opportunity switching parties running republican raised profile campaign got forums got interviews finally included statewide polls also chance reach people heard libertarian message presented terms could relate hand disappointing qualify primary ballot failure became another opportunity backing opponent primary changing party turned heads gave journalists something write done translated lasting benefits included two candidate forums one cancelled due opponents backing forum held attended everyone except pete hoekstra hoekstra backed included wjr radio host frank beckmann made sure listeners knew also kept journalists awake challenging conventional wisdom proceeding recall senator carl levin roll detainee provisions ndaa michigan law explicitly allows us recall senators unofficial dogma among political class says otherwise resulted levins cronies everything power avoid complying law seem hold traditional libertarian views much different incumbent sen stabenow repeatedly supported many positions opposite traditional libertarians health reform obamacare recently spotlighted thoughts supreme court upholding affordable care act boman attention law bad law federal laws seek run health insurance replaces voluntary market systemic violence exercise unenumerated powers congress court ruling sets much sinister precedent relabeling unconstitutional fine tax order make unconstitutional law appear constitutional otherwords literally legislated bench rewriting law without legislature door open every law matter unconstitutional called constitutional given entirely new meaning without approval anyone single justice happens vote wrongheaded majority law banning use word ice cream sunday made supreme court judge could rule constitutional actually means salaries supreme court jesters paid gold bullion 1 oz per dollar senator would confirm justices read constitution using understanding basic english lens original intent interesting point final two questions recently piece failure senate pass bill causing labeling gmos believe role government concerning gmos food general boman people let government decide foods eat medicines take bodies soon sorry state souls live tyranny thomas jefferson truth labeling important160 misrepresent contents item fraud160 organism contains human carrot genes fraud call carrot160 food exchanged within state lines subject commerce clause states people establish truth labeling standards160 boxer sanders amendment allow states require gmo labels redundant since states dont require federal governments permission so160 opponent debbie stabenow made rather stupid remark defense vote consumers certainly need available information need make sure accurate according fda determine would make one point said stabenow know american farmers feeding world 7 billion mouths feed harder every day science innovation important implication seems way ensure sufficient crops keep people ignorant160 perhaps also supports continued federal involvement education160 either way states dont require federal governments permission exercise tenth amendment powers many food producers willing go beyond minimum government requirements accurately describe food sold160 natural right educate consumers much want160 right protected first amendment ultimately voluntary choice producers label food gmo free provides idea alternative label mandates since consumers disapprove gmo food simply select food bases positive labeling gmo free rather reject food label indicating presence genetic modifications related matter must address here160 certain agribusinesses monsanto routinely abuse courts copyright law deprive unwitting thirdworld farmers property160 great deal graft involved many cases must careful ensure patent laws good principal used legal tool separate poor farmers birthright160 farmers sued poverty patented seeds sprout farmers property160160often seeds planted traded good faith farmers idea crops contaminated patented genes160160federal subsidies gmo corn destroying traditional farming mexico conjunction nafta tightening monsantos monopoly also shines light difference laissez faire capitalism graft sometimes called crony capitalism corporatism crapitalism160160older terms describe systemically similar configurations include mixed economy fascism one blatant distinctions crony capitalism laissez faire found 510 food safety modernization act would remove right clean store thus seed us putting control seeds hands monsanto multinationals threatening us security160160this exact opposite free market160160it signed law 2011 making many gardeners farmers criminals160160in name protecting common citizen rights taken away reason corporations pose threat liberty get privileges favors government160160if federal government limited designed capacity dispense favors adverse consequences common people would limited degree160160monsanto one corporation exploited extraconstitutional federal power embodied food drug administration160160for instance former deputy commissioner fda michael taylor previously worked attorney monsanto160160he able push approval gmo crops little prior testing lack accurate labeling spite warnings fda scientists people move monsanto subsidiaries critical positions federal government include donald rumsfeld clarence thomas and160160mickey kantor fda seal gives consumers false sense security since decisions often influenced political cronyism rather sound science160160in many cases fda regulations kill people160160for instance propranolol found helpful treatment angina hypertension 10000 people died needlessly first three years fda approval process use remained illegal alternative let people consume food drugs choice independent consumer protection organizations offer seal approval products deem safe160160precedents type private regulation include underwriters laboratories jd power associates consumer reports organizations160160if fail screen products properly consumers confidence products approved them160160without fda monopoly organizations step replace fail protect consumers farmers hurt crop contamination land poisoned herbicides appropriate legal remedy people damaged harmful products lawsuits graft results rulings biased160160keeping government limited limits consequence attractiveness graft finally president obama recently signed bill keep student loan interest rates level position student loans federal involvement higher education boman subsidizing tuition otherwise manipulating education among enumerated powers congress thus laws unconstitutional160160in michigan presidential debate ron paul correctly noted government subsidizes products quality goes prices go up160160the results tragic 1950s father able pay year university michigan delivering mail working school cafeteria160160now decades subsidies almost impossible pay college education outofpocket160160colleges keep increasing tuition rates know consumers wont pay payment delayed much plays roll young persons decision making160160in later case students find debtors years without huge boost income education propagandists promise
| 945 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The latest round of pressure for new investigations began on Aug. 2 and 4, when Judicial Watch and then the American Center for Law and Justice released the latest fruit of a federal lawsuit against the Department of Justice – email traffic inside the DOJ about the June 2016 decision of Bill Clinton to walk across the tarmac at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor airport and have a conversation with then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch. The meeting, first reported by a local news station that reported being told not to photograph either Lynch or Clinton, caused an instant scandal, despite a hasty attempt by the Clinton campaign to describe the meeting as non-political.</p>
<p>On Nov. 2, six days before the presidential election, ACLJ chief counsel Jay Sekulow announced that he’d be suing for documents after the DOJ and FBI claimed that a Freedom of Information Request turned up nothing. On Aug. 4, Sekulow, who is now a member of the president’s legal team and a frequent advocate for him on television, reported that the lawsuit had turned up hundreds of pages of emails.</p>
<p>“It is clear that there were multiple records within the FBI responsive to our request and that discussions regarding the surreptitious meeting between then AG Lynch and the husband of the subject of an ongoing FBI criminal investigation reached the highest levels of the FBI,” Sekulow wrote. “There is clear evidence that the main stream media was colluding with the DOJ to bury the story.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In a pattern similar to the long-running investigation of the September 2012 attacks in Benghazi, the emails have turned up not the redacted talking points, but evidence that public affairs officers in the DOJ, FBI, and White House were communicating on how to spin the story. (The ACLJ has also “unmasked” an email pseudonym Lynch sometimes used, though that’s not uncommon for high-profile public officials, and the emails were obviously discoverable as part of lawsuits.) On Monday night, Sekulow appeared on Fox’s “Hannity,” which frequently editorializes on the need for more Clinton investigations, to share the findings.</p>
<p>“Does this potentially expose its own version of collusion that they’re trying to cover up the fact they were in the fix, if you will, for Hillary Clinton and they didn’t want it exposed?” asked Sean Hannity. “And add to that that it’s not an investigation, it’s a matter? That seems to be building a case.”</p>
<p>“Yes, but add to that also, Sean, that the basis upon which James Comey said he went public was because of these meetings that we’ve got the documents on now,” said Sekulow. “That’s the reason he said he made that public statement because he said the integrity of the agency, the FBI, was put at risk, and the Department of Justice, by Loretta Lynch’s action. But remember that she never recused herself from the actual outcome of the proceeding.”</p>
<p>On the Tuesday episode of his radio talk show, Rush Limbaugh focused on the dismissive tone reporters used to ask questions of the government spinners and the Lynch email alias. “It turns out these people are using aliases, fake names so that they would not be discovered,” he said, overstating the meaning of the attorney general’s dummy email. Later in the day, the president himself drew attention to the lawsuits, without naming them.</p>
<p>Separately, the Senate and House Judiciary committees have been carrying out or exploring investigations into different aspects of the 2016 campaign and Clinton’s years at the State Department. In July, before the start of the August recess, the House committee hollowed out a Democratic resolution intended to expand the investigation of former FBI Director James Comey’s firing, and replaced it with one demanding answers about Clinton. On July 26, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, held hearings on the Foreign Agent Registration Act, suggesting that as an aide to Clinton at State, Blumenthal carried out lobbying activity but never registered.</p>
<p>“News articles reported that Mr. Blumenthal transmitted documentation to Secretary Clinton on behalf of the Georgian Dream, a political party in the country of Georgia,” said Grassley. “The Justice Department never explained why it failed to require Mr. Blumenthal and his partner, John Kornblum, to register under FARA.”</p>
<p>In a letter, which he copied to the Washington Post, Blumenthal demanded an apology from Grassley, saying he had never represented Georgia Dream or with Kornblum.</p>
<p>“You have a responsibility to yourself as well to me and to the American public to determine who gave you this false information, encouraged you to make your recent statement and the reason why,” wrote Blumenthal. “In light of current events, it appears to have been instigated as a means to distract and diminish the public attention from the Russian intervention in the presidential election of 2016.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In an emailed statement, Grassley spokesman George Hartmann said that the fault was with Blumenthal for declining to explain himself.</p>
<p>“Senator Grassley has publicly written the Justice Department several times since 2015, citing news reports about Mr. Blumenthal’s alleged activities with respect to foreign interests, and never received any contact from Mr. Blumenthal about it until now, nor any substantive response other than the Justice Department’s noting that its Foreign Agents Registration Act Unit was aware of the news reports,” said Hartmann. “In his letters, and at the recent hearing on the Justice Department’s failure to adequately enforce the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Senator Grassley cited news reports and noted that if Mr. Blumenthal did not have to register, the Justice Department should explain why not in order to be fair to him. Mr. Blumenthal should direct his attention to the news reports and the Justice Department rather than a senator who cited the reports in the context of whether the Justice Department has been as transparent as it should be with the American people’s business.”</p>
<p>Blumenthal’s letter is below</p>
<p>To Senator Charles Grassley:</p>
<p>You owe me an apology for lying about me.</p>
<p>On July 26, 2017, you made a public statement about me that was completely false in every particular.</p>
<p>You stated: “News articles reported that Mr. Blumenthal transmitted documentation to Secretary Clinton on behalf of the Georgian Dream, a political party in the country of Georgia. The Justice Department never explained why it failed to require Mr. Blumenthal and his partner, John Kornblum, to register under FARA.”</p>
<p>In fact, I have never represented Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili or his political party, Georgia Dream, or any other foreign entity, nor rendered them any services. I have had no contact with Mr. Ivanishivili, or his political party Georgia Dream, and made no agreement with anyone, ever, to represent him or his party. I have received no payment or benefit from Mr. Ivanishvili, his political party Georgia Dream, or any other foreign entity for representation or rendering of services covered by the Foreign Agent Registration Act.</p>
<p>Indeed, I have received no payment or benefit from Mr. Ivanishvili or any person I have reason to believe associated with him or his political party, ever. I have made no agreement, written or oral, with any foreign entity, at any time, relating to any matter covered by the Foreign Agent Registration Act.</p>
<p>Nor was John Kornblum my “partner.” We have never had any business or financial relationship of any kind. Ambassador Kornblum is one of the most distinguished diplomats to have served the United States. I first met him in 1986 when he was the U.S. Consul-General in Berlin and I was a reporter for the Washington Post. He played an instrumental role in the creation of President Reagan’s speech calling on the Russians to tear down the Berlin Wall. He also served as the U.S. ambassador to Germany.</p>
<p>I forwarded to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Ambassador Kornblum’s personal observations on the 2012 Georgian election and a letter from Mr. Ivanishvili that Ambassador Kornblum informed me he had already sent to Secretary Clinton. I made a point of writing Secretary Clinton that I was sending them to her “without comment.”</p>
<p>I also included an article from The Economist, reporting on the “blood feud” of “Georgian politics,” that contained negative facts about all sides, including concerning Mr. Ivanishvili. I neither expected a response from Secretary Clinton, nor received one.</p>
<p>Nor were there, as you claimed, any “news stories,” because there are no facts. There can be no “news” without facts. Whatever you may have read could only have been baseless smears.</p>
<p>Thus, there is not a scintilla of evidence for your statement. Nor would it ever be possible to have such evidence because there is none.</p>
<p>Whoever provided you with this false information was harming you and your reputation as well as intending to harm me.</p>
<p>You have a responsibility to yourself as well to me and to the American public to determine who gave you this false information, encouraged you to make your recent statement and the reason why. In light of current events, it appears to have been instigated as a means to distract and diminish the public attention from the Russian intervention in the presidential election of 2016.</p>
<p>I request that you therefore investigate the sources of the false information to determine whether they have been engaged in an attempt to mislead the Congress and obstruct the ongoing investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election.</p>
<p>I look forward to your early reply.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Sidney Blumenthal</p>
| false | 2 |
latest round pressure new investigations began aug 2 4 judicial watch american center law justice released latest fruit federal lawsuit department justice email traffic inside doj june 2016 decision bill clinton walk across tarmac phoenixs sky harbor airport conversation thenattorney general loretta lynch meeting first reported local news station reported told photograph either lynch clinton caused instant scandal despite hasty attempt clinton campaign describe meeting nonpolitical nov 2 six days presidential election aclj chief counsel jay sekulow announced hed suing documents doj fbi claimed freedom information request turned nothing aug 4 sekulow member presidents legal team frequent advocate television reported lawsuit turned hundreds pages emails clear multiple records within fbi responsive request discussions regarding surreptitious meeting ag lynch husband subject ongoing fbi criminal investigation reached highest levels fbi sekulow wrote clear evidence main stream media colluding doj bury story advertisement pattern similar longrunning investigation september 2012 attacks benghazi emails turned redacted talking points evidence public affairs officers doj fbi white house communicating spin story aclj also unmasked email pseudonym lynch sometimes used though thats uncommon highprofile public officials emails obviously discoverable part lawsuits monday night sekulow appeared foxs hannity frequently editorializes need clinton investigations share findings potentially expose version collusion theyre trying cover fact fix hillary clinton didnt want exposed asked sean hannity add investigation matter seems building case yes add also sean basis upon james comey said went public meetings weve got documents said sekulow thats reason said made public statement said integrity agency fbi put risk department justice loretta lynchs action remember never recused actual outcome proceeding tuesday episode radio talk show rush limbaugh focused dismissive tone reporters used ask questions government spinners lynch email alias turns people using aliases fake names would discovered said overstating meaning attorney generals dummy email later day president drew attention lawsuits without naming separately senate house judiciary committees carrying exploring investigations different aspects 2016 campaign clintons years state department july start august recess house committee hollowed democratic resolution intended expand investigation former fbi director james comeys firing replaced one demanding answers clinton july 26 sen charles grassley riowa held hearings foreign agent registration act suggesting aide clinton state blumenthal carried lobbying activity never registered news articles reported mr blumenthal transmitted documentation secretary clinton behalf georgian dream political party country georgia said grassley justice department never explained failed require mr blumenthal partner john kornblum register fara letter copied washington post blumenthal demanded apology grassley saying never represented georgia dream kornblum responsibility well american public determine gave false information encouraged make recent statement reason wrote blumenthal light current events appears instigated means distract diminish public attention russian intervention presidential election 2016 advertisement emailed statement grassley spokesman george hartmann said fault blumenthal declining explain senator grassley publicly written justice department several times since 2015 citing news reports mr blumenthals alleged activities respect foreign interests never received contact mr blumenthal substantive response justice departments noting foreign agents registration act unit aware news reports said hartmann letters recent hearing justice departments failure adequately enforce foreign agents registration act senator grassley cited news reports noted mr blumenthal register justice department explain order fair mr blumenthal direct attention news reports justice department rather senator cited reports context whether justice department transparent american peoples business blumenthals letter senator charles grassley owe apology lying july 26 2017 made public statement completely false every particular stated news articles reported mr blumenthal transmitted documentation secretary clinton behalf georgian dream political party country georgia justice department never explained failed require mr blumenthal partner john kornblum register fara fact never represented mr bidzina ivanishvili political party georgia dream foreign entity rendered services contact mr ivanishivili political party georgia dream made agreement anyone ever represent party received payment benefit mr ivanishvili political party georgia dream foreign entity representation rendering services covered foreign agent registration act indeed received payment benefit mr ivanishvili person reason believe associated political party ever made agreement written oral foreign entity time relating matter covered foreign agent registration act john kornblum partner never business financial relationship kind ambassador kornblum one distinguished diplomats served united states first met 1986 us consulgeneral berlin reporter washington post played instrumental role creation president reagans speech calling russians tear berlin wall also served us ambassador germany forwarded secretary state hillary clinton ambassador kornblums personal observations 2012 georgian election letter mr ivanishvili ambassador kornblum informed already sent secretary clinton made point writing secretary clinton sending without comment also included article economist reporting blood feud georgian politics contained negative facts sides including concerning mr ivanishvili neither expected response secretary clinton received one claimed news stories facts news without facts whatever may read could baseless smears thus scintilla evidence statement would ever possible evidence none whoever provided false information harming reputation well intending harm responsibility well american public determine gave false information encouraged make recent statement reason light current events appears instigated means distract diminish public attention russian intervention presidential election 2016 request therefore investigate sources false information determine whether engaged attempt mislead congress obstruct ongoing investigations russian interference 2016 election look forward early reply sincerely sidney blumenthal
| 837 |
<p>(Reuters) - Uber [UBER.UL] Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said the ride-hailing company’s relationship with former chief Travis Kalanick was “fine but strained”.</p> Dara Khosrowshahi, Chief Executive Officer of Uber Technologies, looks on as he attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 23, 2018. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
<p>Kalanick was pushed out by the company’s board last year amid a litany of regulatory problems, driver and consumer scandals, and court cases.</p>
<p>Khosrowshahi replaced Kalanick in August.</p>
<p>“The relationship with Travis is fine but its strained because obviously there was a lot that happened in the past that wasn’t right and I think the moral compass of the company was not pointed where it needed to be,” Khosrowshahi told CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos on Tuesday.</p>
<p>“While you don’t want to blame individuals, in the end the CEO of the company has to take responsibility.”</p>
<p>Khosrowshahi, however, said that Kalanick has been available as a board member to provide guidance.</p>
<p>Last week, a consortium led by SoftBank Group Corp took a 17.5 percent stake in Uber, mostly by buying shares from early investors and employees at a discounted valuation of $48 billion for the company. [nL1N1PD1WE]</p>
<p>Kalanick sold nearly a third of his 10 percent stake in the ride-services company for about $1.4 billion, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. [nL4N1P01K5]</p>
<p>Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee and Arjun Panchadar in Bengaluru; Editing by Supriya Kurane</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SAN FRANCISCO/LONDON (Reuters) - Opinion polls published on Sunday in the United States and Germany indicated that a majority of the public were losing trust in Facebook over privacy, as the firm ran advertisements in British and U.S. newspapers apologizing to users.</p> FILE PHOTO: Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks on stage during the annual Facebook F8 developers conference in San Jose, California, U.S., April 18, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam
<p>Fewer than half of Americans trust Facebook to obey U.S. privacy laws, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Sunday, while a survey published by Bild am Sonntag, Germany’s largest-selling Sunday paper, found 60 percent of Germans fear that Facebook and other social networks are having a negative impact on democracy.</p>
<p>Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg apologized for “a breach of trust” in advertisements placed in papers including the Observer in Britain and the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal.</p>
<p>“We have a responsibility to protect your information. If we can’t, we don’t deserve it,” said the advertisement, which appeared in plain text on a white background with a tiny Facebook logo.</p>
<p>The world’s largest social media network is coming under growing government scrutiny in Europe and the United States, and is trying to repair its reputation among users, advertisers, lawmakers and investors.</p>
<p>This follows allegations that the British consultancy Cambridge Analytica improperly gained access to users’ information to build profiles of American voters that were later used to help elect U.S. President Donald Trump in 2016.</p>
<p>U.S. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press” on Sunday that Facebook had not been “fully forthcoming” over how Cambridge Analytica had used Facebook data.</p>
<p>Warner repeated calls for Zuckerberg to testify in person before U.S. lawmakers, saying Facebook and other internet companies had been reluctant to confront “the dark underbelly of social media” and how it can be manipulated.</p> “BREACH OF TRUST”
<p>Zuckerberg acknowledged that an app built by a university researcher had “leaked Facebook data of millions of people in 2014”.</p> A figurine is seen in front of the Facebook logo in this illustration taken March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
<p>“This was a breach of trust, and I’m sorry we didn’t do more at the time,” Zuckerberg said, reiterating an apology first made last week in U.S. television interviews.</p>
<p>Facebook shares tumbled 14 percent last week, while the hashtag #DeleteFacebook gained traction online.</p>
<p>The Reuters/Ipsos online poll found that 41 percent of Americans trust Facebook to obey laws that protect their personal information, compared with 66 percent who said they trust Amazon.com Inc, 62 percent who trust Alphabet Inc’s Google, 60 percent for Microsoft Corp.</p>
<p>The poll was conducted from Wednesday through Friday and had 2,237 responses. ( <a href="https://reut.rs/2G9hvrv" type="external">reut.rs/2G9hvrv</a>)</p>
<p>The German poll published by Bild was conducted by Kantar EMNID, a unit of global advertising holding company WPP, using representative polling methods, the firm said. Overall, only 33 percent found social media had a positive effect on democracy, against 60 percent who believed the opposite.</p>
<p>It is too early to say if distrust will cause people to step back from Facebook, eMarketer analyst Debra Williamson said in an interview. Customers of banks or other industries do not necessarily quit after losing faith, she said.</p>
<p>“It’s psychologically harder to let go of a platform like Facebook that’s become pretty well ingrained into people’s lives,” she said.</p>
<p>Data supplied to Reuters by the Israeli firm SimilarWeb, which measures global online audiences, indicated that Facebook usage in major markets and worldwide remained steady over the past week.</p>
<p>“Desktop, mobile and app usage has remained steady and well within the expected range,” said Gitit Greenberg, SimilarWeb’s director of market insights. “It is important to separate frustration from actual tangible impacts to Facebook usage.”</p>
<p>Additional reporting by William James in London, Dustin Volz in Washington D.C. and Chris Kahn in New Editing by Kevin Liffey</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - The head of Alphabet Inc’s autonomous driving unit, Waymo, said on Saturday that the company’s technology would have safely handled the situation confronting an Uber self-driving vehicle last week when it struck a pedestrian, killing her.</p> FILE PHOTO: John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo, speaks during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., January 8, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
<p>Waymo CEO John Krafcik told auto dealers at a gathering of the National Automobile Dealers Association in Las Vegas that the company was well on its way to its goal of decreasing motor vehicle fatalities.</p>
<p>“At Waymo, we have a lot of confidence that our technology would be able to handle a situation like that,” Krafcik said, referring to a scenario in which a pedestrian crosses the street at night.</p>
<p>The fatal collision on March 18 in Tempe, Arizona, has raised questions about the safety of autonomous technology in general, and of Uber’s system specifically, of which few details are known.</p> FILE PHOTO: A Waymo self-driving vehicle is parked outside the Alphabet company's offices where its been testing autonomous vehicles in Chandler, Arizona, U.S., March 21, 2018. REUTERS/Heather Somerville/File Photo
<p>An investigation by police and federal safety regulators is ongoing into the accident, in which an Uber test vehicle driving in autonomous mode hit a pedestrian at night as she was walking across a four-lane roadway with her bike.</p>
<p>Having worked on self-driving cars since 2009 and with 5 million miles (8 million km) driven on public roads under its belt, Waymo is generally considered to be ahead of rivals in the development of autonomous vehicle technology.</p>
<p>The company plans to roll out a service for passengers in coming months in the Phoenix area offering rides in a fully self-driving Waymo car with no driver, with plans to subsequently roll out the program more widely.</p>
<p>Companies developing self-driving technology, which also include General Motors Co, Toyota Motor Corp and a host of startups, are waiting to see whether fall-out from the accident leads to new restrictions on the relatively unregulated sector.</p>
<p>Writing By Alexandria Sage; Editing by Sandra Maler</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>MUMBAI (Reuters) - Allegations that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official mobile applicati <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com" type="external">here</a>.narendramodiapp&amp;hl=en was sending personal user data to a third party without their consent caused a furor on social media in India and drew criticism from the leader of the main opposition party on Sunday.</p> FILE PHOTO: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with the media inside the parliament premises on the first day of the budget session, in New Delhi, India, January 29, 2018. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File photo
<p>Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party denied <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India/status/977811651989680128" type="external">here</a> the allegations and said the data was being used only for analytics to offer all users the "most contextual content".</p>
<p>A security researcher, who has previously highlighted some vulnerabilities in India's national identity card project and who tweets under the pseudonym Elliot Alderson, posted <a href="https://twitter.com/fs0c131y/status/977267255309463554" type="external">here</a> a series of tweets on Saturday stating the app was sending personal user data to a third-party domain that was traced to an American company.</p>
<p>The tweets, which come at a time of heightened sensitivity around the alleged misuse of personal data amid the unfolding Facebook-Cambridge Analytica controversy <a href="" type="internal">here</a>, triggered a stir in India on social media.</p>
<p>"Hi! My name is Narendra Modi. I am India's Prime Minister. When you sign up for my official App, I give all your data to my friends in American companies," wrote <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/977778259810226177" type="external">here</a> opposition Congress Party Chief Rahul Gandhi in a Twitter message on Sunday.</p>
<p>The BJP quickly responded on Twitter, saying Gandhi was trying to divert attention. The BJP has accused the Congress of engaging Cambridge Analytica in India, a charge the opposition party has denied.</p>
<p>Alderson, who initially pointed out that the Narendra Modi app was sharing data with a third party without the consent of users, earlier on Sunday posted a new tweet saying the app had "quietly" updated <a href="https://twitter.com/fs0c131y/status/977847395743617024" type="external">here</a> its privacy policy after his previous tweets.</p>
<p>Reuters could not independently verify Alderson’s claim.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Modi has not commented on the issue.</p>
<p>BJP said the app - which has seen about 5 million downloads on the Google Android Play Store - allows users access even in a guest mode that does not require them to grant any permissions.</p>
<p>“The permissions required are all ... cause-specific,” the BJP tweeted.</p>
<p>Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy; Editing by Euan Rocha and David Evans</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Fewer than half of Americans trust Facebook ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=FB.O" type="external">FB.O</a>) to obey U.S. privacy laws, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Sunday, illustrating the challenge facing the social media network after a scandal over its handling of personal information.</p>
<p>The poll, taken Wednesday through Friday, also found that fewer Americans trust Facebook than other tech companies that gather user data, such as Apple Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AAPL.O" type="external">AAPL.O</a>), Alphabet Inc’s Google ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GOOGL.O" type="external">GOOGL.O</a>), Amazon.com Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AMZN.O" type="external">AMZN.O</a>), Microsoft Corp ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=MSFT.O" type="external">MSFT.O</a>) and Yahoo.</p>
<p>Some 41 percent of Americans trust Facebook to obey laws that protect their personal information, compared with 66 percent who said they trust Amazon, 62 percent who trust Google, 60 percent for Microsoft and 47 percent for Yahoo.</p>
<p>The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English throughout the United States. It gathered responses from 2,237 people and has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 2 percentage points. (Graphic: <a href="https://tmsnrt.rs/2pA8DoG" type="external">tmsnrt.rs/2pA8DoG</a>)</p>
<p>Facebook, the world's largest social media firm, has been offering apologies as it tries to repair its reputation among users, advertisers, lawmakers and investors for mistakes that let 50 million users' data get into the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. (Graphic: Poll data - <a href="https://tmsnrt.rs/2pFHBfN" type="external">tmsnrt.rs/2pFHBfN</a>)</p>
<p>Facebook shares tumbled 14 percent last week, while the hashtag #DeleteFacebook gained traction online and the company’s chief executive officer, Mark Zuckerberg, faced demands that he appear before U.S. lawmakers to testify in a hearing.</p>
<p>Zuckerberg and Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, said last week that shoring up trust was their priority. “We know this is an issue of trust. We know this is a critical moment for our company,” Sandberg told CNBC on Thursday.</p>
<p>It is too early to say if distrust will cause people to step back from Facebook, eMarketer analyst Debra Williamson said. Customers of banks or other industries do not necessarily quit after losing faith, she said.</p>
<p>“It’s psychologically harder to let go of a platform like Facebook that’s become pretty well ingrained into people’s lives,” she said.</p>
<p>One reason that Facebook and other internet companies collect personal information from users is to deliver advertisements for products and services to people who are most likely to want them.</p> FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed Facebook Like symbol is displayed inverted in front of a U.S. flag in this illustration taken, March 18, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
<p>Facebook, with more than 2 billion monthly active users, made almost all its $40.6 billion in revenue last year from advertising.</p>
<p>The poll found that many people take a dim view of those “targeted” advertisements.</p>
<p>Some 63 percent said they would like to see “less targeted advertising” in the future, while 9 percent said they wanted more. When asked to compare them with traditional forms of advertising, 41 percent said targeted ads are “worse” while 21 percent said they are “better.”</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=FB.O" type="external">Facebook Inc</a> 159.39 FB.O Nasdaq -5.50 (-3.34%) FB.O AAPL.O GOOGL.O AMZN.O MSFT.O
<p>“I think they make a lot of assumptions that are not true,” poll respondent Maria Curran, 56, who lives near Manchester, New Hampshire, said in a follow-up interview.</p>
<p>“It’s like if I show an interest in healthy eating, all of a sudden all of the ads are about weight control and exercise and how to lose weight. I just get inundated,” she said.</p>
<p>Curran said she knows online retailer Amazon.com also collects her information for targeted marketing, but that it is less annoying because it is a shopping site, not a place for personal conversations.</p>
<p>Another poll respondent, Kamaal Greene, 26, said he likes targeted ads better than traditional ones because they provide a service, steering him to products he wants.</p>
<p>“A while ago I was looking for a special kind of glove for my job,” said Greene, a firefighter from Detroit.</p>
<p>“I put it in my Amazon cart and forgot about it. Then, later, the ad popped up on ... Facebook, and I was like ‘oh shoot.’ It reminded me and I clicked on it and bought it.”</p>
<p>A plurality of adults said they would like the government to take a bigger role in overseeing the industry’s handling of user information. According to the poll, 46 percent of adults said they want more government regulation, while 17 percent said they want less. Another 20 percent said they wanted no change, and the remaining 18 percent said they did not know.</p>
<p>Reporting by Chris Kahn in New York and David Ingram in San Francisco; Editing by Leslie Adler</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
reuters uber uberul chief executive dara khosrowshahi said ridehailing companys relationship former chief travis kalanick fine strained dara khosrowshahi chief executive officer uber technologies looks attends world economic forum wef annual meeting davos switzerland january 23 2018 reutersdenis balibouse kalanick pushed companys board last year amid litany regulatory problems driver consumer scandals court cases khosrowshahi replaced kalanick august relationship travis fine strained obviously lot happened past wasnt right think moral compass company pointed needed khosrowshahi told cnbc sidelines world economic forum meeting davos tuesday dont want blame individuals end ceo company take responsibility khosrowshahi however said kalanick available board member provide guidance last week consortium led softbank group corp took 175 percent stake uber mostly buying shares early investors employees discounted valuation 48 billion company nl1n1pd1we kalanick sold nearly third 10 percent stake rideservices company 14 billion person familiar matter told reuters nl4n1p01k5 reporting supantha mukherjee arjun panchadar bengaluru editing supriya kurane standards thomson reuters trust principles san franciscolondon reuters opinion polls published sunday united states germany indicated majority public losing trust facebook privacy firm ran advertisements british us newspapers apologizing users file photo facebook founder ceo mark zuckerberg speaks stage annual facebook f8 developers conference san jose california us april 18 2017 reutersstephen lam fewer half americans trust facebook obey us privacy laws according reutersipsos poll released sunday survey published bild sonntag germanys largestselling sunday paper found 60 percent germans fear facebook social networks negative impact democracy facebook founder chief executive mark zuckerberg apologized breach trust advertisements placed papers including observer britain new york times washington post wall street journal responsibility protect information cant dont deserve said advertisement appeared plain text white background tiny facebook logo worlds largest social media network coming growing government scrutiny europe united states trying repair reputation among users advertisers lawmakers investors follows allegations british consultancy cambridge analytica improperly gained access users information build profiles american voters later used help elect us president donald trump 2016 us senator mark warner top democrat senate intelligence committee said interview nbcs meet press sunday facebook fully forthcoming cambridge analytica used facebook data warner repeated calls zuckerberg testify person us lawmakers saying facebook internet companies reluctant confront dark underbelly social media manipulated breach trust zuckerberg acknowledged app built university researcher leaked facebook data millions people 2014 figurine seen front facebook logo illustration taken march 20 2018 reutersdado ruvic breach trust im sorry didnt time zuckerberg said reiterating apology first made last week us television interviews facebook shares tumbled 14 percent last week hashtag deletefacebook gained traction online reutersipsos online poll found 41 percent americans trust facebook obey laws protect personal information compared 66 percent said trust amazoncom inc 62 percent trust alphabet incs google 60 percent microsoft corp poll conducted wednesday friday 2237 responses reutrs2g9hvrv german poll published bild conducted kantar emnid unit global advertising holding company wpp using representative polling methods firm said overall 33 percent found social media positive effect democracy 60 percent believed opposite early say distrust cause people step back facebook emarketer analyst debra williamson said interview customers banks industries necessarily quit losing faith said psychologically harder let go platform like facebook thats become pretty well ingrained peoples lives said data supplied reuters israeli firm similarweb measures global online audiences indicated facebook usage major markets worldwide remained steady past week desktop mobile app usage remained steady well within expected range said gitit greenberg similarwebs director market insights important separate frustration actual tangible impacts facebook usage additional reporting william james london dustin volz washington dc chris kahn new editing kevin liffey standards thomson reuters trust principles las vegas reuters head alphabet incs autonomous driving unit waymo said saturday companys technology would safely handled situation confronting uber selfdriving vehicle last week struck pedestrian killing file photo john krafcik ceo waymo speaks north american international auto show detroit michigan us january 8 2017 reutersbrendan mcdermidfile photo waymo ceo john krafcik told auto dealers gathering national automobile dealers association las vegas company well way goal decreasing motor vehicle fatalities waymo lot confidence technology would able handle situation like krafcik said referring scenario pedestrian crosses street night fatal collision march 18 tempe arizona raised questions safety autonomous technology general ubers system specifically details known file photo waymo selfdriving vehicle parked outside alphabet companys offices testing autonomous vehicles chandler arizona us march 21 2018 reutersheather somervillefile photo investigation police federal safety regulators ongoing accident uber test vehicle driving autonomous mode hit pedestrian night walking across fourlane roadway bike worked selfdriving cars since 2009 5 million miles 8 million km driven public roads belt waymo generally considered ahead rivals development autonomous vehicle technology company plans roll service passengers coming months phoenix area offering rides fully selfdriving waymo car driver plans subsequently roll program widely companies developing selfdriving technology also include general motors co toyota motor corp host startups waiting see whether fallout accident leads new restrictions relatively unregulated sector writing alexandria sage editing sandra maler standards thomson reuters trust principles mumbai reuters allegations indian prime minister narendra modis official mobile applicati herenarendramodiappamphlen sending personal user data third party without consent caused furor social media india drew criticism leader main opposition party sunday file photo indias prime minister narendra modi speaks media inside parliament premises first day budget session new delhi india january 29 2018 reutersadnan abidifile photo modis ruling bharatiya janata party denied allegations said data used analytics offer users contextual content security researcher previously highlighted vulnerabilities indias national identity card project tweets pseudonym elliot alderson posted series tweets saturday stating app sending personal user data thirdparty domain traced american company tweets come time heightened sensitivity around alleged misuse personal data amid unfolding facebookcambridge analytica controversy triggered stir india social media hi name narendra modi indias prime minister sign official app give data friends american companies wrote opposition congress party chief rahul gandhi twitter message sunday bjp quickly responded twitter saying gandhi trying divert attention bjp accused congress engaging cambridge analytica india charge opposition party denied alderson initially pointed narendra modi app sharing data third party without consent users earlier sunday posted new tweet saying app quietly updated privacy policy previous tweets reuters could independently verify aldersons claim prime minister modi commented issue bjp said app seen 5 million downloads google android play store allows users access even guest mode require grant permissions permissions required causespecific bjp tweeted reporting devidutta tripathy editing euan rocha david evans standards thomson reuters trust principles new yorksan francisco reuters fewer half americans trust facebook fbo obey us privacy laws according reutersipsos poll released sunday illustrating challenge facing social media network scandal handling personal information poll taken wednesday friday also found fewer americans trust facebook tech companies gather user data apple inc aaplo alphabet incs google googlo amazoncom inc amzno microsoft corp msfto yahoo 41 percent americans trust facebook obey laws protect personal information compared 66 percent said trust amazon 62 percent trust google 60 percent microsoft 47 percent yahoo reutersipsos poll conducted online english throughout united states gathered responses 2237 people credibility interval measure accuracy 2 percentage points graphic tmsnrtrs2pa8dog facebook worlds largest social media firm offering apologies tries repair reputation among users advertisers lawmakers investors mistakes let 50 million users data get hands political consultancy cambridge analytica graphic poll data tmsnrtrs2pfhbfn facebook shares tumbled 14 percent last week hashtag deletefacebook gained traction online companys chief executive officer mark zuckerberg faced demands appear us lawmakers testify hearing zuckerberg facebooks chief operating officer sheryl sandberg said last week shoring trust priority know issue trust know critical moment company sandberg told cnbc thursday early say distrust cause people step back facebook emarketer analyst debra williamson said customers banks industries necessarily quit losing faith said psychologically harder let go platform like facebook thats become pretty well ingrained peoples lives said one reason facebook internet companies collect personal information users deliver advertisements products services people likely want file photo 3dprinted facebook like symbol displayed inverted front us flag illustration taken march 18 2018 reutersdado ruvicillustration facebook 2 billion monthly active users made almost 406 billion revenue last year advertising poll found many people take dim view targeted advertisements 63 percent said would like see less targeted advertising future 9 percent said wanted asked compare traditional forms advertising 41 percent said targeted ads worse 21 percent said better facebook inc 15939 fbo nasdaq 550 334 fbo aaplo googlo amzno msfto think make lot assumptions true poll respondent maria curran 56 lives near manchester new hampshire said followup interview like show interest healthy eating sudden ads weight control exercise lose weight get inundated said curran said knows online retailer amazoncom also collects information targeted marketing less annoying shopping site place personal conversations another poll respondent kamaal greene 26 said likes targeted ads better traditional ones provide service steering products wants ago looking special kind glove job said greene firefighter detroit put amazon cart forgot later ad popped facebook like oh shoot reminded clicked bought plurality adults said would like government take bigger role overseeing industrys handling user information according poll 46 percent adults said want government regulation 17 percent said want less another 20 percent said wanted change remaining 18 percent said know reporting chris kahn new york david ingram san francisco editing leslie adler standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,528 |
<p>Abingdon 82, Lee High 37</p>
<p>Armstrong 48, Lee-Davis 28</p>
<p>Bishop Ireton 50, Bishop McNamara, Md. 48</p>
<p>Bishop O’Connell 62, Holy Cross, Md. 45</p>
<p>Blacksburg 45, Cave Spring 40</p>
<p>Broad Run 60, Potomac Falls 49</p>
<p>Brunswick Academy 55, Richmond Christian 30</p>
<p>Bruton 62, Grafton 31</p>
<p>Cape Henry Collegiate 47, Walsingham Academy 19</p>
<p>Caroline 53, Spotsylvania 51, OT</p>
<p>Central Wise 56, Gate City 46</p>
<p>Charlottesville 46, Louisa 35</p>
<p>Chatham 46, Appomattox 41</p>
<p>Collegiate-Richmond 57, St. Margaret’s 19</p>
<p>Culpeper 41, Skyline 29</p>
<p>Eastside 70, J.I. Burton 64</p>
<p>Faith Christian-Roanoke 55, Roanoke Catholic 51</p>
<p>Flint Hill 47, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Md. 39</p>
<p>Fluvanna 31, Monticello 29</p>
<p>Fort Defiance 56, Turner Ashby 30</p>
<p>Freedom (South Riding) 62, Briar Woods 27</p>
<p>Galax 54, Grayson County 24</p>
<p>George Wythe-Wytheville 63, Bland County 25</p>
<p>Glen Allen 55, J.R. Tucker 54</p>
<p>Goochland 38, Buckingham County 32</p>
<p>Grace Christian 60, Mt. Carmel Christian 29</p>
<p>Green Run 79, Bishop Sullivan 22</p>
<p>Grundy 56, Twin Valley 42</p>
<p>Herndon 46, Yorktown 39</p>
<p>Highland-Warrenton 71, Fredericksburg Academy 27</p>
<p>Honaker 52, Patrick Henry-Glade Spring 47</p>
<p>James River-Midlothian 67, George Wythe-Richmond 18</p>
<p>King George 79, Eastern View 24</p>
<p>Landstown 64, Frank Cox 19</p>
<p>Lebanon 66, Tazewell 35</p>
<p>Loudoun County 59, Dominion 21</p>
<p>Loudoun Valley 69, Riverside 54</p>
<p>Marion 49, Richlands 47</p>
<p>Martinsville 43, Bassett 31</p>
<p>Millbrook 68, Fauquier 23</p>
<p>Monacan 53, Midlothian 38</p>
<p>Narrows 63, Bath County 29</p>
<p>Norcom 89, Booker T. Washington 9</p>
<p>Norfolk Academy 49, Greenbrier Christian 20</p>
<p>Norfolk Christian 56, Hampton Roads 23</p>
<p>Norfolk Collegiate 45, Isle of Wight Academy 30</p>
<p>Ocean Lakes 46, Kellam 41</p>
<p>Parry McCluer 84, Highland-Monterey 19</p>
<p>Patrick County 41, Franklin County 32</p>
<p>Patrick Henry-Roanoke 76, Hidden Valley 64</p>
<p>Paul VI 83, St. Mary’s Ryken, Md. 48</p>
<p>Potomac School 70, St. Stephens-St. Agnes 61</p>
<p>R.E. Lee-Staunton 52, Luray 12</p>
<p>Rock Ridge 37, John Champe 29</p>
<p>Salem 34, Christiansburg 2</p>
<p>Seton School 44, St. John Paul the Great 33</p>
<p>Sherando 41, Liberty-Bealeton 32</p>
<p>Sidwell Friends, D.C. 55, Episcopal 46</p>
<p>South County 54, W.T. Woodson 42</p>
<p>Spotswood 70, Rockbridge County 15</p>
<p>St. Annes-Belfield 62, Trinity Episcopal 53</p>
<p>St. Catherine’s 55, St. Gertrude 31</p>
<p>Stuart Hall 58, United Christian Academy 18</p>
<p>Tuscarora 60, Stone Bridge 50</p>
<p>Veritas Christian Academy 63, Christchurch 14</p>
<p>Western Albemarle 35, Powhatan 30</p>
<p>Woodbridge 61, Potomac 19</p>
<p>Woodstock Central 35, Madison County 22</p>
<p>Abingdon 82, Lee High 37</p>
<p>Armstrong 48, Lee-Davis 28</p>
<p>Bishop Ireton 50, Bishop McNamara, Md. 48</p>
<p>Bishop O’Connell 62, Holy Cross, Md. 45</p>
<p>Blacksburg 45, Cave Spring 40</p>
<p>Broad Run 60, Potomac Falls 49</p>
<p>Brunswick Academy 55, Richmond Christian 30</p>
<p>Bruton 62, Grafton 31</p>
<p>Cape Henry Collegiate 47, Walsingham Academy 19</p>
<p>Caroline 53, Spotsylvania 51, OT</p>
<p>Central Wise 56, Gate City 46</p>
<p>Charlottesville 46, Louisa 35</p>
<p>Chatham 46, Appomattox 41</p>
<p>Collegiate-Richmond 57, St. Margaret’s 19</p>
<p>Culpeper 41, Skyline 29</p>
<p>Eastside 70, J.I. Burton 64</p>
<p>Faith Christian-Roanoke 55, Roanoke Catholic 51</p>
<p>Flint Hill 47, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Md. 39</p>
<p>Fluvanna 31, Monticello 29</p>
<p>Fort Defiance 56, Turner Ashby 30</p>
<p>Freedom (South Riding) 62, Briar Woods 27</p>
<p>Galax 54, Grayson County 24</p>
<p>George Wythe-Wytheville 63, Bland County 25</p>
<p>Glen Allen 55, J.R. Tucker 54</p>
<p>Goochland 38, Buckingham County 32</p>
<p>Grace Christian 60, Mt. Carmel Christian 29</p>
<p>Green Run 79, Bishop Sullivan 22</p>
<p>Grundy 56, Twin Valley 42</p>
<p>Herndon 46, Yorktown 39</p>
<p>Highland-Warrenton 71, Fredericksburg Academy 27</p>
<p>Honaker 52, Patrick Henry-Glade Spring 47</p>
<p>James River-Midlothian 67, George Wythe-Richmond 18</p>
<p>King George 79, Eastern View 24</p>
<p>Landstown 64, Frank Cox 19</p>
<p>Lebanon 66, Tazewell 35</p>
<p>Loudoun County 59, Dominion 21</p>
<p>Loudoun Valley 69, Riverside 54</p>
<p>Marion 49, Richlands 47</p>
<p>Martinsville 43, Bassett 31</p>
<p>Millbrook 68, Fauquier 23</p>
<p>Monacan 53, Midlothian 38</p>
<p>Narrows 63, Bath County 29</p>
<p>Norcom 89, Booker T. Washington 9</p>
<p>Norfolk Academy 49, Greenbrier Christian 20</p>
<p>Norfolk Christian 56, Hampton Roads 23</p>
<p>Norfolk Collegiate 45, Isle of Wight Academy 30</p>
<p>Ocean Lakes 46, Kellam 41</p>
<p>Parry McCluer 84, Highland-Monterey 19</p>
<p>Patrick County 41, Franklin County 32</p>
<p>Patrick Henry-Roanoke 76, Hidden Valley 64</p>
<p>Paul VI 83, St. Mary’s Ryken, Md. 48</p>
<p>Potomac School 70, St. Stephens-St. Agnes 61</p>
<p>R.E. Lee-Staunton 52, Luray 12</p>
<p>Rock Ridge 37, John Champe 29</p>
<p>Salem 34, Christiansburg 2</p>
<p>Seton School 44, St. John Paul the Great 33</p>
<p>Sherando 41, Liberty-Bealeton 32</p>
<p>Sidwell Friends, D.C. 55, Episcopal 46</p>
<p>South County 54, W.T. Woodson 42</p>
<p>Spotswood 70, Rockbridge County 15</p>
<p>St. Annes-Belfield 62, Trinity Episcopal 53</p>
<p>St. Catherine’s 55, St. Gertrude 31</p>
<p>Stuart Hall 58, United Christian Academy 18</p>
<p>Tuscarora 60, Stone Bridge 50</p>
<p>Veritas Christian Academy 63, Christchurch 14</p>
<p>Western Albemarle 35, Powhatan 30</p>
<p>Woodbridge 61, Potomac 19</p>
<p>Woodstock Central 35, Madison County 22</p>
| false | 2 |
abingdon 82 lee high 37 armstrong 48 leedavis 28 bishop ireton 50 bishop mcnamara md 48 bishop oconnell 62 holy cross md 45 blacksburg 45 cave spring 40 broad run 60 potomac falls 49 brunswick academy 55 richmond christian 30 bruton 62 grafton 31 cape henry collegiate 47 walsingham academy 19 caroline 53 spotsylvania 51 ot central wise 56 gate city 46 charlottesville 46 louisa 35 chatham 46 appomattox 41 collegiaterichmond 57 st margarets 19 culpeper 41 skyline 29 eastside 70 ji burton 64 faith christianroanoke 55 roanoke catholic 51 flint hill 47 stone ridge school sacred heart md 39 fluvanna 31 monticello 29 fort defiance 56 turner ashby 30 freedom south riding 62 briar woods 27 galax 54 grayson county 24 george wythewytheville 63 bland county 25 glen allen 55 jr tucker 54 goochland 38 buckingham county 32 grace christian 60 mt carmel christian 29 green run 79 bishop sullivan 22 grundy 56 twin valley 42 herndon 46 yorktown 39 highlandwarrenton 71 fredericksburg academy 27 honaker 52 patrick henryglade spring 47 james rivermidlothian 67 george wytherichmond 18 king george 79 eastern view 24 landstown 64 frank cox 19 lebanon 66 tazewell 35 loudoun county 59 dominion 21 loudoun valley 69 riverside 54 marion 49 richlands 47 martinsville 43 bassett 31 millbrook 68 fauquier 23 monacan 53 midlothian 38 narrows 63 bath county 29 norcom 89 booker washington 9 norfolk academy 49 greenbrier christian 20 norfolk christian 56 hampton roads 23 norfolk collegiate 45 isle wight academy 30 ocean lakes 46 kellam 41 parry mccluer 84 highlandmonterey 19 patrick county 41 franklin county 32 patrick henryroanoke 76 hidden valley 64 paul vi 83 st marys ryken md 48 potomac school 70 st stephensst agnes 61 leestaunton 52 luray 12 rock ridge 37 john champe 29 salem 34 christiansburg 2 seton school 44 st john paul great 33 sherando 41 libertybealeton 32 sidwell friends dc 55 episcopal 46 south county 54 wt woodson 42 spotswood 70 rockbridge county 15 st annesbelfield 62 trinity episcopal 53 st catherines 55 st gertrude 31 stuart hall 58 united christian academy 18 tuscarora 60 stone bridge 50 veritas christian academy 63 christchurch 14 western albemarle 35 powhatan 30 woodbridge 61 potomac 19 woodstock central 35 madison county 22 abingdon 82 lee high 37 armstrong 48 leedavis 28 bishop ireton 50 bishop mcnamara md 48 bishop oconnell 62 holy cross md 45 blacksburg 45 cave spring 40 broad run 60 potomac falls 49 brunswick academy 55 richmond christian 30 bruton 62 grafton 31 cape henry collegiate 47 walsingham academy 19 caroline 53 spotsylvania 51 ot central wise 56 gate city 46 charlottesville 46 louisa 35 chatham 46 appomattox 41 collegiaterichmond 57 st margarets 19 culpeper 41 skyline 29 eastside 70 ji burton 64 faith christianroanoke 55 roanoke catholic 51 flint hill 47 stone ridge school sacred heart md 39 fluvanna 31 monticello 29 fort defiance 56 turner ashby 30 freedom south riding 62 briar woods 27 galax 54 grayson county 24 george wythewytheville 63 bland county 25 glen allen 55 jr tucker 54 goochland 38 buckingham county 32 grace christian 60 mt carmel christian 29 green run 79 bishop sullivan 22 grundy 56 twin valley 42 herndon 46 yorktown 39 highlandwarrenton 71 fredericksburg academy 27 honaker 52 patrick henryglade spring 47 james rivermidlothian 67 george wytherichmond 18 king george 79 eastern view 24 landstown 64 frank cox 19 lebanon 66 tazewell 35 loudoun county 59 dominion 21 loudoun valley 69 riverside 54 marion 49 richlands 47 martinsville 43 bassett 31 millbrook 68 fauquier 23 monacan 53 midlothian 38 narrows 63 bath county 29 norcom 89 booker washington 9 norfolk academy 49 greenbrier christian 20 norfolk christian 56 hampton roads 23 norfolk collegiate 45 isle wight academy 30 ocean lakes 46 kellam 41 parry mccluer 84 highlandmonterey 19 patrick county 41 franklin county 32 patrick henryroanoke 76 hidden valley 64 paul vi 83 st marys ryken md 48 potomac school 70 st stephensst agnes 61 leestaunton 52 luray 12 rock ridge 37 john champe 29 salem 34 christiansburg 2 seton school 44 st john paul great 33 sherando 41 libertybealeton 32 sidwell friends dc 55 episcopal 46 south county 54 wt woodson 42 spotswood 70 rockbridge county 15 st annesbelfield 62 trinity episcopal 53 st catherines 55 st gertrude 31 stuart hall 58 united christian academy 18 tuscarora 60 stone bridge 50 veritas christian academy 63 christchurch 14 western albemarle 35 powhatan 30 woodbridge 61 potomac 19 woodstock central 35 madison county 22
| 746 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The case, known as Lola v. Skadden, Arps, raised a narrow issue of employment law with broad implications for the workplace of the future. David Lola, a member of the California bar, was hired by Tower Legal Staffing, a New York company, at $25 an hour to review documents for Skadden, Arps, a multicity law firm organized under Delaware law. The document review pertained to Ohio litigation, but Lola did his work at a computer monitor situated in North Carolina.</p>
<p>"Document review" is the often-tedious but essential legal work of examining materials exchanged between the parties during the stage of litigation known as discovery. A law firm will scrutinize documents from its own client to hold back everything exempt from disclosure, and then comb through everything received from the other side in the search for useful evidence, ideally in the form of smoking guns.</p>
<p>In the old days, back in the ancient analogue age now nearly lost to the mists of time - the 1990s and before - documents were pieces of paper delivered in boxes. In large-scale litigation, the boxes were mostly filled with useless stuff, the valuable items hidden needle-and-haystack style. Nowadays the haystacks have mostly been digitized, and instead of pawing through boxes of dusty papers, the unfortunate lawyers assigned the task of document review sit at computers for hours and hours.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>And hours. Lola alleged in his lawsuit that he regularly worked 45-55 hours a week. His work consisted, he said, solely of looking through endless scanned pages for certain words or phrases, assigning the documents to predetermined categories, and occasionally blacking out passages (what lawyers call redacting) based on rigid rules. In short, his workplace wasn't so much in North Carolina as an outer suburb of hell.</p>
<p>Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, most employees are entitled to overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours a week. But the act contains exceptions for professionals, including lawyers engaged in the practice of law. When Lola sued his employers for overtime pay under the FLSA, they naturally pointed to the exception, arguing that when a licensed lawyer does law-related work on a pending case, he is practicing law, pretty much by definition. The trial judge agreed, dismissing Lola's lawsuit.</p>
<p>On appeal to the 2nd Circuit, which is the federal appeals court for New York, Lola contended that the kind of document review he performed required no exercise of legal judgment. He did everything by rote, like a computer repeatedly executing the same few lines of code. And that, he said, doesn't count as practicing law.</p>
<p>The 2nd Circuit agreed with Lola, holding that "an individual who, in the course of reviewing discovery documents, undertakes tasks that could otherwise be performed entirely by a machine cannot be said to engage in the practice of law." It sent the case back to the trial court to determine whether Lola's work truly met that description.</p>
<p>In the early 19th century, butchering was a skilled profession. A man with the right training and tools could slaughter a hog and reduce it to dressed meat in the course of a day. But then the great Chicago meat-packing plants invented the "disassembly line" that anticipated by decades Ford's better-known assembly line. By reducing butchering to a series of chops repeated without variation by a series of unskilled laborers on carcasses swinging by on endless chains, the slaughterhouses reduced the time required to butcher an animal to 25 minutes. The Chicago historian Dominic A. Pacyga uses the verb "deskill" to describe what the plant managers did to butchering.</p>
<p>The gist of the 2nd Circuit's opinion in Lola's case is that digitized discovery is "deskilling" document review, reducing it to a sequence of endlessly repeated simple tasks. Although Lola settled before trial, the legal principle he established might readily be applied to other professions, too. The potential is already suggested by the current debate about the "McDonaldization" of medicine, for instance. The professional exception to overtime is no longer entirely automatic.</p>
<p>The case also raises intriguing questions about our state-by-state system for licensing professionals. If Lola was practicing law, where was he doing it? Not in California, where he was licensed. But in North Carolina, where his monitor was located? Or in Ohio, forum of the litigation? Or in New York or Delaware, where his bosses were based?</p>
<p>Before picking North Carolina, consider a D.C. lawyer who logs into the firm's computer system from his or her home across the Potomac. I don't think anyone would consider that practicing law in Virginia, but the difference from Lola's situation seems a matter of degree rather than kind.</p>
<p>These questions matter, not only for reasons of professional regulation and discipline, but because practicing law without a license is a punishable offense most everywhere. If Lola's employers had proven he was practicing law in North Carolina, and therefore ineligible for overtime pay, they would seemingly have proven their complicity in a conspiracy to violate the state's licensing requirements. It's not hard to imagine similar issues arising in other professions, too.</p>
<p>Finally, who was Lola's employer? The staffing agency that paid him or the law firm that told him what to do? Under the labor law doctrine of joint employment, the answer might well have been "both." Using a staffing agency or subcontractor doesn't necessarily shield a company from wage claims.</p>
<p>Joel Jacobsen is an author and has recently retired from a 29-year legal career If there are topics you would like to see covered in future columns, please write him at [email protected]</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
| false | 2 |
case known lola v skadden arps raised narrow issue employment law broad implications workplace future david lola member california bar hired tower legal staffing new york company 25 hour review documents skadden arps multicity law firm organized delaware law document review pertained ohio litigation lola work computer monitor situated north carolina document review oftentedious essential legal work examining materials exchanged parties stage litigation known discovery law firm scrutinize documents client hold back everything exempt disclosure comb everything received side search useful evidence ideally form smoking guns old days back ancient analogue age nearly lost mists time 1990s documents pieces paper delivered boxes largescale litigation boxes mostly filled useless stuff valuable items hidden needleandhaystack style nowadays haystacks mostly digitized instead pawing boxes dusty papers unfortunate lawyers assigned task document review sit computers hours hours advertisement hours lola alleged lawsuit regularly worked 4555 hours week work consisted said solely looking endless scanned pages certain words phrases assigning documents predetermined categories occasionally blacking passages lawyers call redacting based rigid rules short workplace wasnt much north carolina outer suburb hell federal fair labor standards act employees entitled overtime pay work 40 hours week act contains exceptions professionals including lawyers engaged practice law lola sued employers overtime pay flsa naturally pointed exception arguing licensed lawyer lawrelated work pending case practicing law pretty much definition trial judge agreed dismissing lolas lawsuit appeal 2nd circuit federal appeals court new york lola contended kind document review performed required exercise legal judgment everything rote like computer repeatedly executing lines code said doesnt count practicing law 2nd circuit agreed lola holding individual course reviewing discovery documents undertakes tasks could otherwise performed entirely machine said engage practice law sent case back trial court determine whether lolas work truly met description early 19th century butchering skilled profession man right training tools could slaughter hog reduce dressed meat course day great chicago meatpacking plants invented disassembly line anticipated decades fords betterknown assembly line reducing butchering series chops repeated without variation series unskilled laborers carcasses swinging endless chains slaughterhouses reduced time required butcher animal 25 minutes chicago historian dominic pacyga uses verb deskill describe plant managers butchering gist 2nd circuits opinion lolas case digitized discovery deskilling document review reducing sequence endlessly repeated simple tasks although lola settled trial legal principle established might readily applied professions potential already suggested current debate mcdonaldization medicine instance professional exception overtime longer entirely automatic case also raises intriguing questions statebystate system licensing professionals lola practicing law california licensed north carolina monitor located ohio forum litigation new york delaware bosses based picking north carolina consider dc lawyer logs firms computer system home across potomac dont think anyone would consider practicing law virginia difference lolas situation seems matter degree rather kind questions matter reasons professional regulation discipline practicing law without license punishable offense everywhere lolas employers proven practicing law north carolina therefore ineligible overtime pay would seemingly proven complicity conspiracy violate states licensing requirements hard imagine similar issues arising professions finally lolas employer staffing agency paid law firm told labor law doctrine joint employment answer might well using staffing agency subcontractor doesnt necessarily shield company wage claims joel jacobsen author recently retired 29year legal career topics would like see covered future columns please write legalcolumntipsgmailcom 160
| 535 |
<p>HONOLULU (AP) — It was a beautiful Hawaii morning: nice breeze, blue skies, birds chirping. Then terror struck.</p>
<p>We were up early, my daughter and I, because this Saturday morning was her first day of ice skating lessons, a day we had been talking about and looking forward to for months.</p>
<p>We were also having construction done in our Honolulu apartment, which sits atop a hill overlooking the Nuuanu Valley and, in the distance, Pearl Harbor. So, I had been frantically clearing out the living room and covering our things with sheets so they wouldn’t be smothered in sawdust.</p>
<p>We got her skating clothes on and tacked up the living room, and I was just about to hop in the shower when, around 8:07 a.m., my phone started the aggressive, long pulsating tone that normally accompanies a flash flood or other warning.</p>
<p>Emergency Alert: “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>EDITOR’S NOTE: Associated Press correspondent Caleb Jones was with his daughter at their Honolulu home when state emergency officials mistakenly sent out a cellphone alert warning of a missile heading for Hawaii. He recounts the panic that he, like other islanders, felt not knowing for several minutes if the threat was real.</p>
<p>A false alarm that warned of a ballistic missile headed for Hawaii sent the islands into a panic Saturday, with people abandoning cars in a highway and preparing to flee their homes until officials said the cell phone alert was a mistake. (Jan. 13)</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>“Not a drill?” I thought.</p>
<p>I looked out over the valley toward Honolulu International Airport and Pearl Harbor and envisioned a nuclear blast spreading over the landscape and funneling up the Pali Highway and into my thin-walled home. It’s literally a direct line to the most likely military target. There was no concrete structure, no basement, not even an interior room that would make sense to wait in. I wasn’t prepared with water or food. I panicked.</p>
<p>As a journalist, I knew what officials recommended. I have covered the drills, the warnings, the siren tests. According to emergency officials, it could take between 12 and 15 minutes for a missile to strike. I knew more than probably most people in Hawaii: Shelter in place, take cover, tune in and await instructions.</p>
<p>But fight or flight kicked in. All the nuclear threat models that state officials run use Pearl Harbor and its adjoining military base as ground zero. I also knew there wouldn’t be any rush hour traffic on a Saturday morning. I chose flight, which in retrospect may have been the wrong decision. But maybe not.</p>
<p>“We’re going,” I thought.</p>
<p>I had 12 minutes to get my daughter out of the blast zone and over the mountain range.</p>
<p>“Get your shoes on, we have to go,” I told the 7-year-old girl who I protect and cherish with my life.</p>
<p>She asked why, and I first told her I wasn’t quite sure but we had to go. I was watching my clock. Eleven minutes.</p>
<p>Around the same time I started making calls for work. After my daughter, my priority was informing the world about what was happening. Text messages started coming in from colleagues. Planning started happening. Calls were being made.</p>
<p>Nine minutes.</p>
<p>“What’s happening, Daddy?” she asked repeatedly.</p>
<p>I decided to be honest and maintained a calm tone.</p>
<p>“I don’t know yet, Honey, but you know the siren tests you had at school. It’s like that, and we just need to go somewhere safe.”</p>
<p>“There’s a missile?” she asked, a question I never imagined my young daughter would have to ask.</p>
<p>My plan was to make it to a Target in Kailua and shelter there. Plenty of food, strong structure, far from a likely ground zero. I had my laptop and everything I needed for work and figured I would be able to do my job and hopefully protect my daughter.</p>
<p>We jumped in my car and drove away from Honolulu. Others had the same idea, it seemed. People were driving extremely fast away from the center of town, but traffic was still light enough that cars were flowing over the highway that connects the east side of Oahu to Honolulu.</p>
<p>You could see the panic on people’s faces, blatantly using their cellphones while driving — something we’ve learned through hefty traffic fines not to do.</p>
<p>I got to the top of the Pali Highway and to the other side of the mountain range pretty quickly, looking in my rear-view mirror to see if there was a mushroom cloud.</p>
<p>By that time, one of my colleagues had gotten in touch with officials who told her it was a false alarm. She texted the news to me. Still, there was no official notice of an all-clear, and the people around me continued to panic.</p>
<p>Once I knew we all weren’t going to die, my panic and fear for my daughter’s safety turned to energy to get the story out. I turned around and returned home, making calls along the way. Some calls failed as the wireless system became overwhelmed.</p>
<p>We made it to her 9:30 a.m. skating lesson, in which she nailed the teacup maneuver and skated backward with her classmates. I interviewed other parents about what happened, sent in quotes and gathered some video.</p>
<p>After her class, for the next eight hours, my daughter and I sat in the Associated Press bureau working to get the story out. She was visibly shaken but in good spirits. She made me and my colleagues laugh throughout the afternoon, scooting around on a rolling chair and asking over and over again if we could do something more fun.</p>
<p>Today, as the sun rises over our view of Pearl Harbor, we feel relief that we can, indeed, do something more fun. After I write this story.</p>
<p>HONOLULU (AP) — It was a beautiful Hawaii morning: nice breeze, blue skies, birds chirping. Then terror struck.</p>
<p>We were up early, my daughter and I, because this Saturday morning was her first day of ice skating lessons, a day we had been talking about and looking forward to for months.</p>
<p>We were also having construction done in our Honolulu apartment, which sits atop a hill overlooking the Nuuanu Valley and, in the distance, Pearl Harbor. So, I had been frantically clearing out the living room and covering our things with sheets so they wouldn’t be smothered in sawdust.</p>
<p>We got her skating clothes on and tacked up the living room, and I was just about to hop in the shower when, around 8:07 a.m., my phone started the aggressive, long pulsating tone that normally accompanies a flash flood or other warning.</p>
<p>Emergency Alert: “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>EDITOR’S NOTE: Associated Press correspondent Caleb Jones was with his daughter at their Honolulu home when state emergency officials mistakenly sent out a cellphone alert warning of a missile heading for Hawaii. He recounts the panic that he, like other islanders, felt not knowing for several minutes if the threat was real.</p>
<p>A false alarm that warned of a ballistic missile headed for Hawaii sent the islands into a panic Saturday, with people abandoning cars in a highway and preparing to flee their homes until officials said the cell phone alert was a mistake. (Jan. 13)</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>“Not a drill?” I thought.</p>
<p>I looked out over the valley toward Honolulu International Airport and Pearl Harbor and envisioned a nuclear blast spreading over the landscape and funneling up the Pali Highway and into my thin-walled home. It’s literally a direct line to the most likely military target. There was no concrete structure, no basement, not even an interior room that would make sense to wait in. I wasn’t prepared with water or food. I panicked.</p>
<p>As a journalist, I knew what officials recommended. I have covered the drills, the warnings, the siren tests. According to emergency officials, it could take between 12 and 15 minutes for a missile to strike. I knew more than probably most people in Hawaii: Shelter in place, take cover, tune in and await instructions.</p>
<p>But fight or flight kicked in. All the nuclear threat models that state officials run use Pearl Harbor and its adjoining military base as ground zero. I also knew there wouldn’t be any rush hour traffic on a Saturday morning. I chose flight, which in retrospect may have been the wrong decision. But maybe not.</p>
<p>“We’re going,” I thought.</p>
<p>I had 12 minutes to get my daughter out of the blast zone and over the mountain range.</p>
<p>“Get your shoes on, we have to go,” I told the 7-year-old girl who I protect and cherish with my life.</p>
<p>She asked why, and I first told her I wasn’t quite sure but we had to go. I was watching my clock. Eleven minutes.</p>
<p>Around the same time I started making calls for work. After my daughter, my priority was informing the world about what was happening. Text messages started coming in from colleagues. Planning started happening. Calls were being made.</p>
<p>Nine minutes.</p>
<p>“What’s happening, Daddy?” she asked repeatedly.</p>
<p>I decided to be honest and maintained a calm tone.</p>
<p>“I don’t know yet, Honey, but you know the siren tests you had at school. It’s like that, and we just need to go somewhere safe.”</p>
<p>“There’s a missile?” she asked, a question I never imagined my young daughter would have to ask.</p>
<p>My plan was to make it to a Target in Kailua and shelter there. Plenty of food, strong structure, far from a likely ground zero. I had my laptop and everything I needed for work and figured I would be able to do my job and hopefully protect my daughter.</p>
<p>We jumped in my car and drove away from Honolulu. Others had the same idea, it seemed. People were driving extremely fast away from the center of town, but traffic was still light enough that cars were flowing over the highway that connects the east side of Oahu to Honolulu.</p>
<p>You could see the panic on people’s faces, blatantly using their cellphones while driving — something we’ve learned through hefty traffic fines not to do.</p>
<p>I got to the top of the Pali Highway and to the other side of the mountain range pretty quickly, looking in my rear-view mirror to see if there was a mushroom cloud.</p>
<p>By that time, one of my colleagues had gotten in touch with officials who told her it was a false alarm. She texted the news to me. Still, there was no official notice of an all-clear, and the people around me continued to panic.</p>
<p>Once I knew we all weren’t going to die, my panic and fear for my daughter’s safety turned to energy to get the story out. I turned around and returned home, making calls along the way. Some calls failed as the wireless system became overwhelmed.</p>
<p>We made it to her 9:30 a.m. skating lesson, in which she nailed the teacup maneuver and skated backward with her classmates. I interviewed other parents about what happened, sent in quotes and gathered some video.</p>
<p>After her class, for the next eight hours, my daughter and I sat in the Associated Press bureau working to get the story out. She was visibly shaken but in good spirits. She made me and my colleagues laugh throughout the afternoon, scooting around on a rolling chair and asking over and over again if we could do something more fun.</p>
<p>Today, as the sun rises over our view of Pearl Harbor, we feel relief that we can, indeed, do something more fun. After I write this story.</p>
| false | 2 |
honolulu ap beautiful hawaii morning nice breeze blue skies birds chirping terror struck early daughter saturday morning first day ice skating lessons day talking looking forward months also construction done honolulu apartment sits atop hill overlooking nuuanu valley distance pearl harbor frantically clearing living room covering things sheets wouldnt smothered sawdust got skating clothes tacked living room hop shower around 807 phone started aggressive long pulsating tone normally accompanies flash flood warning emergency alert ballistic missile threat inbound hawaii seek immediate shelter drill ___ editors note associated press correspondent caleb jones daughter honolulu home state emergency officials mistakenly sent cellphone alert warning missile heading hawaii recounts panic like islanders felt knowing several minutes threat real false alarm warned ballistic missile headed hawaii sent islands panic saturday people abandoning cars highway preparing flee homes officials said cell phone alert mistake jan 13 ___ drill thought looked valley toward honolulu international airport pearl harbor envisioned nuclear blast spreading landscape funneling pali highway thinwalled home literally direct line likely military target concrete structure basement even interior room would make sense wait wasnt prepared water food panicked journalist knew officials recommended covered drills warnings siren tests according emergency officials could take 12 15 minutes missile strike knew probably people hawaii shelter place take cover tune await instructions fight flight kicked nuclear threat models state officials run use pearl harbor adjoining military base ground zero also knew wouldnt rush hour traffic saturday morning chose flight retrospect may wrong decision maybe going thought 12 minutes get daughter blast zone mountain range get shoes go told 7yearold girl protect cherish life asked first told wasnt quite sure go watching clock eleven minutes around time started making calls work daughter priority informing world happening text messages started coming colleagues planning started happening calls made nine minutes whats happening daddy asked repeatedly decided honest maintained calm tone dont know yet honey know siren tests school like need go somewhere safe theres missile asked question never imagined young daughter would ask plan make target kailua shelter plenty food strong structure far likely ground zero laptop everything needed work figured would able job hopefully protect daughter jumped car drove away honolulu others idea seemed people driving extremely fast away center town traffic still light enough cars flowing highway connects east side oahu honolulu could see panic peoples faces blatantly using cellphones driving something weve learned hefty traffic fines got top pali highway side mountain range pretty quickly looking rearview mirror see mushroom cloud time one colleagues gotten touch officials told false alarm texted news still official notice allclear people around continued panic knew werent going die panic fear daughters safety turned energy get story turned around returned home making calls along way calls failed wireless system became overwhelmed made 930 skating lesson nailed teacup maneuver skated backward classmates interviewed parents happened sent quotes gathered video class next eight hours daughter sat associated press bureau working get story visibly shaken good spirits made colleagues laugh throughout afternoon scooting around rolling chair asking could something fun today sun rises view pearl harbor feel relief indeed something fun write story honolulu ap beautiful hawaii morning nice breeze blue skies birds chirping terror struck early daughter saturday morning first day ice skating lessons day talking looking forward months also construction done honolulu apartment sits atop hill overlooking nuuanu valley distance pearl harbor frantically clearing living room covering things sheets wouldnt smothered sawdust got skating clothes tacked living room hop shower around 807 phone started aggressive long pulsating tone normally accompanies flash flood warning emergency alert ballistic missile threat inbound hawaii seek immediate shelter drill ___ editors note associated press correspondent caleb jones daughter honolulu home state emergency officials mistakenly sent cellphone alert warning missile heading hawaii recounts panic like islanders felt knowing several minutes threat real false alarm warned ballistic missile headed hawaii sent islands panic saturday people abandoning cars highway preparing flee homes officials said cell phone alert mistake jan 13 ___ drill thought looked valley toward honolulu international airport pearl harbor envisioned nuclear blast spreading landscape funneling pali highway thinwalled home literally direct line likely military target concrete structure basement even interior room would make sense wait wasnt prepared water food panicked journalist knew officials recommended covered drills warnings siren tests according emergency officials could take 12 15 minutes missile strike knew probably people hawaii shelter place take cover tune await instructions fight flight kicked nuclear threat models state officials run use pearl harbor adjoining military base ground zero also knew wouldnt rush hour traffic saturday morning chose flight retrospect may wrong decision maybe going thought 12 minutes get daughter blast zone mountain range get shoes go told 7yearold girl protect cherish life asked first told wasnt quite sure go watching clock eleven minutes around time started making calls work daughter priority informing world happening text messages started coming colleagues planning started happening calls made nine minutes whats happening daddy asked repeatedly decided honest maintained calm tone dont know yet honey know siren tests school like need go somewhere safe theres missile asked question never imagined young daughter would ask plan make target kailua shelter plenty food strong structure far likely ground zero laptop everything needed work figured would able job hopefully protect daughter jumped car drove away honolulu others idea seemed people driving extremely fast away center town traffic still light enough cars flowing highway connects east side oahu honolulu could see panic peoples faces blatantly using cellphones driving something weve learned hefty traffic fines got top pali highway side mountain range pretty quickly looking rearview mirror see mushroom cloud time one colleagues gotten touch officials told false alarm texted news still official notice allclear people around continued panic knew werent going die panic fear daughters safety turned energy get story turned around returned home making calls along way calls failed wireless system became overwhelmed made 930 skating lesson nailed teacup maneuver skated backward classmates interviewed parents happened sent quotes gathered video class next eight hours daughter sat associated press bureau working get story visibly shaken good spirits made colleagues laugh throughout afternoon scooting around rolling chair asking could something fun today sun rises view pearl harbor feel relief indeed something fun write story
| 1,032 |
<p>CAIRO (Reuters) - The last challenger seen as a potential threat to the re-election of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was detained on Tuesday, and halted his campaign after the army accused him of breaking the law by running for office without permission.</p> FILE PHOTO: Egypt's former army chief of staff Sami Anan speaks during a news conference in Cairo, March 13, 2014. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
<p>Former military chief of staff Lieutenant General Sami Anan, who had announced his candidacy last week, was taken to the Military Prosecutor’s office in Cairo, according to his son and one of his lawyers, who were waiting outside the building.</p>
<p>Anan’s son Samir Anan said late on Tuesday they had not heard from his father since his detention and did not know whether he was still at the Military Prosecutor’s office or had been moved elsewhere.</p>
<p>An army statement read on state TV said Anan’s presidential bid amounted to “a serious breach of the laws of military service”, because as a military officer he was required to end his service and seek permission before seeking office.</p>
<p>Anan’s spokesman denied he had broken any laws. The charges “come from an inaccurate reading of Anan’s announcement,”&#160;Hazem Hosni told Reuters, without elaborating. The campaign announced Anan was halting his bid.</p>
<p>“To be banned by the state to enter the elections ... (means) that the state doesn’t want to hold an election,” Hosni said.</p>
<p>The military declined to comment on Anan’s detention. The interior ministry could not immediately be reached for comment.</p>
<p>The Military Prosecution later issued a statement banning media coverage of its investigation into Anan.</p>
<p>A witness who knows Anan told Reuters the candidate was detained while driving to his office shortly before the army statement was broadcast. His car was stopped by what appeared to be armed military police on a main road in Cairo.</p>
<p>Anan, who served as armed forces chief of staff from 2005-2012, was the final high profile challenger to Sisi left in the race after a number of others dropped out, some citing intimidation by the authorities.</p>
<p>“He was the longest-serving chief of staff but that didn’t stop them arresting him,” Anan’s office director Mustafa al-Shal said outside the Military Prosecutor’s office.</p>
<p>Egypt’s president’s office and government press center have not commented on the election race. The electoral commission has said it will ensure the vote is fair and transparent.</p>
<p>Sisi, who as military chief led the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in 2013 and was elected president the following year, announced last week he will seek a second term in the election set for late March.</p> CANDIDATES WITHDRAW
<p>Ahmed Shafik, a former prime minister and air force chief, abandoned a bid this month, saying that after several years living abroad he was out of touch with Egyptian politics. The announcement came amid media criticism and speculation that he was being held by authorities in a Cairo hotel.</p>
<p>Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat, the nephew of assassinated President Anwar al-Sadat, said last week he would not run, citing an environment of fear surrounding the vote.</p>
<p>Rights lawyer Khaled Ali has said he will still run, but he might be disqualified over a legal case against him.</p>
<p>Anan announced his presidential bid in a video declaration posted on his official Facebook page last week, saying he was running to save Egypt from incorrect policies and calling on state institutions to maintain neutrality toward all candidates.</p>
<p>Egyptian law requires former army officials to end their service and receive permission from the military before they can run for political office. The army’s statement said Anan had falsified documents that stated his military service had ended.</p>
<p>Sisi’s critics say his popularity has eroded over tough economic reforms tied to a $12 billion International Monetary Fund loan, which have squeezed many Egyptians, and over a crackdown on dissidents.</p>
<p>His supporters say firm measures are necessary to bring security and stability to a country that has seen unrest since a 2011 uprising toppled long-serving autocrat Hosni Mubarak.</p>
<p>Egypt is fighting a stubborn Islamic State insurgency in its North Sinai region. Militants have expanded their attacks to target civilians, especially over the past year.</p>
<p>Reporting Cairo bureau; Editing by Peter Graff and Janet Lawrence</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>TREBES, France (Reuters) - A gunman killed three people in southwestern France on Friday as he held up a car, fired on police and seized hostages in a supermarket, screaming “Allahu Akbar” before security forces stormed the building and killed him, authorities said.</p>
<p>Sixteen other people were wounded, including two who were seriously hurt, in what President Emmanuel Macron called an act of “Islamist terrorism”.</p>
<p>The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. Macron said security services were checking that claim.</p>
<p>“I want to tell the nation tonight of my absolute determination in leading this fight,” said Macron, who returned to Paris from Brussels to chair a crisis meeting with ministers and security officials.</p>
<p>More than 240 people have been killed in France in attacks since 2015 by assailants who pledged allegiance to Islamic State or were inspired by the group.</p>
<p>Friday’s attacker was identified by authorities as Redouane Lakdim, 25, from the city of Carcassonne.</p>
<p>Two people were killed when he attacked the supermarket in the nearby small town of Trebes.</p>
<p>Witnesses said about 20 people in the supermarket found refuge in its cold storage room.</p>
<p>A lieutenant-colonel of the gendarmes who swapped himself in exchange for one of the hostages was fighting for his life in hospital, Macron said.</p>
<p>Moroccan-born Lakdim was known to authorities for petty crimes, but had been under surveillance by security services in 2016-2017 for links to the radical Salafist movement, said Paris prosecutor Francois Molins, who is leading the investigation.</p>
<p>“The monitoring ... did not reveal any apparent signs that could lead (us) to foresee he would act,” Molins said.</p>
<p>He said one woman connected to Lakdim had been arrested.</p>
<p>Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told reporters at the scene that he believed Lakdim had acted alone.</p>
<p>“Every day we detect facts and foil new attacks. Alas, this one struck without us being able to counter it,” Collomb said.</p>
<p>Lakdim first killed one person with a bullet in the head while stealing a car in Carcassonne, a walled city with a medieval citadel that is one of France’s top tourist attractions.</p>
<p>He pulled up in the car to four police officers who were jogging in the city and opened fire, hitting one in the shoulder, then sped off to Trebes, about 8 km (5 miles) to the east, where he took the hostages in the supermarket.</p>
<p>“The perpetrator entered the store shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ and indicated that he was an Islamic State soldier who was ready to die for Syria, seeking the release of brothers, before shooting at a client and a store employee who died on the spot,” Molins said.</p>
<p>Police were carrying out searches at Lakdim’s family home.</p> A general view shows police officers and investigators at a supermarket after a hostage situation in Trebes, France, March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau ESCAPE
<p>One supermarket worker said some shoppers had escaped from the building after the gunman burst in.</p>
<p>“I was in my department when I heard gunshots. I went to the area of the gunshots and came face to face with the person,” said the employee, who gave his name only as Francois.</p>
<p>“He raised his gun and fired, I ran away, he shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and spoke about the Islamic State. I then evacuated the clients, about 20, who were in my area and we went quietly out of the back,” said Francois, who has been employed at the supermarket since November.</p>
<p>Collomb said the gunman had demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam - the prime surviving suspect in Islamic State suicide bombing and mass shooting attacks on a sports stadium, concert hall and restaurants that killed 130 people in Paris in 2015.</p>
<p>Abdeslam, a French citizen born and raised in Brussels, went on trial in Belgium last month. He is accused of “attempted murder in a terrorist context” over a Brussels shootout in March 2016, four months after he fled Paris on the night of the carnage during which his brother was among the suicide bombers.</p> Slideshow (14 Images) “THE THREAT IS EVERYWHERE”
<p>France is part of a U.S.-led coalition fighting against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and also has thousands of soldiers in West Africa fighting al Qaeda-linked militants.</p>
<p>In February, Collomb said French security forces had foiled two planned attacks so far this year as Islamic State militants set their sights on domestic targets in response to the group’s military setbacks in Iraq and Syria.</p>
<p>“This is a small, quiet town. Unfortunately the threat is everywhere,” Collomb told reporters in Trebes.</p>
<p>Carcassonne, a UNESCO heritage site, lies in the Languedoc region, known for its wine and picturesque countryside but also one of the poorest areas in France, with unemployment about 3 percentage points above the national average.</p>
<p>Nearby Beziers is one of the biggest cities controlled by the far-right, while the smaller town of Lunel further east became a breeding ground for many French jihadists who travelled to Syria to fight.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-france-security-molins/prosecutor-says-one-person-arrested-after-southern-france-attack-idUSKBN1GZ2XN" type="external">Prosecutor says one person arrested after southern France attack</a>
<a href="/article/us-france-security-gendarme/french-gendarme-fighting-for-his-life-after-trading-places-with-hostage-idUSKBN1GZ2ZF" type="external">French gendarme fighting for his life after trading places with hostage</a>
<a href="/article/us-france-security-witness/french-supermarket-hostages-dodge-attacker-hide-in-cold-store-idUSKBN1GZ2T4" type="external">French supermarket hostages dodge attacker, hide in cold store</a>
<p>Almost six years ago to the day, Islamist gunman Mohammed Merah killed seven people in the Toulouse region, about 90 km from Carcassonne. He was killed by security forces after a more than 30-hour stand-off.</p>
<p>The last lethal Islamist attack in France was in October 2017 when a Tunisian-born man stabbed two young women to death in Marseille before he was shot dead by soldiers. Islamic State also claimed responsibility for that attack.</p>
<p>For other stories on the attack, click on:</p>
<p>French gendarme fighting for his life after trading places with hostage</p>
<p>France supermarket attacker pledged to “die for Syria”</p>
<p>French supermarket hostages dodge attacker, hide in cold store</p>
<p>Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry, Sophie Louet, John Irish, Michel Rose, Leigh Thomas, Brian Love and Bate Felix in Paris; Writing by Ingrid Melander and David Stamp; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Catherine Evans</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Incoming White House national security adviser John Bolton’s history of clashes with U.S. intelligence agencies suggests how he might handle North Korea and Iran, two of the thorniest challenges he and U.S. President Donald Trump face.</p> FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton arrives for a meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, U.S., December 2, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo
<p>Bolton takes over on April 9 from retiring Army Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster. Based on his public statements, he shares Trump’s dislike of the Iran nuclear deal and often-bellicose stance toward North Korea.</p>
<p>However, his pronouncements on both issues are at odds with the assessments of U.S. intelligence agencies.</p>
<p>In a 2017 article in the conservative National Review, Bolton accused Iran of “significant violations” of the 2015 nuclear accord curbing the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.</p>
<p>U.S. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, however, told Congress in February that Tehran has been in compliance with the deal, which is working as designed.</p>
<p>Bolton has characterized North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs as a threat best eliminated by a pre-emptive military strike. U.S. intelligence analysts have warned that such a strike would trigger a North Korean counterattack that would kill tens of thousands of South Koreans, American troops and civilians, and others as far away as Japan.</p>
<p>As a senior State Department official from 2001 to 2005, Bolton exaggerated what the U.S. government knew about weapons programs in Iraq, Cuba and Syria, and retaliated against analysts who differed with him, according to intelligence officials involved in the events.</p>
<p>“The question is, is he (Bolton) going to be like that, and start with the answer and shoehorn the intelligence to fit,” or take a more balanced view, said a former CIA official with more than 30 years’ experience.</p>
<p>The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reflected many intelligence veterans’ wariness at Bolton’s appointment.</p>
<p>Bolton declined comment via a spokesman. A CIA spokeswoman also declined comment.</p>
<p>Bolton, 69, is known as a dedicated hawk who marries bureaucratic savvy with belligerent rhetoric.</p>
<p>The decisions the White House confronts on North Korea and Iran require, officials say, complicated judgments based on imperfect information about the status of secret weapons programs, conditions that Bolton’s critics say he has seized on in the past to promote his own agenda.</p> ‘NOT REFLECTED BY INTELLIGENCE’
<p>During President George W. Bush’s first term in office, Bolton was the State Department’s top official on weapons proliferation.</p>
<p>In a May 2002 speech, he declared that Cuba had “at least a limited offensive biological warfare research and development effort,” and was sharing the technology with other countries.</p>
<p>Greg Theilmann, a top State Department intelligence official at the time, recounted how Bolton tried to retaliate against one of Theilmann’s analysts for disputing that conclusion.</p>
<p>“Bolton wanted to make charges about Cuban biological warfare capabilities which were not reflected by the intelligence,” Theilmann said in a telephone interview.</p>
<p>Bolton tried to have analyst Christian Westermann reassigned for challenging him, but he and Carl Ford, the head of the State Department’s intelligence bureau, refused, Theilmann said.</p>
<p>In his 2007 memoir, “Surrender is Not an Option,” Bolton wrote that the language on Cuba’s bioweapons programs had been approved by U.S. intelligence agencies. Westermann, he wrote, “was attempting to impose his own policy views,” which intelligence analysts are not supposed to do.</p>
<p>Fulton Armstrong, who was the intelligence community’s top Cuba expert, said Bolton and several of his associates in government also tried to have him removed over the biological weapons issue.</p>
<p>Bolton “showed every despicable trait of an obsessed policy person who, when frustrated in his attempts to cook the intelligence, lashed out at the person delivering the news,” Armstrong said.</p>
<p>Bolton crossed swords with U.S. spy agencies again in July 2003, when the CIA and other agencies objected to testimony he planned to give describing Syria’s development of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons as a threat to Middle East stability.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball; Editing by John Walcott and James Dalgleish</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SEOUL (Reuters) - Once rejected by North Korea as “human scum,” U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest pick for national security adviser has called for regime change in North Korea, prompting worries in Asia ahead of a historic summit between Washington and Pyongyang.</p>
<p>Trump announced in a tweet he was replacing H.R. McMaster with John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who has advocated the use of military force against North Korea and Iran and has previously been rejected as a negotiating partner by Pyongyang.</p>
<p>“This is worrisome news,” said Kim Hack-yong, conservative lawmaker and head of the national defense committee of South Korea’s parliament. “North Korea and the United States need to have dialogue but this only fuels worries over whether the talks will ever happen.”</p>
<p>At Seoul’s presidential Blue House, which has been forced to navigate between the unpredictable personalities of leaders in both Pyongyang and Washington, officials were circumspect.</p>
<p>“Our stance is that if a new road opens, we have to go that path,” a senior Blue House official told reporters. “Bolton has much knowledge on the issues regarding the Korean peninsula and most of all, we know him to be one of the U.S. president’s aides who is trusted.”</p>
<p>He said Chung Eui-yong, South Korea’s National Security Office head, had not yet spoken with Bolton and that Chung’s reaction to McMaster’s dismissal was “not bad”.</p>
<p>Another administrative official in Seoul expressed regret over the loss of camaraderie McMaster had built with his South Korean counterpart as they had tackled North Korea’s nuclear issue together.</p>
<p>Both officials requested not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.</p> “A ROCKY PATH”
<p>Bolton had described Trump’s plan to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as “diplomatic shock and awe” and said it would be an opportunity to deliver a threat of military action.</p>
<p>“I think this session between the two leaders could well be a fairly brief session where Trump says, ‘Tell me you have begun total denuclearization, because we’re not going to have protracted negotiations. You can tell me right now or we’ll start thinking of something else’”, he told Washington’s WMAL radio station.</p>
<p>Former South Korean intelligence official Nam Sung-wook said Trump may not even get the opportunity to deliver that message.</p>
<p>“Bolton being tapped for this position makes for a very difficult situation where the U.S.-North Korea summit may not even happen,” he said. “It’s going to be a rocky path even before the summit.”</p> FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S. February 24, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
<p>The meeting is supposed to happen by the end of May, but an exact time and place have yet to be settled on.</p>
<p>Pyongyang had no immediate comment about Bolton, whose</p>
<p>criticism of then-North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and Pyongyang’s human rights record in 2003 spurred state media to call him “human scum and bloodsucker.”</p>
<p>North Korean officials would not recognize him as a representative of the U.S. government or talk with him because of his “political vulgarity and psychopathological condition”, state media said at the time.</p> HOPES AND WORRIES IN ASIA
<p>Bolton’s appointment came 10 days after Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, another moderating influence, replacing him with CIA director Mike Pompeo.</p>
<p>His appointment will further diminish hope for China and the United States to see eye-to-eye on security issues, according to Shi Yinhong, an expert on China-U.S. relations at Renmin University in Beijing.</p>
<p>“What security cooperation with China can there be? Nuclear weapons, North Korea, Taiwan, South China Sea, cyberspace … Where is there hope for cooperation?” Shi said.</p>
<p>“Trump and Xi Jinping have spoken in public of the logic of cooperation, but with the negative direction of trade and security cooperation, these words seem more and more empty.”</p>
<p>Zhao Tong, an expert on North Korea and nuclear disarmament at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center in Beijing, said Bolton’s previous calls for China to pursue regime change in North Korea, as well as for a reunification of the peninsula under the South Korean government, was “very unrealistic”.</p>
<p>“His views on strategic security issues will reinforce the Chinese convictions that it needs to build up its hard power,” Zhao said.</p>
<p>Tokyo expressed hopes communication with Washington would go on as normal, with one Japanese government official saying he was “very optimistic” Japan would be able to get along with Bolton as he has many friends inside the Japanese government.</p>
<p>Narushige Michishita, a professor at Tokyo’s Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, said Bolton’s toughness could present a hurdle in dealing with Pyongyang.</p>
<p>“The problem is that he doesn’t have any flexibility. That’s a negative concern that I have,” Michishita said.</p>
<p>Reporting by Christine Kim; Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang and Josh Smith in SEOUL, Christian Shepherd in BEIJING and Linda Sieg in TOKYO; Editing by Bill Tarrant</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| false | 2 |
cairo reuters last challenger seen potential threat reelection egyptian president abdel fattah alsisi detained tuesday halted campaign army accused breaking law running office without permission file photo egypts former army chief staff sami anan speaks news conference cairo march 13 2014 reutersmohamed abd el ghany former military chief staff lieutenant general sami anan announced candidacy last week taken military prosecutors office cairo according son one lawyers waiting outside building anans son samir anan said late tuesday heard father since detention know whether still military prosecutors office moved elsewhere army statement read state tv said anans presidential bid amounted serious breach laws military service military officer required end service seek permission seeking office anans spokesman denied broken laws charges come inaccurate reading anans announcement160hazem hosni told reuters without elaborating campaign announced anan halting bid banned state enter elections means state doesnt want hold election hosni said military declined comment anans detention interior ministry could immediately reached comment military prosecution later issued statement banning media coverage investigation anan witness knows anan told reuters candidate detained driving office shortly army statement broadcast car stopped appeared armed military police main road cairo anan served armed forces chief staff 20052012 final high profile challenger sisi left race number others dropped citing intimidation authorities longestserving chief staff didnt stop arresting anans office director mustafa alshal said outside military prosecutors office egypts presidents office government press center commented election race electoral commission said ensure vote fair transparent sisi military chief led overthrow islamist president mohamed mursi 2013 elected president following year announced last week seek second term election set late march candidates withdraw ahmed shafik former prime minister air force chief abandoned bid month saying several years living abroad touch egyptian politics announcement came amid media criticism speculation held authorities cairo hotel mohamed anwar alsadat nephew assassinated president anwar alsadat said last week would run citing environment fear surrounding vote rights lawyer khaled ali said still run might disqualified legal case anan announced presidential bid video declaration posted official facebook page last week saying running save egypt incorrect policies calling state institutions maintain neutrality toward candidates egyptian law requires former army officials end service receive permission military run political office armys statement said anan falsified documents stated military service ended sisis critics say popularity eroded tough economic reforms tied 12 billion international monetary fund loan squeezed many egyptians crackdown dissidents supporters say firm measures necessary bring security stability country seen unrest since 2011 uprising toppled longserving autocrat hosni mubarak egypt fighting stubborn islamic state insurgency north sinai region militants expanded attacks target civilians especially past year reporting cairo bureau editing peter graff janet lawrence standards thomson reuters trust principles trebes france reuters gunman killed three people southwestern france friday held car fired police seized hostages supermarket screaming allahu akbar security forces stormed building killed authorities said sixteen people wounded including two seriously hurt president emmanuel macron called act islamist terrorism islamic state group claimed responsibility attack macron said security services checking claim want tell nation tonight absolute determination leading fight said macron returned paris brussels chair crisis meeting ministers security officials 240 people killed france attacks since 2015 assailants pledged allegiance islamic state inspired group fridays attacker identified authorities redouane lakdim 25 city carcassonne two people killed attacked supermarket nearby small town trebes witnesses said 20 people supermarket found refuge cold storage room lieutenantcolonel gendarmes swapped exchange one hostages fighting life hospital macron said moroccanborn lakdim known authorities petty crimes surveillance security services 20162017 links radical salafist movement said paris prosecutor francois molins leading investigation monitoring reveal apparent signs could lead us foresee would act molins said said one woman connected lakdim arrested interior minister gerard collomb told reporters scene believed lakdim acted alone every day detect facts foil new attacks alas one struck without us able counter collomb said lakdim first killed one person bullet head stealing car carcassonne walled city medieval citadel one frances top tourist attractions pulled car four police officers jogging city opened fire hitting one shoulder sped trebes 8 km 5 miles east took hostages supermarket perpetrator entered store shouting allahu akbar indicated islamic state soldier ready die syria seeking release brothers shooting client store employee died spot molins said police carrying searches lakdims family home general view shows police officers investigators supermarket hostage situation trebes france march 23 2018 reutersregis duvignau escape one supermarket worker said shoppers escaped building gunman burst department heard gunshots went area gunshots came face face person said employee gave name francois raised gun fired ran away shouted allahu akbar spoke islamic state evacuated clients 20 area went quietly back said francois employed supermarket since november collomb said gunman demanded release salah abdeslam prime surviving suspect islamic state suicide bombing mass shooting attacks sports stadium concert hall restaurants killed 130 people paris 2015 abdeslam french citizen born raised brussels went trial belgium last month accused attempted murder terrorist context brussels shootout march 2016 four months fled paris night carnage brother among suicide bombers slideshow 14 images threat everywhere france part usled coalition fighting islamic state syria iraq also thousands soldiers west africa fighting al qaedalinked militants february collomb said french security forces foiled two planned attacks far year islamic state militants set sights domestic targets response groups military setbacks iraq syria small quiet town unfortunately threat everywhere collomb told reporters trebes carcassonne unesco heritage site lies languedoc region known wine picturesque countryside also one poorest areas france unemployment 3 percentage points national average nearby beziers one biggest cities controlled farright smaller town lunel east became breeding ground many french jihadists travelled syria fight related coverage prosecutor says one person arrested southern france attack french gendarme fighting life trading places hostage french supermarket hostages dodge attacker hide cold store almost six years ago day islamist gunman mohammed merah killed seven people toulouse region 90 km carcassonne killed security forces 30hour standoff last lethal islamist attack france october 2017 tunisianborn man stabbed two young women death marseille shot dead soldiers islamic state also claimed responsibility attack stories attack click french gendarme fighting life trading places hostage france supermarket attacker pledged die syria french supermarket hostages dodge attacker hide cold store reporting emmanuel jarry sophie louet john irish michel rose leigh thomas brian love bate felix paris writing ingrid melander david stamp editing matthew mpoke bigg catherine evans standards thomson reuters trust principles washington reuters incoming white house national security adviser john boltons history clashes us intelligence agencies suggests might handle north korea iran two thorniest challenges us president donald trump face file photo former us ambassador united nations john bolton arrives meeting us presidentelect donald trump trump tower new york us december 2 2016 reutersmike segarfile photo bolton takes april 9 retiring army lt gen h r mcmaster based public statements shares trumps dislike iran nuclear deal oftenbellicose stance toward north korea however pronouncements issues odds assessments us intelligence agencies 2017 article conservative national review bolton accused iran significant violations 2015 nuclear accord curbing islamic republics nuclear program us director national intelligence dan coats however told congress february tehran compliance deal working designed bolton characterized north koreas nuclear ballistic missile programs threat best eliminated preemptive military strike us intelligence analysts warned strike would trigger north korean counterattack would kill tens thousands south koreans american troops civilians others far away japan senior state department official 2001 2005 bolton exaggerated us government knew weapons programs iraq cuba syria retaliated analysts differed according intelligence officials involved events question bolton going like start answer shoehorn intelligence fit take balanced view said former cia official 30 years experience official spoke condition anonymity reflected many intelligence veterans wariness boltons appointment bolton declined comment via spokesman cia spokeswoman also declined comment bolton 69 known dedicated hawk marries bureaucratic savvy belligerent rhetoric decisions white house confronts north korea iran require officials say complicated judgments based imperfect information status secret weapons programs conditions boltons critics say seized past promote agenda reflected intelligence president george w bushs first term office bolton state departments top official weapons proliferation may 2002 speech declared cuba least limited offensive biological warfare research development effort sharing technology countries greg theilmann top state department intelligence official time recounted bolton tried retaliate one theilmanns analysts disputing conclusion bolton wanted make charges cuban biological warfare capabilities reflected intelligence theilmann said telephone interview bolton tried analyst christian westermann reassigned challenging carl ford head state departments intelligence bureau refused theilmann said 2007 memoir surrender option bolton wrote language cubas bioweapons programs approved us intelligence agencies westermann wrote attempting impose policy views intelligence analysts supposed fulton armstrong intelligence communitys top cuba expert said bolton several associates government also tried removed biological weapons issue bolton showed every despicable trait obsessed policy person frustrated attempts cook intelligence lashed person delivering news armstrong said bolton crossed swords us spy agencies july 2003 cia agencies objected testimony planned give describing syrias development biological chemical nuclear weapons threat middle east stability additional reporting mark hosenball editing john walcott james dalgleish standards thomson reuters trust principles seoul reuters rejected north korea human scum us president donald trumps latest pick national security adviser called regime change north korea prompting worries asia ahead historic summit washington pyongyang trump announced tweet replacing hr mcmaster john bolton former us ambassador united nations advocated use military force north korea iran previously rejected negotiating partner pyongyang worrisome news said kim hackyong conservative lawmaker head national defense committee south koreas parliament north korea united states need dialogue fuels worries whether talks ever happen seouls presidential blue house forced navigate unpredictable personalities leaders pyongyang washington officials circumspect stance new road opens go path senior blue house official told reporters bolton much knowledge issues regarding korean peninsula know one us presidents aides trusted said chung euiyong south koreas national security office head yet spoken bolton chungs reaction mcmasters dismissal bad another administrative official seoul expressed regret loss camaraderie mcmaster built south korean counterpart tackled north koreas nuclear issue together officials requested named due sensitivity issue rocky path bolton described trumps plan meet north korean leader kim jong un diplomatic shock awe said would opportunity deliver threat military action think session two leaders could well fairly brief session trump says tell begun total denuclearization going protracted negotiations tell right well start thinking something else told washingtons wmal radio station former south korean intelligence official nam sungwook said trump may even get opportunity deliver message bolton tapped position makes difficult situation usnorth korea summit may even happen said going rocky path even summit file photo former us ambassador united nations john bolton speaks conservative political action conference cpac oxon hill maryland us february 24 2017 reutersjoshua robertsfile photo meeting supposed happen end may exact time place yet settled pyongyang immediate comment bolton whose criticism thennorth korean leader kim jong il pyongyangs human rights record 2003 spurred state media call human scum bloodsucker north korean officials would recognize representative us government talk political vulgarity psychopathological condition state media said time hopes worries asia boltons appointment came 10 days trump fired secretary state rex tillerson another moderating influence replacing cia director mike pompeo appointment diminish hope china united states see eyetoeye security issues according shi yinhong expert chinaus relations renmin university beijing security cooperation china nuclear weapons north korea taiwan south china sea cyberspace hope cooperation shi said trump xi jinping spoken public logic cooperation negative direction trade security cooperation words seem empty zhao tong expert north korea nuclear disarmament carnegietsinghua center beijing said boltons previous calls china pursue regime change north korea well reunification peninsula south korean government unrealistic views strategic security issues reinforce chinese convictions needs build hard power zhao said tokyo expressed hopes communication washington would go normal one japanese government official saying optimistic japan would able get along bolton many friends inside japanese government narushige michishita professor tokyos graduate institute policy studies said boltons toughness could present hurdle dealing pyongyang problem doesnt flexibility thats negative concern michishita said reporting christine kim additional reporting heekyong yang josh smith seoul christian shepherd beijing linda sieg tokyo editing bill tarrant standards thomson reuters trust principles
| 1,997 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.